But thanks to the fact that we live in a nominally free society, we both have the right to hold our own, opposing views on this.
Mine, as someone who lost family in the camps, is that it's a question of perspective and tolerance. Specifically, if we tolerate one level of lie, we are naturally predisposed to tolerate varying levels of lies on a sliding scale.
If, as a society, we were more vocal and less tolerant of lies, there would be a genuine culture that seeks the truth, instead of versions that have been spun, and the liars wouldn't be in charge.
So you see my point was more than valid, it was central to who we are. We are either seekers of truth and decency, or tolerators of lies and deception. Sadly, we are all the latter, right up to the point where we recognise the mistakes and misdeed of the past, stand up and say: "No More!"
But while we have a debate about what is and is not an acceptable analogy, we do at least have hope. But denying that there is a link is irresponsible.
Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer are the most senior personnel in the most powerful company in the world. They both regularly lie. We tolerate it. Our governments allow torture and rendition and start illegal wars on the basis of lies. We tolerate it.
When they sold me an operating system that was crap, I said nothing. When they sold me a car that killed my family, I said nothing. When they sold me a war, I said nothing. When they came for my neighbour - he didn't look like me, so I did nothing. When they for me, there was no-one left to speak.
No animals or real humans were injured in the making of this illustration.
Just for the record, the Nazi commander who had that particular gate installed--Hoss, I believe his name was--was a former POW during the Weimar years who, by all accounts, really believed that manual labor helped him build character and survive his internment.
As a majority of the people locked up and/or murdered at Auschwitz didn't understand written German--most were from eastern and central European countries--most historians have concluded that the 'arbeit macht frei' gate, like those found at multiple concentration camps, were there to subliminally reassure the workers more than the prisoners.
Even if it was appropriate to include a computer company with questionable motives/practices/marketing strategies in an anology with death camps--which it isn't--the comparison doesn't make any sense.