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Elon Musk's salute falls flat: Why far-right trolling isn't working this time around (www.salon.com)

submitted 1 day ago by just_another_person@lemmy.world to c/politics@lemmy.world

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[-] ploot 89 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

It's a good point about not taking the bait of debating with the far right about their nonsense, but I'm not convinced it quite counts as trolling when, being a proud Nazi, you get up in front of a bunch of Nazis and do Nazi salute to show them you are a Nazi. I guess the trolling is what he did afterwards.

[-] TimLovesTech@badatbeing.social 41 points 1 day ago

Yeah, it's never been as a troll, but as a sign of solidarity and beacon for others. Continuing to treat this like a trolling is continuing to give cover for Nazi/fascist behavior happening more and more in the light of day.

[-] Bronzebeard@lemm.ee 51 points 1 day ago

How is only one "main stream" American News source calling it what it was "falling flat"?

[-] just_another_person@lemmy.world 36 points 1 day ago

The author is comparing it to previous trolling attempts, and how this one isn't being picked up except by neo-nazi groups.

[-] Bronzebeard@lemm.ee 47 points 1 day ago

Why are we calling a Nazi paying homage to his fellow Nazis "trolling"?

[-] just_another_person@lemmy.world 22 points 1 day ago

It's how they see it, apparently. Same with all the "OK" hand gestures. It's a dog whistle intended to empower those that agree with this crap to start doing it publicly. "If Elon can do it, so can I"...etc.

[-] Atelopus-zeteki@fedia.io 11 points 1 day ago

It's generally great when people show who they really are, so it's possible to know how to properly respond. PUNCH NAZIS! RIDICULE FASCISTS!

[-] vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 day ago

Wrong you shouldnt punch Nazis thats uncivilized. You should show them classical civility and lash them to a fucking cross. Sic Semper Tyrannis

[-] solarvector@lemmy.dbzer0.com 42 points 1 day ago

The article is fairly good, the headline only really makes sense after reading the article.

Not a great headline.

[-] Majorllama@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

[removed by mod]

[-] smokin_shinobi@lemmy.world 45 points 1 day ago

Fuck off nazi.

[-] Skua@kbin.earth 37 points 1 day ago

absolutely fascinating that this user was trying to talk up Adolf Hitler's economic record yesterday

[-] Majorllama@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

You're just gonna skip all the parts of my many comments where I repeatedly call Hitler and the Nazis fucking awful horrible people?

Literally that entire conversation was about how you people are incapable of having any nuance whatsoever. Hitler was a terrible person who also did a very small number of things that ended up being good for Germany in the long run. Jesus Christ y'all are dense as fuck.

[-] Skua@kbin.earth 27 points 1 day ago

I read the whole conversation, including the bits where you got mad at the other person for their source not being good enough, and then also their other sources for being in German, while providing literally zero sources of your own.

I even agree Hitler did, very occasionally and often for bad reasons, do a couple of actually good things. Like arming Ethiopia against the Italians. But nobody asked you to use Hitler as an example and the question absolutely did not require it. Fucking hell you could have even picked Winston Churchill deciding to lead the fight againt the Nazis, he was a Conservative. I'm bringing it up because I think it illustrates that maybe your judgement on anything about the Nazis isn't that reliable

[-] AbidanYre@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago

Yeah, but his dad has a history degree (and probably like 6 black belts) so check-mate.

[-] Majorllama@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

He's about the least athletic person in the universe. Mans was built for a lazy boy and a Martini while listening to smooth jazz.

[-] Majorllama@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

Clearly you didn't read the whole fuckin thing because I DID mention Churchill in one of the earlier comments.

The WHOLE reason I even mentioned Hitler in the first place was to prove my point that even terrible reprehensible people sometimes do things that end up being good for the world. I figured I'll use one of the most hated individuals in human history as an example because everyone knows who he is and what he did. In NO way am I a Nazi supporter or sympathiser. My grandfather smuggled Jews out of Germany as a kid. My extended family on one side is all Germans and they made sure to teach all their children and children's children the evil of Hitler and the Nazis so we would never repeat it.

I refuse to bend a knee to the insane intolerant left and their ludicrous hive mind.

For the record I ALSO refuse to take any part in the religious nutjobs over on the other side either.

I know I am not a Nazi. I will continue to stand my ground and say what I believe to be right even if it rubs you lot the wrong way.

Have a good day.

Good lord you people are fuckin insane.

[-] verdigris@lemmy.ml 9 points 1 day ago

Blah blah, you're still in this thread apologizing for what everyone with eyes knows was a blatant fascist dogwhistle. You can rationalize all you want, but these actions are all supportive of fascists.

[-] Majorllama@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

Not in support of fascist. Never have and never will.

Never apologized on behalf of them. No dog whistle.

You guys can all keep saying whatever you want about me, but I know what I am about. Screaming it louder and getting all your friends to scream it with you won't make it any more true.

You guys have completely lost any and all ability to critically think about things. You just see what the hive mind starts saying and then you lock in and repeat it forever never stopping to think about anything for yourself.

[-] Zoomboingding@lemmy.world 22 points 1 day ago

Maybe we don't need to make concessions on behalf of fucking Hitler when we're dealing with the actual return of fascism on a world scale. A real 'read the room' kind of thing.

[-] knightmare1147@lemmy.world 12 points 1 day ago

I hope your carbon is recycled into something more beneficial to the world someday. Like an apricot, maybe.

[-] Majorllama@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

That's gotta be the nicest "kill yourself" I've ever gotten. Though I'm not a big apricot kinda guy. Can I be a watermelon or avocado tree instead? I fuckin love watermelons and avocado. Not necessarily together, but you get what I mean.

[-] Tarquinn2049@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

Not to pile on, but there is actually a service where you can pick which tree you fertilize, my sister has it in her will that she wants to grow her favorite tree when she dies. Hopefully that service is still around at that point.

[-] Majorllama@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

My family has been given explicit instructions to spread my ashes anywhere it's illegal to do so. I just wanna break one last law on my way out ya know?

I suppose a tree is more constructive. Knowing my little sister she would probably put me into a tree anyway lol.

[-] Tarquinn2049@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

Maybe you can compromise and illegally fertilize a tree without permission, hehe.

[-] EchoCT@lemmy.ml 31 points 1 day ago

The neo Nazis think he was, and that was his audience. That's enough for me.

[-] spamfajitas@lemmy.world 26 points 1 day ago

I just can't imagine why people think it's a Nazi salute...oh wait,

[-] Tarquinn2049@lemmy.world 14 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Yeah, if it was anything else, it wouldn't be so forceful. No matter how socially awkward he is. Stiff I can get as being accidental from being nervous, but putting so much energy into it... that doesn't happen unintentionally. If his gesture was affected by anxiety, nervousness, or lack of practice, it would have been less energetic than if he was confident and practiced at it.

There is no possible way he meant anything else, all efforts afterwards to minimize it are hedging his bets and gaslighting.

I am Autistic and work with many other autistic and neurodivergent people, and this is not that at all. It was no accident, it looked exactly how he intended it to look, he practiced that in a mirror, alot. The hedging heart thing was also practiced.

I wouldn't be surprised to find out he had a bet going with someone that he could do it and get away with it. I don't live in a bubble, I do hang out with conservatives, this is exactly the thing they think is funny or cool.

[-] BradleyUffner@lemmy.world 14 points 1 day ago

[-] DaddleDew@lemmy.world 21 points 1 day ago

A tiktok link, defending a Nazi. Here. Are you lost, mate?

[-] deranger@sh.itjust.works 21 points 1 day ago

That was the dumbest fucking video I’ve watched in recent memory. “My heart goes out to you”? Get the fuck out lol

[-] Jumi@lemmy.world 2 points 22 hours ago

It definitely is

[-] kinsnik@lemmy.world 14 points 1 day ago

the nazi did the fucking nazi salute twice, so that there were no doubts about it

[-] Passerby6497@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

"I'm all for people stimming in ways that make people uncomfortable"

Oh fuck entirely off. If that person really is autistic, she's an insult to the rest of us who don't stim by fucking throwing up Nazi salutes.

You can akshually this as a Roman salute, but it's still a fucking fascist salute from a man with a long history of Nazi signalling.

Stop carrying water for Nazis.

[-] PlasticExistence@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago

I’m very disappointed you registered an account and in your inability to grasp reality. Welcome to my block list.

[-] Majorllama@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

I don't block people I disagree with because I refuse to live in an echo chamber. Best of luck to all of you.

[-] zbyte64@awful.systems 7 points 1 day ago

I think that is an interesting view on consent, and I am glad to not share it.

[-] Majorllama@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

I'm not really sure how my not blocking of people I disagree with has anything to do with consent.

Please elaborate.

[-] zbyte64@awful.systems 6 points 1 day ago

Well I am taking what you are saying as an implied superior moral position. That engaging with anyone and everyone is ethically or morally superior to not. It follows that one who does not consent to that standard is somehow "doing it wrong". It's like some internalized guilt over exercising your own agency to ignore or block people. Wild.

[-] Majorllama@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

So... You've just made a ton of assumptions about me and then left a comment based on those assumptions.

I don't think I am inherently above others because I don't block people.

I do think that blocking out everyone you don't agree with entirely is unhealthy and leads to other problems such as an echo chamber, but you are absolutely right that they can do whatever they want.

I urge people to talk to people they don't necessarily get along with whenever possible. It's the only way to gain new perspectives and maybe look at things in a way you otherwise might not have.

If you only ever interact with people who all agree with you on everything anyways what does that get you? I'm not saying you have to agree withï other people, but it's good to know what other perspectives people have. It just allows you to stay more well rounded and informed at all times I think.

Ignore/block whoever you want. Obviously for mental health or sanity sake you do what you have to do. I have no issues with blocking people who are harassing me or anything like that, but I don't just instantly block people when they say something I disagree with.

Hope that helps clarity my position on the whole instantly blocking mentality that a lot of people have these days.

[-] zbyte64@awful.systems 8 points 1 day ago

Not having to talk to Nazis doesn't mean you're in an echo chamber. I hope that clears up the misunderstanding here.

[-] Majorllama@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

It is a problem when you label everyone that disagrees with you as a Nazi.

I have repeatedly stated on multiple occasions how much of a not Nazi I am but many people here have already labeled me as such.

You want me to get a notary to verify signed statements from all my minority and Jewish friends about how much of not a Nazi I am?

Like I understand what you're saying when taken as a statement in a vacuum, but that's not really accurate to what's happened here.

[-] zbyte64@awful.systems 4 points 1 day ago

I have repeatedly stated on multiple occasions how much of a not Nazi I am

"I have Jewish friends"

Dude this is pretty close to parody and I will need to make this part of a standup routine.

Even when I accidentally got mistaken as KKK for Halloween (I was in a white lab suit with an 🏖️ corp badge but took my hood off), I did not have to profess with words. I simply stripped the costume immediately off with shameful realization. My actual Jewish friend laughed at me.

Like I agree this isn't happening in a vacuum, the context is you defending a guy doing a Nazi salute. People not subjecting themselves to whatever brain rot brought you to that conclusion is not "living in a bubble", it's having a healthy relationship with reality.

[-] Majorllama@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

... You wore a costume that someone else accidentally mistook you for the kkk so instead of explaining the costume you just took off your costume in "shameful realization".

That is actually hella embarrassing for you. Not because you got mistaken for a kkk member that happens all the time with any costume that is primarily white robes (usually it's ghosts tho), but the fact that you took it off out of shame rather than simply explaining it or just not giving a shit is wild to me. I would never in a million years let what someone else thinks about me control what I do.

My "I have Jewish friends" comment was poking fun at how fucking ridiculous you sound. I should have put a /s so your clown ass could catch the joke I was making. That one is on me for assuming you had at least a few brain cells accidentally bouncing around upstairs.

Only one of us has a healthy grasp on reality and I am sorry to break it to you, but it ain't you man.

Anyways I am over this whole conversation with you. It's become abundantly clear to me that you are set in your ways and you see nothing wrong with it so I'm not gonna waste any more energy trying to have any sort of meaningful dialogue.

Have a good night.

[-] zbyte64@awful.systems 3 points 1 day ago

It’s become abundantly clear to me that you are set in your ways and you see nothing wrong with it so I’m not gonna waste any more energy trying to have any sort of meaningful dialogue.

As we say on the Internet, every accusation is a confession. At least you understand there's a hueristic to identifying people not worth conversing with, and for most of us defending Nazi stuff is that heuristic.

[-] Majorllama@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

Yeah.... Except I started out thinking he did do a Nazi Salute. I first saw a gif of only the salutes and I thought "no fucking way he just did that". Then i saw a slightly longer video that had music over it or whatever and I was still very shocked but it really looked like he had just done two Salutes on live TV.

Then I finally got home and was able to watch the full speech with original audio and most importantly all the context of the whole thing.

As I learned more information about the situation I changed my stance. It's ok to make a gut reaction and then reevaluate once you learn more info.

[-] zbyte64@awful.systems 3 points 22 hours ago

How did you ever assume it was the nazi salute if you require hearing the "heil Hitler" in conjunction with the motion?

[-] smokin_shinobi@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

You won’t be missed scumfuck.

this post was submitted on 22 Jan 2025

208 points (100.0% liked)

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