While previous generations of moral philosophers have grappled with some of the most important questions on the nature of human existence, 2017 – the unwanted sequel to 2016 – has people asking whether or not it’s okay to punch a Nazi?
It all started when Neo-Nazi leader Richard Spencer, while giving an interview to ABC news during the inauguration of President Donald Trump, was recorded getting smacked by an unknown assailant, with Spencer’s bombastic rhetoric giving way to tears.
The Internet, ever since, has been divided between op-eds claiming that violence is never the answer and memes timing the punch thrown Spencer’s way to various different pieces of music, essentially saying if a person’s a Nazi, he probably had it coming.
Spencer, whose video-recorded punch was actually the second levelled on him that day, is a human being, whose opinions are protected in the US by the First Amendment of the Constitution. He also has used anti-Semitic and racist language, referred to the mainstream media as the Lügenpresse, a term used by the Nazis to attack their critics in the press, and infamously led a salute to the then President-elect with “Hail, Trump!”, his raised glass matched by the gathered crowd with raised right arms.
Spencer, 38, also advocates in favour of creating a white homeland within the continental United States, along with a number of other white supremacist beliefs.
A Nazi it's fine to fight
Whether or not that merits a box to the face is likely a personal decision each person in his presence must reconcile, but the people over at CAFE have created a game that allows everyone the opportunity to punch Pepe the Frog, the infamous cartoon character appropriated by the Alt-Right.
[CAFE]
Pepe’s Punch Out!!, which takes inspiration from a classic Mike Tyson video game, allows players to make a choice between non-violent engagement or punching. Going the first route results in “three-hour debates” that wind up seeing Mario and Luigi ethnically cleansed.
The game then switches to fight mode and turns out to be rather tricky, require patience and a deft hand to land enough blows to knock out a pugilistic Pepe, who fights back. It is worth noting that when Spencer was punched on screen, he was in the middle of explaining his Pepe lapel pin to the TV journalist interviewing him.
You can find Pepe’s Punch Out!! here.
