By David Futrelle
One of the most chilling moments in Vice News’ new mini-documentary on the #UniteTheRight rally this past weekend comes at the end, when reporter Elle Reeve sits down with a well-armed white supremacist named Christopher Cantwell, who tells her, among other horrific things, that he thinks the ISIS-style car attack on counterprotesters that left activist Heather Heyer dead was “more than justified.”
To longtime readers of this blog, the name Christopher Cantwell may sound vaguely familiar. That’s because only a couple of years ago Cantwell was a regular contributor to the flagship Men’s Rights site A Voice for Men — where he offered his opinions on such subjects as Elliot Rodger, IQ, and “Rape accusation culture.”
I didn’t write much about Cantwell at the time, though I did point out on one occasion that he was roaming around Twitter telling people to kill themselves in an assortment of gruesome ways. AVFM founder Paul Elam responded to my post on Cantwell by offering excuses for his harassment — and telling me to kill myself.
Now that Cantwell has been brought to the attention of a national audience, it’s worth taking a look at what he wrote for AVFM, which at the time was by far the most influential Men’s Rights website.
Cantwell on Elliot Rodger, guns and feminists “who demonize men and white people.”
In the last few days, ever since Elliot Rodger’s killing spree in California, media has been absolutely buzzing with hysterical propaganda against guns, men, and white people. Should you happen to be a white male gun owner, you might well be Satan himself according to some of these people. … it is a very real threat to my safety. …
The more disturbing trend is one I’ve also been combating on my blog for some time. Radical feminists and “anti-racists” who demonize men and white people. …
I was shocked and terrified to hear Elizabeth Plank say “This is a white male thing” on MSNBC, despite the fact that Elliot Rodger was half Asian.
Cantwell on “rape accusation culture.”
What do you end up with when you throw out ever legal standard that has ever existed and replace it with feminist hysteria?
Rape accusation culture.
No evidence necessary, just point your finger, ladies, and men will go to prison. Just say the word and their reputations and careers will be ruined. Simply bat your eyes at a policeman and he’ll snatch up any ex-boyfriend you feel jilted by. Sure, it won’t stop any actual rapes, but that was never the point. The point is the same as everything else that feminists promote: to demonize an entire gender and engage in a never-ending quest to quench the state’s insatiable thirst for more power.
Cantwell on women in STEM:
There’s no way women could possibly have any responsibility for their own choices in education or career, according to feminists. Everything has to be because of men. …
Certainly it couldn’t have anything to do with the fact that the vast majority of the world’s geniuses are men. … Male geniuses outnumber female geniuses eight to one.
Cantwell on the tyranny of low-IQ people:
A society needs leaders and followers. In men, we see very high IQs figuring things out and working out these complex ideas. They document them in easy-to-understand ways for those of lesser intelligence in society and make technology available to all of us. We also see these low IQs, which are more suited to, say, mining the resources that this technology requires and operating the machines the geniuses designed.
Women, traditionally carrying the role of raising children and supporting the men who designed and operated the machinery, needed to be somewhere in the middle. They couldn’t well manage the many complex tasks their role in society required of them without being smarter than the worker drones, but there wasn’t any need for them to be super geniuses who could land spacecraft on comets hundreds of millions of miles away either.
Unfortunately for men, these women of average intelligence do manage to outsmart and confuse so many of us on the lower end of the IQ spectrum. That’s how you end up with college age males chanting idiotic feminists slogans at demonstrations.
For those of us at the upper end of the IQ spectrum, we are sentenced to a lifetime of watching stupidity like this run rampant. We will watch in horror for all of eternity as idiots dominate the headlines with their hysteria, responsibility avoidance, and demands for state privilege disguised as “equality.”
Cantwell on street harassment:
Oh, the horrors these American women have to go through. They dress up in tight clothes designed for the specific purpose of showing off their ass and tits to attract men. When their choice in clothing does exactly what it’s designed to do, they complain about it.
Cantwell on feminist attempts to fight street harassment:
What this is about, just like most feminist garbage being peddled, is giving women the power to have men arrested for anything without any evidence at all. That they’re mere discomfort is a criminal offense that should justify the kidnapping of men doing exactly what men are supposed to do: pursue women. Turning the tides of this fabled “patriarchy” they feel has so oppressed women over the years into an actual matriarchy in which women can have men caged with a snap of the fingers.
Somehow I’m not all that shocked that Cantwell has gone full white-supremacist.
EDIT: Fixed Cantwell links; they all go to archived versions of the AVFM posts now.
@Ohlmann They already have:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Jo_Cox
@Gussie Jives
Absolutely yes, no hesitancy here. As someone put it very eloquently on tumblr: you do not get to be a weekend Nazi. You do not get to being a hateful bigot on your weekend and then show up to work on monday and pretend that you are a decent human being to your circle of coworkers, friends and family.
Let these people know that when you are a Nazi, you are a Nazi 24/7/365 and that being a Nazi has consequences. They chose that identity, it’s not something that is inherent to them. Right now these people feel untouchable because, up until now, they haven’t reaped the consequences of their actions thanks to institutionalized White supremacy.
Also, not to call you out on anything and I say the following in the most neutral and informative way possible but to prioritize the safety of these Nazis, because being exposed will have immediate consequences for them and their safety, instead of prioritizing the safety of the people they harass and threaten with ethnic cleansing is internalized White supremacy.
We need to stop having compassion for Nazis and focus on trying to defend the people whom they’re threatening.
Here’s an idea. Melt down all the Confederate statues, and replace them with statues of people pulling down Confederate statues.
@Gussie – I’m in favor of social ostracism too. It seems to be the most effective non-violent tool in our arsenal. Of course, doxxing works both ways (and unfortunately, the alt-right can more readily mobilize a troll army because there seems to be an asymmetry in “having a life” on both sides). But I don’t have any moral qualms about making life tough for Nazis.
My worry is that it may not be effective much longer. Some of the shadowy dark money oligarchs, like William Regnery and Palmer Luckey, are trying to fund a completely separatist white society, similar to Hezbollah. It would exist in parallel to ours, but they’d have their own corporations, their own jobs, their own press, their own Internet, their own universities, their own garbage collection, their own government-within-a-government. The majority of the infrastructure is actually already in place (modeled on the Mormon church). So it may not matter to Todd Tikidouche if he gets outed on Twitter. He’ll be welcomed with open arms at Bob Jones law school and given a cushy “think tank” job figuring out how to further oppress women and minorities.
It would be interesting to see how such a society so willing to turn their back on reality and scientific progress could possibly avoid turning into North Korea, but I really would rather not find out firsthand.
“Todd Tikidouche” (I’d steal that, but I like tiki torch company for their stance on Nazis using torches), and his brother “Chad Torchcock”.
These f–king supposedly-“peaceful” rioters with incendiary weapons need to be arrested.
*citation needed
Not to wax misandrist but I’d wager a testicle that’s not true. I have no citation, either, but I’m leaning STRONGLY towards a ratio closer to 1:1
Boosting the signal for this:
The Trump administration announced on Friday, June 23, 2017 the elimination of a federal grant that Life After Hate had won in January to counteract hate crimes, white supremacist extremism, and neo-Nazi/white nationalist online recruitment.
FULL STORY: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/06/23/playbook-dhs-extremism-life-after-hate-239889
Life After Hate anticipated the $400,000 award as a recipient of the Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Grant Program through the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In January 2017, after the Trump administration entered the White House, new DHS Secretary John Kelly initiated a re-review of its grant programs, and on June 23, Life After Hate received notification of its removal from the approved list of funded organizations, without mentioning the specific criteria as to why their grant was rescinded. The CVE Grant Program marks the first federal grant for Life After Hate. The organization continues to thrive on private donations and has launched a crowdfunding campaign in response to the funding cut.
Life After Hate provides direct service to individuals who want to leave behind their lives of racism and violent extremism. The organization trains and supports former hate group members as mentors and educators who de-radicalize and disengage potential violent extremists. In recent months, the organization has experienced a remarkable increase in phone calls and emails concerning the intensification and spread of hate speech and hate crimes stemming from the alt-right movement in the United States.
https://publicgood.com/org/life-after-hate-inc/campaign/help-life-after-hate-fight-on
I resent that we have Army posts named after Confederate generals.
@Buttercup: I think we should replace the Confederate statues with statues of abolitionists and other civil rights heroes. They’re part of our history, after all! #HeritageNotHate
… ahh, treason… such a fluid concept….
Barack Obama legislated health insurance for all Americans… which the right calls “treason”… (this IN ADDITION to the obvious treasonable act of “Presiding while black”…)
Jeff F. Davis and Bob E. Lee, on the other hand, merely engineered and orchestrated the violent overthrow of the United States Government*… which the right does NOT call “TREASON”!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
* that phrase seems familiar… where have I seen that… I just can’t place…OH, YEAH!!! IN THE CONSTITUTION!!! AFTER THE WORD “TREASON”!!!
Apparently Cantwell has been notified that he has a warrant out for his arrest in Charlottesville, and his bravado is quite diminished as a result:
http://www.rawstory.com/2017/08/im-terrified-neo-nazi-blubbers-like-a-baby-in-video-reporting-hes-wanted-for-arrest-in-charlottesville/
That’s definitely part and parcel of the ethical qualms I have. Mistakes of the past should be accompanied by whatever recompense or context that indicates that a lesson has been learned.
But that’s the real crux of it… it’s one thing for a classmate of one of the rally attendees to post on Facebook “Hey look, the guy who sits next to me in English class is a Neo-Nazi!”, but what had me asking the question was an instance where a YouTuber contacted the employer of another regarding some Third Reich apologia and was subsequently chased off YouTube due to the latter’s rabid fanbase with no consequences to the apologist. Opinions on the initial contact were mixed. (Some Mammotheers who were on YouTube at that time might recall the incident in question).
I don’t like the idea of contacting somebody’s employer about stuff an employee does off the clock, but I can’t think of much else that actually brings consequences to bigots these days.
Weird (thumper of trumpanzees) Eddie
Yeah, treason.
That’s the thing that’s so bluddy irritating (for want of a more precise word) about Trumpelthinskin and his ilk going on about Washington and Jefferson being slave owners and perhaps their statues should come down next.
Well golly gee whiz. They weren’t perfect and their failings were common to their times. Unlike *traitors*, like Lee, Jackson and the rest, who openly and vigorously waged war against the United States.
Statues of presidents v. statues of traitors. Hmmmm. How to choose?
He explains his world view pretty extensively in this video posted 4 months ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNmnZGegaeE
He’s a coward, check out his blubbering fear on his video feed about having an arrest warrant out for him for what he did in C-ville . . .
http://www.rawstory.com/2017/08/im-terrified-neo-nazi-blubbers-like-a-baby-in-video-reporting-hes-wanted-for-arrest-in-charlottesville/
Just like most misogynists, he’s a man-baby . . .
Enjoy!
Agreed, although frankly, I wouldn’t want to have an assault upon my conscience if I knew that my disclosure facilitated it. That’s why I’m personally opposed to doxxing insofar as doxxing is defined as revealing locations and personal details; I’ve seen what can become of it as a weapon in the Alt-Right’s arsenal.
Here’s some great news:
http://www.rawstory.com/2017/08/im-terrified-neo-nazi-blubbers-like-a-baby-in-video-reporting-hes-wanted-for-arrest-in-charlottesville/
http://www.rawstory.com/2017/08/trump-tries-to-claim-he-dissolved-2-councils-of-ceos-after-advisory-group-chooses-to-disband/
I don’t know if I should laugh at that Christopher Cantwell video because it’s hilarious that for all the tough talk, he’s crying at the slightest pushback.
Or if I should be disturbed because it sounds like he’s setting himself and his brethren up as martyrs. All that talk about they tried so hard to be peaceful and don’t know what else to do and all that about how he needs to be armed to feel safe enough not to react with violence at any perceived threat? It sounds like there’s more going on there than just whining and blubbering about a potential arrest.
Does anyone know what city or state he lives in? The phone number he rattled sounded like he said 631 area code, which would be around the Long Island area but I may have misheard. Anyway. People in his area should maybe exercise caution over the next few days and weeks. Because this had hints of pre murder spree manifesto in it.
Okay. I verified it. He did give a number with a Long Island area code, so please Mammotheers in that area, stay safe and avoid the types of places mass shooters like to target if you can. Such as malls, college campuses and outdoor festivals.
I may be overreacting here and I know that us being afraid is exactly what they want, but violent people very often convince themselves that they are good people who were driven to violence. With his alleged fear that the police will kill him and his complaints about the left coming after him, it really, really sounds like he could be talking himself up to an act of mass violence. We know from that Vice documentary that he has a lot of weapons. Including I think assault or semi-assault rifles.
Agreed. I am really worried that Charlottesville is only the beginning. The more these guys convince themselves that they are at some kind of war and that white genocide is happening, the easier it becomes for someone to snap. As much as I like to think of them all as chickenshits who’d never actually act on their violent rhetoric, it only takes one guy wanting to be a martyr.
I am not ambivalent about that video at all – I am thrilled to see that cowardly cockroach blubbering at the idea he might be held personally responsible for his outrageous hate.
I am happy to see him discover that acts have consequence, but that don’t prevent me to share the concerns of Weirwoodtreehugger about how he could be dangerous.
This year is the weirdest political year in modern memory. As someone else mentioned, if you wondered what you’d have done before the war in 1939, you’re doing it. With enough effort, this movement can be stopped, or at least prevented from starting all out war.
I know, optimism and hope? Get after your representatives, tweet at idiots, whatever, anything that can be done to discourage this hatred will help.
Thank you everyone who fights this with everything they’ve got, even if it’s just a phone call or email when you can.
—
And damn, I’m getting tired of people misusing the word racist, as in “the racist antifa did *X*.” Especially when they usually didn’t do *X* in the first place.
Last night, Captain Marsh told me he wanted to keep a gun in our home because he’s afraid of neo-Nazis breaking in. We’re White and not Jewish, but he’s involved in the justice system so it’s not impossible he’d be targeted by criminals. Captain Marsh hasn’t handled a firearm since he went target shooting as a child and had never expressed an interest in owning a real weapon in all the time I’d known him; I have never handled a firearm in my life. I laid out my reasons for thinking a firearm is too dangerous for us and he agreed for my sake, but I’m amazed at how much the Cville protest must have scared him. For someone as anti-violence as the Captain to consider getting a deadly weapon…
Google “Chris Cantwell Crying Like a Baby When He finds out a warrant for his arrest has been issued” and you will be shocked to see this man (discussed in the above article) went from Vice TV’s documentary bragging more people would be killed “before this is over” and claiming Trump was not racist enough since he allowed his daughter to marry a Jew. Now he is weeping like a little child as he faces the consequences for his evil words and actions.
Virtual hugs @the Marsh household and anyone else who’d like them.