The phrase "Dark Brandon" was initially a meme created by online progressives to parody supporters of "Dark MAGA", a belief promoted by former U.S. representative Madison Cawthorn that former president Trump would return to power "with a vengeance." It copies the "fashwave" aesthetic used initially by online supporters of figures like Donald Trump or Ron DeSantis....
So Dark MAGA preceded Dark Brandon.
Remember Madison Cawthorn?
With that background, why would Elon Musk choose to horse around with the phrase "Dark MAGA"? Could he be seriously connecting to the Cawthorn meaning?Railing against "the cowardly and weak members of our own party," Cawthorn wrote [in May 2022]: "It's time for the rise of the new right, it's time for Dark MAGA to truly take command." "Dark MAGA" references a fringe movement advocating a vengeful return of Trumpism.
Does Musk not know this background? Does Trump not know? Look how Trump talked about it — just a fashion, not fascism:“Dark MAGA” actually began showing up as a meme on Twitter pre-X in 2022, near the time “Dark Brandon” appeared. As the Daily Beast reported, “The movement calls for the return of Trump to the White House at all cost, asserting that Trump should be authoritarian and ruthless in his pursuit of power.” Newsweek described Dark MAGA back in 2022 as “a post-alt-right aesthetic that promotes an authoritarian version of Trump in dystopian, Terminator-like images.” Dark MAGA is an attempt to unite the neo-Nazis, white supremacists, militias, misogynists, conspiracy theorists, etc. under one banner. As Newsweek put it, “Dark MAGA was born from the alt-right’s feeling of having lost power, and seeking to regain that power, at any cost.” After Musk’s appearance on Saturday, #DarkMAGA started trending on X, with tens of thousands of posts under the hashtag, and the valuation of the Dark MAGA memecoin briefly soared. As Hampton Stall and Daniel Grober of the Global Network on Extremism & Technology said in 2022: “While Dark MAGA has not taken an enduring foothold yet, there is a distinct possibility it might, and from there it is likely to grow to influence the 2024 election.”
"I didn't even know we made black hats and it said Make America Great Again. And Elon called it Dark MAGA. Who thinks of this? Dark MAGA. We sold like 10,000 hats. It's the hottest thing going. Dark MAGA." Lighten up, it's just fashion?Trump: "I didn't even know we made black hats and it said Make America Great Again. And Elon called it Dark MAGA. Who thinks of this? Dark MAGA. We sold like 10,000 hats. It's the hottest thing going. Dark MAGA." pic.twitter.com/sLZMX3mkJv
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) October 9, 2024
Posts
188 comments:
Trump and Elon don’t read the Brooklyn Rail.
I wouldn't really take it that seriously. Seriously. It's meant to be edgy and powerful and compelling but in the service of something good, something we're all supposed to be proud of. That MAGA promised land, we can almost see it from here. Maybe if we jump a little higher.
I doubt Musk researched the origins of the term; much more likely your initial reaction is correct--he was referencing Dark Brandon.
Dark MAGA is an attempt to unite the neo-Nazis, white supremacists, militias, misogynists, conspiracy theorists, etc. under one banner.
I didn't get that email and they never showed me the secret handshake, guess I'll have to return my hat.
The Dems have weaponized the Federal Gov't against Musk for allowing free speech on Twitter
https://pjmedia.com/kevindowneyjr/2024/10/08/the-deep-state-is-gunning-for-elon-musk-n4933158
So yes, Musk wants to destroy them
And should
He's African-American.
"Trump and Elon don’t read the Brooklyn Rail."
The Brooklyn Rail piece obviously came out AFTER Elon said what he said. The question is whether they remembered the Newsweek article or the widely reporter Madison Cawthorn remarks. That was in the standard press.
Your attempted defense of them has no cogency whatsoever.
Boy they sure put in a lot of effort to round up the votes of maybe 1/2 % of the population, all of whom hate the government anyway, and probably don't vote.
But all of that Dark Brandon stuff, along with the crypto "not see" symbolism, didn't work out so great for Biden, did it? They always accuse the other side of whatever they are doing themselves, and if you want to see where Charlottesville demonstration semiotics came from, you don't have to look any further than the actual far right parties that we are supporting in Kiev with powerful weapons. If you want to see the closest thing to Charlottesville, just google "ultranationalists" and "Maidan square" and set the date range to 2014.
No he's referencing the intellectual dark web you Dingle fritz. If you really ever watch The Joe Rogan podcast from back in the day you would know this. There's nothing to do with Joe Biden
Althouse, did you notice the citation circle in that article? Newsweek, the Daily Beast...A truly neutral assessment would be, "Look at these anti-Trump outlets quoting each other in support of further anti-Trump assertions."
John Cutter : Charlie, ever played roulette?
Charles Rane : On occasion.
John Cutter : Well, let me give you a word of advice. Always bet on Dark MAGA!
If I were in Elon's shoes and had Elon's money I would undertake covert activity on a scale never attempted by a private citizen. Stuff on par with the capabilities of some country's intelligence services, I'm talking Bond villain shit. I would have 10,000 times a lower profile than he currently has, which is stupid, and have 1000 times more actionable capability and redundancy than he does with just X.
In other words, his "Dark MAGA" is all hat, no cattle.
Maybe he means that he tried to play nice and just get stuff done, which is what he does. Instead of allowing him to just "get stuff done" the D admin has decided that he is no longer "acceptable people" and are actively f*cking with his businesses for no other reason than to screw with him. It looks like payback for not being "on their side" so maybe it means gloves are off and FAFO. He has the money to do that.
Of the six impossible things they expect us to believe before breakfast today, one is that rural Americans would support a political "ethos" (see The Big Lebowski) that as one of its first steps in taking power, took everybody's guns, and ended free speech. No, that sounds like the gentlemen of the other firm. (Das Boot reference.)
Note: I have been reading Stephen King on writing, it's a good book, actually, and he says that one of the main causes of bad writing is fear that the reader won't get your point, so you should "resist the urge to explain," RUE, which is why I will always be a bad writer, since... [RUE -ed]
It was a joke. The Brooklyn Rail appears as cringy as this Dark MAGA fever dream. I’ve never heard of Dark MAGA either. I’d forgotten about Cawthorn and didn’t even realize Newsweek was still in business. This seems like a fringe tidbit from a few years back. In defense of Elon & Trump, they likely were busy with other stuff. I hope they were.
Interesting that there is no quote given by whomever started it. All projection. Besides, neo-nazis are on the progressive side nowadays, along with those “white” supremacists who’ve tricked people into thinking segregating people by skin color for particular events is the way to go.
The Newsweek and Daily Beast pieces are from 2022. Regardless of how left-wing those papers are, they are mainstream media and their discussion of "Dark MAGA" was out there in the public discourse. As such, can Musk be assumed to know the reference? If he didn't know, that's a shame. I would hope that if he knew he would have passed on that, just like you'd pass on using a swastika once you knew the Nazi reference. But what if Musk did know and chose to adopt the reference (with deniability: it's just fashion)?
Once you understand how government works, basically "Yes Minister" was accurate, but far too kind, it becomes one big joke.
"But all of that Dark Brandon stuff, along with the crypto "not see" symbolism...."
Now that you've said "not see," one thing I previously did "not see" is that black writing on a black background is something you do "not see."
You only get invited into the club by your local FBI informant.
Trump had four years to turn into a fascist dictator. He didn't.
Kamala has had four years to fix things. She hasn't.
"No he's referencing the intellectual dark web you Dingle fritz."
I shouldn't respond to you since you are being abusive, you moron, but the intellectual dark web refers to something left wing. Why would Elon Musk adopt that use of "dark" to refer to MAGA? What is the meaning of "dark" that you think EM intended?
And knock off the stupid name calling. It does not make your argument more persuasive nor immunize you from deletion.
I doubt the reported origin/inspiration of "Dark Brandon" was "Dark Maga" as reported in Wiki. This seems a rewrite of the real history which was actually an attempt to co-opt the "Let's Go Brandon" meme to make Biden appear to be a vigorous leader. After it burned and crashed like the Hindenberg, the story was changed to claiming it was an attempt to parody the Right.
As for Musk using "Dark"- it almost certain that he is using the word in the sense of the Dark Web.
I'm surprised they couldn't work in MTG and Jewish space lasers.
They might be out of ideas, but give them time.
Since "deplorables," conservatives have become impervious to name calling. Racist, fascist, whatever is thrown - it just gets bounced back ironically.
Implying that dark is somehow bad is racist.
Sometimes a hat is just a hat. In the Steve Jobs color of tech entrepreneurs.
I don't recall ever hearing about it and had no idea that was the inspiration for Dark Brandon (Biden, as president, adopting Dark MAGA seems rather worse than Musk doing it)
I don't think we can assume general knowledge of things that were printed in Newsweek or the Daily Beast--they target niche audiences that get more niche with each passing year.
Has Musk ever mentioned Dark Maga on X or anywhere else before? If so, it seems like that should be taken as what he was talking about.
I do remember Madison Cawthorn… he's from just up over the state line from us. I recall his infamous remark that "two different Republicans" had invited him to "orgies" during the first month of his brief service in Congress (he declined).
Your attempted defense of them has no cogency whatsoever.
What exactly needs to be defended here? Why should Trump and Elon take a Newsweek article seriously?
Elon is simply trolling the left and their Dark Brandon memes/theme with his stupid aviator glasses.
Long before dark MAGA New England Patriot fans took to wearing black Pat Patriots hats durning Spygate. It was more than just fashion…
"It was a joke."
Explain the joke. What's the reference?
It could be, he's just wearing black and black is dark, and the reference is to the Madison Cawthorn idea of "dark MAGA," but the joke is that he's not that kind of dark MAGA, he's just wearing a dark-colored MAGA hat.
Yancey Ward said... I doubt the reported origin/inspiration of "Dark Brandon" was "Dark Maga" as reported in Wiki.
It absolutely was, and it was widely mocked as such by right-wing twitter back then.
I think it's silly to place some specific meaning other than a rejection of status quo in support of those institutionally oppressed.
The Dark continent... coming to America.
Wikipedia
The intellectual dark web (IDW) is a term used to describe a loose affiliation of academics and social commentators who oppose the perceived influence of left wing–associated identity politics and political correctness in higher education and mass media.
Althouse: The Newsweek and Daily Beast pieces are from 2022. Regardless of how left-wing those papers are, they are mainstream media and their discussion of "Dark MAGA" was out there in the public discourse.
MAGA gladly wrapped their arms around "deplorables" when so labeled by Hillary. Two crappy left-wing publications make up "Dark MAGA" and Elon absorbs it. He's mocking them. Same way MAGA mocked Hillary be absorbing the "basket of deplorables" insult.
I'm pretty unexcited by Musk saying he's dark Maga. It's a major shrug situation.
I would hope that if he knew he would have passed on that, just like you'd pass on using a swastika once you knew the Nazi reference.
But it's not a swastika. The "symbol of hate" is a goofy internet reference made up by goofy, non-serious people.
Just below you mock people for not having any ability to perceive humor, and then you immediately fall into it.
It's like a few years ago when everyone started saying the "OK" hand gesture was suddenly a symbol of white supremacy.
You can either let ridiculous, humorless people cow you into determining your behavior, of you can own it and take away their power.
What Musk is doing here is the latter. What you are doing here with your play-dumb concern trolling is abetting the mawkish, humorless politicization of everything that you're usually pretty sensible about recognizing.
Dark Brandon is a reference to Biden's sexual proclivities, legal in sanctuary States and under Democratic law. Girls in clinics, babies in chambers, neighbors with "benefits", witch hunts, Obama in ethnic Springs... Nazis revisited in their left-wing progression.
I can see it now ... "How Trump lost me with Dark MAGA"
Diversity, albinophobia, immigration reform, transhumanism, #HateLovesAbortion... we didn't start the conflagration.
I'm spit balling a bit here but "Dark" has been used in comic books and other media to refer to a reversed character, and you have instances of looks-evil-but-does-good characters like Batman being referred to as "The Dark Knight". "Dork ... excuse me, "Dark Brandon" could very well have been developed independently as the reverse of the "kindly old uncle" persona pushed during the campaign.
Who would’ve ever guessed that there were a dark contingent of Magites that embraced Trump returning to power by any means, lying, cheating, law breaking, violence, subterfuge, belief in a nonsense philosophy like The Fourth Turning ( Steve Bannon’s bible), pseudo Christianity, magical and mystical spells and incantations. There was always a darkness to MAGA if people would’ve just opened up their eyes.
Dark, light or mid-shade MAGA, it's all good. I for one prefer Making America Great Again vs Keeping America Down Again. This election is that stark and that simple to understand.
"can Musk be assumed to know the reference? If he didn't know, that's a shame."
He was busy building rockets, and cars, and tunnels, and computer-brain interface, and who knows what else. Seriously. Some people think culture is important. Some can't be bothered. I think the latter are a mentally healthier bunch.
Howard said... No he's referencing the intellectual dark web you Dingle fritz.
The IDW includes people who were in the NeverTrumper camp. It has absolutely nothing to do with the origin of "Dark MAGA".
Elon made a joke to tweak the safe space liberals out there.
For his next act, he will donate 100,000 stuffed dolls so the safe space liberals can clutch them to their chests.
From the article:
"Cawthorn posted a list of so-called "patriots" like Trump, Fox News host Tucker Carlson and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), but vowed to go on a "mission" to purge the GOP of members he feels are "cowardly and weak."
He went on to say "it's time for the rise of the new right, it's time for Dark MAGA to take command."
The Global Network on Extremism & Technology, the London-based research arm of tech industry-backed Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism, describes Dark MAGA as a "post-alt-right online aesthetic movement" that has largely functioned so far through engaging in meme warfare, typically by posting black and red-tinted pictures of Trump and other right-wing figures shooting laser beams out of their eyes.
Dark MAGA images also sometimes feature neo-Nazi and white supremacist iconography, according to the Global Network on Extremism & Technology."
1) If Dark MAGA as defined by Madison Cawthorn call for the ouster of "Republicans" like Romney, Paul Ryan, and the Cheneys...kick ass. I'm sure Elon thinks the same of them as the rest of Trump Voters. To me it seems Dark MAGA means we aren't putting up with Liz Cheney's shit anymore. Now she's gone and switched to the war-mongering real dark side. Mission accomplished.
2) Where are these Neo-Nazi/White supremacist images as reported by The Global Network on Extremism and Technology? And are they really "neo-Nazi" images, or just labeled as such by another left with think tank? Why don't they consider images of Biden in his aviator glasses with red lasers shooting out as "neo-Nazis"?
This is much ado about NOTHING.
Many of his critics call Trump a racist, but in fact, he is an amateur eugenicist with a never
ending thirst for more scientific knowledge.
Trump’s Remarks on Migrants Illustrate His Obsession With Genes ~ NYT
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/09/us/politics/trump-migrants-genes.html
The joke was Trump & Elon don’t read the Brooklyn Rail. In other words, I doubt they are familiar with this piece of progressive arcana. As far as Musk, I interpret what he said as a play on Dark Brandon, which I was at least somewhat familiar with from the memes of Biden with the red laser eyes. It’s possible Musk is familiar with the progressive arcana view that Dark MAGA is some White Nationalist Fever Dream to keep The Faithful warm during the Trump Interregnum. But unlikely. Trump seemed to interpret Musk’s remark as a nod to the non-red MAGA merch. I don’t think Trump is familiar with Dark Brandon
It would be nice if you could also police stupid name calling by Michael K, Drago, Achilles, and few others. I guess since they don't criticize you directly, no harm, no foul.
And it doesn't help your cause that you call Howard a "moron" in your post. What's next, are you going to call commenters "retards"? You got all bent out of shape when I accused you of being hysterical, because of its etymology. Perhaps you should get your OED out and research the etymology of "moron" before you use that word (also check "imbecile" and "idiot").
You also have called people assholes on this blog. While it may not be a "stupid name", it is probably worse than Howard calling you a "Dingle fritz".
Meade chose to purchase a black MAGA hat with white lettering. What's the message in that hat? Is there some lighter symbolic difference between a black hat with white lettering and a black hat with gray/black lettering? Even if you wear the Red MAGA hat with white lettering you're still labeled a Neo-Nazi deplorable by the left.
Must we now assume that the album covers for AC/DC's "Back in Black" album cover, and Metallica's "Black Album" are neo-Nazi symbols?
If you are really looking for what Musk meant how about taking look at the comics universe?
There was a little too much chlorine in your gene pool, Bich.
" Dark MAGA is an attempt to unite the neo-Nazis, white supremacists, militias, misogynists, conspiracy theorists, etc. under one banner." True, but it is the leftists who are trying to unite these things into a sinister force that they can then use to justify seizing power "by any means necessary". Most of the things on that list don't even really exist as social forces. White supremacists? Give me a break. There aren't enough true white supremacists in this country to fill a high school gym, same for militias. If you don't have a real scary enemy, you just have to invent one.
It’s heartening to see Althouse dive into this “darkness”. It’s about time.
Mocked by the Righ, perhaps, but inspired on the Left? I doubt it because why use "Brandon" rather than "Biden". "Dark Brandon" makes more sense as a way to co-opt "Let's Go Brandon", a meme that was seriously annoying the Left for whatever reason.
Leon was wearing black because it helps him look slim — it’s a vanity issue for Musk.
Americans are red, white, and blue: pro-life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Darkness seeps from the twilight fringe.
Sometimes a hat is just a hat
I think there wasn't enough.
The Nazis were rabid Diversitists who waged ethnic Springs, mutilated girls in clinics, aborted Jews in chambers, advocates for redistributive change schemes, and proponents of other wicked solutions.
My guess is that "Dark" MAGA refers to the theory that "Dark" Matter accounts for ~ 90% of the mass of the universe but remains invisible to our scientific instruments. Dark MAGA simply means that MAGA is much bigger than commonly observed/reported.
Trump knows full well what dark MAGA is. He’s spoken about vengeance and retribution many times.
WACO — Flanked by supporters waving “witch hunt” signs, former President Donald Trump turned in a signature incendiary performance Saturday in Waco, using his first 2024 campaign rally to frame himself as a victim of politicized legal investigations and vowing to be the MAGA movement’s “retribution.”
"I am your warrior, I am your justice,” Trump said in a nearly 90-minute speech, most of it focused on perceived political enemies and slights. “For those who have been wronged and betrayed … I am your retribution."
https://www.texastribune.org/2023/03/25/donald-trump-waco-rally-retribution-justice/
I had not heard of Dark MAGA before, but I do have a black hat with "Make America Great Again" in black stitching that I got in 2016. Not from an official campaign source. I also have the official hat from 2016.
I think Elon was just having fun. I don't think he's advocating vengeance. A little even justice wouldn't be bad, though.
Hey Inga,
Would you like one of the stuffed dolls that Elon is donating to the safe space liberals?
You seem scared of anything outside of your delusional bubble.
And there has always been a contingent of Mag-ites that believed Trump was still the rightful president, just in exile. That’s what the Big Lie has wrought and that is the poison Trump is still feeding to his Mag-ites. Trump was so power hungry he was willing to overturn the votes of 81 million Americans.
And you believe in the scary "dark web", Howard? You sure are gullible.
John Henry
Field Marshall Freder has lied multiple times, without evidence, that I have called for physical volence against political enemies.
Then complains about "name calling".
Discuss.
Musk is a busy man. When it comes to politics, he's superficial, like Twitter itself, and when it comes to politics, he's half a joker or jester. He's heard of "Dark Brandon" and that's most likely what motivated him (if it didn't just come from comic books and pop culture). He's also probably heard of the "intellectual dark web" though I doubt he looked much into it or endorses it. It's unlikely that he's familiar with the Newsweek article. "Dark Maga" definitely didn't "enter the public discourse" in any serious or widespread way. I doubt he's trying to purge the Romneys and Ryans and certainly doubt he's trying to unite Nazis, racists, misogynists, etc. or bring their themes into MAGA.
The dark web is a convulsive construct of Diverse mad brayers dreaming of machetes in clinics, in chambers, on the plains where prides parade.
"It's Smell the Glove, now in hat form."
LLR-democratical Rich, shilling for the party of slavery, Jim Crow, segregation, eugenics extremism via abortion, destruction of the black family via government policy and anti-semetic islamic supremacy, dares to gaslight with another gaslighting narrative out of lefty Gaslighting Central.
Kamala-la-la-la-la's campaign is in freefall and the cats running the New Soviet Democratical Cheat Machine are worried they will need millions more fake ballots to install Kamala in the manner they installed Joey Bag O'Dementia.
Freder is just doing what you do every day Drago. You are constantly accusing commenters of saying things they NEVER said. How does it feel? You don’t like it, hmmm?
Trump had the opportunity to put Hillary Clinton on trial and didn't take it. Since leaving office, Trump's been put on trial in three or four jurisdictions. He'll do some housecleaning -- heaven knows Washington DC needs it -- but it's unlikely that he'll be anywhere near as vindictive as his opponents have been.
Strauss and Howe's generational theories aren't "scientific" or proven, but they are intriguing. They also weren't anything like MAGA or even right-wing. They aren't the first ones to see generational cycles in history. Why the hatred of what can be a useful key for understanding history and politics?
Is he "adopting" the dark imagery (as in incorporating it as a strategy for action) or mocking it. Based on his numerous quotes on X, and his clearly serious concerns about the authoritarian, anti-free speech drift of our government and cultural institutions I'd say the preponderance of evidence is on "mocking."
LOL
That must be why the blacks and hispanics have moved in Trump's direction. Once again, the racist New Soviet Democraticals like P-Inga are freaking out at those who refuse to stay on the New Soviet Democratical electoral plantations led by P-Inga-like Overseers and apparatchiks.
Who do YOU shill for Drago? I have my suspicions.
Maybe he's just doing what a lot of other people do; you know, say things for effect.
P-Inga, after a full decade of pushing every single New Soviet Democratical hoax and debunked lie and pushing her hilarious mindreading Sovietized accusations, even in this very thread, now demands everyone forget all of that so she can stand atop the moral highground and pronounce Her Judgement!!
LOL
Quick question for P-Inga: was the hoax dossier an actual hoax funded by Hillary's campaign, or are you still going with it was mostly proven true?
Here's your chance to take a very tentative, ginger like, very cautious and uncertain step out of the New Soviet Democratical Woke Virus Cult!
Will she do it?!! I'm on pins and needles here!
Gusty, dont forget the Spinal Tap black album. Trump should just say “None more MAGA.”
JSM
Gotta admit. Dingle fritz is pretty creative. I'm pretty sure the Race and Culture Unit would approve it.
Well put.
Yes P-Inga. You have accused me many times, in the way all not very bright lunatic mind-numbed NPC leftist robots do, of being....(wait for it) .....(wait for it!)..... A Moscow-Trained Asset!!
LOL
Literally!
Too funny.
Because of course I am. Because Everyone that opposes the New Soviet Democraticals is a Moscow trained asset & Boogaloo Boy with a closet full of Hawaiian shirts!
Magites? Maga-ites? Maga followers? I think you could have done that better.
"Trump returning to power by any means, lying, cheating, law breaking, violence, subterfuge, ....."
You understand that the "Russia Collusion Hoax" was just all that done by your party. You set the bar.
Yup. I don't even object to the dullard calling me "#1 senile asshole." She is big time into nastiness.
Based on her insane rantings for the last decade and disturbing world view where she supports those that support hamas and islamic supremacist hatred of all non-muslims, particularly Jews, I would say its fair to say P-Inga would be a very happy Race and Culture Unit kapo.
Fascinating post. Althouse gets out the push pins and red string.
Oh, well gee. I guess its decided then.
Rusty, you dont understand.
P-Inga STILL BELIEVES, by her own admission, that ALL of those russki collusion lies and dossier hoaxes are absolutely true and were "proven" in her little demented world. She STILL believes ALL of the hoaxes, either by direct admission or refusal to retract her explicit statements in full support of the hoaxes. All 10 years of the hoaxes.
Every. Single. One.
Go ahead.
Ask her directly and see what happens.
Exactly what "Dark Maga" actions did Trump take during his 4 years in office? Please list. No imagined fantasies, but real actions such as we have experienced with Dark Brandon/Harris in the past 3+ years. Such as, government collusion to censor speech (Facebook, Twitter. etc.), lawfare to financially destroy political enemies and midnight raid/indict/jail them, illegally use executive powers (open border, forgiveness of student loans, etc.), finance our enemies (Iran, Hezbolah, etc.). Eagerly await your list.
The dullard entertains us with her delusions. She, of course, takes them very seriously
P-Inga thinks "analysis" by other leftist New Soviet Democratical lunatics makes her lunacy "correct" somehow!
I want you to do something for me. It's actualy for you because right now I don't have any grandchildren. Find a comfortable place to sit without any distractions. Now ask yourself. What did the world look like prior to 2020? What does the world look like now? Do I want my grandchildren drafted for a war in Ukraine? A war in the middle east? A war with China? Now ask yourself. Which candidate offers my grandchildren the best odds of NOT getting drafted and sent overseas?
Well played.
Regarding the 'Dark Web', I always thought it was frequented by people that were formerly Progressive Liberals, mostly, but are horrified, and have become jaded, by what they've seen it do to people - often, themselves. I see them more as classically liberal, and free-thinking. Capable of heterodoxy in its finest, critical-thinking form.
I do wonder just how many hawaiian shirts I could by given current restrictions on converting rubles to American greenbacks baby!
I do wonder just how many hawaiian shirts I could buy given current restrictions on converting rubles to American greenbacks baby!
That's unfair, I think. The intelligence services spent 5 years slicing and dicing a President, and not a single person was punished. They have ways of killing a person that leave absolutely no trace and get a guaranteed 'Natural Causes' Coroner's conclusion. Chuck Schumer may be a scumbag, but he ain't stupid. Elon is a whole lot easier to target, and a lot more vulnerable, than a President.
For a hot second back then Democratic Thought Leaders (three words which, strung together, ironically amuse) embraced the whole "Dark Brandon" schtick. The meme aged poorly; Evil Biden felt uncomfortably authentic.
Dark MAGA takes a ridiculous insult and makes it more ridiculous. It may further enrage the enraged. It won't do squat with people who's anger isn't focused on some some dystopian future, but instead is fueled by a dystopian present.
I've read their books including the work Neil Howe has done since Bill Strauss's death. One thing that always struck me was their sub rosa assumption that the Boomer Generation was going to become the (small h) heroes of the coming crisis (the one now upon us) in the way the Missionary Generation were heroes of the Second World War crisis. I think their dual contentions that people are at least in part responsible for happens during crisis periods, along with an equal rejection of the idea that we fully control our own destiny, freaked a lot of people out.
Shhhh! It's a secret call to arms and means bring your guns and shoot every lefty. 2025 date to be determined. (pass it on)
I'm pretty sure it's the leftists who have been pushing "by any means necessary" for the last few decades. While I don't support your characterization of Trump and his supporters, if I did, it would seem to be a case of turnabout is fair play.
He lost his mind
And became a bitter freak
And they sent him away.
Brandon!
Scorned as the one who can’t.
What do you do when you're Brandon
You just go on a rant
Wherever you go, for the rest of your life
You must prove you can stand
Brandon!
Marked with a blowhard’s fame.
What do you do when you're Brandon
And you shat on your name
h/t Chuck Connors
"Dark" anything has just become the equivalent of saying "based" which simply means being out and loud and proud and not backing down from your core beliefs.
Its really just that simple.
Musk, and many others who in previous years would never support Trump, now fully recognize the totalitarian intent of P-Inga's beloved pro-hamas New Soviet Democratical Party and recognize this may be the last opportunity to stop the US from becoming Venezuela or the other New Soviet Democratical fave: China.
Trump is Orange MAGA. I'm more of a Peach, myself. Dark MAGA is inclusive of our African-born citizens. #HateLovesAbortion
In Joe's case, the 'Dark Brandon' was in reference to that gothic, red-lit, scene with soldiers in the background, when he gave a speech: Mouth open in an angry rant, and fists clenched. It was a dark and menacing scene, dystopian.
In other cases, the 'Dark' term has become kind of a rolling meme, the kind where someone puts those laser beam eyes on a picture of somebody being edgily aggressive. It can be used as vanquishing an opponent in a positive or negative way. I think that's what Elon was referring to, and I think it was meant positively.
This White Nationalist dog whistle thing, really it should be confronted each and every time like the 'Fine People' bullsh*t.
"Trump knows full well what dark MAGA is."
The sort of "testimony" one could have found in any typical "courtroom" in the Soviet Union or can find now in any typical "courtroom" in China, Cuba, North Korea and in Washington DC, New York City, Atlanta Ga, etc.
Gusty Winds said...
From the article:
The Global Network on Extremism & Technology, the London-based research arm of tech industry-backed Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism, describes Dark MAGA as a "post-alt-right online aesthetic movement" that has largely functioned so far through engaging in meme warfare,
Uh, oh, I sense reddittt involvement. Waiting for Southern Poverty Law Center to chime in.
@ Senile Asshole #1…
I dare you to say that to Althouse who brought up this subject matter and posted it for serious discussion.
Field Marshall Freder has lied multiple times, without evidence, that I have called for physical volence against political enemies.
Then complains about "name calling".
As usual, Drago has reading comprehension issues. I was complaining about Althouse being a hypocrite, not name-calling.
Some people claim Romantic Inga has never had a sense of humor. They would be wrong.
"Inga said... [hush][hide comment]
Our souls shall entwine shamelessly in that field of flowers. Well I'm firm for my age, and I long to feel your hands run though my silver tresses."
Erotic Inga was fun:
"Inga said... [hush][hide comment]
Our souls shall entwine shamelessly in that field of flowers. Well I'm firm for my age, and I long to feel your hands run though my silver tresses."
Dark Maga obviously code for Black Magic, trying for the Haitian vote.
In my mind’s eye…
https://pin.it/7tSoEJqVd
Elon is. I wouldn't be. The CIA isn't the only one that can kill a person and leave absolutely no trace. $250 billion dollars can buy a person a lot of 1st and 3rd person expertise.
There was an excellent thread on twitter where someone showed how they created the Dark MAGA meme as a joke (on the right) and how they used crypto to get bots to push it, and how the left were suckered into covering it, and then the right took it back again...
I will try to find it. It was excellent.
"Does Musk not know this background? Does Trump not know?"
I didn't know about this until you looked it up and posted it here. I don't recall ever hearing the phrase "dark MAGA" before Musk mentioned it at the rally.
I suspect that this is something that Democrats noticed more than Republicans because it plays into their Trump as a Nazi theme.
Here is the twitter thread that explains the origin of the Dark MAGA meme.
Lefties are going to be angry that is was made in jest. Dark Brandon was also like that...its not serious, its just funny.
https://x.com/aristos_revenge/status/1843704335823454430?s=46&t=k0IVwXXvE-QlIif7lo2aVQ
That sounds about right. Check out the twitter link below. Its just a fun meme style.
This.
Dems also did Dark Brandon in the same exact way.
Should we ask Inga if that was serious, too?
Stupid fascists who support censoring political opponents and throwing them in jail get mad that people call them stupid fascists.
Cry more stupid fascist.
Wow Howard comes out of the gate hot.
I love all of the mind reading in this thread.
I forget when exactly it was, but there was a time when "dark" became the word that the left continuously intoned by the Left and the media when mentioning anything related to Trump or conservatives. It was very similar to how they used "extreme" and "risky" in previous news cycles. Even Scott Adams noticed it, too, and called it out. My take on it was that it was such an obvious attempt at manipulation that voices on the right, including even Jordan Petersen, started using it self-referentially as a joke.
Inga supported the Media and Government colluding to lie about Hunters Laptop.
Kavanaugh rape smears
Sicknick J6 blood libels
Russian Collusion
Trump rape smears
She is just so stupid and completely lacking self awareness. Anyone supporting Harris and spouting something so hypocritical has to just be a complete idiot and a complete piece of crap.
Inga is a member of a party that has tried to kill their political opponent 2 times in as many months.
Pretends her opponents are murderous losers like her.
Ann, Dark MAGA was a funny meme, not a scary Nazi symbol. These things are done in jest. It's ironic, not serious. Its based on movies that always claim to be a "darker take"
Yes, exactly. Its also spoofing movies where the new version is always "a darker take on....."
What did Elon Musk mean by "I’m not just MAGA, I’m Dark MAGA!"
It means he likes his MAGA well done.
Christopher, you are correct.
Dark MAGA is a phrase that appeals to 33-year-old men living in their parents’ basement.
What phrase applies to intellectual lightweights who pretend they are smarter than they really are and make stupid one line comments about everyone else?
They say if you throw a rock into a pack of dogs, the one that hollers is the one you hit, so how’s your parents’ basement working out for you?
https://www.thedailybeast.com/meet-the-dark-maga-emissary-with-a-dirty-past-radical-touted-as-movements-secret-weapon
“Meet the ‘Dark MAGA’ Agent With a Dirty Past: Radical Touted as Movement’s ‘Secret Weapon’
A sex scandal and QAnon views put Scott Presler out of a job, but he’s been trying to win over top Republicans registered voter at a time.
Just before Trump took to the stage on Oct. 5 for an emotional roller coaster of a keynote speech—which included Elon Musk awkwardly jumping for “Dark MAGA”—a long-haired, right-wing conservative Scott Presler was introduced to the crowd.
Since cutting ties with the RNC in Virginia, Presler has slid deeper into the world of “Dark MAGA,” the dystopian meme movement to get Trump back into the White House through any means necessary. He chaired Gays for Trump in 2017—tying his coming out story to the Pulse massacre—before moving on to spearhead the anti-Muslim far-right group ACT for America, helping to organize “March Against Sharia” protests across the country, reported The Washington Post.
The events “attracted various factions of the radical right, including white nationalists, neo-Nazis, and anti-government extremists—all of whom were united by anti-Muslim animus,” reported the Southern Poverty Law Center nonprofit, which called ACT for America an “extremist” group.“
Musk has even commented on expecting a prison term if Kamala is installed.
More of the dullard's delusions.
the daily beast
at the very least
is a daily feast
for minds deceased
https://pin.it/7tSoEJqVd
“During Donald Trump's October 5 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania — where the first assassination attempt on the ex-president's life failed in July — a potential future MAGA leader emerged on stage.
The Daily Beast reported Wednesday that Scott Presler, who resigned from the GOP of Virginia in 2016 "in the wake of allegations that he had sex in one of its offices," assured the Keystone State crowd that if Trump wins in November, the party "will protect your raw milk, your dairy, your school choice, your religious freedom, your ability to afford to have 10 beautiful children per family."
Ahhh, the perfect spokesman for Family Values! Dark MAGA man!
"just a fashion, not fascism"
Fashion, turn to the left
Fashion, turn to the right
@althouse, did you see what shirt Elon was wearing?
It was "Occupy Mars". Clearly his shirt was a send up of the Occupy Wall Street lefties. Could his hat not be a send up of the Dark Brandon meme as well?
Always preferred gasoline cars, but will now add a Tesla to my collection.
Trump said:
If they bring a knife, we bring a gun"
Oh, wait, nevermind...
The whole thread for those without 'X' accounts: https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1843704335823454430.html
".......Politico Playbook reported that three people familiar with the incident said Presler engaged in sexual activity in the office and then posted pictures of the encounter on Craigslist. When he was confronted about it, he quit."
So there's his mistake, right there: He should have done it in a Senate Chamber, and there wouldn't have been a peep and he'd still have his job.
He's been a tireless campaigner, and effective - which probably explains the attack. And I would say his views aren't radical, they're just not Progressive Leftist ideas.
Hey Achilles, isn't your fantasy arresting all the "stupid fascists" and then hanging them from lamp posts (you are a little vague whether you permit them trials first). That would certainly censor them.
Gee, I am just not sophisticated or well read. My first interpretation when I hear someone say "I am the Dark-X" I interpret it as a reference to the Dark-Knight. Elon is Bruce Wayne and The Dark Maga is a law and order vigilante.
Good for him. I'm an antigovernment extremist too, and would much rather tolerate long haired gay men who love our nation than import any more murderous Muslim radicals and support them with tax dollars.
Who among us is pro Sharia? I’d venture any American is anti-Sharia. It’s an anti-woman ideology, oh sorry, “law”. Blasting Presley for marching against it is simply ignorant.
Achilles used to comment about how he’s going to get his veteran buddies together to do “wet work” on his political enemies.
It’s heartening to see Althouse dive into this “darkness”. It’s about time.
Musk makes a joke and Inga predictably goes off the rails.
I tell ya, if Trump wins she's going to lose it completely.
Breezy, no one is blasting Presler for having anti Sharia opinions. Most Americans left and right are not in favor of Sharia Law, duh. Presler is being looked at with a skeptical eye for being a hypocrite, a sexual deviant (not because he’s gay) who posts his sexual exploits online, pretending to be for family values when is so clear is is the opposite of conservative family values, he has posted hundreds of posts pushing Q Anon shit. That’s just a few reasons to doubt the man.
The Senile Asshole#1 is a Dark Maga supporter because his hero Steve Bannon is Dark Maga too. Steve Bannon may have been the original Dark Maga.
He’s spoken about vengeance and retribution many times.
Maybe you should look up the definition of retribution. And then ask yourself why Trump is considering it. Maybe it'll finally occur to you just what your side has been doing this whole time.
I doubt it. But just maybe.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/apr/04/steve-bannon-book-maga
“Steve Bannon, Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign chair and White House strategist, believed before the 2020 election and the January 6 attack on Congress that a “Maga movement” of Trump supporters “could rule for a hundred years”.
At least he didn’t call it The Thousand Year Reich.
Oh, forgive me for actually reading your snippet above…
I assumed he was making fun of the "Intellectual dark web" type labels, just as Jordan Peterson has.
I do not know why you think it is "something left wing." There are individuals on the left and right who have been accused of being part of it.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c80ek470d99o
“Inside the 'war room'
Bannon’s actual “war room” is in the basement of an elegant Capitol Hill town house, just a stone’s throw from the US Supreme Court.
Every surface is piled high with hardback books on politics, finance and conspiracy theories. Stacked on the mantlepiece, among assorted religious iconography, is a printed quote that Bannon - who sees himself as a shepherd of the Maga populist agenda - coined: “There are NO conspiracies but there are NO coincidences.”
The huge handbook of "Project 2025" is positioned in a place of pride in the room.The 900-page tome put together by the Heritage Foundation - a conservative think tank - contains detailed plans for how a second Trump administration will transform the American government and the power of the executive branch.
We were surrounded by the lights, cameras and microphones that Bannon uses to broadcast for four hours every weekday when he told me he and his show have played a major part in empowering and mobilising thousands of Trump-supporting activists, who he called “street fighters”
Though he will not be able to lead them from prison, he said that this “Maga army” that “can’t and won’t stop until final victory” will easily continue on its mission.”
“Dingle fritz” is a pejorative used against people of Germanic heritage. Howard knew exactly vat he vuz dooink.
Dark INGA
Like Bich, Inga is beginning to unravel more quickly as Harris' prospects of winning decline.
I must have missed something. Is Steve Bannon running for office, somewhere?
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/steve-bannon-nato-world-order
“Steve Bannon Has Called His “Army” to Do Battle—No Matter Who Wins in November
Bannon, a self-declared general of global populists, wants to break the world order. And he’s tapped into something much bigger than Trumpism.
Bannon has turned his immensely influential War Room show—which has continued to broadcast after his incarceration, with guest hosts—into a cross between a daily troop muster and a policy training school, which he uses to tutor millions of “peasants,” as he likes to phrase his target demographic.
Teitelbaum spent years interviewing Bannon and his like-minded allies and associates. He got unparalleled access to Bannon, and he was able to do so in part because he came to him not as a political reporter but as a scholar interested in an obscure school of thought known as Traditionalism.
Bannon first encountered Traditionalism in his 20s, when he secretly practiced meditation and frequented mystical bookstores while serving on the Navy destroyer USS Paul F. Foster.
Bannon developed relationships with Traditionalist-minded critics of the global system all over the world, from former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro to Hungary’s Viktor Orbán. Some of them, like the openly Traditionalist philosopher Dugin, have been deeply antagonistic to America.”
Here’s Dark Maga, Bannon introduced Trump to it most likely, because some of this stuff is too cerebral for Trump. Maybe Bannon drew him pictures with colored markers.
Aggie, use your brain man. Steve Bannon, Elon Musk, Scott Pressler, and other Dark Mag-ites are right wing INFLUENCERS. I’ve read MANY of Bannon’s, Musk’s and Presler’s ideas being expressed here, so yes, you ARE being influenced by these lunatics.
BTW, dark means cynical, realistic, more worldly wise.
off shoot from goth
Senile Asshole #1 can hand out the nastiness, but he can’t take it. Wimpy wimpy wimpy.
Must said dark maga because Beidens minions created dark Beiden. Any other talk is bullshit. And Musk did it better of the cuff because he is a genius.
Presler has slid deeper into the world of “Dark MAGA,” the dystopian meme movement to get Trump back into the White House through any means necessary.
Is that how the earlier articles described "Dark MAGA"? As a "movement to get Trump back into the White House through any means necessary"? It's possible that the Daily Beast writer is privy to new information. It's also possible, and more likely, that he made assumptions -- that is, that he made it up. If it's scary and you want to make people scared of it, why not turn it from a bunch of online malcontents in their underwear into a conspiracy that uses illegal means to fix the election? That may be how a lot of this BlueAnon stuff grows, like a game of "telephone" with something new added on as the story passes from site to site.
Looking at the Twitter feed linked above, the dark memes are just laser eye pictures. That's been around forever and not violent in any way. The same outlets who pushed "there are fine people on both sides" can't be trusted to accurately report on a meme.
Sometimes, a joke is just a joke!
When has anyone ever shared who they are specifically influenced by?
What Trump's detractors think about Dark MAGA says more about them and their projection than it does about him or the MAGA movement. Musk's wearing of the black MAGA hat and the t-shirt were about him enjoying trolling the other side. Dark MAGA is like Batman, the noir hero that we call in times of crisis to come save us. It's a bit tongue in cheek. The detractors need a little introspection... sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.
Well, apparently Inga is, and not only is she willing to share, she has special insights into who else is is being influenced too, and by whom. I've got my tinfoil hat on though, the one with the rabbit ears, so I only get specific messages.
Dark Maga/ Black Magic. coincidence?
bold type the new ALL CAPS
Thanks, Aggie
The funniest thing about you in particular slagging Strauss and Howe's work because Steve Bannon is that if you actually read it, or listen to any of Neil Howe's interviews (not hard to find on YouTube), he's still carrying a torch from their very first work back in the 1990s that some desiccated old Boomer is gonna become the guiding light of the current crisis in the mold of Lincoln or FDR.
OK listen up now...the standard MAGA hat is RED. Musk was wearing a BLACK MAGA hat...thus...Dark MAGA!!
Jfc, this is terrifying. I'm not saying that we're moving steadily towards 1930s Germany, but if you don't winner what people there were saying at that time, and reasonably suppose that it sounded a lot like your comment here, then you're more than likely a complete ding dong.
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