from PatrickStar@sh.itjust.works to nostupidquestions@lemmy.ca on 18 May 18:15
https://sh.itjust.works/post/60387451
Recently Mamdani came under fire because he raised his arm and everyone say “oh that’s the Musk salute” (when that’s not the same thing; there was only one time it was the same thing and that’s ironically when Iran first pledged to attack Israel a year or so ago, and, well, Iran is going to be Iran it seems, there really isn’t that much of a disagreement there).
People are so shell shocked over the Elon Musk incident that someone raising their arm in any fashion seems to be taken as a salute. Double standards do exist, but people are so ready to point fingers they won’t distinguish instances.
But something I never see answered is this. Nobody really used to raise their arm at all when addressing a crowd. Before Musk, there might be a wink or a bow but nobody put exactly one arm in the air, often with it first on their heart. Nowadays we have footage that Republicans like to point to and yell “Clinton/Mamdani/Bannon/etc. did the salute, the party must be hypocrites”. We know these aren’t salutes, but are the Democrats ragebaiting the Republicans? Are they mistaken? Are we wrong about what they’re trying to do? Or did Musk inadvertently begin a fad? Because this is how reclaimed gestures/slurs work, and the Nazi salute is the last thing I want to see the next generation 50 years down the road reclaim.
#nostupidquestions
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It’s just whataboutism to defend musk and muddy the waters on what is actually fascist.
You can take a still frame from a number of movements to make it appear as if someone is doing a Nazi salute.
For example Mamdani is literally just waving, but with a still frame from one specific angle it looks like a Nazi salute.
Compare that to musk where the whole video in context shows a clear Nazi salute.
Not every raised arm is a Nazi salute, but Nazis like it if you think that to be the case.
I know that. I’m not saying that isn’t true. But what sparked this spontaneous idea among Democratic candidates of “I’m going to do this thing which is clearly not a salute but which the Republicans are going to call one”?
It was far less common before to even be in the position where your opponents say “now that’s something I can spin into smear”. It would be like me hearing that my opponent got in trouble for giving a middle finger in a video starring politicians and being like “that’s the finger I’m going to use to push up my glasses from now on”.
It’s literally just moving their arm, everyone moves dude. Waving is a very common thing to do.
I think what he’s asking is “why move arms at all?”
Like… really? The article doesn’t appear to have the video, but here is the still they use:
<img alt="" src="https://lemmy.blahaj.zone/pictrs/image/85bfaa71-fa96-494d-af2c-20549eae5d81.webp">
For reference, here is a still of musk:
<img alt="" src="https://lemmy.blahaj.zone/pictrs/image/5e8ca8b2-99f0-45df-8599-85e92be2dd25.webp">
Those aren’t even remotely similar, and people arguing they are, are doing so in bad faith.
I think what he’s asking is “why move arms at all?”
T pose to assert dominance? Bold, but could work!
As someone pointed out a still frame is different from video. The video of much doing it repeadately is super creepy. I mean I stretch by raising one arm and holding it with the other behind my neck. If you catch a picture at just the right time it might look like im doing it but a video of my activity makes it more clear. Even given that the still from your link is clearly a wave. His arm is bents. Its not straight. It looks nothing like a nazi salute other than he has his arm raised. I have waved with both my left and right hand. Its honestly just the right trying to make false equivalencies.