The following is the lede from an excellent investigative journalism piece from the CBC's Eric Szeto, Ivan Angelovski, Christian Paas-Lang, Grant LaFleche and Jordan Pearson:
In public parks, gyms and martial arts clubs — where children take classes — some of Canada’s most notorious white supremacists are preparing for violence.
The members of these fight clubs, known in white nationalist communities as “active clubs,” are hiding in plain sight. As part of their recruitment and online propaganda, they post videos of their training sessions, taking care to hide their faces and obscure their locations...
So.
What are these super fine folks really up to?
Mack Lamoureaux, who has long written about extremist groups, starting with VICE and now with the anti-extremist think tank Institute for Strategic Dialogue, spoke about this with Frontburner's Elaine Chau yesterday:
ELAINE CHAU: Active clubs are known for kind of using the popularity of MMA to reach out to potential recruits and such, right?
MACK LAMOUREUX: Well, I think they took inspiration from the last wave of extreme right groups, which would have kind of been the far more militant groups like The Base or Atomwaffen Division -- the ones that have been involved in pretty, um, extreme levels of violence -- and they decided to soften it. They decided to have a huge focus on esthetics and propaganda, as opposed to, I mean, this hyper-focus on violence. And so they leaned into mixed martial arts. They leaned into propaganda. And that's more or less what this entire active club network revolves around. They film themselves training. They make snappy edits about it. They host large fight tournaments. They even have, um...
ELAINE CHAU: Activewear.
MACK LAMOUREUX: Yeah, they have activewear. They have merchandise. "Fascist Lululemon," one person once described it to me. So it's a lot more softened than the last wave of kind of extreme right organizations that we've seen pop up. And that has been something that has worked to their benefit.
Gosh.
Can the rise of uber active Trad-Fash groups, and the reality TeeVee shows based on them, be far behind?
Not to mention the podcasts...
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Earworm in the subheader?...In a race to beat reader Cap to the 'punch', as it were...This!
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23 comments:
I have been wondering for years now how the powers that be allowed the sickening sport of mma to be legitimized.I always felt,and still do that it would contribute to the demise of civil society.
Hit publish accidentally…see above.I thought it would desensitize people, especially, youth, to violence.That seems to be the case now, and you can see it in the political spectrum where violence is threatened if things are not done the way a voting body wants.When the president of the USA is seen enjoying this particular specticle, it seems to give credence to violence.The Roman’s enjoyed people fighting to the death.Is this where society is heade in the future.We seem to repeating a lot of past history now days,and not the good history. The training of hitler youth in past seems to be the training of far right youth today.Just under a different tent.
I'm not too impressed with the "activewear" shown in the CBC article. Looks like the typical grey or black sweats worn by your average young shlub. I was expecting colours in the streets, red, white and blue.
DS--
I would go one step further and state that it's also dehumanizing.
Cap--
And foot shuffling and shoe sleeping in to boot!
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Canada has always had a "Brown Shirt" problem and one can understand why.
What is most distasteful is that "we" have brought upon ourselves.
Antisemitism has reached to dizzying heights as the old hates and myths are retold over and over again. Our schools, eager to rewrite history to please the governments current bent, has created an underclass and like all marginalized people, they tend to follow anyone selling the snake oil that they deserve more or "they" are getting more freebies than you.
Sadly our schools are following the American trend of "rote" learning and not educating and many of today's youth are functionally illiterate, historically vacant, politically unaware, and unable to solve the simplest of problems without the need of a "phone".
The MAGA syndrome is oozing into Canada and until we start educating our kids again and not programing them, Brown Shirts and all sorts of politcal vermin will multiply.
I payed attention when there were Nazi and Trump flags at the Freedom Convoy. I am aware of younger union members that vote anti union .
Something to be concerned of, at least. Lots of Nazis in U S.
Actually, I can’t understand why we have a so called brownshirt problem except that some people buy into disinformation and set about to be wilfully ignorant
Schools are not rewriting history and government isn’t marginalizing people.
If anything we are finally facing up to our history and that we aren’t free from racism and exploitation. Some people can’t handle the truth and want things to go back to the good ‘ol days. That’s where the reformers, now known as the conservatives come in. Yesterday’s party led by yesterday’s men trying to make it yesterday again.
You were not the only one who noticed the Swastika, Confederate/rebel, and Trump flags and the one that disturbed me most was the F*** Trudeau Flags.
The steal a phrase I have just read, the "smug progressive left", in part has created the fractured politics we see today.
The progressive left have created the Conservatives we see today, the anti-vax, anti-science, anti climate change crowd we see today. Instead of education in our schools, we have de-educated our schools, forcing concepts onto children that adults can't deal with.
The result, a backlash and it starts in grade 1.
Look, there were never any "good old days", many would like to believe, but the "brave new world" we see today also sees many ill-equipped to deal with today's realities. Food banks, tent cities, and the permanent homeless have evolved under the "smug progressive left" that has been generally running the show for the past few generations.
We have a big problem in Canada and one only has to look in the mirror to see who is at fault.
I have never understood pugilism as a sport and i have played for many years, in one of the toughest sports around, Rugby.
MMA is nothing more than a legitimized bar room brawl and I used to see a lot of that at the Gillnetter in Ladner, back in the day - for free!
“The smug progressive left”, hilarious. Someone has bought into the reform, maga, blame someone other than themselves for their ignorance.
Hey EE, get the government to tax the rich more and get more royalties for our resources and fund properly those things that prevent and provide for homelessness, lack of food, more timely medical care, more livable communities and cities and so on.
There has been no actual left government just variations on a right sided government with some maybe throwing a few more crumbs our way than others. Put the blame where it belongs on the right leaning tendencies of governments to kowtow to businesses and the stock market and the smith’s, ford’s, haper’s, pp’s, martin’s, probably carney. At least the sort of leftish governments don’t blame LGBTQ people or First Nations or immigrants or environmental protection or educated professionals for our ills.
Here is a partial explanation for a large part of our problem…
https://thetyee.ca/Culture/2025/07/25/Triumph-of-Stupidity/
This might go a ways towards solving it…
https://disq.us/url?url=https%3A%2F%2Fthesciencepost.com%2Fhospital-to-replace-doctors-with-parents-who-have-done-their-research%2F%23google_vignette%3ACkde7UKzKOLj6f2a23O-QEqG7GA&cuid=2361153
Just drink the "progressive smug left's" Kool-aide and continue to blame others for the ills we see today.
By the way, isn't Eby and the NDP a lefty and where is he and his party with the homeless, the mentally ill, the dystopia of the poor in this province?
Nowhere.
Oh he did cut off a very sick drug for a dying child but hey, when the polling numbers were dropping faster than Trump, he relented.
It is so easy to play the blame game in federal politics, when the "progressive smug left's party is all but unelectable or provincially when the "progressive smug left's" favourite party the NDP just barely won against a party of maple MAGA's, anti-vaxers, science deniers and worse.
It seems to me the "progressive smug left" can't deal with today's issues and rely on the same old, and very same old, excuse - its every one else's fault but ours.
More nonsense. We know the right sided folks love to blame it all on others, you’re just projecting here. The left sided at least admit their are problems and try to do something about it. You don’t actually think that premiers and prime ministers make all of the decisions in every government department do you? No they don’t, well, smith does but she isn’t a good example of competence.
When the young girls mother approached EBY and the government is when he changed the decision not when the media reported it.
The poor and mentally ill and addicted have the same problems in BC as they do in every other province unless you have some information to the contrary.
We can redirect all sorts of funds to these problems and build homes for the homeless and treatment centres and a guaranteed universal income. I’d be all for it. Taxes will have to go up to pay for it and subsidies to oil companies and big business will need to be slashed and royalty rates will need to be raised from the paltry amounts we presently charge.
Yes, rustad and his party never should have had a sniff of a chance. That the liberal in name only party imploded was the reason why. As the “conservatives” are now falling apart and members defecting I don’t think we will see it that close again from them. A true BC conservative, not reform, party or a true liberal party could do well in BC. Right now the ndp is kinda like a liberal party.
Hopefully they pull their socks up to keep the kooks at bay.
Excuses, excuses, excuses. That is the problem with BC/Canada today is that everyone plays the blame game; everyone has excuses and nothing is done.
Today, the provincial NDP is a clone of the Vision(less) Vancouver and should be called Vision Vancouver Provincial, a party of the smug progressive left.
Many of the current NDP membership is "comfortably numb" and have let the party drift in a self serving sea.
What needs to be done isn't and what must be done is ignored, as the party has become a corporate puppet, with the puppet strings pulled by the same people as the Liberals and Conservatives.
This, of course riles the old time NDP'ers, as we see here.
Do we have a brown shirt problem. Oh,, hell yes. we had to only watch the news while the "freedom convey" was making life miserable for the people in Ottawa. You'd think it was an american protest given the confederate style flags, etc and then the trump signs. No wonder trump thinks Canadians would be happy to join the u.s.a. The anti Trudeau signs and "fxxck trudeau" signs were really tasteless and just plain rude. These "protestors" made life a misery for people in Ottawa and they weren't responsible for any of the complaints the protestors had. it was constant noise, fumes, unable to get around and just plain frightening. I have no problem with the two "leaders" going to jail for 8 or 9 years. They terrified other Canadians because they wanted be the government. Well they never were elected to anything. If you terrorize whole neighbourhoods you do need a time out. While I watched the circus, from time to time I thought, I do hope they don't riot and attack people's homes. Yes that used to happen and brown shirts were usually leading the charge. It happened in Europe before and during WW II. Your house could be invaded by those who joined the NAZI party or those who were part of the invading military. We are seeing a repeat of this in the U.S.A. If the brown shirts aren't sent a very clear message, we could see it here. When I was a kid I heard my Mom telling a family friend when their home was invaded by Nazi police when she was a teenager. Fortunately her Mom had "pull" She got an apology and the police had to come and clean her home. That convoy or bunch of criminals could have turned on the residents in an instant. PP's decision to go and join them was reckless and sent a clear message, this is just fine, go ahead. What do you think is going to happen if he is able to re join parliament. Would he welcome Trump and his brown shirts to give him a hand. Many will say, never would happen. Well it happened in Europe and I know more than a few who were alive at that time and endured it. Don't forget what happened in the former Yukozlavia. They had their version of concentration camps. Killing, raping, etc. Cambodia went through their "phase" of concentration camps and murder==about 3 million as I recall. Saying things like fuck the P.M. whomever it is is a start on that trip.
EE, loved the reminder about that pub. In Richmond we had the Steveston Hotel with its beer parlour. In the late 60s, if there was a brawl in the pub, the RCMP didn't go in unless there were six of them. If there were just a couple of them, they'd wait for the bartenders and waiters to toss the fighters out on the street and then arrest them. Remembering some of the customers, the RCMP did the right thing.
Its very simple, the powers that be allowed it because it made money and they saw the potential for a lot more money. Just look at how big it is today and those who work in that entertainment stand to make a lot of money, some even become "stars". When there is so much money involved from purses to betting and seat sales its going to continue. Just like we see with Epstein they are cultivated by the wealth who want something different to entertain them and then it becomes "acceptable", more organized, inflitrates society in general and their goes the neighbourhood. Just look at how far Epstein made it up the food change. its just more of the Roman murder fests back in the dday. Humans haven't changed all that much, well certainly the rich and infamous. Its about power and money and how to attain it and keep it.
We
in Vancouver had/have a similar game. Back in the last century the Vancouver Sun did an extensive article about grown well to do men going to the "kiddie stroll". They interviewed a cabbie and he advised he sometimes would pickup a fare at the airport. The business person would drop spousal unit and off spring off at a major hotel and then ask him to take him to the "kiddie stroll".
Brown shirts are just organized racist, sexists, etc. there is the right to protest, complain, etc. but those around the event have the right to live a normal, quiet, safe life. Just because you don't like the government doesn't give you the right to destroy society.
Of course old time conservatives who have bought into the harpers, pp’s, reform, trump messaging is threatened by the ndp and carney led liberals. When given a viable choice the people do not choose the ref/cons of anger and retribution and singling out groups of people they don’t understand or don’t like for racial reasons only.
Of course the ndp isn’t perfect and you can bet the BC provincial and federal parties are getting an earful from their membership.
While the corporate side always has an outsized say in political matters at least with the ndp one has a chance of being heard or being represented. We know with the ref/cons that isn’t possible and with the liberals, well, maybe.
I know that in BC the party membership is not happy with the fast tracking bills and the push for resource development. Interestingly it is those who don’t usually vote ndp who are in favour of their direction according to a recent poll
https://leger360.com/in-the-news-government-of-british-columbia-report-card-june-2025/.
Despite what EE thinks the ndp are not selling out but they are somewhat adrift as they try to balance doing what needs to be done, doing what they would traditionally do and doing what will help them win the next election. If they were to go full traditional ndp in their actions they would not win. People want something in the middle. That’s why they are hanging in and rustad isn’t. That’s why Carney won and pp didn’t.
To the Buck, to the Buck to the Buck, Buck, Buck!
Yest those were the days! When the Herring boats came in and the boys got their cash payments it was mayhem for a few weeks until the cash ran out and the unemployment cheques came in..............
Mind you, when I worked at P&H (Canfor) in Sapperton in the mid 70's, the bars in New West made the Buck and Gillnetter look somewhat a higher standard of dive and that was some doing.
The Fraser Arms was our go to place after rugby games in Van, until I played for the Red Lions who had their own club house.
Smug, when used as a pejorative, is rarely ever used to describe a political party out of office. It’s difficult to be (or be labelled) smug, when your rivals have the power you seek.
Democrats and their supporters in the US earned the moniker when in office last term, but cannot be credibly called smug today. On the other hand, the smugness emanating from the smile of the current Republican Speaker is a constant reminder of who is at the controls. The same goes for Trump and his appointees at every opportunity.
So the smugness seems to come with getting elected, no matter the political stripe. When it becomes dangerous to the electorate and ultimately to the elected, is when the smugness morphs into arrogance, as it often does. The longer the term in office the more likely that becomes.
Yup, all parties seem to lose their feel for the electorate after a couple of terms in the big chair. That’s why I always expect better of the ndp and why they need to be seen to be doing better which often they are not of late.
pp is the one who has the smug look down if anyone is wandering what it is.
From the half smile to the way he talks to people, reporters, fellow parliamentarians, he is smugness personified.
Personally I find the open name calling of any individual or party now days part of the problem in and out of politics.I do not see enough collaboration on policies anymore.I think when people go back to speaking respectfully again,maybe more will get done for the People.The electorate have fallen into the trap of accepting disrespectful actions and should demand better.Look at the fella down in the USA.The most disrespectful leader ever, and they are going down a terrible rabbit hole of us verses them .When you don’t call out your leader for bad behaviour, it allows for groups of hate to feel justified in their own bad behaviour.
You walk into any martial arts dojo/gym, you will always find poor disenfranchised young men there, and herein lies the problem.
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