All comparisons to Adolf Hitler are not equal. Kristina Vanden Heuvel's March 26 Outlook article, "Had It With Hitler," left out an important part of the argument -- relevance.
Indeed, why shun from Nazi/Hitler analogies when they are relevant? Sure, comparisons with the "Hitler of the Holocaust" are probably not fair in most cases today. Not so with "budding Hitler/Nazism" analogies. What are the lessons of the Holocaust, and how can such events be prevented, if one cannot even compare specific trends the led to the Holocaust with specific trends in today's world?
So, yes, comparisons with Hitler's/NSDAP's early years can be legitimate.