Beautiful loser?

Why does Jared Taylor, who personally gets along with Jews and has never expressed anything anti-Semitic, nevertheless welcome anti-Semites and Nazis to his conferences and refuse to criticize anti-Semitism? VFR reader Clark Coleman has a theory:

I have long been committed to reduction and reform of the welfare state because of the tremendous variety of problems it causes, which I will not list here.

Imagine that I started a website and magazine devoted to welfare reform issues. Everyone in the country who wants to reduce and/or reform the welfare state would be welcome to contribute their articles and comments and attend my conferences.

After a time, it comes to my attention that David Duke and other former Klansmen have joined my little coalition. They are continually making comments, writing articles and books, linking to my website from theirs, etc., in such a way as to make it obvious that their primary concern is hatred of blacks. They continually espouse welfare reform as a way to “stop giving money to the niggers” and other such comments.

At this point, the credibility of my movement is in jeopardy. Would it make sense for me to say that all I care about is keeping a big tent for all who agree with me on the one issue of welfare reform? Of course not. It would make all my efforts politically ineffective.

However, there are certain people in this world who RELISH their irrelevance and ineffectiveness. They are too good for this world. The world rejects them because the world is not pure enough, not honest enough, or not courageous enough to embrace the truths they are preaching. Their unpopularity is a perverse source of pleasure. It proves that they are one of the faithful remnant, the chosen few.

I have encountered this attitude many times in my life. Religious sectarians and fringe political groups (include many libertarians) will often delight in the suicidal destruction of their own effectiveness and influence. If you are serious about accomplishing something in this world, you will “mark and avoid” such people at all costs. They are poison to any movement, religious or political.

I suspect that Jared Taylor long ago consigned himself to permanent “out of the mainstream” status. The mainstream is too corrupt, too cowardly, and too venal to accept his truths. Once this mindset is established, warning such a person that the likes of David Duke will destroy his effectiveness is a waste of time.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at May 01, 2006 08:41 PM | Send