This Is How You Normalize Performing a Fascist Gesture

“There were angry reactions across Europe to Elon Musk’s apparent use of a salute banned for its Nazi links in Germany, where some condemned it as malicious provocation or an outreach of solidarity to far-right groups.” — The Guardian

1. Have the wealthiest man on Earth (ideally someone who has gone out of his way, perhaps on a social media platform that he purchased, to lend credibility to even the most shocking hate speech) “accidentally” perform the gesture on stage at a victory rally for the fascist autocrat that he spent hundreds of millions of dollars to elect.

2. Put out a press release claiming that the gesture was accidental, or an unrelated and totally benign gesture, or can be attributed to his “well-known neurological condition.” Also, isn’t criticizing him—a person with a condition they can’t control—for this accidental gesture a little ableist?

3. Have your trusted media pundits ask how anyone could even for a moment think the rich man would do this intentionally, knowing as he does full well the long and tragic history of the gesture. “Did you know the rich man visited Auschwitz last year? He can’t be a fascist!”

4. If the rich man once spent his days seeking the approval of a group known for being anti-gesture, point out his very public evolution into someone who sees the anti-gesture group for who they really are: people who harbor evil beliefs because they suffer from a mind virus.

5. Encourage the rich man’s ardent fans to suggest that those crucifying this poor rich man are the ones who embody the original meaning of the gesture, that they are the real fascists.

6. Put out another press release:

“In light of this vitriol from the so-called tolerant end of the political spectrum about the alleged vileness of the gesture, could it not be said that those who so long condemned it, a mere gesture if we’re being honest, had perhaps, in doing so, become the very thing (i.e., hateful bigots) they vowed to eradicate? Isn’t that a bit ironic? Don’t you think?”

7. Have confidence that your dog whistle has been heard by those it was meant to signal to. What is it signaling? That you WANT to perform the gesture. Performing the gesture is what you’ve wanted all along. And now that the pro-gesture crowd has again assumed power, perhaps the time is finally right to resume performing the gesture.

8. Sit back and wait because this next part is out of your hands. But it’s a safe bet that it will happen—and it will indeed happen. Soon, those rushing to the rich man’s defense will start performing the gesture ironically.

9. The gesture will eventually stop being ironic; the rich man’s supporters will perform the gesture out of solidarity. Only the diehards at first, but then more and more people will adopt the gesture as it becomes decoupled from its original meaning, sanitized for overt public displays, many having no idea, others having at least plausible deniability, that the gesture ever signaled harmful intent.

10. Soon, it will be commonplace to perform the gesture. In fact, it will seem crazy not to perform the gesture.

11. Acknowledge with a wink those who loved the gesture all along, because they have finally achieved precisely what they set out to do through you, their spiritual heir: making the gesture a symbol and marker of the in-group, the protected and privileged class. Soon thereafter, those in the out-group will be made to perform the gesture as a demonstration of loyalty or else perish.