Suppose Elon Musk’s, um, hand gestures, his support of AfD, and promotion of replacement theory have persuaded you he has some interest or fascination with the historical Nazi movement. 1/

Musk has been fascinated by the number 420, which (4/20) is Hitler’s birthday but also a marijuana signifier, for many years. observer.com/2024/04/elon... 2/

Is your inference he recently became Nazi-curious, and previously had fetishized 420 solely over marijuana, or that he had some interest in Nazism for a long time and enjoyed the ambiguity and plausible deniability thay 420’s marijuana associations afforded? 3/

If the latter, is it plausible that the wealthiest and most influential figure in “tech” would have remained supportive of the Democratic Party and its racially, culturally, and sexually progressive values if only partisans had been less mean to tech? 4/

Or is it more plausible than any apparent progressivism was always feigned and as Musk’s wealth and power grew he would be emboldened to openly advocate for his views? 5/

We can’t know! In some counterfactual universe where the racially, socially, and culturally progressive party was also the low taxes on rich people and deferential to monopoly party, maybe Musk’s material interests would have overwhelmed his, um, “playful” fascinations. 6/

But in anything like the actual universe, I think the evidence suggests there was little hope the party both more economically and culturally progressive could have retained this person’s support if a more materially friendly, more racially “realist” party could champion his interests. /fin

God I want an edit button. Sorry for the typos.

A hand gesture that culminates remarkably like a Nazi salute but begins with a hand on the heart might have been some novelty, something not intended as a Nazi salute. 1/

A longstanding fascination with the number 420 is pretty weak tea as evidence, even if 4/20 is Hitler's birthday. 2/

Support of AfD in Germany doesn't mean you are a Nazi sympathizer, even if that party has neonazi connections. 3/

Circumstantial evidence could always be coincidental. But as circumstantial evidence piles up, the probability of coincidence declines. 4/

Sure it could all be a gag! Trigger the libs! 5/

But that's just a different interpretation of the basic claim, that jokingly or not Musk has some longstanding interest in communicating support of Nazi-ish things. (And the support of AfD doesn't seem too jokey?) /fin [corrected, originally mistakenly referred to Trump rather than Musk]

it's weird how bitterly some self-styled centrists have turned against Elizabeth Warren. they don't use the snake emoji, but there's this self-flagellation abt having supported her, and so (allegedly) alienated the tech boyz to whom they are now cozying. i guess it's her fault too they went Nazi. 1/

they don't so much blame Bernie, though of course they say his ideas are far too "left" and helped damn the Democrats electorally. but Bernie is popular, even among the supporters of the people to whom they are ingratiating themselves. and he didn't feminize anything. so it's much quieter. /fin

Media orgs think by being "neutral" on obvious matters like did Elon Musk give a Nazi salute they avoid alienating conservatives. They don't get Trump's basic appeal, that he just says it, he's not parsing. They alienate the modern right more by pandering to it than by just saying wtf happened. 1/

Of course there would be blowback if they did just say wtf occurred. But blowback is from movement elites and media. Grassroots might be seduced by their influencers' cynical outrage, but there's at least a shot they take seriously what occurred rather than recoil from the cringe dissimulation. /fin