Montaillou to ICE: The Medieval Roots of Snitching
Historian JoĂŤlle Rollo-Koster explores how denunciation and âsnitchingâ helped power the medieval Inquisition, and why similar dynamics of reporting and surveillance still matter today.
Snitching is such a huge part of office culture it's insane. At every office job I've had I've confided in a coworker about something, complained about something, etc only for my words to get back to my boss and then I get lectured and/or written up about not being a team player or whatever.
It sucks, but worker solidarity is nonexistent in the US and your coworkers are not your friends. Be nice and cordial to everyone and stay out of drama, but don't say ANYTHING negative or too personal. This is a lesson I've had to learn multiple times because I'm the type of person who wants to be friends with everyone, but it's not worth the inevitable back-stabbing.
GOP officials and big right wing accounts are conducting witch-hunts and firing campaigns over negative statements made online about Charlie
Jay Kuo at The Status Kuo:
GOP officials are fresh off their disappointment and confusion that Charlie Kirkâs killer came from a conservative, gun-loving Republican family. They are amplifying as-yet-unfounded rumors about Tyler Robinson. But given the FBIâs record so far on misinformation, if not outright disinformation, I am not giving this much credence. As I wrote about over the weekend, there is also plenty of evidence to suggest that Robinson was radicalized as a member of the Groypers, who are political extremists who detest Kirk, but we need to await more evidence.
Today, I want to focus on the aftermath of Kirkâs murder and discuss how GOP officials have now turned their anger on anyone publicly critical of him. These officials, and the right-wing accounts that back them and funnel them information, are using their positions to silence speech and cancel those with whom they disagree.
Perhaps worse still, they are encouraging their base to do the same, priming the country for the kind of fascist snitching that turns neighbor against neighbor the way Nazi Germany and other authoritarian regimes have done throughout history.
Hegseth horrorshow
Letâs start near the top of this reprehensible behavior.
On Friday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed Pentagon staff to hunt for posts by service members who had mocked Kirk, according to two defense officials who spoke to NBC News. He called on the public to report any posts that could be interpreted as negative about Kirk or unsympathetic about his murder.
Several service members were relieved of their jobs. The officials noted that Hegsethâs directive also pertains to others beyond service members who are âassociated with the Defense Department.â
Hegseth appeared to confirm this in a post online. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell had tweeted, âIt is unacceptable for military personnel and Department of War civilians to celebrate or mock the assassination of a fellow American. The Department of Warâ (yes, he called it that) âhas zero tolerance for it.â
In response, Hegseth replied, âWe are tracking all these very closelyâand will address, immediately. Completely unacceptable.â
[...]
FEMA fascism
Far-right activist Laura Loomer is known for stirring the pot, even if she had to delete a post that was highly critical of Charlie Kirk that had argued he was anti-Trump and a political opportunist, and even referenced the attempted Trumpâs attempted assassination. Here is the relevant part of it, for the record and since she deleted it.
Loomerâs panic over her Kirk post may explain her current zeal. She is attempting to prove she was actually a Kirk fan instead of a major critic and has his back now that he is dead.
Her actions have direct consequences. Loomer called for the investigation of Army Major General Brett Sylvia, tweeting about his son Gavin, who works for FEMA but was placed on administrative leave. Gavin Sylvia had apparently posted on Instagram that Kirk was a âracist homophobe misogynistâ (all true) and took issue with the nation flying its flags at half-mast for Kirk (as many did).
Are family members and government employees no longer allowed to question outrageous government actions, such as honoring a bigoted, hate-filled man, without fear of negative professional consequences?
Loomerâs tweetâwhich added the gem of a fact that Gavin Sylviaâs brother is âmarried to a Muslimâ as if that is relevant at all, except to demonstrate her raw animusâresulted directly in FEMA placing the younger Sylvia on administrative leave. Loomer also called for Defense Secretary Hegseth to âreview the employmentâ of Major General Brett Sylvia.
[...]
Congressional contagion
It began when Chaya Raichik, the extremist behind the troll account Libs of Tik Tok, doxxed a teacher in Ellsworth, Wisconsin for posting about Kirk. The teacher wrote that Kirk had âspewed hateâ and had said that âdeaths are worth it for the Second Amendment.â
She then added that she âdisagreed with this statement and essentially everything that Kirk stood forâ before leveling a tough take: âif you liked what he stood for, then you canât be upset that he died. He fulfilled his destiny.â
These are admittedly harsh words. But they resemble many opinions across the Internet that noted the irony of Kirk being killed at a school by a gunâexperiencing one of the very deaths that he argued were a price for the Second Amendment.
Itâs bad enough that a large right-wing account targeted this particular individuals for her views. But itâs far worse what transpired next.
Rep. Derek Van Orden (R-WI), who represents the district where the teacher works, declared he would work âto remove all federal fundingâ for the âentire city of Ellsworthâ including âgrants and community directed projectsâ unless this was ârectified immediately.â
Online outing
As a darker example of where this is all headed, there is reportedly an online, searchable database which claims to list tens of thousands who were critical of Kirk online along with their employers. The right is seeking to leverage armies of online Kirk fans to dox and punish other Americans for their speech critical of Kirkâs well-documented hate.
Other online accounts, such as Flyover Conservatives, are targeting opponents of Kirk hoping to get them fired for expressing views similar to what Gavin Sylvia had written. One teacher in Leeâs Summit, Missouri also had the audacity to challenge the flag being flown at half mast for Kirk. âHe should never have been shot, but heâs no martyr,â the teacher wrote, expressly condemning the violence. He added, âHeâs no hero. He was a racist.â
[...]
People like Charlie Kirk stoked division and stirred hatred against minorities, women and the LGBTQ+ while he was alive. We on the tolerant left should not be silenced in any way from pointing this out after he is dead. Those who seek to use their official positions to censor such speech are acting unconstitutionally. And the accounts doxxing and calling for punishment for such speech must be seen for what they are: sponsors of stochastic terror.
When the GOP later inevitably tries to claim that itâs actually the party of Free Speech, remember this moment and these receipts. Republican extremists only believe in their own right to threaten, endanger and attack others. But when others dare criticize one of their own for doing exactly this, they leap to silence and intimidate.
The right-wing witch hunt on people making comments on social media that are even a smidge critical of Charlie Kirk to get them fired or suspended from their jobs is overkill and cancel culture on steroids.
See Also:
TPM: Trumpist Right Launches Purge of Anyone Who Dares Criticize Charlie Kirk
Wonkette: Regime Already Working Overtime To Punish Wrongthink On Death Of Charlie Kirk
Was only 16, yet convicted as a felon
With a bunch of old niggas, but you the only one ain't tellin'- Tupac Shorty wanna be a thug
Gang mentality is glorified to kids until they grow up. Watch all seasoned criminals start snitching on your own and working with police and FBI. LOOK AT WHITEY BULGER-KHEPRI
