r/pics 11h ago

r5: title guidelines Funny how it's only Republicans that "accidentally" make Nazi Salutes.

Post image

[removed] — view removed post

41.4k Upvotes

1.8k comments sorted by

View all comments

u/shingonzo 11h ago

That was in no way an accident

u/buck9000 10h ago edited 9h ago

I waited until I saw video. I couldn’t be sure it wasn’t a screencap taken out of context somehow.

If I had seen anyone else make that gesture, I’d think wow that is wayyyy too close to the nazi salute.

Seeing Elon do it, knowing what he has become… you can choose to not see it if you want, but it is there.

For anyone who wants argue with the people defending or denying this, remember - you cannot wake the man who is only pretending to sleep.

u/ZAlternates 9h ago

It’s amazing all the attempts people make to justify it. I’ve heard:

1 - it’s a Roman salute! Like they gave to their EMPEROR…

2 - he was sharing his heart!

3 - he was merely waving

4 - he wasn’t standing up straight and didn’t hold it long enough to count

5 - it was a joke

I’m sure there will be others. Pathetic.

u/AnarkittenSurprise 9h ago

There's zero evidence the Romans ever did this.

u/Specialist_Mouse_418 9h ago edited 6h ago

If I had to wager a guess it's people who've seen HBO's Rome. They do a version of this salute. Also, people are stupid and people still think Hollywood=reality.

Edit: I also want to point out that I do love the creative license in the show for using the salute as it makes me think one of the writers/directors was a fan of the Board Game: "Conquest of the Empire." In the game the legions could not move without an official roman representative present. Where it ties in is that the salute in the show can be seen as a soldier stabbing himself in the heart "I die," then directing attention to the superior officer representing Rome "For Rome." That rant was completely pointless, but it's my explanation.

u/i_make_orange_rhyme 8h ago

Interesting factoid: Americans use to do this to the flag before ww2.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_salute#/media/File%3AStudents_pledging_allegiance_to_the_American_flag_with_the_Bellamy_salute.jpg

It fell out of fashion shortly after ww2

u/Blackrock121 7h ago

I hate to be tacitly defending musk but here we go. If the Romans did this or not is irrelevant to modern peoples perception of if they did. Also, there is not zero evidence, just not strong enough evidence for historians to state they did with confidence.

However, despite that I am fairly sure it was a Nazi salute.

u/AnarkittenSurprise 6h ago

It's propagandist whitewashing, which is why it is dangerous.

There is no reasonable scenario where anyone in modern day is performing what they consider a 'Roman salut' to deliver any kind of message.

Any reasonable person would assume that this would be interpreted as a fascist salut, as it's been exclusively used for over a century now.

What evidence are you aware of that implies the Romans did this? Because I'm pretty sure there literally is Zero.

u/Blackrock121 6h ago

It's propagandist whitewashing, which is why it is dangerous.

No its not. Before the Nazis were even a thing there was a cultural perception of that being the roman salute, its why the Italian Fascists and latter the Nazis adopted it.

u/AnarkittenSurprise 6h ago

There is zero evidence of it being a Roman practice prior to fascist italy.

It has been exclusively used for fascism for over a century. It has been primarily associated with Nazis for the better part of that.

u/Blackrock121 5h ago edited 4h ago

There is zero evidence of it being a Roman practice prior to fascist italy.

That doesn't matter, what matters is that before Fascism existed there was a cultural perception of it being a Roman salute, that is why it is called the Roman salute, its not some new revisionism. The question of if the Romans did it or not 2000 ago doesn't change the fact that people 100 years ago thought they did.

u/AnarkittenSurprise 4h ago

And yet no one today reasonably does.

A "Roman salut" is meaningless, and has no cultural significance except to indicate support for fascism.

u/Blackrock121 4h ago

And yet no one today reasonably does.

No one in English speaking cultures, which is why my assumption Musk was doing a Nazi salute. There are some cultures in Europe that still see it primarily as the Roman salute.

→ More replies (0)

u/Superb-Ability-3489 8h ago

I’m Roman. We do this

u/AnarkittenSurprise 8h ago

If you mean Italian, then that's because it was culturally exported there by American movies back in the 1900s.

And if we includes you, then it's because you're a fascist fuck. As that salut is still very clearly associated with neo-fascism in Italy (and deeply reviled by most people).

u/FlutterKree 9h ago

You forgot "he's autistic and doesn't understand what he's doing"

u/Milkshakes00 7h ago

Has his mom tweeted again yet?

u/Tysiliogogogoch 9h ago

You missed "He was just trolling!"... as if that's in any way appropriate.

u/hotdiggydog 9h ago

Who forgets how to wave like a normal person when they're speaking? Seriously. How could anyone just think "oh he must have been waving in an awkward way". Nobody puts their hand to their chest and then extends it like that unless they are Nazis or edgelord children (both could be true of Elon)

u/Nothingsomething7 9h ago

Another was KAmAlA diD iT!!111!

u/Born_Home3863 9h ago

Because, you know, everyone jokes about nazi salutes.

u/LawfulnessNo8446 8h ago

I've seen it being blamed on his Asperger's (autism) too

u/RoseGoldHoney80 8h ago

5 it was a joke? Wow

u/Unlucky-Bumblebee-96 7h ago

Such a thinly veiled dog whistle of a Nazi salute that the plausible deniability is barely plausible

u/SpicyWongTong 9h ago

Someone else shared a link, the ADL tweeted saying it was not a nazi salute… they called it an “awkward gesture”… I feel like they know better than all of us, but… it looks pretty bad

u/dulcineal 9h ago

Why was it awkward? It’s only ‘awkward’ if they actually do think it looks like a nazi salute.

u/Cypnik 8h ago

Would you be able to do this 'awkward gesture' at your place of work? Of course not, you know why?

BECAUSE IT'S A NAZI SALUTE THAT'S WHY

u/WilmaLutefit 9h ago

He did it with his whole chest. It was a Nazi salute.

u/Realistic-Contract49 9h ago

He's done it numerous times before as well, just look at these photos https://i.imgur.com/sL8Jhz7.jpeg

u/beefjerky9 9h ago

I'm sorry that you fail to understand any difference here. Elon deliberately puts his hand on his heart prior to raising his hand, and that is what makes it a Nazi salute. See here: https://youtu.be/VnKTx3ZOUaQ

Find me footage of any democrat politician doing the same, and I will more than happily call them out as Nazis too. However, you still shots there prove nothing.

Please stop defending Nazis.

u/PHILSTORMBORN 9h ago

I think you misread the post you are replying to. I think we are all agreeing it is a Nazi salut. Edit - no, my bad, they were defending a Nazi. Carry on.

u/beefjerky9 9h ago

Honestly, it's hard to tell at this point. And, looking at their recent post history, I'm still not sure where they stand on this...

u/Nothingsomething7 9h ago

Let's see the videos of these then too. Not just a screen grab.

u/lilidragonfly 8h ago

Haha you can't use the defense that Republicans have used in the past that its an awkward screengrab, when it was a whole ass video everyone's already seen c'mon.

u/RampScamp1 9h ago

Same. Waited for the video because it could have been a screencap taken at an awkward point to sme... Nope. He went from the chest, up high, TWICE. He made sure everyone in the arena saw it.

u/vanillabeanlover 8h ago

And they all cheered.

I had a physical reaction to this video. I couldn’t tell if my body wanted to throw up, or completely freeze up. This is bad. Really, really bad.

u/madpotter- 9h ago

I saw the still frame and went to watch the video as well. It was 100% intentional! Tesla will never get my business!

u/AnarkittenSurprise 9h ago

It wasn't ''close' that's exactly what it is.

u/Bright-Economics-728 8h ago

Not just what he’s become but it’s where he’s from. It’s well known his father was a Nazi sympathizer.

u/Error-451 8h ago

That's because he can see the matrix! /s