This takedown of an alt right mouthpiece went viral because it’s very polite and totally devastating
42.
To the extent that, “You’re a literal Nazi because you emphasize European identity and dare comment on Jewish influence, and we’ll discuss everything exclusively in terms of the worst Nazi crimes,” sure, a fine and productive discourse.
— Evan McLaren (@EvanMcLaren) January 16, 2018
43.
Beyond statism (ish), how are you different from Nazis? Genuinely.
— Hugo Rifkind (@hugorifkind) January 16, 2018
44.
One might as well ask how we are different from Bonapartists or Caesarists. Other than your own reaction to a point in history there is no particular reason for a Nazi fetish.
— Evan McLaren (@EvanMcLaren) January 16, 2018
45.
One might. But that’s not what I’m asking. Any answer?
— Hugo Rifkind (@hugorifkind) January 16, 2018
46.
Because it’s a different time with different challenges, and we are different people.
— Evan McLaren (@EvanMcLaren) January 16, 2018
47.
Is that it?
— Hugo Rifkind (@hugorifkind) January 16, 2018
48.
I’m not sure what you want.
— Evan McLaren (@EvanMcLaren) January 16, 2018
49.
Well, you could say “Nazis believe X but we don’t”. What’s X?
— Hugo Rifkind (@hugorifkind) January 16, 2018
50.
German nationalism. Repossession of Danzig. Slavic inferiority. I don’t think much about it because I don’t care. It’s neither a starting point nor a destination for me.
— Evan McLaren (@EvanMcLaren) January 16, 2018
51.
Yes, but I do care and you’d surely recognise that it’s not weird for me to care. So only 1930s German-specific stuff? They’re the only differences and otherwise you’re the same as Nazis? This is what you’re saying?
— Hugo Rifkind (@hugorifkind) January 16, 2018
52.
You want to start from the idea that I’m a Nazi, except for those provisions of Nazism I specifically and explicitly subtract. I’m saying Nazism doesn’t even factor into my analysis and your premise is false.
— Evan McLaren (@EvanMcLaren) January 16, 2018
53.
Whether that is true or not, it does factor into my analysis and, once again, this is not strange. So I am keen to know how your philosophy differs from theirs and startled that you are unable or unwilling to tell me.
— Hugo Rifkind (@hugorifkind) January 16, 2018
54.
At this point you’re simply ignoring my responses to sustain your premise. You can insist that your pursuit isn’t strange if that’s your passion.
— Evan McLaren (@EvanMcLaren) January 16, 2018
55.
Your response is that the only differences are circumstantial. I’m not ignoring it. I’m asking you to clarify it.
— Hugo Rifkind (@hugorifkind) January 16, 2018
56.
And that I haven’t even thought about Nazism enough to knowledgeably answer. Why don’t you describe an idea to me and ask whether and to what extent I endorse it, instead of obliging me to a discussion exclusively in terms of an ideology to which I do not relate.
— Evan McLaren (@EvanMcLaren) January 16, 2018
57.
That’s strange. You’re a specifically “non-Semitic European ethnic nationalist” and you’ve given no thought to history’s most notable previous specifically non-Semitic European ethnic nationalists? Don’t you feel you should? It makes you sound awfully ignorant.
— Hugo Rifkind (@hugorifkind) January 16, 2018
58.
I don’t remember expressing myself as an ethnic nationalist. There might be an example of a distinction–I am not a petty nationalist. I’m sure I indicated that.
— Evan McLaren (@EvanMcLaren) January 16, 2018
59.
You want your nation to be dominated by, if not exclusively inhabited by, your own ethnicity. In what respects are you not an ethnic nationalist?
— Hugo Rifkind (@hugorifkind) January 16, 2018
And that, as far as we can tell, as that. Here’s what people made of it on Twitter, and let’s hope @hugorifkind lets us know if he ever gets back.
Good lord. Well done for staying so polite, Hugo. What a thoroughly loathsome person.
— Kate ‘very stable genius’ Bevan (@katebevan) January 16, 2018
Sterling work here Hugo. I admire your patience.
— sean kenny (@swkenny) January 16, 2018
I may never recover from this thread. 😳
— Jennifer Mendelsohn (@CleverTitleTK) January 17, 2018
Hugo? Have you tried this?
Fuck off Evan you idiotic Nazi cunt.
Too Route One?
— David Baddiel (@Baddiel) January 17, 2018
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