Mens-Rights Activism Is the Gateway Drug for the Alt-Right

[octoberlib]

By
David Futrelle

Cantwell has not always been a figurehead of the alt-right. The Long Island native first gained notoriety as a cop-hating libertarian after moving to Keene, New Hampshire, in 2012 to take part in the the Free State Project, a quixotic political movement with the goal of turning the state into a haven for “free people.” He’s affixed various labels to himself over the years as his politics have transmogrified: anarchist, anarcho-capitalist, atheist, asshole. Perhaps the most revealing of his political past selves? Christopher Cantwell, men’s-rights activist.

During 2014 and 2015, Cantwell posted regular men’s-rights screeds to his blog on subjects ranging from Elliot Rodger’s murder spree to the reasons why men and women “are not, cannot, and should not be equals.” In one particularly overwrought post on “rape accusation culture” that was later republished on the then-popular men’s-rights site A Voice for Men, he warned fellow men of the alleged dangers of false accusations from vengeful women.“No evidence necessary, just point your finger, ladies, and men will go to prison,” he declared. “Just say the word and their reputations and careers will be ruined. Simply bat your eyes at a policeman and he’ll snatch up any ex-boyfriend you feel jilted by.”

Cantwell is hardly the only alt-rightist with a past as a men’s-rights activist. Media gadfly, “sick Hillary” conspiracy theorist, and self-help guru Mike Cernovich was known for his men’s-rights talk before he turned to Trump and the alt-right — though he now claims to have broken with the movement. Canadian YouTube “philosopher” Stefan Molyneux declared himself an MRA long before he became a darling of the alt-right (and he recently conducted an interview with the author of that notorious Google memo, James Damore). Peter Tefft, a young man with a fashy hairdo who was famously disowned by his family after being outed as one of the torch-carrying marchers in Charlottesville, went through a men’s-rights phase before declaring himself a fascist, according to his nephew in an interview with CNN.

There are good reasons why men’s-rights activism has served for so many as a gateway drug to the alt-right: Both movements appeal to men with fantasies of violent, sometimes apocalyptic redemption — and, like Cantwell, a tendency to express these fantasies in bombastic prose. And both movements are based on a bizarro-world ideology in which those with the most power in contemporary society are the true victims of oppression.



https://www.thecut.com/2017/08/mens-rights-activism-is-the-gateway-drug-for-the-alt-right.html?utm_campaign=nym&utm_source=tw&utm_medium=s1

[underpants]

1. I've always thought that

Good article.

[boston bean]

2. Do you have any idea of the shit so many women took here when pointing out

this growing sickness.

We were faced with MRA talking points supported and never removed. Told to get our fainting couches.

And told that women really werenot paid less or were not as victimized as men sexually.

Thread after thread if mra talking point. I will never forget it.

It was fucking disgusting and supported here by too many to count.

[Ken Burch]

4. With you on that. As the surviving spouse of a woman who suffered physical and verbal violence

in a previous marriage, I have no use with the MRA...especially the "what about battered MEN?" crowd.

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

9. I don't think I'd generally be described as naive, but I was very surprised by all the MRA

defense going on here on DU. Disappointing, to say the least.

[obamanut2012]

11. this

[seaglass]

18. It has improved so much on that front here, don't you think? n/t

[boston bean]

32. I do think there has been an improvement. A feminist thread

Is no longer swarmed and women aren't attacked. But it was like for many years.

[seaglass]

33. Yes, I'm just appreciating how many of the MRA types left or were FFRd during this last

election. Did not find it surprising at all that they would have an issue with voting for Hillary.

[Squinch]

21. Yes! That was disgusting, and it lasted a very, very long time.

And lots of those asshole trolls who came here to spew that nonsense were supported - and "well-maybe-they-have-a-point"ed - by some who are still here.

[octoberlib]

23. I remember that. Some of it popped back up recently on the Google memo posts.

[ismnotwasm]

26. I remember "pearl clutcher" was a favorite of theirs to toss around

(Which always cracked me up as particularly stupid)

They were here all along. We told y'all.

[yardwork]

27. And it seemed to end after some posters left DU for JPR.

Not a coincidence.

[whathehell]

30. 'Misogyny is the last accepted bigotry on the Left"

Katha Pollitt, Nation writer.

[samnsara]

3. white men have been at the top of the food chain forever..

..what the hell do they have to belly ache about?

[TeapotInATempest]

5. Women's rights are human rights (as someone once said)

Just like many mass murderers were domestic abusers first, now we find out that many Nazis are MRAs.

Why am I not surprised?

[Raster]

6. You can add to that the Proud Boys...

...basically, the frat-boy version of the alt-right...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proud_Boys

...and their OberFurhuer, Major Mustache.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gavin_McInnes

[octoberlib]

24. Thanks for the link! I've heard of Gavin McInnes and Kyle Chapman but not the Proud Boys.

[Turn CO Blue]

7. I have postulated before about how the PUA/MRA crossed with gamer and libertarian forums

and then some content crossed with anti-Liberal forums, and then fully merged with the worst elements and content and arguments from the dark web -- white supremacist/Nazi groups.

Add in some dark money, bitcoin scams, and finally later lots of dark Russian money to fund the bigger "names" in the white supremacy circuit -- and influence campaigns and psychographic targeting and propaganda (active measures to stir the pot further) -- and it became just one big stinking, festering mass of white power and male grievance bullshit for angry, hateful, emotionally stunted and socially maladjusted men.

[MountCleaners]

16. I've been arguing with MRAs for years...

...and I've warned them that the far-right will gladly adopt their talking points and assimilate their movement. A lot of them think that feminists and "SJW's" are the real authoritarians. I have furnished quotes from Nazis about the subjugation of women, but they just engage in historical revisionism. The usual crap about how the left are the "real Nazis" and how the Nazis were "left wing".

Always felt that MRAs should be included in lists of far right and hate groups.

I haven't done this in a while because since Twitter and Reddit came along, my point has been made for me. Nazis have absorbed the MRAs. Any MRA that thinks he is not far right must be batshit nuts at this point.

[BainsBane]

8. Oh, yeah

That was clear from that piece about Heather Heyer they circulated. I recall hearing some of those same comments about "female privilege" and women in general from people who claimed to be on the left. Naturally they couldn't bring themselves to vote for Clinton, what with her chromosomal abnormality, so they aren't around this particular corner of the interweb as much anymore.

[tymorial]

10. There are definitely pieces of garbage within the MRA

Last edited Thu Aug 17, 2017, 07:46 PM - Edit history (1)

There are issues they promote that I disagree with (vehemently) but others I feel are valid. I am certain that will anger some but I don't feel that one size fits all when it comes to this particular issue. I do believe in absolutes on many things but this isn't one of them.

And just to be clear, anyone who self identifies as alt right is a bigoted asshole; support for any insividual issue I happen to agree with aside.

Self edit:
I was asked for a list and that is a valid criticism. I recognize that this subject evokes strong emotions and I could have answered some of these questions by including subjects that I feel are important. I am not going to argue with anyone though as I do not wish to fight.

1. Suicide rates among men.
2. Sexual abuse and assault of men.
3. Father's rights.
4. Circumcision.

[obamanut2012]

12. Wow, you feel hate groups have VALID points?!

You do know these groups are literally considered hate groups, right???

What points do you agree with them on???

[smirkymonkey]

14. Really, what points do MRA groups make that you find valid?

I would be interested to hear.

[Weekend Warrior]

15. What are their valid issues? Nt

[leftstreet]

19. I'd also like to hear what you consider their valid issues

Maybe should have bullet-pointed a few in your post

[Squinch]

22. Yes, add me to the list of curious. What MRA issues could you get on board with? Do tell.

[demmiblue]

28. Anyone who self identifies with the MRA, even partially, is a misogynistic asshole.

[Codeine]

31. "Feminism is a cancer," he typed

vaping and chugging Mountain Dew. "It's killing us men."

The microwave dinged. His taquitos were ready.

[ismnotwasm]

13. Yup.

[rockfordfile]

17. No such thing as the "alt-right". They're just right-wing extremists.

[Iggo]

20. Yup. That's regular right.

[maxsolomon]

25. Seriously: Where do they find the time?

Between sleeping, eating, domestic chores, work, and commuting, I've got maybe 1, 2 hours a night.

[Iggo]

29. Take out one of those things and you got all day. (n/t)

[Gothmog]

34. This is very believable

The people who I have seen who are active in these man rights group tend to be nut cases