No I'm not; I just don't associate "brownshirt" with Nazis. In my mind, I always... | Hacker News

Hacker News .hnnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit

kazinator on Dec 15, 2023 | parent | context | favorite | on: Google Groups ending support for Usenet

No I'm not; I just don't associate "brownshirt" with Nazis. In my mind, I always see someone handing out parking tickets or something.

It also conveys low status.

Rules are made by higher status people in white shirts, but interpreted rigidly by lower status in brown/green/blue/...

Nursie on Dec 15, 2023 [–]

No, brownshirt is most definitely a Nazi thing, paramilitary thugs.

If you've been throwing that term around for a while, this might explain any odd reactions you've got.

kazinator on Dec 15, 2023 | [–]

No, I haven't; I can probably count on two fingers the number of times I have used it in thirty years?

Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact