demagogue on 7/12/2020 at 03:04
I met a Canadian guy here that was a big Trump fan. While we were chatting, a woman in a burka passed by, and he went on a bit of a racist rant about how Trump is doing the right thing to keep the US from being overrun and Japan would do well to follow his lead or something. So Trump is evidently an icon for that way of thinking. I was taken aback since he's otherwise a typical Canadian guy, nice, friendly, apologetic, humble, etc., so I didn't expect that kind of rant to come out of him. But I guess that way of thinking is lurking in every society, and there's usually always at least that one family member you know or suspect is sympathetic.
Anyway, it made me appreciate how people from other countries can follow Trump & QAnon, even though they're very US centric, because they have their own worldview that they just link to them. I mean it's usually always the same fears and emotions just filled in with different details (being overrun, "terrorism", "crime", taking jobs, etc.) In Japan, it's usually Southeast & South Asia that are the punching bags, so it all gets translated into those terms.
I can't speak for contemporary German society, but blood libel does have a long history there.
The related news that cracked me up recently was (
https://twitter.com/ansgartodinson/status/1334015546979803137) this Tweet & the images he posted.
Quote Posted by @AnsgarTOdinson
So apparently putting Faraday cages around routers has become a thing for the 5g conspiracy nuts and there are companies out there ready to cash in.
My sides are in orbit.
Then he posts some images of one-star reviews of people that are shocked that they can't get a wifi signal because of the cage (i.e., that it's working as advertised), so now they have a useless $100+ metal cage. XD
nemyax on 7/12/2020 at 09:57
Quote Posted by demagogue
I mean it's usually always the same fears and emotions just filled in with different details (being overrun, "terrorism", "crime", taking jobs, etc.)
This isn't surprising. When people are used to normality and comfort, they will always oppose importing of savagery. It's very hard to explain to a civilised person why it's suddenly a fact of their life that they can have their head chopped off over a fucking magazine cartoon.
Starker on 7/12/2020 at 10:52
There are crazy right-wing extremists who go in churches and synagogues and children's summer camps and kill scores of people. Does that mean we should start deporting all nationalists who spout anti-immigrant rhetoric?
nemyax on 7/12/2020 at 11:05
Quote Posted by Starker
Does that mean we should start deporting all nationalists who spout anti-immigrant rhetoric?
Deport them where? They are locals. But you could always try a Gulag for dealing with rhetoric that you don't like.
Starker on 7/12/2020 at 11:08
I was highlighting the nonsense of trying to paint large numbers of people with the same brush because of the actions of a few individuals.
Whooosh.
lowenz on 7/12/2020 at 11:14
Quote Posted by nemyax
This isn't surprising. When people are used to normality and comfort, they will always oppose importing of savagery. It's very hard to explain to a civilised person why it's suddenly a fact of their life that they can have their head chopped off over a fucking magazine cartoon.
But why weaponize this thing to this level? It's stupid, more stupid than "Libtard!!11111" thinking.
You can't think putting people in a permanent state of paranoia is a good thing, for everybody.
No Gulag, right?! So down with the Gestapo identity politics. What an awesome move!
nemyax on 7/12/2020 at 11:24
Quote Posted by lowenz
You can't think putting people in a permanent state of paranoia is a good thing, for everybody.
Of course not. And there didn't use to be any paranoia when borders were tight, some 50 years ago.
PigLick on 7/12/2020 at 11:39
"1979-The Year with the most Assassinations" - lol that sounds like a really poorly named Bond film, yet its an actual real thing. I vaguely remember some of that stuff being in the news when i was a kid, but didnt realize it was part of a whole political/social unrest that lasted for decades.
after reading some more, jesus christ the italians dont mess around do they
Starker on 7/12/2020 at 11:42
Yeah, imagine thinking there didn't use to be any paranoia during the Cold War.
