This article is taken from the March 2025 issue of The Critic. To get the full magazine why not subscribe? Right now we’re offering five issues for just £10.
“I had no idea that I would one day be living here in a time where fascism would become banal and the norm.” These powerful words were recently posted on X by Madonna to raise awareness of the evil new regime presided over by Elon Musk and Donald Trump. It’s so wonderful to see the elderly getting involved with politics.
Musk posts offensive memes and supports free speech, which are the true hallmarks of a Nazi
And yet even with Madonna’s intervention, there are many people who simply won’t accept that Musk is an actual fascist just because he doesn’t support an ethno-state, militaristic empire-building, the incarceration of his opponents or the mass murder of Jews. They are completely ignoring the fact that Musk posts offensive memes and supports free speech, which are the true hallmarks of a Nazi.
They’ve also forgotten that present-day fascism is communicated almost entirely in dog-whistles, subtle phrases that signal pro-Nazi ideas without saying them out loud. Some examples include: “biological sex”, “colour-blindness”, “historical context”, “debate”, “due process”, “humour”, “facts” and “Hulk Hogan”.
Bigots often disguise their true intentions by doing the precise opposite. That’s why when Donald Trump danced to the gay anthem “YMCA” at the rally before his inauguration, we should interpret it as indisputable evidence he is the most homophobic man who ever lived.
Musk’s favourite dog-whistle is “efficiency”. We all know efficiency is a defining concept of whiteness and is therefore inextricably connected with racism. My housekeeper Nenita isn’t white, and she’s totally inefficient. What more proof do you need?
Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, is therefore totally indistinguishable from the Gestapo. Already Musk’s new terrorist accountants have cut funding for important social justice causes worldwide, including $20,600 for a drag show in Ecuador, $2 million for sex changes in Guatemala, and $2 million for pottery classes in Morocco.
This last one is particularly upsetting for me, because some of my finest crockery is from Marrakesh. It’s a great way to prove to dinner guests that you’re really inclusive.
Always remember, the most scary thing about Nazis is they’re really good at hiding their Nazism. So if someone isn’t behaving like a Nazi, they’re definitely a Nazi.
