Yesterday, I came across this video posted by Lindsay Shepherd in which she bids The Left goodbye and good riddance.
This is hardly surprising. Despite repeatedly identifying herself as a leftist, a liberal and a progressive on a variety of issues such as climate change and gay marriage, the Left (at least in Canada) does not accept her and views her as a fascist, racist, transphobic and a neo-Nazi because of her support of free speech. The Left perceives free speech as a right-wing value instead of a universal one. In the video, Shepherd says she wants nothing to do with a political ideology which she views as pro-censorship that promotes a victimhood culture and moral righteousness. She also finds them humorless and boring. Shepherd arrived at this conclusion as a result of left-wing activists shutting down the appearance of Faith Goldy at Wilfrid Laurier University earlier this month which I wrote about here.
I could easily identify with her reasoning having left The Left myself after the attacks of September 11, 2001. What I could not identify with however was her claim that there is "a huge difference" between white nationalists and white supremacists:
When I was doing radio interviews about the Faith Goldy event people would ask me how I feel about Faith Goldy's views. I'd have to, I found myself explaining the difference between white nationalism and white supremacism (sic) because there's a huge difference. And The Left wants to make it that even if you acknowledge that difference there must be something really dangerous or something really scary about you. And so even when I was explaining that difference I felt very self-conscious about it. So again it's the removing of the nuance in order to control the narrative.
It must be said that this view doesn't mean Shepherd subscribes to racism, anti-Semitism, anti-Papism or any other kind of bigotry. There are others who believe there is a difference between white nationalists and white supremacists such Merrill Perlman. Shortly after the events in Charlottesville last summer, Perlman wrote a piece in the Columbia Journalism Review on the subject:
A “supremacist” believes a particular race (or sex, or other genetic or cultural characteristic) is naturally superior to others. Because you must know what the characteristic is that is believed to be “supreme,” an adjective has to be attached. Thus there are “white supremacists,” “Muslim supremacists,” “male supremacists” (also sometimes known as “misogynists”), etc. Racial and cultural groups can also have their own internal divisions, as in Sunnis who believe themselves “supreme” in relation to Shiites, and vice versa.
A “nationalist,” though, is at heart merely someone who strongly believes in the interest of one’s own nation, however “nation” might be defined. President Trump is a “nationalist,” as are most liberals, populists, and everyone to the right and left.
However, when you read Perlman's piece further it is clear her distinction is one without difference:
While many “white nationalists” are also “white supremacists” because they believe white people are inherently superior to other races, the terms are really not interchangeable.
As Merriam-Webster explains, “white nationalist is defined as ‘one of a group of militant whites who espouse white supremacy and advocate enforced racial segregation,’ while white supremacist is ‘a person who believes that the white race is inherently superior to other races and that white people should have control over people of other races.’”
Did Perlman not read Merriam-Webster's definition. White nationalists espouse white supremacy.
It doesn't get any more simple.
As for Shepherd, I've been trying to find recording of these interviews in which Shepherd discusses this "huge difference", but have been unable to do so. Notwithstanding the absence of this information, I believe I have sufficient information to refute her claim.
From where I sit, the term white nationalist is a polite term for a white supremacist. Whether someone refers to themselves as a white nationalist or a white supremacist they share the same political objectives. They believe in the segregation and subjugation of African-Americans, Jews, Catholics and anyone else who isn't like them by violent means. I'm sure that self-identified white nationalists and self-identified white supremacists were both chanting "Jews will not replace us" in Charlottesville last August. It is fair to say that white nationalists and white supremacists hate Jews with equal measure and would not shed a tear if Jews were rounded up sent back into gas chambers.
