• @Lianodel
    link
    English
    92 months ago

    When conservatives fearmonger about immigrants and brown people, one of the current favorite talking points is to say they’re “military-aged.” It’s vague and meaningless, but it implies something sinister, and plays into just about any conspiracy theory an audience member might be inclined to believe.

    On top of that, they’re afraid from merely seeing these people. They’re just scared to death of brown and black kids and young adults.

    • lad
      link
      fedilink
      22 months ago

      In this context that probably means something around “traumatized and depressed by the military regime in the place where they come from”

      But they don’t always come from places with such regimes and/or wars, while local citizens are also traumatized and depressed just for a different reason

      • @Lianodel
        link
        English
        22 months ago

        At least in the contexts I’m talking about, and I’ve never seen it used in another, it’s really not that. It’s coming from talking heads fearmongering about nonwhites, portraying nonwhite immigrants as criminals, ginning up a “border crisis” narrative, and even calling it an “invasion.”

        • lad
          link
          fedilink
          22 months ago

          Ah, well, I’m wrong then. Maybe they mean something like “it’s those guys at war with us [white supremacists]” then?

          • @Lianodel
            link
            English
            22 months ago

            Yeah, pretty much. It ties into the “white genocide” and “great replacement” conspiracy theories, where the mere existence of nonwhites is taken as violence. It also often blames Jews for orchestrating it. It doesn’t make any sense, but it appeals to paranoia and supremacy, and provides a scapegoat for literally any actual systemic problem.

          • @theneverfox@pawb.social
            link
            fedilink
            English
            22 months ago

            Well I just learned the term today, but it seems to have the implication "these are men who could be military. They could be hidden insurgents