this post was submitted on 21 Oct 2025
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[–] quick_snail@feddit.nl 21 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

on Friday a series of Reddit posts made by Platner between 2013 and 2021 — and deleted before his campaign — in which he called himself a “communist,” referred to law enforcement officers as “bastards” and downplayed the severity sexual assault reports

One of those things is not like the others

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[–] Juice@midwest.social 41 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (4 children)
[–] KnitWit@lemmy.world 16 points 1 day ago (2 children)

It amazes me how many people on this site are still going to bat for Platner after this has come out. I think this post does a good job of pointing out why the defense I keep seeing on here about him not knowing what it meant falls flat. Dude is a military history buff and someone doesn’t know what that incredibly famous image means? I don’t buy it for a second. Maybe twenty years ago when he got it, but zero chance that hasn’t been brought to his attention by now. Especially with the report that he used to go around and tell people that that’s exactly what it was.

[–] FlyingCircus@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (4 children)

I dunno man, Susan Collins or a secret Nazi. It’s a tough choice.

Edit: The sad thing is that I don’t even know if I’m being sarcastic…

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[–] Juice@midwest.social 6 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

My dad got a Confederate flag tattoo under identical circumstances when he was in the military. Years later when he realized how dumb it was he got it covered up.

My brother, a union mechanic in a deeply rural area and served in the military, never identified as socialist or communist. And when he saw a coworker with a deaths head sticker on his hard had immediately knew what it was, and called me.

I'm sorry, this guy is either a deep operator or incredibly dumb. His leftism isn't practical, its just ideas. If he's just mistaken, that's fair. Go out and get some actual experience. But he is disqualified to lead our movements, for a very long time.

When this big tough white middle aged oyster farmer gets arrested and tortured by Israeli military for trying to smuggle aid into Gaza, when he has successfully run local campaigns that have had a real lasting positive effect on the lives of our most vulnerable workers, then let's have a frank conversation about his qualifications for office.

I actually know someone who was on the Gaza flotilla. This guy is a joke.

[–] MedicPigBabySaver@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Well, someone should tell her that many truly are that "painfully stupid".

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[–] SupahRevs@lemmy.world 12 points 21 hours ago

https://www.grahamforsenate.com/platform

  1. I don't believe he's a nazi. The reddit posts make me think he was never a far right guy. He was just a military guy trying to figure stuff out.
  2. If anyone in the election has like 90% of his platform, they can get my vote. Until I see momentum behind a candidate that supports universal healthcare, is against the genocide in Gaza, and the dozen other progressive issues, he'll still get my support.

Getting someone that has the history and look of Platner to be fighting for progessive values is important. If we can get 20 somethings who would fall to right wing propaganda to pay attention to Platner and his growth story, we can build a better society for a lot of people.

[–] merdaverse@lemmy.zip 44 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)
[–] Blackmist@feddit.uk 24 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Our senators have got skulls on them. Are.. are we the baddies?

[–] JackbyDev@programming.dev 22 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I'm willing to believe that maybe through some crazy chain of events you didn't know when you got it. I'm maybe even willing to believe that through some crazy chain of events you didn't learn about it for 18 years. What I am not willing to believe is that when he decided to run, nobody in his team told him. He should have gotten it covered or removed. They go through your life looking for anything bad because they know the opposition will. All this combined, there's 0% chance he just learned now. For some reason they're playing this weird game. The most generous interpretation I can come up with is that he feels attachment to it and doesn't wanna get rid of it, but even that's pretty fucked. You can't keep your racist tattoo just because you're nostalgic for it.

[–] Soulg@ani.social 4 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

I mean, he absolutely can keep it just because he likes it, but that brings consequences

[–] JackbyDev@programming.dev 3 points 21 hours ago

Oh, lol. Good point. The unstated clause being "and not be a racist."

[–] DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world 13 points 1 day ago (4 children)

Something about a wolf in sheep's clothing.

[–] BlueBaggy@sh.itjust.works 12 points 23 hours ago

Its more a wolf in wolf's clothing saying he didn't realize its wolf's clothing

[–] notastatist@feddit.org 7 points 23 hours ago

But this sheep is clothed in nazi-clothing

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[–] SoftestSapphic@lemmy.world 10 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Oof

Ouch

The old comments were easily forgivable

A literal Nazi tattoo is something else :/

[–] quick_snail@feddit.nl 7 points 23 hours ago

Military murderer does drunken Nazi culture things while being paid to spread capitalism with violence. Doesn't apologize.

[–] Resonosity@lemmy.dbzer0.com 13 points 1 day ago (1 children)

To be fair, I didn't even know what a Totenkopf was before yesterday. Yes, I'm an American zoomer. This goes to show how shite our US history public education is.

And Platner said that he underwent multiple inspections by the military. Not one of those times did the military point out that his tattoo was a hate symbol. Should they have? Would they have? Clearly not.

Now that he knows the "truth", whether you agree that this is his first time learning about the symbol or not, he needs to cover it up or have it removed. Post pictures on social media. Make it a big thing so the fascists and tankies don't call you a communist and Nazi all at the same time.

If he doesn't get it removed, well then I'm not sure if I want to back him.

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[–] aceshigh@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Seems like it’s become in fashion to blame ignorance over your shitty beliefs, instead of owning own your choices like a responsible adult.

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[–] Shamber@lemmy.world 5 points 22 hours ago

Something smells so bad, can it be his BullShit?!

[–] vga@sopuli.xyz 46 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

Okay, so having learned that, the laser treatment to remove it is probably in his calendar already, right? And he'll be able to show everyone that it's removed quite soon?

Right?

edit Right.

[–] dirty@lemmy.world 16 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Yes, he is getting it removed

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[–] Resonosity@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 1 day ago (1 children)

He's said that he's getting it removed.

Now we have to wait and see if he sticks to that.

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[–] TheObviousSolution@lemmy.ca 12 points 1 day ago

This thread makes me believe Heritage Foundation troll factories are now operating within Lemmy as well. Nobody can be this dense.

[–] AlexLost@lemmy.world 4 points 22 hours ago

Oh, the banality of evil. Oops, is murder actually wrong?! Why did no one tell me???

[–] answersplease77@lemmy.world 43 points 1 day ago* (last edited 23 hours ago) (10 children)

The guy with 5 separate compact tours who was deployed in the same cities and time of Blackwater documented war crimes of killings and rapings in Ramadi and Faillujah, and kept rejoinging the same ill-trained war-criminal military contrator for 13 years of US imperalism invovlment in third-world countries that left them in poverty and ruins ?? Wait, he also has histroy of sexual assault allegations, rape and racist comments, and a nazi tattoo??

Edit: it turned out he only joined blackwater after they were rebranded as Constellis due to their war crime convictions. he also apologized for his rape and racist comments after people found out about them. and about the tattoos he said it was from anime or whatever but it's not nazi symbol. He is still proud of his 5 compact tours of shame US invasions over the period of 13 years though as if he can't stop reminiscing about the memories of seeing brown people killed.

Imo, he is conciousless af, and ready to lie and adapt to tell you whatever you want to hear, and he's so eager to be in position of power... So it all checks out; he is perfect for the job of a conciousless lip-service politician with values open for sale to the highest bidder.

[–] cypherpunks@lemmy.ml 8 points 1 day ago

some correctionsit was one tour with blackwater, after four tours with the military, and i don't think there were sexual assault allegations against him (were there? he did post reddit comments blaming women in the military for their assaults...).

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[–] betanumerus@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 day ago

"It's not my fault I chose to get drunk"

[–] alt_xa_23@lemmy.world 3 points 22 hours ago

It's going to be a maze

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