I haven’t been paying attention to the case at all, but Chris Cantwell has been found guilty of his crimes (whatever they are) and faces a possible sentence of 22 years. What I find most disturbing is the peek into the life of a neo-Nazi.
Authorities say Cantwell used the Telegram messaging app to convey a threat last year to a Missouri man, saying that he would rape the man’s wife if he didn’t give up information about the leader of a white supremacist group of which the man was a member, authorities said.
Cantwell is also accused of threatening to expose the man’s identity if he didn’t provide the personal details about the leader of the Bowl Patrol. The group’s name was inspired by the haircut of Dylann Roof, who was sentenced to death for fatally shooting nine Black church members during a Bible study session in Charleston, South Carolina.
There are multiple levels of “nope, nope, nope” in there. I’m not going to even try to tease them apart to figure out precisely which of those things got him convicted. It’s enough for me to see all the nastiness between neo-Nazis, and that at least one of them is going to be out of circulation for a while.
Crip Dyke, Right Reverend Feminist FuckToy of Death & Her Handmaiden says
Been waiting to hear the outcome of this trial. As everyone knows, I’m pretty opposed to the US correctional system, which often makes things worse, not better, but I can say that I believe his conviction was well earned.
christoph says
Maybe they’ll follow the Republican’s example and eat their own.
robro says
Crip Dyke — The conviction seems warranted but the US correctional system will only serve to make him a bigger racist and better Nazi. And even if he’s sentenced to 22 years, he’ll probably be out before then and in plenty of time to do more damage.
Marcus Ranum says
Who does he think he’s superior to?
cervantes says
For the record the convictions are for extortion and threatening. I don’t see how he can become a bigger racist and better Nazi, he’s pretty much A grade already.
robro says
cervantes @ #5 — I’m sure you’re right, but he could go beyond threats to actions and learn better techniques for carrying them. Added bonus: He meets up with others in his cohort who also want to do harm.
tacitus says
Two things I remember from listening to a couple of his podcasts a couple of years ago…
First, the message he most wanted to get in front of young Americans was “It’s okay to be a racist,” and his preferred method was to use jokes and “funny” memes.
Second, he said on more than one occasion that Tucker Carlson should be required viewing for white nationalists, and that Carlson’s agenda was all to clear to all those who were paying attention. This was well before it came out that Carlson’s head writer was a racist.
I doubt he’s anywhere close to being the most dangerous Nazi in America, but he can rot for all I care.
tommynottimmy says
He could radicalize others, maybe. In any case, it is unlikely he will become less of a Nazi in prison.
I’m almost, almost tempted to say we shouldn’t even bother trying to police Nazi on Nazi crime. Let them destroy each other. But I don’t think it will make anything better without thousands dying.
garydargan says
Isn’t it ironic? Neo-nazi goons are allowed to run rampant threatening, bashing and even murdering decent people who don’t share their vile views. It takes them threatening one of their own before some form of justice is done.
wzrd1 says
From what I’m seeing, he wasn’t a Nazi at all, just generic alt-right idiot, who decided to extort information from a neo-nazi “bowl patrol” bozo for some weird reason (trying to figure out who their leader is).
So, far right attacking far right, probably for not being right enough, in the “right way” (whatever that is). Aka, the far right eating their own.
klatu says
@wzrd1
What’s the difference? What did they chant again in Charlottesville, where Cantwell gained notoriety? Something something “jews” something something “replace”? Does that ring a bell? If Unite the Right aren’t nazis, who the fuck is?
whheydt says
Re: tommynottimmy @ #8…
The problem is the collateral damage that would be left in their wake. If the Nazi on Nazi violence could be contained to just the various factions of Nazis, it might be worth it, but it wouldn’t be.
tommynottimmy says
@12 whheydt
That’s really why I’m just almost tempted. Too many non-Nazis and probably children will either die or get sucked into radicalization. Nothing like a good war to lead people to make decisions they wouldn’t normally.
stroppy says
Well the alt-right is an attempt to rebrand white nationalism– which is not exclusive of nazism.
I don’t know what was going on with this guy, maybe somebody insulted somebody’s colors. All kinds of weird shit swirling around in the world of 1 percenter level criminal gangs.
David Gerard says
I earnestly recommend Nick Martin’s newsletter The Informant https://www.informant.news/ where Hilary Sargent covered the Cantwell trial in all its tawdry glory. Your #1 source for depressing but important news about the neo-Nazis! I am most pleased to be a paying subscriber.
jimzy says
I spent way too much time on Wikipedia keeping “AKA The Crying Nazi” in and at the top of the article.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Cantwell
call me mark says
In other Fash news, Fred Perry has withdrawn from sale the black shirt with yellow trim because of the Proud Boys:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/28/fred-perry-withdraws-polo-shirt-adopted-by-far-right-proud-boys