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It would be monumentally stupid enough, beyond other stupid musk decisions, that I am convinced people who rage about it and boycott teslas or whatever are looking for a reason to hate rather than hating because of that.
Especially when there’s such a list of other legitimate complaints about the man, his politics, his companies, his words…
So I guess it was deliberate. Deliberate to look like and walk like a sieg heil, only missing the quack. Maybe a provocation, but an unnecessary one and provoking with Nazi symbolism is completely unacceptable.
He's literally in the middle of saying "thank you"... that's what's coming out his mouth. Nobody in history has given nazi salutes while expressing elated smiling, laughing gratitude to cheering crowds, who in turn are not saluting back or even in the same universe as your nazi claim.
Similarly, while it’s true that the ADL tried to excuse it, that’s the opinion of their controversial new president and is far from a consensus position. Many other people, including their former national director, did describe it as a fascist salute:
https://forward.com/fast-forward/690745/adl-elon-musk-sieg-h...
https://www.lemkininstitute.com/red-flag-alerts/red-flag-ale...
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jan/21/the-gestu...
Most tellingly, of course, is that extremists all over the world recognized and celebrated rated it. The whole “Roman salute” excuse started as a claim by Musk’s connection to the Italian far-right, apparently hoping that American audiences didn’t know that was a fascist symbol:
https://apnews.com/article/musk-gesture-salute-antisemitism-...
> Musk himself mocked those accusing him, threatened to sue, and has made jokes about raising his arm the wrong way. Nazi saluters don't do that, they're proud to nazi salute that's the point. But I suppose if you hate Musk you'll cling to your story even with evidence supporting the contrary.
This is simply intellectual dishonesty: while they say they’re joking, that doesn’t mean that they’re being honest when they do so, that other people are not allowed to disagree with that excuse, that the only motivation for disagreement is some personal hatred for Musk, or that personal opinions constitute incontrovertible evidence which cannot be argued.