Reaching a Croce in this road forward-

Just a quick thought before I share something more positive. Regarding Musk's hand gesture during Trump's inauguration, I personally feel that this was a fascist salute given all that I have shared about him in my past blogs. Including his support for Reform party leader Nigel Farage (and now EDL founder Tommy Robinson) and his donations to the AFD (far-right) party in Germany who he recently gave a speech to; asking for their members to "Move beyond Nazi guilt" while reinforcing the dangers of tribalism by stating that "It's good to be proud of German culture, German values, and not to lose that in some sort of multiculturalism that dilutes everything."

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7y-b7f6CK2M (A detailed video on tribalism)

I do not think this has anything to do with him being Autistic (Musk referred to himself to having Asperger's while hosting Saturday Night Live in 2021) due to the UK mental capacity act of 2005 (see picture below) and the fact that not all people with autism are the same as it is a spectrum disorder (meaning it affects individuals in a wide variety of ways). Which  is why I find it quite harmful that people have this misconception that autistic people lack awareness regarding the actions or choices they make both physically and mentally. 

For example, my son is aware of when he is stimming, most of the time this is brought on by excitement or anxiety, but I do not feel Elon's salute was that, as his movements looked very deliberate (conscious) rather than impulsive so let us dig a bit deeper into this. With autism stimming can be a conscious or unconscious reaction. Some people with autism are very aware of their stimming behaviours, understanding why they do them and how they feel when they stim, while others might stim more automatically, without fully realizing it. On that note there are many different types of stimming, some more noticeable than others. Someone might be very aware of a more obvious stim like hand-flapping, but less aware of a subtle one like tapping their foot, meaning that like anyone else, people with autism have varying levels of self-awareness. 

Comprehending social norms, and the regulation of impulse control can vary widely among autistic individuals in contrast to their neurotypical peers, however the ability to understand the consequences of one's actions is crucial for developing their understanding of responsibility, for example they have a "Going for gold system" at my son's school that holds all the children accountable in regard to how they choose to act. Some autistic individuals may struggle with this, particularly if their cognitive or intellectual abilities are affected; or if the situation is complex or abstract, for example in a case where they have to follow unwritten rules, as an autistic person might misinterpret these discreet social cues or not understand the impact of their behaviour on others (say if they blurt out a friend’s secret). But even if they do not intend to cause harm, this still does not excuse harmful behaviour but instead highlights the need for clear communication and understanding where an autistic person may struggle to explain their intentions or react in a way that is misconstrued. For example when my son is overwhelmed, he is allowed to go for walks with his teaching assistant or do social stories in the form of comic books in order for him to make sense of what is happening or reflect on what has happened say if he has a meltdown.

With my son (who is diagnosed with Asperger's or autism level one in today's criteria) I have also tried to help him to understand that there will always be a positive or negative reaction based on how he faces his own problems and challenges. He is his own person before his condition, and yes, he can find it difficult to say the correct thing at the correct time or read a person’s body language. However, he also learns as we go on what is considered socially right and wrong, but in time I know he will have to start going by his own moral compass like all children becoming adults do whether they are neurodivergent or not. My son also has his own interests just as Elon does, he is a fanatic in regard to rocks especially, but who says that you cannot be Autistic and lean towards Nazi fanaticism also? Which is why it think it is crucial to avoid making assumptions or generalizations about someone based on an autism diagnosis as all autistic people are individuals with their own passions, choices, values, and viewpoints including political preferences.

 In my opinion if Elon truly did not realise what his gesture meant, or how it could be perceived by others, why did he not just apologise afterwards? (my son could do this when he flipped the bird without context once); plus how could Musk not know about Hitler also when World War II is such an important part of human history. People came to Musk's defence saying he was gesturing to his heart after mentioning it in the statement "My heart goes out to you", yet I do not buy this either as he has used the same catchphrase before while simultaneously making a heart symbol with both of his hands during previous speeches, so why change this now?

 https://youtu.be/N-_ZBfKXfr0?si=7C9ugmYcFdywju8I (A video of Musk from the Tesla shareholder meeting in 2023)

Others have said it was a misinterpreted Roman salute but let us not forget that Musk also said that he was celebrating a victory, which "Sieg Heil" (a phrase generally shouted during such an action) stands for. We also have no other evidence of a salute like this existing during that time other than an 18th century painting (see image above) that inspired Mussolini to adopt this pose for his party in 1922, and we all know what happened next when the “Pact of Steel” was signed by both Italy and Germany in 1939. None of this boded well for humanity, so I urge you (if you do not see this as problematic) to rethink before it is too late, as no group of people are superior to another according to their race, creed, or financial status.

 As Benedetto Croce said- "Morality, and the ideal of freedom, which is the political expression of morality, are not the property of a given party or group, but a value that is fundamentally and universally human... No people will be truly free till all are free."