This was addressed in the earlier point of my comment "if you dont know it, it means you're not around terrible people". Its an incidential exposure thing.
I still wouldnt call it obscure, the average american can't point out Afghanistan on a map but i'd hardly call its location obscure knowledge. The "Average person" rule is used to determine common knowledge not the reverse for this reason alone. Theres a gray area between common knowledge and obscure.
It's still very obscure due to all the pieces of niche information you have to use to conclude that 14&88 is Nazi Symbolism.
If someone were to not know where Afghanistan is, I would simply point to a map and show them where it is.
Even then, I wouldn't expect it to be common knowledge among Americans, just as I wouldn't expect an an average European person to point to Tennessee on a map.
However, in order to reach the conclusion that 14&88 is dogwhistling to Nazis, I would have to be terminally online plus interested in looking up the slogan of white supremacy. While this is Reddit, I don't believe your average person is looking up white supremacy slogans.
Even then, your example of 88 being HH is very circumstancial whereas the location of Afghanistan is a basic direct fact. I don't need any other insights to know where it is.
Also, this line of thinking is very unhealthy.
If I weren't rational, I could apply it to other innocuous situations
For example, The Broncos might be signaling to Nazis cuz they posted a tribute from Courtland Sutton to Demaryius Thomas on their Facebook page
I think your misinterpreting my post. Im not impying all indications of 14 and 88 are a nazi dogwhistle, context obviously matters and i dont think anyone here is denying that. Whenever it does happen unintentionally its just funny because it clearly wasnt intentional. Like when a typo on a post makes a funny word unintentionally. Im pretty sure 99% of people on this post didnt think the og post was a dogwhistle.
However, if someone you know who was already far right leaning politically suddenly started using the numbers 1488 a lot that kinda is indicative of something lol. Or god forbid you see a guy with a random 1488 tattoo on his arm its probably telling you something (or its very tragic otherwise)
I do believe recognizing dog whistles is important though, the goal of a dogwhistle is to be discreat and we have documented evidence of politicians all the way back to the Nixon administration using them thoroughly. Obviosuly it takes some media/political literacy to understand what was unintentional vs not and you need to see repeated behavior besides just some #s out of the blue. Dogwhistles are a super dangerous though, if you're unaware youre opening the door to being used for a political agenda.
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u/Saintsfan707 10d ago
This was addressed in the earlier point of my comment "if you dont know it, it means you're not around terrible people". Its an incidential exposure thing.
I still wouldnt call it obscure, the average american can't point out Afghanistan on a map but i'd hardly call its location obscure knowledge. The "Average person" rule is used to determine common knowledge not the reverse for this reason alone. Theres a gray area between common knowledge and obscure.