Larry’s blacklisting from Origins follows ConCarolina’s disinvitation of best selling conservative author John Ringo last month.
Taken together with Mark Waid’s potentially criminal interference in Richard Meyer’s comics business, there’s an emerging pattern here which author Richard Paolinelli spells out:
Conservative creators are being banned from Cons.
Conservative creators are being threatened at Cons or if they even attempt to attend a Con.
Conservative creators are being attacked and bullied on social media.
Conservative creators are having their social media platforms deleted and demonetized.
Conservative speakers are having their public events canceled.
Conservative speakers are having their public events shut down by protestors refusing to let them speak.
Larry has issued a response to Origins Director John Ward’s rank cowardice. A relevant excerpt was posted on Facebook:
So I’m no longer the writer guest of honor at origins. My invitation has been revoked. It was the usual nonsense. Right after I was announced as a guest some people started throwing a temper tantrum about my alleged racist/sexist/homophobic/whatever (of course, with zero proof or actual examples), and the guy in charge (John Ward) immediately folded. He didn’t even talk to me first. He just accepted the slander and gave me the boot in an email that talked about how “inclusive” they are. I actually heard about it on facebook before I even saw the email.
Oh well.
They did this to John Ringo at ConCarolinas a little while ago, and took a lesson from it. This is just another new way for bullies to target people who disagree with them. Throw a fit, make up some accusations, and cry about how you feel unsafe. Now that they know it works, it is just another tool in their tool box.
For the record, I’m not any of the things they accuse me of. Despite writing a whole bunch of books, and a ton of political articles, and all of my many personal interactions with fans (I’ve done up to 15 cons and events in one year), none of these people can ever find any actual examples of me being sexist, racist, or homophobic (and the Guardian looked hard and still came up with nothing).
That’s because in reality, I’m a libertarian who does not give a shit who you are, or what you do, and it is none of my business, as long as you stay off my lawn. 🙂
This time they kept calling me a “rape apologist”. They dug up that classic that John Scalzi created about me several years ago. It’s total nonsense. I spent many years teaching self defense to women, and I’m all in favor of every rape attempt ending with the rapist receiving a couple hollow points to the chest. But that just goes to show the power of lies, rumor, and narrative.
So years later, complete strangers come out of the woodwork to talk about how evil I am. Yeah… That does get tiresome. It is wearying.
I’m really sorry for any fans who were planning on seeing me at Origins. Hopefully I’ll get to meet you at some other event.
For me personally, meh. I go to enough events. I’ll just do something else fun that weekend.
The saddest person in all of this is my son, who was my plus one. He was looking forward to playing a bunch of games, and then we were going to go to the zoo on Sunday. (they have manatees there!).
Larry is absolutely correct that the SJW intimidation campaigns will continue because they know that intimidation tactics work.
In light of D&C’s response to Waid’s intimidation of Antarctic Press, it looks quite possible that the SJW mobs are committing criminal acts by interfering with legitimate businesses. The situation goes beyond libel–which is difficult to prove–although that’s clearly going on, as well. There are federal laws protecting consumers’ access to products and services and forbidding attacks on individuals’ livelihoods.
John Ward committed an act of despicable cowardice by caving to a rage mob. gamers and SFF fans are right to call him on it. We should also ask why he thought it was better to immediately throw Larry under the bus rather than stand up to the SJWs.
A criminal gang is terrorizing a neighborhood; forcing the shop owners to pay protection money under threat of having their merchandise destroyed and their stores vandalized. The neighbors see the shop owners bowing to the gangsters’ demands. Perhaps one man sees a jeweler offer up a fine gold necklace in tribute to the gang that said customer had on layaway for his wife.
The neighbors are rightly angry. They upbraid the shop owners for giving in to the gangsters and correctly point out that the gang will not only keep coming back; they’ll demand more and more each time, all because the store owners keep rewarding the criminals’ behavior.
But it’s not just the shop owners who are enabling the gangsters, is it?
When we see someone committing a crime, we have a moral duty to call the police so the criminal won’t be free to prey on someone else. Yet the shop owners’ neighbors never call the police. They’d rather complain about not being able to get the products they want. Besides, the gangsters have high-priced lawyers who will probably just get them off. Pressing charges is too much trouble.
The neighborhood residents aren’t the only people the gang is preying upon. There are manufacturers whose products are increasingly targeted for theft by the gang. Their wares sometimes don’t even make it onto the shelves. These businessmen produce commodities of the finest quality. They have earned the loyalty and trust of countless customers. They regularly perform generous acts of charity to benefit the people of the neighborhood. Moreover, they have families who depend on them.
There are also smaller startups who are struggling to get into the market. They don’t have anywhere near the customer base, clout, and connections of the big manufacturers. The gang’s depredations are keeping the small manufacturers out of the neighborhood altogether. Their relative lack of resources means they are effectively shut out of that market. They are forced to seek opportunities elsewhere.
Who suffers? The neighborhood residents, whose range of choices is reduced, and the big manufacturers, who lose a source of healthy competition.
The big manufacturers also know what’s going on, but they also never call the police. It’s still too much trouble, and the mob lawyers will probably win in court. Besides, the besieged neighborhood is a minuscule part of the big manufacturers’ market. Their products are available everywhere, and the customers served by the gang-predated stores can do their shopping on the next block.
As for the small manufacturers, the industry leaders already bend over backwards to help newcomers. They have programs in place to connect startups with lucrative distribution channels. Let no one doubt that the big producers earned their success and lavishly share their time and treasure with folks who need a leg up. They are men of honor and pillars of the community.
Perhaps these good and successful men could help form an association to protect their smaller colleagues from the gang, much as an older organization once did before the gang took it over. But that’s a subject for another time.
Everyone understands. Sometimes there are circumstances that complicate, or even abrogate, the performance of certain moral duties. This is especially the case when good men have their families and reputations threatened. We have reached the point where standing up to the gang is a matter of heroic; not ordinary, virtue.
Yet what core principle binds all of us more strongly than the need for heroes–in everyday life as well as in science fiction?
Understand, I’m not asking anyone to do what I’m unwilling to do myself, but my resources are limited. You probably wouldn’t want to know what I’d do to the lawless scum who’ve planted their filthy boot on our industry’s throat if I had the means.
Evil prevails when good men do nothing. Oh, the neighbors boycott the crooked stores. Squeezed between the gang’s demands and the neighbors’ complaints, one store after another closes up shop. Enterprising folks open new stores, but it’s not long before the gangsters show up. What do they care if the business goes broke in six months? They’ll burn it down for the insurance.
And they will suffer absolutely zero consequences. Of that we’ve made them certain.
As a small businessman, I rely entirely on my readers’ patronage for my living. Thank you for your readership, and please support authors like Larry Correia, John Ringo, and me who strive to bring you entertaining stories free of ideological browbeating.
Time to start hitting back. Actually hitting. If these sniveling shits knew that this kind of behavior might result in an anonymous beating, they would stop. They won't stop until then, though.
Disclaimer: I do not advocate any form of illegal activity. I am not a lawyer, and nothing I post on this blog is intended as legal advice.
Study the SJW hateswarm tactics long enough, and you'll soon understand that they hit us where *they* are weakest.
Larry was ultimately dropped from Origins because of Sad Puppies. The SJW hatemob in this case formed as a sort of immune response. What that tells us is our campaigns against the Hugos, e.g. SP/RP/the Dragons did some damage.
The SJWs' out of control response is exposing them to possible criminal prosecution. Like I said, I'm no lawyer. I have, however, exchanged messages with one lawyer and read commentary from others. In their informed opinion, the SJWs who coerced Antarctic Press, for example, committed at least three violations including defamation and tortious interference. That's leaving aside criminal breaches of FTC regulations.
In short, Mark Waid and Marvel, and probably the SJWs who got Larry dropped from Origins, have left themselves wide open to lawfare from our side. There is no more effective deterrent than sending the Feds after them.
As Bradford reminded us: Take it from the 'Realm of Feelz' to the 'Realm of Reals' where we can.
When and where appropriate, press charges, file suit, call them out and shame them — give the SJW pain in real life.
"When and where appropriate, press charges, file suit, call them out and shame them — give the SJW pain in real life."
And now is exactly the time to do it. We need to drop our bad habit of scoring one hit and retreating. We need to press the attack while the enemy's vulnerable.
The only way to make the Hun stop using poison gas is to choke the Hun with poison gas — in spades.
The SJW is either at your throat or at your feet, so I plan to wear my old farm boots (which are in need of a vigorous licking) from this point forward.
Brian,
I suspect that Larry won't do anything but his fans will. They'll boycott and many will cancel their reservations. And a few might even seek reimbursements via a class action.
I concour now is the time to press the attack from all fronts. Not just in the U.S. but throughout the world.
Hollenbecq has been subject to something similar but with the Establishment. I'm starting to see it a bit in Spain with respect to immigration. The Catalan crisis is also aggravating other social strains.
Italy, Hungary, Poland, the Czech republic are also being harrassed and the supporters being villified as eith Nazis or the Naziod/racist parties of the 20s-30s.
xavier
The question is who do you boycott? The big names are not saying anything cause they don't know about the situation or, more likely, they don't want to cause more problems.
I know the store that I go to on occasion that sponsor this con are terrified to do anything cause most of their money comes from selling stuff online. They are also pissed they were put into this position.
There are plenty that took part in the silencing and are celebrating it, but they are no names. Could contact the owners of licenses that they are using (if they have any by some chance), but that is about it.
Unpopular opinion: This mess isn't ultimately John Ward's fault. It's the fault of the SJWs forcing him into a no-win situation.
Imagine, if you will: You're the director of a major Midwest gaming convention. Your chief responsibility is to make sure the show goes on. That means keeping the guests, vendors, and attendees happy. You may even have a fiduciary responsibility, depending on how the con is organized.
The SJW hateswarm beats down your door and complains about one of your guests. They issue an ultimatum: Remove this guy, or we have a problem.
Could you tell the SJW mob to fuck off? Sure. But then you remember that two other big conventions just folded to these guys. Most of your big vendors and guests are on their side. If you brush them off, they'll plant smear jobs in the media and appeal to your amenable sponsors.
On the other hand, if you give the crybullies what they want, your B+ list former guest (Larry's come quite a way since he described himself as D list) has fans who might cancel their memberships or even boycott your sponsors.
Factoring into your calculus is the high likelihood that a) most of the B+ lister's fans won't do anything, b) even if they do, your Lefty sponsors will be less likely to heed them, and c) the snubbed guest won't take legal action.
Either option sucks, but currently appeasing the SJWs sucks less. Guys like Richard Meyer are starting to change the equation, but it will take a lot more for guys like Ward to think twice before crossing us.
I frankly think calling for sponsor and vendor boycotts is a suboptimal move. The con suffers, but they're the secondary cause, here. The SJWs don't care if Origins goes down in flames. They're holding the con hostage, and Larry's fans are shooting it. That tactic can work, but only if you follow through and nail the perp after the hostage is out of the way.
M-Zed's response to this situation is characteristically 'take no prisoners':
The SJWs who claim they won't feel safe with 'this person' at the Con are immediately banned from attending. That way the snowflakes can't be threatened by the ol' meanie.
Practical? Maybe not. But I bet it could catch on at smaller Cons that aren't as converged as Origins.
Good. It's high time event organizers got it through their thick skulls that SJWs 1) Don't buy stuff, 2) are inveterate troublemakers, and 3) cannot be appeased.
Seriously, SJWs' behavior is so mechanical that the second someone claims a guest makes him feel "unsafe", there is a 100% chance he's SocJus cult zealot who's far more trouble than he's worth and should be summarily banned for life.
Isn’t the Libertarian response to said gangsters, “well they ain’t on my lawn, so not my problem!” I love Larry’s work, but Larry is a typical Libertarian; a lot of bark but no bite. It’s why Vox Day has to peel off and form Rabid Puppies so that the push back could have some teeth to it and a goal to achiever: fix the Hughes or torpedo them to make way for a better reward system (Dragon Awards). What did Larry do? Walked away from what he started because Sad Puppies got associated with Rabid Puppies and he didn’t like the heat. He’s Owen Pitt but without the MI universe being available to just plop Hero-ness into his lap. Which is fine, he doesn’t need to be the hero, but I tire of the “I got my guns and I’d totally use them if you step on my lawn” but then when the SJWs show up and burn their house down they respond with “well I didn’t like that house anyway.”
I won't say a word against Larry. Loyal friends are few and far between these days.
But I will totally mock Libertarianism as the fly-wide-open-in-public clown car ideology it is.
Libertarianism is the soy of political philosophies. It's like Communism's richer but still evil twin. Both look good on paper, but both open the door to embracing hideous evil/abdicating moral responsibility.
We must remember that Larry has done a great deal of good. SP was successful while he ran it. His Book Bombs have helped several new authors, including me. He doesn't have to prove anything to anybody.
Constantly fighting the SF SJWs for almost a decade will wear anyone out. As DW said during #GamerGate, if you start to feel burned out, take a break. Don't worry. The SJWs will be there waiting for you when you come back.
I do wish he'd file charges against the SJWs who put Origins in this no-win situation on his way out. But it's his call.
Larry is a good guy, and if he needs a break, he needs a break. I was just annoyed at the typical Libertarian clown response.
And yeah, it is similar to Communism in many ways, particularly the one where in order to theoretically work (really big theoretical here) everyone needs to subscribe to it. They don’t want to force it like the Commies but they do like to preen with “everyone will eventually see it is in their best interest” but then refuse to explain how that will ever come about.
He needs to follow the advice that was given to DaC. Cause enough pain so that the other side will go seek easier fish to fry.
"I was just annoyed at the typical Libertarian clown response."
Same here. It's incredibly frustrating to know that, however ridiculous and retarded your enemies are, they continue to score victories because your nominal allies are even worse.
Vox Day has now chimed in on his blog. Further fleshes our the strategic error that Larry and John are making.
M-Zed has now taken the field. Stay tuned to this channel.
My google-fu is failing me. I’m not finding said M-Zed. That or your comment went over my head.
It's our affectionate nickname for author Michael Z. Williamson.