Richard Spencer

April 29, 2009

While working at another publication, I was informed by its managing editrix that we represented ?the conscience of the conservative movement.? Then and there, I swore that one day I?d edit a publication with a reputation as the movement?s Id. Of all the things lacking in the contemporary American Right, a fastidious regard for ?respectability? isn?t one them. And I don?t think the Alternative Right is, well, alternative due to our impoliteness. In turn, Richard Perle didn?t reach the upper levels of power because of his table manners nor have Ramesh Ponnuru and K-Lo advanced in movement hackery due to their charm and good looks. More importantly, what?s the use of being in the Alternative Right if we can?t push the envelope on occasion. There?s more than enough pretension of virtue and “high church conservatism” to be found elsewhere.

This is not to say that cussing and saying things outrageous are goods in themselves. And it should be obvious that for every one piece by Gavin McInnes at Takimag, there?ll be 100 or more published by R.J. Stove, Tom Woods, John Zmirak, Paul Gottfried, Grant Havers, and others that are worthy of scholarly journals or glossies (and would get placed there if we weren?t burdened with a diseased elite that marginalizes any writer slightly to the right of Nancy Pelosi and, in turn, an all too often self-segregating conservative movement).

I?ve long been a fan of Gavin, and ever since I started at Takimag, I?ve been searching for a ?low life? voice (so to speak) to compliment Taki?s ?high life? column about misbehavior in Gstaad. Gavin has a provocative style, and bowdlerizing him would be, mutatis mutandis, like translating Shakespeare into contemporary English to make him more user-friendly: ?How all occasions do inform against me / and spur my dull revenge? would become ?Jeez, I know shit?s all bad right now / but yo dog, I?m just gonna do it one day!?).

Gavin ain?t the Bard, but you get my drift.