My Turn: It always starts with a joke
Published: 1/29/2021 6:30:40 AM
Humor has always been a useful tool of the far right to make fascism palatable to the general electorate. Don’t believe me? Google “Nazi Propaganda” or “Jewish caricature,” which is what I assume Rep. James Spillane was doing before he posted to the (now defunct) social media site Parler, a former haven for the alt-right due to its lack of community guidelines or usage standards.
That’s why I cannot accept Rep. Dawn Johnson and Spillane’s “apologies,” which is a charitable description in any case.
The modern alt-right flourishes in online forums, spaces cloaked in the anonymity of the internet, and how do they cover their tracks? “It’s just a joke!” Avoiding accountability at all costs, they deem their threats of fascist violence humorous to deflect responsibility. Not only does this allow them to continue to spew hateful rhetoric, but it also provides them a powerful vessel to induct y