November 21, 2025
Chicago 1968
Nick Fuentes is an American far-right political commentator and live streamer who gained prominence in white nationalist and “America First” circles. He’s known for hosting a show called “America First.” Some key points about him:
- He rose to prominence in his late teens/early twenties through online streaming and social media.
- He’s associated with white nationalist, antisemitic, and racist views.
- He’s been banned from major platforms like YouTube, Twitter (though some bans have changed over time), and various payment processors.
- He organized the “America First Political Action Conference” (AFPAC) as an alternative to the mainstream Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC)
- He attended the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville.
- He’s been involved in various controversies, including a dinner meeting with Donald Trump and Kanye West in November 2022 that drew widespread criticism. He has subsequently been active against Trump.
He represents a younger generation of far-right activists who use internet culture and streaming platforms to spread their views. He’s been widely condemned by mainstream conservatives and civil rights organizations for his extremist rhetoric.
In plain English, the man is a rabid racist. We live in interesting times…does our debate now turn on whether or not the Mayor of New York City is more anti-Semitic than this thimble brain? Maybe?
I raise Mr. Fuentes as an example of what I believe we will see more of in the near future. There is a history to the rise of Socialist and Communist and Nationalist parties and power struggles. One can think back on the French Revolution, the 1917 Russian Revolution, The Nazi rise to power in Germany.
People begin to feel disadvantaged, that the ruling class has the game rigged against them. They begin to protest. At first, calmly and within the law. But as their ambitions are thwarted, they become increasingly agitated and angry. Violence escalates, eventually they’re in the streets and then, violence escalates again.
Worth mentioning, history teaches that until the police/army side with the protestors, these protests die away.
The Far Left and Far Right both deserve condemnation, and without equivocation. I find racism especially odious, and it really doesn’t matter against whom. The Far Left expresses it against Jews, the Far Right against Jews and Americans of African descent and other people of color. It’s all despicable.
What is the meaning of all of this and when does it end, if ever?
I think this will be the way until 2028, until Mr. Trump leaves office. I agree with many of his policies, disagree with some of his tactics, but I find him personally problematic. He would not be a friend of mine.
But love him or hate him, we can all agree he is a polarizing figure and in order to turn the heat down, we need to have him complete his term and be gone. I just don’t think Mr. Vance, or Mr. Rubio, or Mr. DeSantis would be as polarizing, even as they would continue many of his policies. Others would be jettisoned, no doubt.
On the Democratic side, it’s really quite impossible to handicap what will happen in 2028. I’ve written before about the internal war that I thought would erupt for the soul of the Democratic Party and I think we’re beginning to see that:
The New York Post points out that Mamdani wants her to raise state taxes (which is pretty much the only way he can get major funding) and she is pushing back, so far, gingerly. So, from a solid blue state, where you would not expect internal conflict, the eruption for the soul of the party. Socialists and Communists emboldened by that election are raising the heat across the country.
This of course energizes the Fuentes of the world which in turn raises heat and rinse and repeat.
I would not at all be surprised to see violence in the streets over the next few months/years. I would also be surprised if it amounted to anything other than wasted effort. But if it comes to pass, it will no doubt unnerve people and create great anxieties. I am less anxious about it and hope you will not be either.
I was in Chicago in 1968 during the riots, I smelled the tear gas. And while I didn’t participate (I was there playing a music gig), I experienced riot firsthand. It can be unnerving, but I also ask myself where the ring leaders of that riot are today. Not in the spotlight for political activism is the answer.
Of course, good to remember that sometimes, these things are successful! The Nazis did come to power, the Communists did come to power, the French monarchy was overthrown. But for every “success”, there are multiple failures. And then of course the Socialists Communist eventually fail, even when they win.
And this, if it comes to pass, will fail as well. America is not a Far Left nor Far Right country. It is a moderate country. Most people are centrists left-leaning, or centrists right-leaning, but not radicals and do not endorse the kind of wholesale change these people want. Mamdani fails in New York City (will be very evident by 2028), the race baiters and far Right minions will as well (note Marjorie Taylor Greene’s shift). Mamdani will begin to compromise to make some progress, this will anger his left-of-him base and he’ll be gone after on all sides.
Americans want fair play. We admire work, good ethics and family cohesion. We are a generous people. We are not misled by wealth envy or other forms of envy, although we may feel those emotions. Basically, we all just want to live a normal life, without harassment from government, or pencil brains who feel they have the answers we somehow can’t see.
Mr. Fuentes dropped out of college in his freshman year. OK, sure, I want to follow him around given his obvious intellectual chops. I was speaking with one of our contractors the other day, who also did not go to college. I asked him for his take on the illegal immigration round up and how he sees it from his perch. He had a lot to say, and it was all fair and thoughtful. So, you don’t need to have a college degree to be worth listening to, but you do need a functioning brain and good judgement and experience to give you gravitas.
I guess the biggest difference is that Mr. Fuentes plays with his computer, and my contractor sweats it out in the sun, hiring his subs, dealing with the customers trying to make a living.
I’d close with a personal observation. Over the past couple of years, Michael and I have travelled widely both here and abroad. We recently spent three weeks in Monterey, visited San Francisco, time in Rochester and Buffalo and Maryland, not to mention, what, 50 foreign countries and dozens of major cities.
One thing that struck us was the complete absence of police on the prowl. In California, we saw two. In Rochester, zero. In Tokyo, it is zero. Why is this? Because at heart, society functions well, everyone goes about their day and you just don’t need a lot of cops policing all of it, batons at the ready. Put another way, despite all we see on the media, who cherry pick to create outrage and anger and thus, eyeball counts, the daily drum of life for almost everyone is pretty hum drum and normal.
This is not to say there are no brutal lives living in dangerous places. I’m not naïve about that. But this morning I have to go to Publix and then to the jeweler to resize a watch band, and the farthest thing from my mind is to worry about the people I’ll meet during the day.
We’ll be fine, I have no doubt.
Thoughts, questions, or reflections? I’d love to hear them. You can reach me anytime at anthony@workingprofit.com
