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Comment by rspoerri | Hacker News Reader

In 40 years I have never, outside of documentations about the second world war and fictional movies in that area, seen this salute. It is 100% a Nazi salute, that starts by hitting the heart and then stretching the arm. Nothing else comes even close to this that could explain such a behavior. If you don't see it you are either very ignorant or plain ... .

Also meeting the AFD that is under investigation because of it's Nazi ideologies makes it clear that he has a very good understanding of what that salute means.

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Election results across Europe and America have shown that accusing people of being "far right" or "Nazi", and to call them ignorant or stupid because they want other policies does not work and only increases polarisation.

It is much more productive and useful to try to understand people's concerns but it is also not as easy.

There being support for fascists does not mean fascists are not fascists. In US in particular, Republicans and conservatives were systematically given too much benefit of doubt.

Its very well known that if somebody says something extreme, such as radical views, they tend to assume other people who dont oppose them, agree with them. The only possibility is to take your stance and give contra.

Also it‘s a difference to be against immigration versus the open salutation and worshipping of a mass murderer millions of europeans and americans have died for to stop.

For me it’s disgusting that this tabu is now broken and everybody still tries to loudly ignore it!

> accusing people of being "far right" or "Nazi", and to call them ignorant or stupid because they want other policies does not work and only increases polarisation.

This is true but this is not what's happened here. The discussion is about whether Musk's gesture is a Nazi salute. OP called ignorant people who do not see it as such. They said nothing about those people's opinions and did not accuse them of being far right or Nazis themselves. In fact OP didn't even call Musk a nazi in their post. To conclude that it was their hidden intention to do so is a leap in logic that is not obvious.

Calling someone ignorant for not interpreting what Musk did in the most extremely politically orientated way is a cheap ad hominem attack but unsurprising in the current climate, as I pointed out. Bye.

Calling someone ignorant is indeed an ad-hominem, as is calling them Nazi or fascist (or, on the other side of the political spectrum, calling them woke or commie) unless they provably profess those opinions.

Given how tense the current political climate is, it's all the more important to avoid resorting in using fallacies. Name calling is one such trap, and misrepresenting one's opponent's arguments is another one.

A political guy made a gesture during public political event. The gesture looked like a well known political gesture. Is it really unfair to interpret that gesture in a political way?

The whole "it is wrong to observe peoples politics and behavior and call them what they are" thing was already absurd, this is really stretching it.

What "concern" did Musk express with that salute?

https://www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/national/auschwitz-survi...

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