- Dec 30, 2006
- 12,022
- 3,300
I don't think I implied disagreeing with that but it requires more nuance. In fact I specifically said that globalist is not a bad word, as well as noting that a word can be inherently neutral but also used in a dog whistle/racist context. The two are not mutually exclusive. Globalist isn't a bad word, but the way globalist was used in that example clearly has a very different meaning.
What I wanted to point out is that there is a lot more nuance to words than just their inherent commonly accepted meaning and connotations. Context is also important of course, as well as the individual making the comments.
David Duke is obviously the most extreme example but I used him because I knew it would hardly take any time at all to find the kind of example I was looking for. It's not just the Klan folks who use globalist in that context for the record, just the most obvious example. David Duke and his Klan supporters generally opt to leave the dog whistles behind and get straight to the point.
The "globalist" dog whistle is probably one of the more common dog whistles against jews because it offers a lot of plausible deniabillity.
It is kind of the purpose of a dog whistle to begin with. When someone willfully uses a dog whistle, that individual's goal is to try get a point across that would be too racist or otherwise offensive if said in more direct terms, while also offering sufficient plausible deniability if you're called out on it. Inherently neutral terms are essential to this process, particularly regarding the plausible deniability.
Strategist and former Reagan adviser Lee Atwater's 1981 quote continues to be an excellent demonstration of this principle. The terms are different but the principle is largely unchanged.
You talk a lot about the manner in which David Duke used the word globalist, but the issue is how Trump used the word nationalist. How, if it all, was the way Trump used nationalist racist—in context?