Concerns are mounting over Trump’s pick to lead the Pentagon, Fox News host and military veteran Pete Hegseth. CBS News reports that Hegseth was one of 12 National Guard members who were removed as guards for President Biden’s 2021 inauguration over possible extremist ties. Hegseth has tattoos associated with the white supremacist and neo-Nazi movements, including what’s known as a Jerusalem cross, a symbol used by Christian nationalists. In related news, the government watchdog Accountable.US announced it’s launching a “Trump Accountability War Room” to monitor Trump’s appointments and executive actions as he takes up his second term.
    • Adderbox76@lemmy.caEnglish
      33·
      27 days ago

      I’m sorry what?!

      That level of disingenuous knot tying is utterly baffling.

      You know damn well that after WW2, all of those symbols ostensibly became inextricably linked with the Nazi party. Its the same reason a Swastika no longer automatically conjures images of Hindu and Buddhist peace.

      Pretending that its possible that this idiot is somehow repping his pride of Wilhelm II and the glorious Prussian history is so unbelievably intellectually dishonest that it actually somehow manages to be even worse than being flat out racist.

      At least Racists are honest. This…whatever this idiotic attempt at obsfucation was that you just shat into our lives is just pedantry that even racists would mock you for.

        • Adderbox76@lemmy.caEnglish
          19·
          27 days ago

          I’m not calling everyone a Nazi.

          I’m saying the guy with tattoos on his chest of symbols that have been associated with Nazis since the late 1930s is 99.99999% likely to be a Nazi and not a long lost member of Prussian nobility.

          Pretending that because there’s a .0000001% chance that his tattoos aren’t Nazi inspired just because Prussia existed, is purposeful pedantry, which IMO is worse than outright racism.

          See, you’re not stupid. You’re the worst kind of person. Your not smart. But your not stupid. You have just enough trivia in your head that you can muddle any argument with pedantry just enough that stupid people might read it and think… “hmmm…maybe it WAS a Prussia tattoo.” even though you know damn well that a .0000001% chance is as good as 0%. It’s dishonest, it’s immoral, and it takes advantage of people who don’t have the critical thinking skills to call out your bullshit. You are worse than racists because at least racists are honest about it.

    • magamus@lemmy.world
      7·
      27 days ago

      I think it’s more the point of do you believe that this person who has the tattoos has them because of the possible history before the Nazis and what it represented or because the Nazis co-opted the symbol for their purposes and he’s representing their ideals.

      While it may be true that there are other reasons to also criticize, I believe those who think the latter would take it seriously. I have more trouble believing someone in this day and age has the tattoos to represent the historical aspect of the symbol.