Nazis

Today's "should have been yesterday on Friday but I forgot so it's today" commentary is on Nazis. Specifically, on whether or not they have the money to buy an atomic bomb and blow us all up, as depicted in the movie The Sum of all Fears. I personally am of the opinion that they are not, and that this movie would have been much, much better if they had stuck to the book wherein it's Islamic terrorists who buy the bomb and blow up Denver (also inexplicably changed, to Baltimore. Guess the pro-Denver lobby is pretty strong about stopping people from blowing up their city on film). This makes sense because Islamic terrorists are headed by people like Bin Laden who are pretty much capable of self-funding an entire network of terrorists because they sell us oil. Every time you fill up at the pump you're supporting terrorists. But that's a side note. I mean think about it: there's always these poorly-shot movies recruiting followers for al-Qaeda. You never see them saying "You can also help the glorious cause by sending us money, if you prefer not to blow yourself up". That's because they don't need it (though they wouldn't turn you away if you tried to send them money, I'm guessing.)

Anyway Nazis don't really have that kind of financing. These are people who as I understand it basically make their money selling Mein Kampf. And that really sells only to other Nazis. Also I remember one of the big Nazi groups in America (the National Alliance, I think) that splintered a few years ago had as their major moneymaker selling hate music. Again this is the type of thing that pretty much only appeals to other Nazis. And when I say "major moneymaker" I mean of course, relative to everything else that they do. The problem with Mein Kampf, I think, lies in the fact that major book chains carry it. So anyone looking to buy the book for a legitimate reason, in which I lump anything that's not spawned by an actual belief in what the book espouses, would certainly go there rather than have their good name tarnished by supporting Nazism.

The major presence of Nazism today online is at Stormfront.org -- one of the useful things about the internet is that it brings crazy people together. Now this website has a couple of hundred members, at last recollection. And if you survey the boards, which on the few occasions I have done so I have done with considerable distaste, you will find that they are mostly (hold the shock) angry and disgruntled teenagers. Raise your hand if when you think of moneyed people, the first people you think of are teenagers. Now slap yourself in the face with that hand.

And here's the other major thing about Nazis: they're ultranationalists. America's the best country on Earth. Or Germany is. Or France is. Whatever country you live in. Which by extension means that all other countries are the poop of the world. So Nazis from different countries don't exactly get along. And the idea that they would all get together like in the movie is kind of ridiculous. As opposed to say Muslim fundamentalism which has a cross-border attraction, besides the fact that many, many people who don't support terrorism as a means, have sympathy for the end goal of an Islamic state. I'm not going to get into the Islamic/Islamist debate here though ;-). I mean, Nazis in this country hate each other. Do you have any idea how many different Klan groups we have here? Splintering is the national hobby of these people, after killing black people and burning crosses. There's so much hate in these groups that the idea of working harmoniously together with other people, even people who hate the same people you do, is completely alien. Or that's my theory, anyway.

And as the trump point, let me tell you one of my favorite stories about Nazism: The founder of the National Alliance, William Pierce, died of cancer in 2002. Cries of mourning. Oh wait. Anyway so he died at his compound in West Virginia. And get this: his body wasn't discovered for three days. Yep, this is an organisation that has the planning, discipline, and dedicated following necessary to bring off a nuclear bomb.