Re: Lace code, could this be stemming from UK skinhead culture? I’ve heard from many sources that white nationalist skinheads would wear white laces in their boots (c. 1970s/1980s) and that SHARPS (skinheads against racial prejudice) wore purple to differentiate themselves. Is this not the case?
It's generally accepted in the UK that it should only be interpreted as a political signal if they're done up in the style of "ladder laces", and even then there's debate about whether red laces = communist or nazi. I think people look more closely at pins and badges to try to ascertain one's political leanings, I think I can count the times I've seen ladder laces irl on one hand.
In Poland white laces = antifascist, so it varies hugely!
Really really interesting piece. I'm Gen Z/Millennial cusp, and it makes me sad that so much of the younger generation is gleaning insight off of Tik Tok. I'm not a user, but I imagine it can be a good jumping off point for discovering new topics, but I think the app as a whole does not foster curiosity, and instead lends itself more to a fear response and a black or white outcome. History is so nuanced! Life is so nuanced!
I often think about an ex (gf at the time) who, when she first moved to my city, had asked on Facebook for leather shop recommendations. Someone commented that the leather shop most popularly recommended was nazi propaganda. She asked this person if the owners were nazis, they responded no but they sell muir caps. This essay is a good response to that fucking comment that I think about years later
Re: Lace code, could this be stemming from UK skinhead culture? I’ve heard from many sources that white nationalist skinheads would wear white laces in their boots (c. 1970s/1980s) and that SHARPS (skinheads against racial prejudice) wore purple to differentiate themselves. Is this not the case?
It's generally accepted in the UK that it should only be interpreted as a political signal if they're done up in the style of "ladder laces", and even then there's debate about whether red laces = communist or nazi. I think people look more closely at pins and badges to try to ascertain one's political leanings, I think I can count the times I've seen ladder laces irl on one hand.
In Poland white laces = antifascist, so it varies hugely!
Really really interesting piece. I'm Gen Z/Millennial cusp, and it makes me sad that so much of the younger generation is gleaning insight off of Tik Tok. I'm not a user, but I imagine it can be a good jumping off point for discovering new topics, but I think the app as a whole does not foster curiosity, and instead lends itself more to a fear response and a black or white outcome. History is so nuanced! Life is so nuanced!
So interesting. Thanks for a good read with history and nuance and learning to be had.
Thank you for reading! And many thanks for being my 50th subscriber 🥰🥰
I often think about an ex (gf at the time) who, when she first moved to my city, had asked on Facebook for leather shop recommendations. Someone commented that the leather shop most popularly recommended was nazi propaganda. She asked this person if the owners were nazis, they responded no but they sell muir caps. This essay is a good response to that fucking comment that I think about years later