A useful aspect to a completely unambiguous fascist gesture is that you can use it to gauge which news media you can trust to call a Nazi a Nazi, which will obfuscate things with layers of “both-sides” and which will be regurgitating propaganda.

rnz

called it salute, lots of both sides
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/539564/musk-raises-eyebrows-with-salute-gesture-at-trump-rally

nzherald

called it a salute
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/donald-trump-inauguration-elon-musk-performs-nazi-salute-draws-outraged-reaction/VY3GO2CPFVA2FN4OF4APXRNOBM/

stuff

only reported Musk’s rebuttal
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world-news/360555618/dirty-tricks-elon-musk-dismisses-backlash-over-his-hand-gesture-trump-rally

  • absGeekNZ@lemmy.nzEnglish
    9·
    14 days ago

    From RNZ

    One attendee at the rally told AFP he thought Musk was making the gesture as a joke.

    “He’s very humorous, and he uses a lot of sarcasm. So when he did that on the stage, I don’t think he meant it,” said Brandon Galambos, a 29-year-old pastor and tech worker.

    This is complete bullshit, you don’t get to make a joke about being a Nazi, when you are on the world stage. It is like joking about carrying a bomb at the boarding gate in the airport. People will take you seriously.

    Musk is an idiot, he has been sliding further right for the last decade.

    This was unambiguously aimed at the far right, it may not be precisely a Sieg Heil, but those he was trying to reach know what he means.

    • eagleeyedtiger@lemmy.nzEnglish
      3·
      14 days ago

      The people trying to dismiss it are delusional. In the clip he literally turns around and does it again. He also does it with such passion and emphasis, how can you say it’s anything else? Arguing over where he touched his chest is ridiculous. There are now a number of comparison clips online with Hitler and other Neo Nazis doing it to show how it’s practically the same.

      In short, Brandon Galambos is either an idiot or a Nazi and maybe even both.