DeSantis ally Christopher Rufo hosts debate with one participant advocating rightwing cooperation with a hypothetical white nationalist dictator

[essentialsaltes]

‘No enemies to the right’: DeSantis ally hosts debate hedging white nationalism​

Conservative activist Christopher Rufo, who is a close ally [and New College board appointee] of Florida governor and Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis, hosted a social media debate in which one participant argued that conservatives should cooperate with a hypothetical white nationalist dictator “in order to destroy the power of the left”.

Participating in the debate was Charles Haywood, a former shampoo magnate who the Guardian previously reported is a would-be “warlord” who founded a secretive, men-only fraternal society, the Society for American Civic Renewal (SACR).

The debate concerned Haywood’s promotion of a strategy he calls “no enemies to the right”, which urges people on the right to avoid any public criticism of others in their camp, including extremists.

Early in the Rufo-hosted discussion last Tuesday, Haywood raised the hypothetical possibility early in the discussion: “Let’s say a real white nationalist arose who had real political power … and therefore [could] be of assistance against the left.”

Responding to the hypothetical, Haywood said: “I think that the answer is that you should cooperate with that person in order to destroy the power of the left.”

[Later:] “When we’re talking about people like Franco or Pinochet or even Salazar … they did kill people. ... that’s just a historical fact.”

“But,” Haywood added, “they saved a lot more people than they killed.”

 

[Pommer]

‘No enemies to the right’: DeSantis ally hosts debate hedging white nationalism​

Conservative activist Christopher Rufo, who is a close ally [and New College board appointee] of Florida governor and Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis, hosted a social media debate in which one participant argued that conservatives should cooperate with a hypothetical white nationalist dictator “in order to destroy the power of the left”.

Participating in the debate was Charles Haywood, a former shampoo magnate who the Guardian previously reported is a would-be “warlord” who founded a secretive, men-only fraternal society, the Society for American Civic Renewal (SACR).

The debate concerned Haywood’s promotion of a strategy he calls “no enemies to the right”, which urges people on the right to avoid any public criticism of others in their camp, including extremists.

Early in the Rufo-hosted discussion last Tuesday, Haywood raised the hypothetical possibility early in the discussion: “Let’s say a real white nationalist arose who had real political power … and therefore [could] be of assistance against the left.”

Responding to the hypothetical, Haywood said: “I think that the answer is that you should cooperate with that person in order to destroy the power of the left.”

[Later:] “When we’re talking about people like Franco or Pinochet or even Salazar … they did kill people. ... that’s just a historical fact.”

“But,” Haywood added, “they saved a lot more people than they killed.”

Isn’t the idea that we “remember history” to make sure that we don’t repeat “mistakes”?
Huh.

 

[Friedrich Rubinstein]

As someone who watches debates between all kinds of people it's very strange to attribute the views of the participants to the host of the debate, or even worse, a friend of the host of the debate. If a friend of mine hosts a debate between a Muslim and an atheist it would be weird to accuse me of being pro-Islam. Likewise, bringing DeSantis into this is rather ridiculous.
And I'm not even American that I'd have a stake in the presidential candidacy etc. at all. Just noting this from an outside perspective.

 

[USincognito]

Responding to the hypothetical, Haywood said: “I think that the answer is that you should cooperate with that person in order to destroy the power of the left.”

This sort of mentality reminds me of @iluvatar5150 s thread where it seems that quite a few on the right have so immersed themselves in right wing rhetoric that liberals or anyone who even holds a left of center position or two, is not merely a political opponent, but fundamentally evil, actively trying to destroy America and possibly literally demonic. The Left ™ cannot be compromised with because they are so fundamentally evil and they must be exiled or destroyed.