Commentary

Dog-Whistling Dixie, Nazis Too

Why use a dog whistle when you can whistle Dixie out loud for everyone to hear? That seems to be the new strategy of the President’s reelection campaign, which placed ads in social media blatantly displaying images used by the Nazis to identify political prisoners.

In an encouraging sign, Facebook took down the ads, which featured a red inverted triangle, which was originally used by the Nazis in the 1930s “to identify Communists, and was applied as well to Social Democrats, liberals, Freemasons and other members of opposition parties,” The Washington Post reports, adding: “The badge forced on Jewish political prisoners, by contrast, featured a yellow triangle overlaid by a red triangle.”

While a campaign spokesperson said the symbol in the ads was used to represent anti-fascist group Antifa -- a main foil of the President’s recent attacks -- it is not Antifa’s symbol, which depicts two overlapping flags.

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“The Nazis used red triangles to identify their political victims in concentration camps. Using it to attack political opponents is highly offensive,” Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, tweeted today, adding: “@POTUS' campaign needs to learn its history, as ignorance is no excuse for using Nazi-related symbols.”

So kudos to Facebook for taking it down, even if they continue to maintain a policy of allowing political ads that are false and borderline in other ways.

Double kudos to Facebook for giving users a new control enabling them to opt out of political ads altogether.

Meanwhile, I get why the President’s campaign is casting Antifa as a villain, given the violent behaviors of some members during protests or counter-protests.

But my real question is when did it become permissible to be pro-Nazi but anti-anti-fascist in America?

2 comments about "Dog-Whistling Dixie, Nazis Too".
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  1. Jay Goldstein from Independent, June 18, 2020 at 5:40 p.m.

    Joe, Here you go again, calling out the US regime for their tone deaf communication on almost every level. . I am sure you will get replies from the Trumpsters here telling you that you are paranoid, or that Trump cant be antisemetic because his daughter is Jewish(yes he can). They will falsely claim that no one has done more for the jews, or African Americans or Hispanics than this regime...blah blah blah.  

    Personally this ad is as numbing as "fine nazi's in Charlottesville" and shows that in three years the regime has learned nothing, except how to spew hatred and rile up the base base. 

    Dont stop fighting Joe!

  2. Paula Lynn from Who Else Unlimited, June 18, 2020 at 9:55 p.m.

    Steven Miller and Bannon is written all over this.

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