I'm writing a currently genre ambiguous Sci-Fi/lovecraft/spaceopera/superhero novel that doesn't outright declare everyone is openly is Maoist/Anarchist/Stalinist/Etc., (the alien characters won't have human etymology for their ideologies) and maybe it's not actually all that political on the surface anyways, but any tips for slipping in vegan and leftist dog-whistles?

  • GreenTeaRedFlag [any]
    ·
    2 years ago

    we don't have dog whistles because there's no way to say we should accept people, housing and feeding them, and destroy anyone who disagrees covertly. any sly reference to billionaires would be interpreted as anti-semitism, and calling out bigotry without naming it is liberal garbage. dogwhistels only really occur for dominant social ideologies

    • axont [she/her, comrade/them]
      ·
      2 years ago

      Yeah I came here to say this. Only overt leftism tracks as leftism most of the time. Sly leftist jargon in most situations can easily be redirected into fascism or get interpreted as wild conspiracy theory. The only time I've been able to dogwhistle leftist things have been in situations where leftism was already kind of occuring, but I wanted to push it further. Like I slipped in a lot of jargon when I tried unionizing, plus when I do volunteer work I'll talk to the homeless folk about how landlords are parasites.

      • GreenTeaRedFlag [any]
        ·
        2 years ago

        I think that's more about acclimating people to leftist ideas rather than secretly messaging your true base. similar but not quite the same. Like, the message is same top to bottom, no matter who reads it with what you're doing, while dogwhistles read different once you understand.

    • UlyssesT [he/him]
      ·
      2 years ago

      Be subtle and nazis will hijack the message.

      Be direct and some will call it a "morality play."

      When faced with that dilemma and forced to choose, may as well lean toward the latter anyway.

      Have your leftist heroes do leftist things even if they don't directly quote leftist thinkers.

      • GreenTeaRedFlag [any]
        ·
        2 years ago

        yes, but the point is you have to call out billionaires directly and make clear what is wrong about them. This isn't subtle or sneaky.

        • usernamesaredifficul [he/him]
          ·
          2 years ago

          I just think it could maybe work to have some villains who blame the billionaires shit on a racial group to go with sly anti-billlionaire stuff