Conservatives are raving about Joe Biden’s decision to forgive $10,000 in student debt for millions, protesting what they call “student loan socialism.” But their carefully crafted tweets have been undermined time and again with two words: “This is you?”
Were there ever seven letters more powerful? On Twitter, the phrase is an immediate marker of hypocrisy, reducing the powerful from politicians to celebrities to brands. It usually comes as a reply to a quirky tweet, accompanied by a screenshot of a previous comment by the same person who endorses the opposite view.
Now Biden’s debt forgiveness has given new life to the phrase, “This is you?” rolls through Twitter like a bowling ball, knocking over critic after critic because it nullifies their claims. The source of much of the “receipts,” in this case, is the public record of those who waived their Payment Protection Plan (PPP) loans — the federal funds intended to keep businesses afloat early in the pandemic.
The conservative advocacy group PragerU stated: “It’s not complicated. Eliminating irresponsible behavior will encourage more irresponsible behavior.” “This you”? asked @kaoticheftist, with hundreds of thousands of dollars in waived PPP monies.
The right-wing Daily Caller ran a piece with the headline, “Bidene’s Debt Cancellation Could Raise Tuition Fees,” sparking another article. Twitter user, @coreyastewart, to post a screenshot of the PPP monies that organization allegedly forgave.
Student loan forgiveness sounds like a lot of fun for illegal immigrants, those with no life experience, those who don’t have families yet, and those who use preferred nouns. conservative commentator Steven Crowderearning a large number “This you?” answers – with screenshots highlighting more than $71,000 in forgiveness for his company.
Those closer to the seats of power also received helpful feedback. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley also criticized Biden’s plan, saying it would “fuel inflation and harm those who can least afford it. UNFAIR.” “This you?” early a candidate for local office, pointing to Grassley’s application for a federal farm rescue operation.
Users also accused right-wing pundit Ben Shapiro of a double standard, but he denied receiving any PPP money, saying he published stop-and-desist letters to organizations claiming otherwise – pointing out the messy nature of internet sleuthing. But it wasn’t just everyday Twitter users who cried out hypocrisy.
On Thursday evening, the White House joined the fray. Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene said it was “totally unfair” for the government to “forgive your debt completely” — after her $180,000 loan was forgiven, official White House account noted. It was just one of a series of digs at critics: Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz, the White House said, was forgiven more than $482,000 in PPP loans, while Pennsylvania Congresswoman Mike Kelly was out of the job for more than $987,000.
It’s not the first time the meme has been widely used to illustrate double standards on a national scale. As brands and celebrities announced their support for the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, social media soon revealed many as simply trend followers, interspersing their posts with examples of past offensive behavior – what Aisha Harris described in the New York Times. as “a rapid undercutting of performative wakefulness”. Users drew attention to an NFL star who posted a symbolic black square after meeting Donald Trump; the supportive words of the Baltimore Police Department, years after Freddie Gray’s death; and a host of other apparent changes of heart.
As Harris wrote, there is power in such a divisible medium. It is true that, as the Twitter user @trayne_wreck — who collected countless examples of loan-based double standards — writes that highlighting hypocrisy is unlikely to change the minds of those called out.
But, she says, it could make a difference to those of us who read, “You, who can do something about it, who can build power to make them obsolete. I hope it appeals to you.”
