PLATFORM : Face of Intolerance

There is a comic side to Tom Metzger and other white supremacists: Hooded robes, mumbo-jumbo rituals and pyrotechnic theatrics are right out of a scene in a Hollywood B-movie. It’s kitschy.

Most of the movements that have caused real damage to humanity have used cheap theatrics to give the illusion of power, tradition and to simply mesmerize. The Nazis and the Italian Fascists were obsessed with banners, tailored uniforms, parades and even pyrotechnic extravaganzas. American neo-Nazis and white supremacists share this fascist aesthetic.

Most Americans have embraced the notion that diversity strengthens this country, that tolerance is the highest form of morality. Still, dancing around the campfire and hooded robes have had their appeal. Learning how to behave in this fragile and dangerous century means recognizing the face of intolerance, hatred and immorality, and rejecting it vigorously.