Comments

1
Aren't you guys curious about what this fool has to say, and hopefully hear him be challenged on it? Why in the fuck are we trending toward this "shut it down! "silence everything!" society? The argument that it's giving him a platform is a absolute shit, as we all know, since the result of him being heard is people using their brains on their own to determine how fucking retarded he is, thusly reaffirming their belief that fans of Nazism are thoroughly incorrect in their views.

It wasn't the government that wanted to burn books and stop discourse in Fahrenheit 451, it was the braindead people - the people we're suddenly mimicking.

Most sad, however, is that in everything the perpetrator of the "twitter-storm" even that offended everyone and their goldfish, is required to issue an immediate apology, rather than stand up to the braindead mob.
3
I don't think I've ever agreed with Idiot Sawant ever, but here I kinda do. I understand the gut reaction to silence nazi speech in any way we can, yet if we truly believe in freedom of speech, we have to allow repulsive views to be part of discourse. We also need to participate fully in the process so that those views remain relegated to an imbecilic minority. I also think that the KUOW piece did not advance his cause at all...it made him look stupid and scared. One of the things I appreciate about true journalism is the way that it can take something that shouldn't be 'promoted', show it, and make it even less likely that that view will gain traction because of the context and focus of the writing or reporting.

Here is a NOT false equivalency: if we silence stupid racists, someone will want to silence smart humanists.

5
@3, the problem with the bit at the end, is that "smart humanists" is wholly subjective.
6
Too little too late. The damage is done, and now all KUOW listeners have been turned into National Socialists.

Thanks, Radke.
7
An apology that fits in a tweet is nowhere near enough for this level of lapse in judgement.
8
Apology might be a good start, but let's see him put his money where his mouth is: de-anonymize the Nazi.

The reason he gave is bullshit. If he wants "balance" because he talked to a guy who approves of punching Nazis, he can find someone who disapproves who isn't a Nazi. Randy Cohen, the NYT Ethicists, for instance, spoke against Nazi-punching when that video of Richard Spencer getting punched went viral.
9
It was news. One of the criteria of news value is interest. Views on the video prove that. I can't stand the current CIC, who says the same dumb shit over and over. But I am not gonna tell CNN to quit covering him. Though I'd rather they interview the puncher. So everyone can tell him how awesome he is.
10
Oh, important point (hit send too soon): Only should have done the interview if he gave name and biographical info.
11
I can understand the journalistic motive for conducting the interviews but they rendered nothing interesting and probably shouldn't have aired. The only message I heard was that the whiny, damaged antifa guy is itchin' to righteously punch a proactive racist "dingas" so bad that he can't speak without breaking up. And the swastika wearing "dingas"...that dumb ass is so completely self absorbed and boring that I became annoyed with myself for listening to the whole thing.

Bill Radke, however, is great! No apology needed...KUOW is lucky to have him.
12
When journalists start apologizing for addressing adversarial viewpoints, we're slipping down the slope.
13
* "... provocative racist dingus... "
14
@1 No one is even curious what YOU have to say. Let alone Nazis.

(And why I never read anything beyond the opening salvo of stupidity of your comments before my eyes roll so hard it hurts and I skip the rest. No different this time.)

We've heard you all before. Same old stupid trolling shit.
15
@12 No, dipshit.

Advocating genocide and racial superiority is not "adversarial." "Adversarial" would be "I think we need to increase taxes" and "I think we need to lower taxes."

There is no "two sides" to a debate about "debating" if gay people, black people and jews should be exterminated.

In fact there is no debate. We don't debate if a group of human beings have a right to exist in a civilized society.
16
Would Radke/KUOW have on a black or native man or woman who was advocating for the destruction or forcible expulsion of the "white race"? Wouldn't that be the accurately "adversarial opinion" to have on countering Nazis? Free speech, right?
17
I'm more with @15. This isn't shining a light on evil, it's inviting evil to your party.
Nazi clowns like him used to be relegated to Geraldo and Donohue.
17
The slope we're slipping down leads to countries not run by white supremacist dotards and conservative toadies. This slippery slope leads to becoming the next Canada. Or even Germany. Sweden!

Educated leader, who is not any kind of TV or movie star at all. Efficient healthcare that everyone has access to. Sane foreign policy. Maybe a few token moves to head off global warming. A growing middle class, people rising out of poverty. We're going to turn into one of those countries that jails Holocaust deniers and doesn't issue parade permits to the KKK. Could it happen here? Can you imagine?
18
@17 dotard. drink!
19
He's a Nazi - what more could he possibly have said that we don't know already based on that arm band he proudly wore?
20
@15: There is always a need to debate evil. Ignoring it doesn't make it go away.
21
@20 There is no debate with evil, hence their "evil" label; they've forgone basic humanity, so what are you going to debate? The weather? Dan Savage's hotness? You might as well debate a flat-earther, as if that's really something up for debate.

But maybe I'm wrong. Maybe there's some middle ground and learning that can be found from debating the eternal question of "should we exterminate the Jews?" Like, maybe it's only some Jews, and not all Jews.
22
@21: Yes, debate is the wrong word. "Expose" is better.
24
Bill Radke is a pig. He has long felt compelled to invite sexists, racists, fascists and classists on Week in Review, not to mention dreary old people (who wants to listen to Joni Balter and Chris Vance for the zillionth time?) who have plenty of exposure in other venues. I stopped listening after Paul Guppy talked down to and repeatedly interrupted Ijeoma Oluo. Bill Radke personifies all the ways in which NPR has frozen itself in amber.
25
@20 no shit, we've all been ignoring you for years, and you still keep posting your concern troll bullshit.
26
@25: Really? You never ignore me. And you love it too.
27
The punched claimed to be a libertarian supporting free speech. Radke should have called him on the existence of non—murder-endorsing—seeming and punch-encouraging ways of supporting free speech that, in particular, challenge the actors most threatening to it, that is governments.
28
The nazi advocates the extermination of millions. He was there to recruit. Nazis etc. will say or do anything to gain power and control over others. We don’t need to hear anything this creep has to say.

#21 Articulated this well. First line of defense is antifascists because we must make it clear that we are willing to fight them. A thank you to the puncher. There is no middle ground on this issue. Don’t count on the police to step up in this fight since many of them are white supremacist in a white supremacist system.

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