Mason  🏃‍♂️ ✂️

You don't need to reply to "crazies" though. Address valid points/criticism if/when raised, clarify your argument if you think it has been misrepresented and perhaps reconsider it if you can't defend it.

The Black Panthers gave out Mao's little red book and in the US context pointing out Mao's (obvious) horrors often has the use of delegitimizing groups and causes who mistakenly thought he was a legitimate ally. Thank you for the opportunity to explain.

Do you have any evidence whatsoever that anyone "attacking associations with Mao" today is doing that because of anything remotely related to the Black Panthers, rather than because he was one of the most vicious genocidal authoritarians of all time?

The twitter discussion was about Mounk's raising of a Portland politician's pop art skirt that contained, among other images, an image of Mao. Given that BLM is at issue here, I was raising the history of Black radical movements and their use of Mao.

Can you really not think of a more obvious reason someone might take an issue with an American politician wearing Mao kitsch while campaigning?

Mao kitsch is a permanent part of American pop art, and it is ubiquitous. So is Soviet kitsch. Nazi kitsch isn't. These are background facts. Many teenagers across the Western world have Che t-shirts.

I can't say I think Mao kitsch is "ubiquitous," but insofar as it is I think it's perfectly reasonable and probably somewhat morally obligatory to ask why anyone is comfortable with that.

I don't disagree. But someone flaunting a swastika is violating very strong norms intentionally, and sending a strong message. In contrast, someone wearing a skirt with pop art images, including one of Mao, is simply replicating styles ubiquitous on American college campuses.