I’m just becoming fully aware of how presumably well-meaning people can be easily manipulated into amplifying right wing extremist messaging. Within the last few days this has been expressed through sharing memes supposedly intended to ridicule the absurd allegations of immigrant pet-eating in Springfield, Ohio. For example, one depicts a carful of dogs and cats driving away from Springfield to escape. While many of us understand this to be satire, it suggests and reinforces the malicious message that Haitian immigrants are actually committing the alleged horrendous acts. It’s astounding that many who should know better don’t understand their complicity in placing the Haitian immigrant communities, and all immigrant communities in the United States, at risk. This is deeply disheartening.
#uspolitics #uspol

@GlennMarlowe
A pretty reliable litmus test - "Is this indistinguishable from something an actual racist would post unironically?"

If so, don't fucking post the thing.

Nobody cares if you were totally just kidding. That excuse provides cover for actual racists to claim they're also just joking.

Want to make fun of the ridiculous shit that racists believe? That's fine, just don't be lazy. Come up with an actual punchline that makes it clear who the butt of the joke is.

@GlennMarlowe
Quick follow-up: the reason why something like "A Modest Proposal" worked is because it went way above and beyond the actual rhetoric used by the people it was satirizing.

How the hell can you do that when the group you want to satirize literally believes that immigrants are eating people's pets? Can you honestly write *anything* that's so vile that you couldn't imagine someone like that saying it for real? No? Then that kind of satire doesn't actually fucking work in that situation, does it?