[voidifremoved]

Which was adopted by trolls as a "white power" sign, very much to muddy the waters as to what is or is not an intentionally racist gesture, and to have fun with the idea of offence and racism at the expense of anyone that might possibly be offended.

So when you see people, who are well aware of this meaning, using it in a photo like that, what they're saying is "ha ha look how funny the idea of us being racist is". Which of course is actually just normalising white supremacy, and enabling it to go unchallenged by shifting the line between overt racism and coded racism, and preventing any good faith discourse.

So this is either intentionally racist joking-but-not-really on his part or incredibly crass idiocy that provides cover for other racists.

[rsynnott]

I'm pretty certain anyone who'd want a photo with these two knows very well what the gesture means in this context.

[zimpenfish]

I think, given who he's choosing to be photographed with there, it's -probably- not the "crass idiocy" option there.

[gadders]

I think that is the least charitable interpretation of him performing that gesture.

Another one interpretation is "Look how silly SJWs are to believe the 4Chan prank about this being a white power symbol. Let's continue to troll them."

[zimpenfish]

> I think that is the least charitable interpretation of him performing that gesture.

He's posing with two virulent white supremacists. If you lie down with dogs, you might not get fleas but everyone will certainly think you have.

[gadders]

He's posing with two right-wing journalists or ex-journalists.

I realise "White Supremacist" is the insult-du-jour, but when you apply it to people who aren't actually racist, you just undermine your own credibility. It's like calling everyone in the Democratic party a communist.

[denerio-a]

Are you accusing someone of being misleading while calling Steve fucking Bannon “an ex-journalist”?

Christ.. I don’t think this level of obfuscation should be left unchallenged. What are you trying to do here exactly?

[gadders]

I mis-spoke. I guess you would call him a media executive? Wikipedia says: "Bannon was a founding member of the board of Breitbart News"

[jamespo]

Chuck C. Johnson isn't actually racist. LOL.

[patrickg_zill]

Explain to me how a guy surrounded by Jewish people at Goldman Sachs could rise up in the organization and leave as a vice president of the company, if he was truly anti- Semitic.

He would have to be a better actor than Ben Kingsley and Laurence Olivier combined. After Goldman he worked in Hollywood btw.

[zimpenfish]

Perhaps he pivoted after he left Goldman Sachs? Plus there's many examples of people who have managed to keep their beliefs and/or outside lives well away from the people they work with. Many serial/spree killers have had someone quoted afterwards saying they were the nicest person and you'd never think it, etc. It really doesn't require great acting.

[patrickg_zill]

So you are remotely diagnosing and mind reading... Cool.

[tashi]

History shows that you'd only need to be as good an actor as Mel Gibson.

[patrickg_zill]

He'd have to be better. Think about it...

[tashi]

No luck figuring out what reason you have in mind. Want to explain?