Some scholars have already performed research that supports the link between Confederate memorials and racism. In their paper, Henderson and her co-authors note that many monuments were dedicated during the Jim Crow era, often on the grounds of prominent government buildings. The researchers also cite a review of 30 dedication speeches for Confederate memorials, which found that nearly half invoked “explicit racist language,” including phrases such as “love of race” and “your own race and blood.”
In addition to scholars, “this is something that activists have also been saying for a very long time,” Henderson noted.
The UVA researchers wanted to know if there was further quantifiable evidence connecting the memorials with racism, so they merged county-level data on lynchings between 1832 and 1950 with data on Confederate memorializations. They discovered that — even controlling for population size and other variables — the number of lynchings was a “significant predictor” of the number of monuments in a given area.
Source: PNAS
Here’s an example of a monument dedication ceremony in 1913 clearly showing how they were meant to promote domestic terrorism such as lynchings.
I’ve written about swastika imagery so many times before, it’s worth mentioning a few details about the Herschel Walker variety used in his Senate campaign. Here it is:
This is without question meant to look like a Nazi swastika, and it came from a Twitter profile calling itself resistance to “Hollywood” (e.g. Nazis really hated Hollywood).
A bayonet shoves Hitler’s book in front of a prisoner and says “Here, improve your mind!”. Source: “Donald in Nutziland”, Disney 1943.
Historian protip: if someone asks why you use a swastika in your public campaign invoking Nazism and hatred for “Hollywood”… then there’s a really high probability you are in fact using a swastika.
The subtext obviously is that if someone puts up a swastika in America for a political campaign, they in fact expect to get money donated as a result.
Walker, perhaps as expected, tried to cover this fact with a laughably dumb official explanation that attempted to deny it being a swastika:
A spokesperson for the campaign said the image was not a swastika… Walker, who is being backed by former President Donald Trump, has not commented on whether or not he has been vaccinated against COVID-19.
At least they didn’t follow up their “not a swastika” comment by saying “everyone calm down, we’re obviously just using an anti-Jewish graphic”.
I wonder if next they will be telling us the former White House occupant should not be called a Nazi because he prefers being called big conflict loser?
…being on the losing end… is something Herschel knows a little bit about…
Maybe the more insightful version of that, taken from his actual life story, is this part:
So I take a bullet, put it in the cylinder, spin it and tell you to pull it. People would say “Herschel, you’re nuts.” I would take that gun, put it to my head, and snap it. That is what it was. I was so fired up that I could overcome anything.
When you think about it, refusing to get vaccinated is intentionally lowering your chances of survival. Weirdly consistent to both refuse vaccination and to put a gun to your own head; unnecessarily taking dumb risks that can easily kill you…
And that is a real quote from Herschel’s view of the world. Perhaps I should point out here that Hitler was similarly fired up, put a gun to his own head, yet didn’t overcome?
So who looks forward to the next Meet the Press with Chuck Todd, holding a panel on swastikas that tries to argue they’re just a harmless old religious symbol?
Even worse, the reason for using swastikas goes beyond just being an easy way to raise money on American campaigns for public office.
A false claim the swastika represents only being “anti-vaccination” is an encoded reference to fascism tactics: stoke rage, inflame tensions using incendiary imagery (as reported in Italy, which knows a thing or two about fascism).
The protesters smashed union computers, ripped out phone lines and trashed offices after first trying to use metal bars to batter their way in through CGIL’s front door, then breaking in through a window.
In other words, the Walker senate campaign used a swastika both to raise money as well as fan hatred to perpetrate mob violence against the government, while feebly trying to deny a swastika is a swastika.
Fascinating development. Attacking the U.S. federal government to overthrow it… does not prevent citizenship path for immigrant.
Eliel Rosa, 53, avoided a felony, which would have threatened future citizenship by pleading to a misdemeanor.
According to court documents, Rosa and his wife fled political persecution in Brazil and arrived in the US in 2016. The couple was granted asylum in 2018 and they are currently pursuing US citizenship.
Rosa claimed to be a teacher of civics, while participating in a rejection of civics.
Rosa claimed to be seeking government aid, while participating in a rejection of government.
Sharp contrast for an immigrant to Texas who seems to be flaunting truth and morality, let alone the law, when compared with so many others unable to get entry into Texas.
Judge McFadden, who has refused to punish this criminal immigrant to Texas, is an appointee of the coup leader who hates immigrants.
Rosa also claims his family was persecuted for being evangelical Christian politicians… so affinity with coup leadership isn’t any mystery.
“If men were angels, no government would be necessary,” Rosa quoted Madison.
“I am definitely not an angel,” the defendant admitted.
He then said he was pleased he had the “ability to repent” for his wrongdoing pursuant to the Christian faith.
Note his pleasure directed towards an evangelical calling instead of rights and laws enshrined under the Constitution.
Indeed, Madison was wrong, begging what kind of civics this immigrant is teaching in Texas.
Just because you could get away with breaking the law doesn’t mean you’re entitled to morally.
Obviously Rosa should be expelled immediately, especially in context of how anti-immigrant the coup leaders claim they are.
Even his asylum claims sound bogus.
After the Civil War anti-American insurrectionists were officially invited by Brazil to immigrate where they could continue to expand slavery.
Source: The Guardian
Is it thus any surprise such descendants of insurrection would return to attempt again the overthrow of the U.S. government? What really compelled him to leave Brazil?
Every so often I have an image of a New Yorker cartoon pop into my mind. If I had the time to draw, this is one I would have sketched after breakfast today:
A robber leaving the vault with pockets stuffed with cash says on the way out, past police pointing guns at him, “This is the future, I’m reinventing banking”.
This cartoon in fact has many applications, not just fraudulent futurism.
Far too many times I’ve had people try to tell me that relativism makes it impossible to criticize crimes in the past.
Washington intentionally violated laws of his day that abolished slavery, other men in that day set all their slaves free, and slaves in America already for over a hundred years prior had proven abolition sensible… yet far too many Americans ignore all these simple facts while peddling how Washington’s own views of his crimes are all that should matter then or now.
a blog about the poetry of information security, since 1995
