This is what led to book bans targeting Toni Morrison and Maus at the state level. When you threaten people's jobs--or even imprisonment-- they will interpret you as broadly as possible - ThreadSky

gbbranstetter.bsky.social • 34 days ago

This is what led to book bans targeting Toni Morrison and Maus at the state level. When you threaten people's jobs--or even imprisonment-- they will interpret you as broadly as possible

Reposted from Nicholas Grossman

The White House didn't say "stop teaching about the Tuskegee Airmen when you do US history." The White House said "stop doing DEI and wokeness," and the military interpreted it as "stop saying the Tuskegee Airmen were heroes, and maybe stop teaching about them altogether."

Yeah, that's bad.

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chrisballygk.bsky.social•34 days ago

This is the forced self-censorship so characteristic of truly totalitarian enterprises: we're not going to tell you what you have to censor, but we're going to expect you to do the censoring, and if you don't do it right you will be punished.

If we must censor, please just give me a fucking list.

chefmbogan.bsky.social•33 days ago

I just want them to stop misusing and abusing terms that have nothing to do with what they're talking about "woke" doesn't mean what they're using it for, it's a blk term that means pay attention 🤣it's infuriating

stef47.bsky.social•33 days ago

They don’t want US learning or earning bc the next thing is US yearning to vote for more learning and earning.

blikethecheese.bsky.social•34 days ago

And they’ll try to use plausible deniability, saying they never intended it to be interpreted that way.

People who lie to you over and over lose that privilege.

anineffablegrump.bsky.social•34 days ago

And if you say something broad and imply that the status quo cant possibly already be compliant - after all why was the law passed - people are going to, even reluctantly, find something to offer on the plate. The plausible deniability of any specifics is always precious

babyfatt.bsky.social•34 days ago

It’s the old “Leader Principle” or, as the Nazis referred to it, the Führerprinzip.

cowgirlcurtis.bsky.social•34 days ago

And the Air Force Academy has been completely infested with MAGA for decades.

haveyouanywool.bsky.social•34 days ago

Crawling with Christian Nationalists. Scary that graduates have staffed our commercial airline cockpits for decades, too. Putting their aircraft in the Lord's hands is not my idea of safe travels!

kimphilbywasbad.bsky.social•34 days ago

Saw that with the state abortion laws too. When penalties are draconian people give vague instruction a wide berth, and authorities pretend they didn’t intend that

curtismilam.bsky.social•34 days ago

No. Uniformed military serve via a direct commission from the POTUS (officer) or an enlistment contract (enlisted). They would not be subject to termination or arrest.

This is just a bad look by USAF...complying in advance.

haveyouanywool.bsky.social•34 days ago

They are racist, sexist, and white supremacist Trump symps. What about all the mediocre white men who have benefirted from DEI hiring?

gbbranstetter.bsky.social•34 days ago

It's also just revealing because what they're saying is "DEI" but what their audience is hearing is "Black people" which hardly seems unintentional on the part of the speakers

krizriktr.bsky.social•34 days ago

So their audience is hearing exactly what they intended.

s-dole-melipone.bsky.social•34 days ago

"DEI" is to "bankers" as Republicans are to _________.

msdobalina.bsky.social•34 days ago

And women. They also pulled a text on WASPs (Women Airforce Service Pilots)

I'm sure a closer look would reveal that the mandate magically coincides with anyone's favorite bigotry.

uclakerim.bsky.social•33 days ago

This right here. It gave the broadest possible cover to bigots of all walks of life

instantdogma.bsky.social•34 days ago

Klan man in the White House.

nicke6.bsky.social•34 days ago

Racists… in the military…? You don’t say…?

markstoneman.com•34 days ago

Exactly.

prodigalhoosier.medsky.social•34 days ago

The new “welfare queens”. It’s sickening & absurd people are still falling for it.

1smith4theroad.bsky.social•34 days ago

It may start with Back Americans but they are referring to all minorities when they say “woke” or “DEI.” They’re even adding an “A” to “DEIA” for accessibility because… well I’m not really sure why other than pure hatred and the occasionally mild inconvenience of ramps.

bs.mivox.net•34 days ago

Eugenics. It’s as American as Apple pie!

empathyatrophy.bsky.social•34 days ago

Imagine thinking ramps are inconvenient -mom with baby in stroller and bike-obsessed preschooler

1smith4theroad.bsky.social•34 days ago

Boggles the mind I know but it is a far more common complaint than you might think.

Being a tall white guy from the midwest affords me the truth from other white dudes and most of what I hear is not good at all.

gnomeandfairy.bsky.social•33 days ago

‘The truth from other white dudes’ sounds terrifying

1smith4theroad.bsky.social•33 days ago

It’s definitely more than I want to hear

ecppdx.bsky.social•34 days ago

Weird how they keep managing to pronounce "DEI" with a hard R.

paperandink.bsky.social•34 days ago

And so I love history now even more. My latest book I am reading.

karmasgonnagetya.bsky.social•34 days ago

This is an amazing book

traceybaptiste.bsky.social•33 days ago

That's why On Tyrrany warned us "do not obey in advance"
They obeyed in advance

tthatoneguyy.bsky.social•34 days ago

Will you and the ACLU be suing?

nirgalm25.bsky.social•34 days ago

dems could say "on Jan 21 2029 we're rehiring everyone fired for doing their jobs with back pay and we're going to make Trump pay for it". Or if not them someone else should say it and run.

scrappyaf.bsky.social•33 days ago

I wonder if the same thing is going on at at NIH where a communications mandate is now being interpreted as “we can’t interact with outside vendors to order supplies.”

wampwamp.bsky.social•33 days ago

They know ecactly what is meant, don't they?

4quad.bsky.social•33 days ago

Which is the point. Mob shit.

annarompage.bsky.social•34 days ago

Yep, the same chilling effect has been seen with the anti abortion ban in many conservative states

Doctors often unwilling to perform abortions even for health/life & medical reasons for fear of being wrongfully prosecuted

This same chill is going to happen across the board

gwynnravenfire.bsky.social•34 days ago

Working towards the Führer

justafrenchcat.bsky.social•33 days ago

Vague formulations lead to excess of zeal when implemented, and plausible deniability at the upper echelon. But I have to disagree about at least Toni Morrison. Her books were very much consciously targeted. Remember Va gov campaign in 2021.

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2021/10/glenn-youngkin-assures-virginia-voters-hell-protect-them-from-toni-morrison-books?srsltid=AfmBOory-oQzNokEs-oN2Zf8KJxIISP-tlpGGl6e9sf1f4WtoZ1yemuf

justafrenchcat.bsky.social•33 days ago

In itself that was a travesty. Like, your 17yo kid is in AP literature class, and can't stand Nobel winning literature?
Seems like a "your kid" problem, or a "you" problem if you didn't tell them that slavery was not about benevolent masters and grateful slaves in this instance.

robotblue.bsky.social•34 days ago

Uh that is exactly what they meant

billiejsweeney.bsky.social•33 days ago

Exactly. Trump wants to inspire this fear

didiusfalco.bsky.social•33 days ago

You saw the same in the UK under Section 28. I don't think anyone was ever successfully prosecuted under it but the threat of it stopped schools and public bodies talking about LGBT subjects for decades.

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