Oh, how comforting. Holy isht. I hope I don’t see anything like that around me, I’d be tempted to do bad things.
Spitzmuttsays
I am surprised at the number of trump signs throughout Central PA. (Marcus lives on his farm in Central PA.) I can understand the posting by individuals but when shop owners place signs for the imminent election, it baffles my brain. It doesn’t appear to matter to the business owners who have the signs posted on the sidewalk or in the front window.
Why would the business owner risk losing possibly 50% of their clientele to patrons who are not in the trump camp? Do they have some assurance that their candidate will win and they will be vindicated?
Pierce R. Butlersays
That damn Stars’n’Bars® has been out in the weather for quite a while, judging by fading and tattering.
I hope I don’t see anything like that around me, I’d be tempted to do bad things.
Yeah… well, after all, they’re “proud of their hatred”.
(Self-righteousness is so very edifying)
Holmssays
I might suggest “More of my neighbors, ignorant / in denial of the reasons behind the secession attempt associated with that flag.” But it does not roll off the tongue.
John Moralessays
Holms, they might be ignorant, they might be in denial… but they could also be in acceptance (as Caine implied she believes).
I have little doubt that Marcus has other reasons for his opinions than those depicted in the featured images and have reason to trust his judgement in certain domains, but, still.
You know, I’m pretty tired of constantly having to give the benefit of the doubt as to why some person shows some hateful sign or says some hateful stuff or votes for hateful people.
From where I stand the difference between a capital F Fascist and a lowercase f fascist is negligible.
Ice Swimmersays
“Make Confederated States Great Again!”
*spits*
After years of dog-whistling, the mask is off and the pointy hood is on.
blfsays
How, by seceeding from the union?
Judging by the colour of the sky, by nuking the rest of the planet — but not from orbit.
Spitzmutt@#2:
What really surprises me is the more or less complete lack of Clinton signs.
I talked to one friend in Pittsburgh and she said that they’re just not available. But that doesn’t strike me as making sense: it’s the kind of thing a well-run campaign ought to be handling, and Clinton has good people and plenty of money.
For my part, I don’t have any Clinton signs. Because I am utterly disgusted by both candidates and my GAF-meter is pegged on -12 (it needs zeroing) I wonder how much of it is that others feel the same way. Trump’s racisti are genuinely excited to have a candidate that’s as outspokenly stupid, bigoted, and narrow-minded as they are; they’re thrilled. So maybe the Trump signs are because only the excited are showing it?
Saadsays
Not that uncommon a site near where I live unfortunately. The bumper sticker flag is seen often too.
Holms@#5, John Morales@#6:
I actually was invited to a local barbecue and had a brief conversation with one of the flag-flyers that is in this series. He introduced himself, I replied, “Oh, the guy with the confederate battle flag?” and he played the “it’s pride not prejudice” move. So I went all meta- on him and just laughed, “surely you don’t believe that.” and walked away. I’ve never been invited back.
I occasionally wonder if the KKK is active in this area because a particular joke that someone was (loudly) telling in a local pub was one I also saw printed in a KKK flyer in one of Caine’s postings a few months ago. If it weren’t for the career risk, I’d be tempted to see if I could join the local KKK and publish notes on my experience as an insider. I’m not worried about the personal danger particularly much, but it’d be awkward from a professional perspective if someone interpreted the whole thing based on partial information and I wound up getting a negative reputation. I have a friend a few years ago who started working as an internet mule because he wanted to write a book about it, but the FBI wound up interrupting him first and he was lucky because he had all of his working notes and whatnot that he could share with them (became a confidential informant) – otherwise he might have been in the poo tea tank.
Saad@#11:
Yeah, you’re near that horrible racist bar/restaurant. We haven’t got anything that bad up here. But if Trump wins, we probably will. Ugh.
Pierce R. Butlersays
Marcus Ranum @ # 10: … the more or less complete lack of Clinton signs.
None down here in the bluest county in the 3rd-largest state, either.
I asked about some at the local Dem HQ. They told me I could ask at the separate Clinton office about half a mile away, but not to get hopes up real high, ‘cuz that office is open about one hour each day.
‘Twas very hard to get Obama signs here 4/8 years ago as well: modern hi-tech campaign wizards have much more important concerns, dontchano. (Trump signs have sprouted all over here, too.)
The volunteers at the Dem office didn’t know who was running on their ticket here for the state legislature, but at least needed no explanation when I said, “Will Rogers was right.”
DonDueedsays
Wait, Marcus, did I get this right? You live in PA, and your neighbor claims that he flies a confederate flag and justifies it as “pride not prejudice”?
Does he not even realize that PENNSYLVANIA WAS ON THE UNION SIDE?
I’m finally seeing some Clinton signs in my section of central Pennsyltucky. But I’m in a small town with a liberal arts university, so I’m an island of blue in a bigger island of red in a blue state. There’s Philly, there’s Pittsburgh, and between them there’s Alabama”.
inquisitiveravensays
Pierce R. Butler@3: That isn’t the Stars and Bars. As Marcus noted, it’s the Confederate battle standard.
The Stars and Bars was quite explicitly modeled on the Stars and Stripes. IIRC, it only had three horizontal stripes (hence “bars), and the canton contained eleven stars (or however many Confederate states there were after they all got done seceding). The reason the battle standard existed in the first place was that after a sufficient amount of both sides shooting at each other, it was bloody hard to tell the Union flag from the Confederate flag through the smoke. The battle standard cannot be mistaken for the Stars and Stripes on a bad day.
I suppose, in a way, that’s worse. The Stars and Bars was the flag of slavers, but the battle standard was the flag the army marched under.
Caine says
Oh, how comforting. Holy isht. I hope I don’t see anything like that around me, I’d be tempted to do bad things.
Spitzmutt says
I am surprised at the number of trump signs throughout Central PA. (Marcus lives on his farm in Central PA.) I can understand the posting by individuals but when shop owners place signs for the imminent election, it baffles my brain. It doesn’t appear to matter to the business owners who have the signs posted on the sidewalk or in the front window.
Why would the business owner risk losing possibly 50% of their clientele to patrons who are not in the trump camp? Do they have some assurance that their candidate will win and they will be vindicated?
Pierce R. Butler says
That damn Stars’n’Bars® has been out in the weather for quite a while, judging by fading and tattering.
Good thing they didn’t do that to an official Stars’n’Stripes™, what with the Flag Code© and everything.
John Morales says
Caine:
Yeah… well, after all, they’re “proud of their hatred”.
(Self-righteousness is so very edifying)
Holms says
I might suggest “More of my neighbors, ignorant / in denial of the reasons behind the secession attempt associated with that flag.” But it does not roll off the tongue.
John Morales says
Holms, they might be ignorant, they might be in denial… but they could also be in acceptance (as Caine implied she believes).
I have little doubt that Marcus has other reasons for his opinions than those depicted in the featured images and have reason to trust his judgement in certain domains, but, still.
Giliell, professional cynic -Ilk- says
You know, I’m pretty tired of constantly having to give the benefit of the doubt as to why some person shows some hateful sign or says some hateful stuff or votes for hateful people.
From where I stand the difference between a capital F Fascist and a lowercase f fascist is negligible.
Ice Swimmer says
“Make Confederated States Great Again!”
*spits*
After years of dog-whistling, the mask is off and the pointy hood is on.
blf says
Judging by the colour of the sky, by nuking the rest of the planet — but not from orbit.
Marcus Ranum says
Spitzmutt@#2:
What really surprises me is the more or less complete lack of Clinton signs.
I talked to one friend in Pittsburgh and she said that they’re just not available. But that doesn’t strike me as making sense: it’s the kind of thing a well-run campaign ought to be handling, and Clinton has good people and plenty of money.
For my part, I don’t have any Clinton signs. Because I am utterly disgusted by both candidates and my GAF-meter is pegged on -12 (it needs zeroing) I wonder how much of it is that others feel the same way. Trump’s racisti are genuinely excited to have a candidate that’s as outspokenly stupid, bigoted, and narrow-minded as they are; they’re thrilled. So maybe the Trump signs are because only the excited are showing it?
Saad says
Not that uncommon a site near where I live unfortunately. The bumper sticker flag is seen often too.
Marcus Ranum says
Holms@#5, John Morales@#6:
I actually was invited to a local barbecue and had a brief conversation with one of the flag-flyers that is in this series. He introduced himself, I replied, “Oh, the guy with the confederate battle flag?” and he played the “it’s pride not prejudice” move. So I went all meta- on him and just laughed, “surely you don’t believe that.” and walked away. I’ve never been invited back.
I occasionally wonder if the KKK is active in this area because a particular joke that someone was (loudly) telling in a local pub was one I also saw printed in a KKK flyer in one of Caine’s postings a few months ago. If it weren’t for the career risk, I’d be tempted to see if I could join the local KKK and publish notes on my experience as an insider. I’m not worried about the personal danger particularly much, but it’d be awkward from a professional perspective if someone interpreted the whole thing based on partial information and I wound up getting a negative reputation. I have a friend a few years ago who started working as an internet mule because he wanted to write a book about it, but the FBI wound up interrupting him first and he was lucky because he had all of his working notes and whatnot that he could share with them (became a confidential informant) – otherwise he might have been in the poo tea tank.
Marcus Ranum says
Ice Swimmer@#8:
After years of dog-whistling, the mask is off and the pointy hood is on.
Yup! Let ’em raise their banners high – we’ll find another Sherman to teach them the error of their ways.
Marcus Ranum says
Saad@#11:
Yeah, you’re near that horrible racist bar/restaurant. We haven’t got anything that bad up here. But if Trump wins, we probably will. Ugh.
Pierce R. Butler says
Marcus Ranum @ # 10: … the more or less complete lack of Clinton signs.
None down here in the bluest county in the 3rd-largest state, either.
I asked about some at the local Dem HQ. They told me I could ask at the separate Clinton office about half a mile away, but not to get hopes up real high, ‘cuz that office is open about one hour each day.
‘Twas very hard to get Obama signs here 4/8 years ago as well: modern hi-tech campaign wizards have much more important concerns, dontchano. (Trump signs have sprouted all over here, too.)
The volunteers at the Dem office didn’t know who was running on their ticket here for the state legislature, but at least needed no explanation when I said, “Will Rogers was right.”
DonDueed says
Wait, Marcus, did I get this right? You live in PA, and your neighbor claims that he flies a confederate flag and justifies it as “pride not prejudice”?
Does he not even realize that PENNSYLVANIA WAS ON THE UNION SIDE?
Marcus Ranum says
DonDueed:
PENNSYLVANIA WAS ON THE UNION SIDE
GETTYSBURG!!!!!
I dunno. I can’t make this stuff up.
jester says
I’m finally seeing some Clinton signs in my section of central Pennsyltucky. But I’m in a small town with a liberal arts university, so I’m an island of blue in a bigger island of red in a blue state. There’s Philly, there’s Pittsburgh, and between them there’s Alabama”.
inquisitiveraven says
Pierce R. Butler@3: That isn’t the Stars and Bars. As Marcus noted, it’s the Confederate battle standard.
The Stars and Bars was quite explicitly modeled on the Stars and Stripes. IIRC, it only had three horizontal stripes (hence “bars), and the canton contained eleven stars (or however many Confederate states there were after they all got done seceding). The reason the battle standard existed in the first place was that after a sufficient amount of both sides shooting at each other, it was bloody hard to tell the Union flag from the Confederate flag through the smoke. The battle standard cannot be mistaken for the Stars and Stripes on a bad day.
I suppose, in a way, that’s worse. The Stars and Bars was the flag of slavers, but the battle standard was the flag the army marched under.