We read Graham Platner’s whole Reddit archive. The vilification of the Maine candidate for Senate doesn’t square with what he actually wrote in his posts.
In fairness, it is very precisely and exactly the Nazi rendering of the death’s head from the SS uniforms. I don’t think it’s a “Nazi tattoo” any more than some Hindu temples with backwards swastikas on them are now retroactively covered in “Nazi symbols.” I completely believe his explanation, among other reasons because some of his private communication has been exposed and literally 0% of it is Nazi and a lot of it is violently anti-Nazi. But their argument that it’s a Nazi symbol is technically accurate, I think.
It is close to the form used by the Nazis, but that exact form was used by many people other than the Nazis. The Nazis were not the only ones to use this variant of a death’s head. That’s why it’s not a Nazi symbol or a Nazi tattoo. To be so, it would have to be a symbol almost exclusively used by the Nazis, or of a form associated always universally with the Nazis. A swastika would be a Nazi symbol, as everyone knows that it’s primarily a Nazi symbol, even though the swastika has roots preceding the Nazis. But the death’s head? Before this, if you asked the average person what the symbol meant, very few people say it’s an SS symbol. Some history buffs might. But in the eyes of the people, very few would call it a Nazi symbol.
I mean, yeah, I agree with pretty much all of that. And it’s obviously a little bit of a success for the bullshit brigade that we’re even talking about this question instead of the question “Is Graham Platner a Nazi?” to which the answer is resoundingly no.
I am honestly pretty surprised by how vigorously they are active in this comments thread. I kind of knew they felt strongly about it… it’s also notable to me how the people swearing that it’s a Nazi symbol and he’s a Nazi for wearing it, are not arguing with the people swearing that it’s not a Nazi symbol and it’s all a Democratic plot to paint him as a Nazi but it’s all lies. They’re arguing, but not with each other.
In fairness, it is very precisely and exactly the Nazi rendering of the death’s head from the SS uniforms. I don’t think it’s a “Nazi tattoo” any more than some Hindu temples with backwards swastikas on them are now retroactively covered in “Nazi symbols.” I completely believe his explanation, among other reasons because some of his private communication has been exposed and literally 0% of it is Nazi and a lot of it is violently anti-Nazi. But their argument that it’s a Nazi symbol is technically accurate, I think.
It is close to the form used by the Nazis, but that exact form was used by many people other than the Nazis. The Nazis were not the only ones to use this variant of a death’s head. That’s why it’s not a Nazi symbol or a Nazi tattoo. To be so, it would have to be a symbol almost exclusively used by the Nazis, or of a form associated always universally with the Nazis. A swastika would be a Nazi symbol, as everyone knows that it’s primarily a Nazi symbol, even though the swastika has roots preceding the Nazis. But the death’s head? Before this, if you asked the average person what the symbol meant, very few people say it’s an SS symbol. Some history buffs might. But in the eyes of the people, very few would call it a Nazi symbol.
I mean, yeah, I agree with pretty much all of that. And it’s obviously a little bit of a success for the bullshit brigade that we’re even talking about this question instead of the question “Is Graham Platner a Nazi?” to which the answer is resoundingly no.
I am honestly pretty surprised by how vigorously they are active in this comments thread. I kind of knew they felt strongly about it… it’s also notable to me how the people swearing that it’s a Nazi symbol and he’s a Nazi for wearing it, are not arguing with the people swearing that it’s not a Nazi symbol and it’s all a Democratic plot to paint him as a Nazi but it’s all lies. They’re arguing, but not with each other.