Musk's Nazi salute
Image of 1941 Nazi military men from Wikimedia Commons
Talking about the Nazi salute at the January 20 US Presidential inauguration gives us the opportunity to make hidden meanings explicit, clarify our values, and look for and criticize distortions.
I'm not interested in internet outrage and algorithms that keep us filled with fear and anger. This article is not about that.
Instead, I want to bolster calm and scientific analysis.
Excavate hidden meanings
The Nazi salute shows an alignment with the Nazi platform and values. So let's be explicit about that platform. Most relevant:
1. White people are superior to all other people.
2. Jews, Romas, the disabled, and LGBTQ+ people are subhuman and can and should be segregated, imprisoned, or killed.
3. Immigrants should be removed from our territory and only "members of the nation" can be "citizens of the state."
This is what that salute meant. An alignment with white supremacy, with treating whole groups of people as subhuman, and removing immigrants. (Ironic coming from an immigrant, but...)
Clarify your values
We can go granular when we speak out against the Nazi salute in the Capitol Rotunda. Instead of just saying, "it's not ok to be aligned with Nazis" we can say:
It is not acceptable to falsely claim that white people are superior to all other people.
It is not acceptable to falsely claim that there are groups of people who are subhuman and are not entitled to basic human rights.
It is not acceptable (and economically incredibly short-sighted) to be anti-immigrant. Also, it is not acceptable to suggest that white immigrants are fine but other immigrants are not.
Criticize distortions
I write and talk a lot about a distortion I call "softening language." This is when problematic (or criminal) behavior by someone with power is described as if it is actually ok.
In January 2021, I wrote a viral post on LinkedIn about softening language used by the press to describe the insurrection. (Also available here.) It had well over 1 million views.
And it is still going on in January 2025. Now, the Associated Press, the Anti-Defamation League, and others are using softening language, calling the Nazi salute things like "an awkward gesture" or a "straight-arm gesture." Other apologists are using even more distorted language.
Be wary of softening language! Distortions change our understanding of the world, and softening language masks how bad something is and suggests that there shouldn't be real consequences.
To sum up:
By making hidden meanings explicit, we can say what is and isn't acceptable in our workplaces, in our government, and in our personal lives. And by calling out softening language and replacing it with an accurate description, we can have more meaningful and productive conversations.
Conversations that help us work together to find effective ways to protect people who are under attack.
Copyright 2025 © Worthwhile Research & Consulting
Industry leader Dr. Suzanne Wertheim provides strategic language services, such as language audits and consulting, workshops, and licensed training that allows large organizations to economically scale up.