This is a really great example of how powerful the dog whistle techniques used by racists can actually be. Your instincts picked up on something from silversto

This is a really great example of how powerful the dog whistle techniques used by racists can actually be. Your instincts picked up on something from silverstorm's comment, but a lack of concrete evidence made it very difficult to say out loud what you were actually thinking. You were forced to go from: this offensively racist image you've got in your head All the way back to: Now I don't think this is you, but that's just the way the argument smells. I went into silverstorm's use of dog whistle techniques a little deeper in my comment above, but the evolution of your exchange with him really demonstrates how effective it can be as a tool for perpetuating racist views with immunity from criticism. It is a strategy based on controlling the conversation and playing off of several deeply ingrained societal tendencies, and it works.