Johann Hari did something truly brave. He went on a cruise sponsored by the National Review in order to see wingnuts in their natural habitat.
From time to time, National Review – the bible of American conservatism – organises a cruise for its readers. I paid $1,200 to join them. The rules I imposed on myself were simple: If any of the conservative cruisers asked who I was, I answered honestly, telling them I was a journalist. Mostly, I just tried to blend in – and find out what American conservatives say when they think the rest of us aren’t listening.
What he discovered was not comforting. Here’s a sample.
I lie on the beach with Hillary-Ann, a chatty, scatty 35-year-old Californian designer. As she explains the perils of Republican dating, my mind drifts, watching the gentle tide. When I hear her say, ” Of course, we need to execute some of these people,” I wake up. Who do we need to execute? She runs her fingers through the sand lazily. “A few of these prominent liberals who are trying to demoralise the country,” she says. “Just take a couple of these anti-war people off to the gas chamber for treason to show, if you try to bring down America at a time of war, that’s what you’ll get.” She squints at the sun and smiles. ” Then things’ll change.”
This same mindset is repeated elsewhere but probably nowhere as explicitly as below. The table is discussing Germany’s consideration of charging Rumsfeld with crimes.
A red-faced man who looks like an egg with a moustache glued on grumbles, ” If the Germans think they can take responsibility for the world, I don’t care about German courts. Bomb them.” I begin to witter on about the Pinochet precedent, and Kate snaps, “Treating Don Rumsfeld like Pinochet is disgusting.” Egg Man pounds his fist on the table: ” Treating Pinochet like that is disgusting. Pinochet is a hero. He saved Chile.”
“Exactly,” adds Jim. “And he privatised social security.”
The table nods solemnly and then they march into the conversation – the billion-strong swarm of swarthy Muslims who are poised to take over the world. Jim leans forward and says, “When I see these football supporters from England, I think – these guys aren’t going to be told by PC elites to be nice to Muslims. You’re going to get fascists rising up, aren’t you? Why isn’t that happening already?” Before I can answer, he is conquering the Middle East from his table, from behind a crème brûlée.
“The civilised countries should invade all the oil-owning places in the Middle East and run them properly. We won’t take the money ourselves, but we’ll manage it so the money isn’t going to terrorists.”
Change ‘Muslims’ to ‘Jews’ and ‘terrorists’ to ‘communists’ and you have a Nazi. Plain and simple. This is the world of the National Review.
