/pol/

About

Politically Incorrect, abbreviated as /pol/, is a board dedicated to current events and political discussion on the imageboard 4chan. It is one of the most popular boards on the internet dedicated to politics, and has gained a reputation as a hotbed for fringe beliefs.

History

The board was originally created in 2011 as a replacement for /new/, which was 4chan’s primary board for the distribution and discussion of news. The reasoning behind this decision was primarily based around moot’s belief that /new/ had strayed from its intended purpose and become a gathering place for racists.^[1]

Board Culture

The reputation of the board across the internet in general is typically linked to endorsement of extremist politics, and the board is thus often cited as one of the defining aspects of 4chan’s reputation, alongside /b/.^[2] Due to 4chan’s nature as an imageboard, /pol/ has spawned several image-based memes.

Happy Merchant

Happy Merchant refers to a cartoon caricature of a Jewish man that is popular as an exploitable and reaction image, particularly on /pol/, where it is frequently used to insulting imply the relevancy of Jews to a particular discussion, or to criticize or dismiss others as being scheming, untrustworthy, or greedy.

Doom Paul

Doom Paul refers to images of the American politician and physician Ron Paul photoshopped into alarming or even apocalyptic settings, usually with the accompanying phrase “It’s Happening”.

Into The Trash It Goes

Into The Trash It Goes, also known as Opinion Discarded, is a popular remark on /pol/ used to dismiss people who are perceived to have said or done something grievously damaging to their credibility. It is typically paired with images of Penn Jillette with a disdainful look on his face.

Search Interest

External References