Re: <nettime> Stealing the spotlight

[Ted Byfield via nettime-l <nettime-l@lists.nettime.org>]

My rule these days is simple: Don’t speculate about a fascist’s inner life. Don’t do it, don’t distract others with it, and ignore or challenge others when they do it. It’s a waste of time and, worse, it helps fascists by imposing their thoughts and feelings on the public sphere. And it’s also how authorities give them a pass: “he was just joking” or “she didn’t know” or any one of a long list of liberal-denialist negations — they’re UNcultured, INsane, UNeducated, DEprived, it’s “really” about this not that, they don’t “really” mean what they say, “if only they knew,” “those who forget history,” etc, etc. It’s all bullshit. Those things don’t matter. The ONLY things that matter are the concrete consequences of what fascists say and do.

Here’s an example:

Q: What was Musk thinking when he did that  salute?!

A: I don’t care.


Here’s another one:

Q: Do you think Trump is really a fascist?

A: Are you more interested in Trump’s thoughts and feelings than the lives and institutions he’s destroying?


And here’s another one:

Q: Why do you think officials are so obsessed with trans people's genitalia?

A: Why are you so obsessed with officials’ obsessions?


Try it! When someone starts a discussion about what some fascist is “really” thinking or feeling, just say no.

Cheers,
Ted
On Feb 27, 2025 at 4:50 AM -0500, David Garcia via nettime-l <nettime-l@lists.nettime.org>, wrote:

> Possible scenarios:
> 1. Trump’s dominance and the "opposition's" (ha!) shock induced passivity meant he is less insecure than first time around.
> 2. He’s fallen in love with the son he wished he’d had
> 3. he so awestruck by dark lord MAGA’s X-elerationist blitzkrieg that he is as bewildered and paralyzed as the rest of the US?
> 4. Musk is providing the useful cover as a “fall guy” to be dispensed with when the consequences of Trump 2.0 hit the fan.

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