Elon Musk says there’s ‘too much focus on past guilt’ in Germany
Elon Musk was criticized during the presidential inauguration over a hand gesture that resembled a Nazi salute. At a far-right political rally in Germany, Musk recently made dubious comments that bordered on Holocaust denial.
The Alternative for Germany (AfD) is largely known for their opposition to migration. Musk virtually appeared at the rally through an online call. He encouraged Germans to be proud of their roots and subtly condemned multiculturalism in his speech. “I think there’s frankly too much focus on past guilt, and we need to move beyond that.” Musk was clearly referring to Germany’s crimes in the Second World War and the Holocaust.
He continued, “Children should not be guilty of the sins of their parents, let alone their great grandparents.” This controversial statement shocked social media users on Musk’s very own X. Although Musk’s remarks were understated, the context of the event and the affiliation of the political party made his words sound like nods to Nazis. One X user pointed out that six million Jewish people were murdered during the Holocaust, yet Musk calls people to simply move on. Meanwhile, another X user thought that these comments were much subtler compared to a blatant Nazi salute.
While Musk can defend himself with ambiguity and plausible deniability, reading between the lines is crucial. Musk hasn’t denied the odd hand gesture he made earlier. Instead, he made a slew of Nazi jokes to mock those who criticize him for aligning with neo-Nazis.
History as a sore point for oppressors
The point of learning the tragedies of history isn’t to shame the descendants of those who’ve committed irredeemable sins. It’s so that people in the present can move forward without choosing the same path their ancestors already treaded. Needless to say, it was never about shaming Germans—it’s about remembering so that the same mistakes wouldn’t be made.
Of course, distorting history for political gain isn’t an uncommon tactic. It’s part of a populist’s verbiage to tell people to discard their history when they stand to gain from mass ignorance. This attempt from Musk to send a message to the political far-right shouldn’t be undermined.
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