Yesterday I learned that Substack has somehow reconsidered the interpretation of its own content guidelines, and decided to remove/deplatform a series of existing neo-Nazi publications, although…
«…its new policy interpretation will not include proactively removing content related to neo-Nazis and far-right extremism. But Substack will continue to remove any material that includes “credible threats of physical harm,” it said.»
Casey Newton, on Platformer
So… hooray? Yes and no.
I’m still in a wait-and-see mode, as much as I do like and miss the platform (and the people!) there, I don’t want to rush everything back as if nothing ever happened, I want to be sure it’s not all just one of those cases of… something-washing.
I don’t want people to be silenced, but if content inciting violence, hate, racism, xenophobia, homophobia, transphobia, and/or generally targeting marginalised people is proactively promoted, giving its creators not just a platform but also the chance to monetise that hatred, well, that’s another scenario that goes well beyond “freedom of speech”.
Being this a newsletter about “life in Rome”, people should know that this happened in Rome only a few days ago
No, I’m not labelling them “Fascists” because I’m lazy and can’t find another word, they proudly claimed that label themselves.
Yes, they’re doing the Fascist salute.
Yes, there are Fascist symbols on the wall and on their flags.
And should I remind you again that Fascists are basically Nazis with pummaròla ‘ngòppa?
Italy is that place where the police can put you on hold “for security” if you say “VIVA L’ITALIA ANTIFASCISTA!” at the end of the national anthem in a theatre, and yet, despite our Constitution stating Italy indeed is an antifascist country, and despite a law from 1952 (the so-called “legge Scelba”, taking its name from the politician who submitted it to the Parliament) introduced the crime of apology of fascism , neo-Fascist organisations, rallies and commemorations have been permitted for decades, with the implied consent of the police.
And yes, I do find all of the above alarming.
So, despite enjoying Shalom Auslander’s humour, I must disagree: lamentably, Fascists and Nazis don’t disappear from the radar just because you refer to them as “assholes”.
They still exist, perhaps not under this form in the U.S., and they indeed are “assholes”, no doubt about that, but they’re also unquestionably Fascists. And I do know that we are “sentient beings”, but so were Italians in 1922, at the time of Mussolini’s coup d’état and Marcia su Roma, and so were the Germans in 1933, at the time of the Ermächtigungsgesetz… so yes, I’m afraid that one bad apple can indeed ruin the whole batch.
So I won’t call them “just assholes”, just like I wouldn’t describe the murder of a woman by her former fiancé as the result of “too much love”.
Words indeed do matter.