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naraburns  nihil supernum  1yr ago (text post)   32908 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of February 27, 2023

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I think that when some people hear "[X negative trait] is a dogwhistle for [Y group]" enough times, they say to themselves, "I guess I hate [Y group], because I hate [X negative trait] and it's associated with [Y group]". I've heard this sentiment many times before from extremists, and I haven't seen anyone write about it other than Andrew Anglin of the Daily Stormer (I don't have a link on me), and, more recently, Alternative Hypothesis. It could be them working backwards to justify their own animosity using words that are "straight from the horse's mouth", but I think this idea isn't given enough consideration by people who aren't white nationalists. This surely does happen to some people. The question is, is it a big enough problem to warrant less calling out of dogwhistling?

I don't like dogwhistle discourse anyway, so my opinion on this is colored by that. I'd just like to hear what other people think. If I'm onto something, then maybe well-meaning progressives could and should be convinced to be more cautious when accusing someone of dogwhistling.

Alternative Hypothesis

His tweet is just bizarre.

If you oppose endless wars, that's anti-jewish. If you oppose CRT and black terror, that's anti-jewish. If you oppose kids being brainwashed into castrating themselves, that's anti-jewish.

I have never seen anyone do any of these. Ever.

With 'Wall Street' etc. it's pretty clear that some people do in fact use such terms as a dog-whistle for Jews, but I don't see how criticising that somehow plays into their hands. Saying that someone else is using such terms with antisemitic intent doesn't at all imply that they are correct in viewing the two as synonymous.

His argument is that these are all policies created and promoted by Jews. I've heard leftists say that opposition to abortion and transgender kids is anti-Semitic, and Alt-Hype is saying "yes, actually, opposition to everything you dislike is opposition to Jews."

Clarification about my post: When I said I've heard this many times from extremists, I mean in actual conversation with them. This is just a rare example of someone putting it into writing.

I've heard leftists say that opposition to abortion and transgender kids is anti-Semitic

Where?

If I spend an hour collecting articles, will you reply or do the Darwin ghosting thing?

I will indeed reply

great, I'll try to find time this weekend.

Before you do do that, I should say that I won't regard with much important very niche commentators or outlets making such claims (and I would also still say that the whole line of thinking of AltHypothesis et al. makes no sense - even if I say that someone is dog-whistling, that doesn't have to imply that I think they the dog-whistle really is synonymous with the thing being whistled, if that makes sense).

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