What happened to Scienceblogs? » « Some people deserve to be pariahs

Maybe this is what’ll kill the alt right

It seems that appealing to a sense of morality doesn’t work, but maybe capitalism will stop the Nazis. Richard Spencer and his National Policy Institute rented a venue at the University of Florida for their rally.

The check bounced.

When you’re selling to Nazis, you definitely need to get the cash up front. Also, I’d recommend a great big security deposit.

What happened to Scienceblogs? » « Some people deserve to be pariahs

Comments

  1. Pierce R. Butler says

    Obligatory nitpick: Spencer rented purloined use of a building called the Phillips Center, not the “O’Dome” (a sort of dome-shaped multipurpose basketball arena close to a mile away, named after one O’Connell, a racist past president of UF).

    UF had a binding contract with Spencer’s front group for weeks before the event; a very typical petty failure that they didn’t get the payment in advance.

  2. danielrutter says

    They just don’t know what to do when they don’t have buckets full of gold teeth to pay with.

  5. robro says

    A note in the email on the left side says the Phillips Center can take a credit card. Wonder if that’s any better.

  6. archangelospumoni says

    Drumpfh should write a czech to help out. After all, “good people” are involved.

  8. unclefrogy says

    Oh he and they do not care they deserved the use of the building after all
    the good thing is it probably make trying to rent another hall that much more difficult
    you know like rent and a security deposit and insurance in advance or no go.
    uncle frogy

  10. Tualha says

    http://www.gainesville.com/news/20171108/spencer-groups-10k-check-for-uf-event-bounced-records-show

    Yeah, laugh it up, but don’t overlook the part about the university spending another $600,000 on security. No one reimbursed UF for that. UF was required by law to let Spencer speak; they could not charge more than they did; and they had to spend a lot more on security or risk an incident.

    Who’s that going to kill first — the alt-right, or any university they choose to target? UF certainly could have spent that money on more useful things.

    (Disclosure: I work for UF.)

  12. =8)-DX says

    @Snarki, child of Loki #3

    Typical Nazis, aways messing around with bad czechs.

    Hey! Those were good Czechs!
    =8)-DX

  13. blf says

    This is potentially quite significant. In Florida, a bad check of that amount is a felony and “[p]enalties may include up to 5 years in prison or a $1,000 fine” (The penalties for passing a bad check in Florida, August-2010). And paying the amount owned ($10,000) “does not constitute a defense or ground for dismissal of the charges” (emphasis added).

    HOWEVER — and this is important, so Tualha (see @10) and others at UF please note and act (e.g., make certain UF knows)) — there must be a “written notice that such check has not been paid”:

    The required Notice must be mailed by certified or registered mail, evidenced by return receipt, to the address printed on the check or given at the time of issuance and may be deemed sufficient and equivalent to notice having been received by the maker or drawer, whether such notice is returned undelivered or not as set forth above. The form of the written notice demanding payment is required to be substantially as follows […]

    I’m not a lawyer and am not familiar with the details of the case (e.g., who are the individuals who could be jailed†) — plus, of course, this seems to do nothing to either recoup the not-paid $10,000 or the far more costly $600,000 — but that doesn’t mean UF and others should not pursue this chance.

    Please, Don’t assume it’s being done: ACT. (Log all details in case of lawsuits!)

      † The cited reference seems to indicate there is always someone who can be jailed. I will not speculate whether or not one such person is nazi Spencer.

  14. kestrel says

    OK, I read the article, and it goes on to say that Spencer paid both the initial amount and the $40.00 fine from the bank with a wire transfer, so the talk of a lawsuit is not warranted in this case. It seems he would have time to pay, and he did pay the amount in the time allotted.

    I think it’s hilarious that he only managed to attract about 40 people. The rest of the place was filled with counter protestors, who made so much noise that Spencer could not be heard and finally left the stage. Way to go, Florida Gators!

  15. Pierce R. Butler says

    Pls note the following (from Tualha’s # 10):

    UF spokeswoman Janine Sikes said NPI did, however, eventually pay via wire transfer.

  16. Mark Plus says

    Speaking of the Alt Right’s finances, I advise the young Alt Right firebrands to prepare for their struggle financially by saving up enough cash for a year’s living expenses in an F-U Fund. That way they can protect themselves if their activism causes them to lose their jobs, and they can’t move back in with parents they might have alienated.

  17. Becca Stareyes says

    Reminds me that I recall when I was an undergrad, the College Republicans got into unspecified financial trouble with the university after spending more money than they had in their account or something similar. (I had learned this from their (former) faculty sponsor, who had taken a hands-off approach until brought in by the administration to short things out; he joked that George W. Bush was setting a bad example about spending for kids these days.)

    I managed to parlay that into getting that faculty member as the temporary sponsor of the anime club until we could find a professor who cared about the subject matter; as then-treasurer, I assured him that I can balance a checkbook.

  18. michaelwbusch says

    Tualha wrote@10:

    UF was required by law to let Spencer speak

    My understanding of the relevant laws is limited, but I thought universities can refuse to host speakers / events in the interest of public safety. Spencer regularly incites violence – including attempted murder. That’s in addition to his being a white supremacist neo-Nazi who wants to commit ethnic cleansing. He should be denied a platform everywhere.

    Checking, various other universities (e.g. Ohio State, Michigan State) are now banning Spencer from their campuses for the sake of public safety. Lawsuits have been filed against the schools, by a group of lawyers & fans of Spencer who are just as horrifically toxic as Spencer is. e.g. https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2017/09/28/meet-cameron-padgett-richard-spencers-booking-agent-and-legal-advocate .

  19. Walter Solomon says

    This is a bit off topic but can someone explain to me why anyone, including racists, find the Nazis so appealing?

    They were losers, literally, they lost. Furthermore, they were drug-addicted (Hitler & Goering), slightly deformed (Goebbels), frauds who became sick at the sight of blood (Himmler). They weren’t the masters of anything let alone the human race.

    Is it the Reifenstahl films that make them so attractive to dumb fucks?

  20. Pierce R. Butler says

    Walter Solomon @ # 19 – Just as a wild-ass guess, I’d say they appeal to those with a penchant for racism and inarticulate yet manipulable rage.

    Bothering/scaring liberals generates bonus points (and may serve as a gateway for many).