I have just read all through this thread, most of which is from 5 years ago and some fascinating stuff there is too. Several people have thanked the original poster for raising the issue as it is important that we never forget just what the nazis did.

It was, however those who use the term folk-nazis who kept the issue alive.   It would seem to me that there are two main lines of complaint in this topic, which are almost opposites and which should be separated:

1) It is unfair to compare people whose attitude to music you dislike to the perpetrators of an obscene horror.

2) Using the term nazi with reference to anyone but the originals belittles the suffering of victims of the third reich.

With regard to the first; many, if not most, pejoratives are used with little or no regard to their literal meanings. When I refer to Pinochet as a murdering bastard I have no knowledge of his parentage and indeed would not dream of suggesting that having unmarried parents is something to beat a child with.

Context is all. If you understand what people complaining about folk nazis are talking about, whether you agree or not, then the term works as a pejorative. It does not mean they think you are likely to murder 6 million Jews and it is bogus to pretend that this is what you thought. It means they really don't like what you do and misguided as they may be there is nothing to say that they should.

With regard to the second point I think the debate is much more difficult. I understand that any reference to or reminder of the horrors the Nazis brought about is painful, more painful than I as a child of the 50's can understand. I am not sure,though, that this is a pain we should avoid; that way we forget. Surely it is better to use the term nazis as a pejorative and be told off for a lack of gravity then reminded what the reality was than to let the term slip from our conciousness. The bigger danger is that we avoid uncomfortable issues and pretend that everything is nice in our world. It is better that subjects are raised at every level of discussion and awareness than that they are brushed under the carpet.

The nazis convinced millions of ordinary people all across Europe that their economic interests justified the slaughter of less worthy races or groups of people. This was not wrong because they lost the war, it was just wrong. And it does not become right when the slaughter is being carried out in the name of democracy by countries so powerful there is no chance they will be defeated.