The controversy around Elon Musk’s “salute” on Donald Trump’s inauguration day is reaching fever-pitch in the news and social media, but on Reddit, it has resulted in calls for the platform to cut ties with X.
Redditors are reportedly advocating a ban on X links appearing in Reddit posts after two arm gestures that Musk made at one of the inauguration events have been compared to a Nazi salute.
The spotlight is now very much on Musk (isn’t it always), who is a staunch and very vocal advocate of Donald Trump’s but has also been given a role in Government heading up a government efficiency commission, nicknamed DOGE.
Clashing Views
As reported by Newsweek, the movement to ban X links on Reddit is gathering pace and it’s pretty heated. Groups are even arguing that the collective stance on this issue reflects their wider views of far right politics.
In one group, for the Valorant eSports community, a Redditor commented: “Throwing a n*zi salute is NOT a valid expression of a political opinion. NO ONE should condone the fascist nzi ideology, regardless of their political affiliation. This is NOT just “politics“, we as a sports/e-sports community have to take our stance against fascism.”
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The moderator in this group is suggesting screenshots instead of links for X content. But in other groups, this suggestion has been met with accusations of censorship and undermining free speech. In one group called “Change my view”, the discussion has got pretty heated.
A Redditor called Marco Tropoja wrote: “This is absolutely censorship, no matter how it’s framed. Reddit is supposed to be about discussions—whether you agree with the content or not. Banning links from x.com just because you don’t like Elon Musk or his politics undermines the platform’s purpose as a space for open dialogue.”
Musk Quick To Dismiss Claims
Musk himself has been quick to take to X to dismiss the allegations, writing: “Frankly, they need better dirty tricks. The ‘everyone is Hitler’ attack is sooo tired.”
But detractors and supporters have been quick to get involved. Rome-based Andrea Stroppa, who is one of Musk’s fervent supporters and advisors, posted the clip of Musk gesturing on X with the caption: “Roman Empire is back starting from Roman salute.” The Roman salute was widely used by Benito Mussolini and his fascist party in Italy during the Second World War. She has since deleted it.
Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a professor at New York University, wrote on X: “”Historian of fascism here. It was a Nazi salute and a very belligerent one too.” Others have said it was just Musk being excited; and hundreds of images of leaders from both parties holding similar arm positions have been published.
Others have been more circumspect. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) said on X: “This is a delicate moment. It’s a new day and yet so many are on edge. Our politics are inflamed, and social media only adds to the anxiety. It seems that @elonmusk made an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute, but again, we appreciate that people are on edge. In this moment, all sides should give one another a bit of grace, perhaps even the benefit of the doubt, and take a breath. This is a new beginning. Let’s hope for healing and work toward unity in the months and years ahead.”
However, Musk’s support of the German AfD party and the anti-immigration Reform party in the UK are undeniable and definitely giving credence to the view that this was a political statement; not the wild arm gestures of an excited man.
Wider Questions Over Social Media Moderation
However, whatever you feel about Musk, the debate feeds into a wider question on what moderation should look like; and whether there is a place for it at all. Like so many politicized issues, it is highly divisive.
Meta has caused consternation in some camps with its decision to get rid of third-party moderation in the US across its platforms. The move is already turning into a war of words with EU authorities; and Mark Zuckerberg has pre-emptively appealed to Donald Trump to protect his company from potential EU fines that could result from the moderation shake-up.
Musk was brutal in slicing all of his moderation staff right in the earliest days after his takeover of X. And Donald Trump is someone who has actually been banned (ironically by Zuckerberg and Musk’s predecessor) on several social media platforms.
The debate continues on Reddit and we can be sure that this isn’t the last time that Musk will do something controversial (this week perhaps?) but the question over how it should be handled is going to be debated for a long time.
