David Cole on Richard Spencer’s “self-indulgent desire to play the bad boy”

David Cole writes:

So let’s have a reality check, not just for my misguided fans, but for anyone who claims to champion “white” or European identity politics: Hitler was no pan-European hero, and he was not “pro-white.” He was the leader of a nation called Germany, and his interest was, as is understandable for someone who was the leader of a nation called Germany, German prosperity.

I bring this up because without question there are legitimate, serious issues on the table right now regarding Europe and whites. There is a concerted effort to rob European nations of their sovereignty, to flood the continent with hostile and unassimilable immigrants, and to destroy Europe’s indigenous cultures. That’s a genuine concern, and an important one. Here in the U.S., many whites are sick and tired of being made to feel as though they have to apologize for their skin color. It’s not a matter of whites wanting to loudly proclaim “white is better”; it’s more that whites are fed up with being told “white is bad.” (…)

The problem is, the moment it seems like there’s even a chance of making progress on those issues, some jackass brings up Hitler, and all momentum is lost. Some pro-white or pro-Europe bonehead invokes a guy who was neither pro-white nor pro-Europe, and the deserved toxicity of the brand kills a nascent debate.