Zero Books recently released a video featuring Angela Nagle, the author of Kill All Normies. Earlier this year we did a review of Nagle's book on the year anniversary of its publication. A revised volume is forthcoming from Zero books and will feature a new preface and afterword. The book seemed to upset as many on the left of center as those on the right, but once again, Nagle has found herself the center of controversy as Zero Books explains the "latest Twitter storm that's brewing around Angela Nagel's 'Kill all normies.'"
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Nagle once again found herself in the spotlight of controversy after defending debate opponent Carl Benjamin, better known as "Sargon of Akkad." Sargon, who had recently joined the UK Independent Party (UKIP) has also been featured in profiles (or "hit pieces" according to Carl) in both the Guardian and the London Times late last September.
Benjamin, who fancies himself a "classical liberal" and markets himself as a "free speech activist" first made his name and career during GamerGate and continued on making videos mocking SJWs for years. Unfortunately, he made the mistake of calling Richard Spencer a "nigger" during a debate. There was also the tweet to a female legislator in the UK who was denouncing threats of sexual violence online in which he blithely responded: "I wouldn't even rape you." For the record, Ethan Ralph of the Ralph Retort and YouTuber Mr. Metokur had been warning Carl that such past indiscretions would eventually catch up with him.
<quote>“Maybe you’re just acting like a nigger, mate. Have you considered that? You think white people act like this? White people are meant to be polite and respectful to one another."</quote> - Carl "Sargon of Akkad" Benjamin
In the Zero Books video [] admits he doesn't know if Carl is actually racist. I agree in a sense, far more appalling than Sargon's ill-advised "white niggers" rant during the debate with Alt-Right poster boy Richard Spencer that left us with the "have you even read Locke" meme, are times when Benjamin has admitted he is fine with lying if it is convenient or expedient.
Zero Books came to Nagle's defense in light of the bit of negative publicity that arose from the Sargon debate, "She's getting a lot of stupid smears for it rather than people taking time to think through what they disagree with. Her strongest point was that 'classical liberalism' produces its enemies including the identitarian right."
https://thegoldwater.com/news/35377-Internet-Sleuth-Mr-Metokur-Gets-The-Alex-Jones-Treatment
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">She's getting a lot of stupid smears for it rather than people taking time to think through what they disagree with. Her strongest point was that "classical liberalism" produces its enemies including the identitarian right.</p>— Zero Books (@Zer0Books) <a href="https://twitter.com/Zer0Books/status/1049863411008299009?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Can "classical Liberalism" take on the move towards populism and identitarianism on both the right and the left was the theme of the debate. Classical Liberals, of course, have far more in common with, say Ron Paul Libertarians than say, Nancy Pelosi or Charles Schumer. It was the Humanist philosophers like Locke, Hobbes and Rousseau who, in a large part, inspired the French and American Revolutions.
Nagle has described the rise of the identitarian right as an obvious outgrowth of the identity politics of the left in a series of revolution, reaction, counter-revolution and counter-reaction. According to her thesis in Kill All Normies the rise of both the Alt-Right and Alt-Lite figures like Richard Spencer or Carl "Sargon" Benjamin come from their being packaged as revolutionary, anti-establishment figures. The idea that "Conservatism is the new punk rock" helped mobilize the Trump base in 2016.
https://thegoldwater.com/news/21752-Ralph-Retort-Takes-On-Destiny-DMCA-Claim
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Meanwhile, there will always be those who want to cherrypick and quote-snipe in order to paint a picture other than what it is.
<blockquote>Sargon of Akkad aka Carl Benjamin, who believes Nazis were "cool" and "successful", loves using the n word and threaten women with rape, is also a big fan of Angela Nagle's shitty plagiarized undergrad paper (which glorifies Jordan Peterson) marketed as a book, because of course</blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sargon of Akkad aka Carl Benjamin, who believes Nazis were "cool" and "successful", loves using the n word and threaten women with rape, is also a big fan of Angela Nagle's shitty plagiarized undergrad paper (which glorifies Jordan Peterson) marketed as a book, because of course <a href="https://t.co/KtatRl9qOx">pic.twitter.com/KtatRl9qOx</a></p>— ☀️👀 (@zei_nabq) <a href="https://twitter.com/zei_nabq/status/1044240212128395264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Nagle applauded Sargon's attacks on the Alt-Right and ethno-nationalismn and pointed out that even she had been called Alt-Right after having written Kill All Normies.
Now, I am no fan of Carl "Sargon of Akkad" Benjamin, I have multiple issues with the man as a person as well as a "personality," but like with Alex Jones, I can channel my inner Voltaire when it comes time to defend someone whose politics or person I personally find distasteful when it comes to supporting their right to free speech. For this reason, I greatly appreciate Nagle's ability to disagree but still stand up for Sargon.
Twitter: #zerobooks #angelanagle #sargonofakkad
THoughtful piece- unlike the drive by hit commentary on Nagle. I've had seemingly reasonable people block me on the Twitters for mentioning Sargon without an obligatory ad hominem. Not a fan of his , but jeezis!
Hey!
They can all go live in Taliban camps & explain how they are on the same side as SJW`s & see how that pans out for them!
Hardeharharhar!
THIS IS A LONG ARTICLE. MY EYES HURT.
FONT TOO SMALL. AHHHH
Once again "free speech" is misunderstood. At least in the USA (and by common norms in most democracies) free speech is only protected against government sanctions. Private institutions and most universities and schools are within their normative rights to restrict who they will give a platform to, as is YouTube (re: Alex Jones). That's not to say YouTube are smart in de-platforming Jones. But they have the right to shut down trash. And the right to shut down good quality channels. It cuts both ways. But a government (normatively, ad in the USA legally) cannot shut down speech unless it is hate speech or incites violence. Nagle is thus profoundly wrong in "defending" Benjamin. he does not need defending. He is completely free to post to sites like SteemIt or DTube.
If you defend Nazis, you're a Nazi too. Go fuck yourself.
Must be a very good book if they have to discredit and slander the author with the deeds of another.