Barbarism is so hot right now. My latest in PJ Media:
Should neo-Nazis be allowed to use gym facilities?
It’s an odd question, but it has larger implications for the future of conservatives in the public square, and for America’s prospects of staving off a new civil war.
The question about neo-Nazis and the gym came up recently when Georgetown University professor Christine Fair happened upon neo-Nazi Richard Spencer, who is not me, at a gym and began berating him. The gym then revoked Richard Spencer’s membership.
I have no regard for Richard Spencer, as often as I am confused with him: he has more than once demanded that I reveal my “real” name, as he is convinced that I am secretly a Jew who has changed my name to fool good white folks like him. He has become notorious for openly espousing a white nationalism that most people would have rather remained a relic of history.
But does that mean he can’t even use gym facilities that he paid for, and in which he wasn’t bothering anyone?
I have nothing but disgust for Richard Spencer, but I have even greater disgust for Christine Fair, who in this incident showed herself to be more of a Nazi than Richard Spencer could ever hope to be.
Like the Nazis, Christine Fair wants those whom she hates destroyed, full stop. Just destroyed. She doesn’t want them to be able to speak in public. She doesn’t want them to be able to hold memberships in gyms. She doesn’t want them to be allowed to live in the city she lives in. She told Richard, among other things: “I find your presence in this gym to be unacceptable, your presence in this town to be unacceptable”.
Is there anything that Christine Fair thinks Richard Spencer ought to be allowed to do? Does she find his breathing unacceptable?
Fair’s berating of Richard Spencer, and getting him kicked out of his gym, was quintessentially Nazi behavior, and was in direct contradiction to the principles that make a society free.
While Richard Spencer is indeed a Nazi, albeit in a different way from how Fair is one, there is no excuse for what she did. As long as he was not breaking any laws, he had as much right to be in that gym as Christine Fair has.
Christine Fair has apparently not reflected upon the precedent she is setting, or on the possibility, as remote as it is, that one day her views could be out of favor, and she could find herself getting poisoned, and prevented from speaking by riots, and screamed at by campus fascists, and driven out of gyms, and the like, and that a healthier and freer society allows for the freedom of expression and doesn’t persecute or hound those whose ideas are unpopular or even unarguably obnoxious.
Instead, she believes we need ideological purity tests even for gym memberships. Once the precedent is set that one must hold a certain set of beliefs and shun others in order to be able to work out at the gym, the required beliefs could shift, and any individual or group could be victimized.
This is the road to totalitarianism, and we’re racing down it.
Another example of the Left’s determination to destroy utterly everyone who opposes it is the recent experience of Terry Jones, the infamous Qur’an-burning pastor. I am not a supporter of Terry Jones; I oppose burning books. I believe in free speech and free discourse. The thuggish, authoritarian Left shuts down opposing views and censors those whom it hates. Burning books is the kind of thing they do, if not literally, then by shutting down, smearing, and defaming those whom they hate. I am not inclined to emulate them.
All that said, however, Terry Jones lives in a nation that has the First Amendment in its Constitution. It is not illegal for him to dislike Islam or to burn Qur’ans. But in early February, the Washington Post wrote a gleeful story about how Jones had been working as an Uber driver, but had been fired by Uber after the Post reporter, a Muslim named Faiz Siddiqui, called Uber and alerted them to who Jones was.
So now your Uber driver has to love Islam. If he doesn’t appreciate Islam sufficiently, he could be fired.
What does loving Islam have to do with driving for Uber? About as much as being a neo-Nazi has to do with holding a gym membership. Is it acceptable for your plumber to take a dim view of Buddhism?
The Left is becoming so totalitarian, so inhospitable to the slightest dissent, that even when a critic of Islam is doing something that has nothing to do with Islam, Leftists move to shut him down. Jones had to close down a french fry stand he was running in a Florida mall, and he can’t drive for Uber. What can he do? The Left just wants him dead — that’s all.
Similarly, when I was scheduled to speak several years ago at an education conference that had nothing to do with Islam, Christine Fair’s colleague Nathan Lean of Georgetown University (who has several times posted a link on Twitter to what he thinks is my home address, in an obvious attempt to get me killed by jihadis and/or frighten me into silence) successfully got the host, a Catholic bishop, to cancel the event because of my work on Islam, even though Islam had nothing to do with what I was set to discuss. (The event was held at another location, and I spoke as planned.)…
Read the rest here.
Paul N Silas says
We are in a “Cold” civil war right now, but it’s getting heated up more each day. Just wait until the next election cycle and watch the flames rise.
Terry says
Paul– I think we don’t have to wait for the next election cycle- we are seeing it now.
IN EVERY SPECIAL ELECTION since Nov., the Republicans have won.
Earlier this week, in the WSJ blog BEST OF THE WEB- mentions that EVEN DEMS think that the Congressional election in Georgia could be lost- because of their candidate. (Note, in the crowded primary 3 or 4 Dems- and he had a $10+ million dollar war chest; and 11 Republicans- he got just over 48% of the vote.
Hillary Clinton (versus just Trump-in reality) got over 47%. So, the hero of the left got about 1% more.
AND HE OUTSPENT ALL OF HIS OPPONENTS.
———————————————————————————————————————————
Other than Pelosi, Maxine Waters, (probably John McCain); Schifft (Cong. from Cal., Dem); and the liar, I mean Sen from Ct and Schumer- who really do the liberturds have?
The lame stream media? They watch and praise each other.
Their earnings and readership/views/advertising are all down.
Custos Custodum says
The CHICAGO STYLE OF POLITICS is taking hold nationwide, brought to you by Barry and the Clintons.
pandainc says
“Christine Fair has apparently not reflected upon the precedent she is setting …” Come now. Doesn’t this presume that Nazi-ites have the power of reflection — or the desire?
David Ramseur says
I wonder if the residents of that address are alright? Imagine, you own a home, and a jihadi comes to behead you, and you are like…who am I that I would even be noticed? I also am against burning books…but I have a sole exception when it comes to the Quran.
mortimer says
No exceptions to the rule. No books should be burned. Refute them. The Koran should be taken to court and tried as constituting hate speech wherever such a ‘hate-speech’ law exists.
gravenimage says
The problem is when the government burns books.
I don’t consider it the most sophisticated kind of criticism–as a rule–but individuals can burn any book they own.
Custos Custodum says
A THOUGHT EXPERIMENT: Imagine that one of the conditions for entering the U.S. as a visitor or immigrant is a requirement that the applicant publicly burn and step on a Qur’an and declare himself a non-Muslim.
PREDICTION: 99.9% of Muslim immigrants would not hesitate for even a second to comply with the requirement. The practice would, in fact, somewhat weaken adherence to Islam.
Hat tip: Jonathan Swift. (In Gulliver’s Travels, the eponymous hero finds himself shipwrecked in Japan. Under Japanese law, foreign visitors are required to step on a cross to ensure that they are not secret Christian missionaries. Gulliver asks the Shogun for an exemption on the grounds that he did not enter Japan voluntarily, and the Shogun agrees. Later, Gulliver tries to hitch a ride home on board a Dutch vessel. Now the Dutch insist that their passenger must step on a cross to ensure he is not a devout Christian which would be bad for business.)
Rob says
Don’t burn the Koran. The Koran is the face of the enemy and you need it to prove that what you say about Islam’s beliefs and aims are true. Use it to help open the eyes of the lazy and the uninformed and to refute the statements of the Linda Sarsours of the world.
SweetOlBob says
Rob:
Right ! Burning is the proper method of disposal. Don’t stop up ;your commode. Plumbers are expensive !
Ace-of-Clubs says
Yes, the liberal left are today’s Nazis and Fascists, the very words they use to describe anyone who dares criticise or question Islam and its centuries of violence. We have exactly the same situation over here in Europe, Robert Spencer is banned from coming to the UK. The liberal lefties are the enablers of the spread of the Islamic virus across the west. They should all be tried for treachery.
Frank Anderson says
Ace, please consider a suggestion to read Jonah Goldberg’s book Liberal Fascism. I believe he supports a proposition that the only difference between “Leftist” Communism and “Rightist” Nazism is the location of central control. Going through a list of comparisons, both have no use for anything that civilized people regard as basic rights and liberty. Freedom loving people are caught in the middle of two barbaric tribes who scheme to destroy everything we treasure and turn us into either dead bodies or dead minds. You might also see some serious allegory and symbolism in the Michael York movie Logan’s Run, which I suggest is the perfect socialist vision of the future.
TheBuffster says
I’ve never accepted the Nazis/Fascists on the right, Communists on the left paradigm. There are the people who believe in individual liberty and the people who do not. The continuum stretches out between *those* two poles, and all totalitarians belong on the far “do not” end. I don’t care whether they’re communists, Nazis, fascists, or theocrats, I don’t want to live under them. They’re all the enemy of my free mind, my honesty, my judgment, my freedom to think, question, communicate and learn, my independence, and the pursuit of my values.
So they all belong at the far end of the anti-individual rights side of the line, may it sink into oblivion.
Frank Anderson says
Goldberg makes a fair argument that the “Left/Right” description originated with Joseph Stalin himself-whose wholesale murders made Hitler look like a piker.
gravenimage says
There is freedom, then there is totalitarianism of various stripes–Fascism, Communism, Islam. I hate and oppose them all.
somehistory says
She’s ugly inside and out. If I had a gym, she’d be denied membership. Her face is unacceptable. And her evil heart is unacceptable.
Diane Harvey says
“I find your presence in this gym to be unacceptable, your presence in this town to be unacceptable.”.
Different only in degree but not in kind.
That is EXACTLY the language used by the Nazis towards the Jews.
Initially the Jews were simply unacceptable, which was only the beginning of the ratchet. Then their presence was found to be unacceptable.
And they were removed.
And murdered.
Rob says
Apparently Christine Fair was elected GOD and nobody thought to inform the rest of us poor mortals.
Custos Custodum says
To Left-Totalitarians, Hitler’s Mein Kampf has always served as a how-to manual. Of course, the National Socialists themselves learned quite a few tricks from their International Socialist/Communist rivals since both seek to survive in the same totalitarian ecosystems without bourgeois restraints on the exercise of political power.
Diane Harvey says
“The Left is becoming so totalitarian, so inhospitable to the slightest dissent, that even when a critic of Islam is doing something that has nothing to do with Islam, Leftists move to shut him down.”
—–
“And if you won’t bake the cake which we demand you bake, we’ll shut you down too.”
Bill says
Of course the left wants people dead, that is what leftist totalitarians excel at.
Terry says
And, my view- firms like UBER are not long for this world. They face a multitude of federal, state and probably local investigations for all sorts of fraudulent activities. Involved in huge lawsuit with Google. (One lefty versus another lefty).
———————————————————————————————————————————————-
And to Diane Harvey
I would add-
Unless one is in a very small town or village– there are usually a multitude of bakeries; photographers; drugstores; etc-where one could get any LEGAL service. If Bakery A doesn’t want to do it, go to B.
Same with photographers; drug stores; etc.
————————————————————————————————————————
Like the anl pores who asked a pizza parlor owner if he would cater a gay wedding, and said probably not.
AS ASKED- WHO EVER HEARD OF A PIZZA PARLOR CATERING A WEDDING?
(He should have said something like, he doesn’t cater weddings). (More logical).
PorkToiletPaper4Muslims says
Or, “I’ll think about it.” “My concern would be upsetting Muslims.”
Keval says
She is islamic supremacist, she is islamic apologist. She tweeted calling Mohammad a champion of women’s rights.
Terry says
FREE SPEECH FOR ME, BUT NOT FOR THEE.
NAT HENTOFF. (book)
sums the liberturd viewpoint clearly and simply
John A. Marre says
The left is proving this every day. Kathy Griffin showed what she wanted to do to Trump. They eliminate their enemies. No wonder they get along so well with Muslims.
DAI says
Griffin has been sacked,the vile hateful creature
gravenimage says
Yes–*very* disturbing.
Here she is holding up a bloody severed head of Donald Trump. This is supposed to be “humorous”:
http://www.slate.com/content/dam/slate/blogs/browbeat/2011/09/29/hugo_chavez_caption_contest/kathy-griffin-trump-head.png.CROP.promo-xlarge2.png
JawsV says
Kathy Griffin is a very sick individual, as President Trump noted. So glad she got her just desserts canned by CNN and losing endorsements. Someone has to be truly depraved to even think about doing such a thing. From now on she’ll be associated with a bloody, severed head. Think her D-list career is done.
gravenimage says
She is still whining, saying that Donald Trump has destroyed her career.
Richard says
It could just as well been your head or mine. This is how the left tolerates dissent. To quote Tosca: “Choke in your own blood!! He’s dead. NOW I forgive him.”
mortimer says
Griffin shows that she, Christine Fair and other Leftarded fascists are actually in bed with ISIS.
Emilie Green says
Forget going to the gym, lady (I guessing she’s a she, but with the loony left, who knows). You’d do better getting your exercise riding around on your broom.
JawsV says
I laughed when I reached the “riding around on your broom” part! Funny! The witch of Georgetown.
Wellington says
Old-fashion liberalism has morphed into Leftism, which is indeed a totalitarian creed. I know there are many out there who want to completely separate the old-fashion liberalism of, say, an Attlee, a Truman or a JFK, from the Leftism that now plagues one Western nation after another but, sorry, can’t do this
You see, old-fashion liberalism, which to its credit was not totalitarian, was still involved in loads of errors which led politically inch-by-inch to Leftism. Such errors include judicial overreach (e.g., the 1962 Supreme Court case asserting that a non-denominational, voluntary school prayer violated the Constitutional separation of church and state), more and more government (e.g., the Great Society of LBJ) and the decided tendency to engage in TOO MUCH soul searching of the American past, to the extent of seeing faults far more than achievements.
Leftist totalitarianism (pardon the redundancy) has its roots in the liberalism of the mid-twentieth century. Miss this and, I would contend, you miss a lot.
Eric says
Leftist today are self righteous and dismissive of the views of others.Facts mean absolutely nothing to them and may even be offended by them. At one time the Left was not that way. I wonder what happened to them. Was it the appearance of Obama whose mere image caused people to shut down all cognitive functions? Or was it Hillary the possible first woman president? How dare anyone wreck her chances by asking questions. That could be the key, the dreaded question. So today the rule is don’t ask questions because to as questions leads to thought and maybe even insight.
The Left would find this dreadful.
Eric
Baucent says
She looks like the hanging judge. One very scary leftist.
mortimer says
The blood lust Christine Fair and her wanna-be commissars would not be satisfied until they controlled the security apparatus of the Union of Soviet American Republics. Then, they could create American gulags and fill them with ‘DEPLORABLES’ whose rights were not necessary due to the INFALLIBILITY of Christine Fair and her neo-Marxist pals.
If Christine Fair & Co. ever did get control, it would be likely that people very like Richard Spencer would be in charge of this communist heaven on earth and not Christine Fair & Co.
Christine Fair & Co. would be among the first victims of the very system she wants.
Custos Custodum says
Not sure there is a difference – Christine Fair seems more power hungry, as commissar she would probably delight in torturing and then “disappearing” “enemies of the people.”
Mo says
” The Left just wants him dead — that’s all.”
The Left wants us all dead. I’m for one, am glad they are finally being open about it, instead of hiding behind claims of “tolerance” and love and all the rest!
Vile hypocrites, one and all. Bring it on!
gravenimage says
Robert Spencer in PJ Media: Leftists Want Their Enemies Dead
……………….
Terrifying.
Matthieu Baudin says
“… The Left is becoming so totalitarian, so inhospitable to the slightest dissent, that even when a critic of Islam is doing something that has nothing to do with Islam, Leftists move to shut him down…”
It is the response to a changing world, one which is steadily becoming more skeptical of the political fixations, attitudes and supposed insights that has been the baggage of the contemporary left for decades. They are fervently holding onto a dream for social transformation, a dream that has come unstuck when confronted by the violent backwards focused reality of Islam on the march. Some of this dream unfortunately is also shared by many contemporary conservatives and they too are looking to shut down dissenting voices through increased censorship. There has been a political trade-off of sorts over the past couple of decades where the nod has been given to the contemporary left to take the leading role in social policy while conservatives have taken the leading role in economic policy. The likes of Teresa May, Angela Merkel and others reflect the loss of independent thinking regarding social issues within conservative circles and helps to explain why we seem to have the same driver behind the wheel after each election.
mortimer says
I would want Christine Fair kicked out of any club I belonged to and everyone as intolerant as she of the ideas of others. To be sure, her methods are fascist, though she claims to deplore fascism.
The university amenities are not equivalent to an exclusive private club. I don’t see how this exclusion would stand up to a challenge.
Is ‘exclusion due to political incorrect ideas’ part of the swimming pool’s charter?
mortimer says
I would want Christine Fair kicked out of any club I belonged to and everyone as intolerant as she of the ideas of others. To be sure, her methods are fascist, though she claims to deplore fascism.
The university amenities are not equivalent to an exclusive private club. I don’t see how this exclusion would stand up to a challenge.
Is ‘exclusion due to politically incorrect ideas’ part of the swimming pool’s charter?
kangi_yotaka says
Off-topic, but relevant: https://www.army.mil/article/188495/army_gets_first_islamic_division_chaplain
The U.S. Army now has a Muslim chaplain at division level. Granted, at that level, he’s not going to be working directly with the rank-and-file soldiers; he’s going to be doing upper-level stuff.
Nonetheless…
gravenimage says
Yes–appalling. That was reported here on Jihad Watch some time ago–thanks for the grim reminder.
kikorikid says
Obama appointed this “High” Imam directly from the Muslim Brotherhood and gave him “Vetting” powers over all Imams in the US Military as well as the Federal Prison System. They are recruiting furiously as we speak.
Quaker Lady says
So Pastor Terry Jones is not fit to drive an Uber taxi because he wanted to burn a book. Am I mistaken or have there not been at least a couple of Uber drivers who just happened to be Muslim who sexually assaulted their passengers? There was one in CA for sure. But hey, that’s ok, it’s just part of the The Religion of Peace, so it’s cool.
(sarc off)
King Edward Potato says
All totalitarians understand that if they take away your means to make a living, they can destroy you without actual blood on their hands.
emod says
Aye Potato is correct, and the powers that be are pushing for that Totalitarian regime. The big test of enslaving an entire population in the middle of the modern world is in it’s 2nd generation in N. Korea. The pilot project that teaches them all they need to know while they set about enslaving THIS population.
The sad part is that they’re winning..
TJ says
When the prophets in the bible want people dead, they do a much better job than leftists do because they arrest somebody who is actually guilty. They frame murderers of Jews in Amos 3.12. In addition, Ezekiel threatens Jews and others when he says they must grieve for those who should not have been slain. This is a good word by Ezekiel because if people follow his advice, it would be impossible for God to raise the victim up over their head…. Robert Spencer’s enemies are much more perverse than these aggressive biblical figures. To prove this point- the quran contains an obvious fable about Moses which incites muslims to kill their child if the kid rejects islam. This fable is a murderous assault against our religious freedom laws. Our laws are in favor of the victim in this fable, not the killer. If Robert Spencer’s enemies were accountable, which they are not, they would be discussing this fable and supporting the victim. A lot of Euros and Americans are dead because many are unwittingly glorifying the perpetrators in this murderous fable by letting them in the country. People will be safer when they practice giving much more respect to the victims in this fable than the killer.
Relic says
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9jSVenOqO8
Paul Wheeler says
How anyone can reasonably believe that leftist tactics like Christine Fair will EVER have their tactics used against them is delusional.
The left is winning its war. Currently some believe that it has been set back by President Trump’s election.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Trump’s presidency is at best a momentary setback, a temporary slowing down of a relentless and inevitable process.
Pursuing enemies not only on internet forums but at gyms, theaters, restaurants, and eventually their jobs is becoming the order of the day.
Notice how quickly the craven gym management caved. Probably there’s some clause in their membership contract that lets them kick someone out “for the good of the club”. No one under attack should expect much support from his institution, whether that institution is a college, private employer or not for profit. Civil service rules might protect someone but I am not confident that they really would, and that a normally glacial termination process could be completed in mere days if the target were right. And the target would not be able to count on his union to help, as his views clearly would not be consonant with the union’s.
We should prepare for more such incidents, against more people, with lower thresholds for action, and larger numbers of people’s being terminated from a wide variety of connections, contractual arrangements and other associations.
Get used to it. It’s the wave of the future.
mortimer says
Defeatist! Nothing is inevitable.
gravenimage says
Don’t preach surrender, Paul. Take a stand.
patriotliz says
If only Leftist Nazis could hate IslamoNazis as much as they hate neo-Nazis.
Mike says
Mr Spencer, I suggest that you start using the letter of your middle name in your official name like Robert E. Spencer or whatever it is .You can use a fake initial too . Something that impress the minds like Robert W, Spencer or Robert Z. Spencer.
If you wait just a little , I think one day , very soon , queen of Englnd will make you Sir . So, you will be Sir Robert Spencer. This , then , will take care of the problem . ( I’m joking as you can see, for that last suggestion.)
annmarie says
The earth is entrenched in a Holy War. A war between light and dark, good and evil. If enough Souls Awaken, and move toward the light, there will be peace on earth.
brane pilot says
The USA is in the mess it is in because putting the USA into the mess it is in has been a path to power for career politicians for decades.
The great question now is to find a path to power that will fix this mess.
Donald Trump is not the answer, but he is a step in the right direction.
entropyrider says
I am careful about relying on “Rate my professor” because the reviews are opinions and I have been smeared on this website by some students who had an ax to grind. Nevertheless, her rating on this website is very low, and all the commentators complain she uses her class to indoctrinate. Here is a sample:
“She becomes hysterical when she disagrees with your point of view. No tolerance for diversity of opinion in the classroom. She should be fired”
There’s more. Here is the link:
http://www.ratemyprofessors.com/ShowRatings.jsp?tid=2220270
gravenimage says
Thanks for the link, entropyrider.
Kim Bruce says
Christine is closer to Nazism then she thinks. Nazism is short for “Nationalsozialismus”…National Socialism and these leftists are exactly that.
mortimer says
How can Christine Fair have a job teaching when her BRAIN DOESN’T WORK?
In our system of law, YOU MUST DO SOMETHING WRONG BEFORE THEY ARREST YOU, TRY YOU and CONDEMN YOU.
She has actually made THOUGHT CRIMES a test for DESTROYING PEOPLE.
Christine Fair matches the definition of a ‘FASCIST’ herself. She is ELIMINATING the PRESUMPTION OF INNOCENCE. HER THINKING is extremely dangerous!
A HumanBeing says
It is. What it is like it or lump it. What it is has descended from day one and we will never see an end to it. The only option we have is to step aside and seek peace by ignoring It. Life offers that option. Banging ones had against it perpetuates it. Optimize the Good, however little of it remains. Respectfully,A Human Being—–
emod says
There are 2 kinds of Nazi’s in the world today. The small number of idiot rabble who espouse the old Nazi party lines about race etc. Then there is the new Social Justice Nazi who simply prefers to use their methods while labeling everyone they wish to oppress “Nazi”. Most of the 3rd wave feminists and modern SJW’s are Nazi’s in their methods. Don’t be shocked when next they start to publicly burn books by those who hold valued different than theirs or to ‘protect’ society from dangerous thoughts and ideas.
Ric says
Christine Fair, as mentioned, is a quintessential Fascist, this comes as no surprise. Those of this kind perceive themselves as beyond censure or reproach. Fair and numerous others sharing her unbridled bigotry are unabashed in the condemnation of those of a diverse political or cultural bent. Ironically, they align themselves with Radical Islam, not Western Democracy. Their want of the eradication of those whose tenet differs confirms, Fair, and others are of a base nihilism.
These fanatics possessed by a nihilistic worldview are prejudicial to the point of utter maniacal zealotry. It is a pandemic, a scourge of which many choose or prefer to ignore; wishing it will dissipate if doing so. Unfortunately, history proves that to ignore or appease such malignancies is, in the end, apocalyptic.
Richard says
At first I thought she was Howard Stern. God bless her heart as Southern women used to say about ugly women
Damo says
I am intolerant of intolerance, except my own
See where I am going ?