this post was submitted on 21 Oct 2025
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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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[–] 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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[–] quick_snail@feddit.nl 21 points 1 day 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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[–] SupahRevs@lemmy.world 12 points 1 day 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 1 day ago (1 children)

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

[–] JackbyDev@programming.dev 3 points 1 day 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 1 day ago

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

[–] notastatist@feddit.org 7 points 1 day 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 :/

[–] 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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[–] 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.

[–] answersplease77@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

He also apologized AFTER people finding out his comments. Just the pefrect hypocrite conciousless politician ready to tell dumbfucks whatever they want just for a position of power when his actual values are pride of war crimes, racism, sexism, and slaughtering brown people for 13 years.

This is like trusting a wolf in sheep clothing after his big-pointy ears came out, and then he was "Ssorry!! I tucked them back in... Baaa Baaa.. Look.. I'm back to being a sheep"
The fuck is wrong with you??

[–] quick_snail@feddit.nl 7 points 1 day ago

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

[–] 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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[–] answersplease77@lemmy.world 43 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day 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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[–] 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.

[–] Shamber@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

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

[–] AlexLost@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

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

[–] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com 95 points 1 day ago (2 children)

the antisemitism group Anti-Defamation League

Looks like they accidentally described a zionist group accurately!

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[–] KnitWit@lemmy.world 36 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (17 children)

But according to a person who socialized with Platner when he was living in Washington, D.C., more than a decade ago, Platner had specifically acknowledged that the tattoo was a Totenkopf, the "death's head" symbol adopted by an infamous Nazi SS unit that guarded concentration camps in World War II.

"He said, 'Oh, this is my Totenkopf," the former acquaintance told Jewish Insider recently, speaking on the condition of anonymity to address a sensitive issue. "He said it in a cutesy little way."

The exchange occurred in 2012 at Tune Inn, a popular dive on Capitol Hill where Platner later worked as a bartender and was a frequent patron while he attended The George Washington University on the G.I. bill, according to the former acquaintance. He would often take his shirt off drinking with friends late at night at the bar, and on at least one occasion had stated he knew what the tattoo represented, the former acquaintance recalled.

Platner gave varying accounts of the image during this time, saying at one point he was aware it was a Totenkopf when he had first gotten the tattoo several years prior and at another time claiming he had not known, according to the former acquaintance.

The mixed accounts indicate that Platner has at least long been aware of the symbols's connection to Nazism, even as he said in the podcast interview he was not familiar with any such association when he chose to get the tattoo.

The source for this is Jewish Insider, which I’m sure people will say whatever they are going to say about that, but at some point this guys multiple red flags need to be taken as a pattern.

Dude has a very clear pattern of making questionable choices in the most favorable reading of circumstances. His former campaign manager said this when resigning over Grahams past comments:

“The words we choose to use online reflect who we are and what we stand for. While I am empathetic to Graham’s experiences and respect his personal journey and growth, I cannot overlook the volume and nature of his past comments, many of which were made as an adult, not as a young man.” McDonald said in her resignation letter.

Y’all need to stop apologizing for this guy and start looking for a better candidate to get behind so it isn’t Janet Mills in the general.

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[–] NateNate60@lemmy.world 74 points 1 day ago (27 children)
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