Real talk

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cyberst0rm on January 31st, 2021 at 03:31 UTC »

fun fact: most states cant recall federal representatives.

last i checked, only wisconsin and california have laws

TheBirminghamBear on January 31st, 2021 at 04:23 UTC »

The reality is that this is exactly how racists and anti-semites disguise their true hatred. When Marjorie Taylor Green talks about jews burning down California, the hyperbole of the claim is part of strategy for disseminating it. It is how Alex Jones disguises his anti-semitism. It's exactly how the Nazis used to push anti-semitism. Notice how we're all talking about it, and Twitter hasn't banned it? It's preposterous and cartoonish, so it seems safer than saying something like, "Jews cause society's problems and should be put in gas chambers". That would not be spread as wildly as this claim. It wouldn't make it into the late night TV monologs. But this will. Even though it shouldn't, because it's every bit as hateful and disgusting and every bit as intended to spread the sort of anti-semitism that lead to the holocaust.

People in fiction tend to constantly link Naziism with the occult, like through sensationalizing Nazi occult experiments. But the reason that naziism and the occult are actually linked is because the Nazis used the occult in so many of their anti-Jewish propaganda. It was sensational. It was memorable. The goal wasn't to make people believe Jews were devils (though many did). It was to create a constant, pervasive, dehumanizing sentiment in the consciousness of society towards Jews.

When people spread this absurd bullshit about Jews, the goal is not to get people to actual believe the details of the absurdity.

When people hear two things in conjunction with one another, they form a little unconscious link between them.

So, you don't have to believe something as fucking absurd as Jewish Space Lasers causing California wild fires. But the brain does internalize a link between something bad - the wild fires - with something else - Jews. It's conditioning. It doesn't happen through one absurdity. But it is a constellation of similar sentiments, "jokes", conspiracy theories, and other subtle methods of deumanization.

The absurdity of the claim works in their favor. Because you remember the absurdity. Things that are absurd and comical are memorable. And the falseness of the claim doesn't necessarily detract from the subconscious linkage of the object with the negative emotion.

In this way, nazis can spread anti-semitic sentiment while claiming that its "just a joke". After all, if she were really pressed, in a court of law (as Alex Jones has been), they can just say, "I was just joking, no sane person would believe Jewish people have space lasers!"

But they fucking know that beneath the absurdity, they are normalizing anti-semitic sentiment.

Think about how much racism is behind racist jokes. The jokes aren't supposed to be taken literally, but they do help make racist sentiments memorable. The brain remembers humor, and humor is used in human-to-human bonding.

When the racist sentiment is at the heart of these enjoyable activities, it gains further traction in the minds of people. The jokes serve to bond like-minded racists while cultivating racial hatred and dehumanizing perspectives. All while seeming innocuous to the tellers and listeners. Because after all, it's just a joke. They don't really feel that way about blacks / mexicans / Jews / etc. Until, suddenly, they do feel that way.

Majorie knows exactly what she's doing here. This should not be treated as anything less than intentional anti-semitic hatred meant to inspire fellow anti-semites and help normalize anti-semitic sentiment in America.

renok2504 on January 31st, 2021 at 05:54 UTC »

Any chance for a backstory for those not living in America?