John Kander's Nephew Expertly Shades Neo-Nazi Using "Cabaret" To Promote White Nationalism
We all want to take down Internet trolls, but Jason Kander hit a home run with his response to a white supremacist on Twitter.
Richard Spencer, president of the white nationalist group National Policy Institute, is credited with coining the term ""alt-right." He's advocated for a homeland for a "dispossessed white race" and for "peaceful ethnic cleansing" of Jews, muslims and other minorities.
Talking Points Memo editor Josh Marshall slammed Spencer on Saturday, telling him to take his "trash philosophy back to the 1930s." In response, Spencer tweeted, "1930s? No, tomorrow belongs to us." He linked to a scene from Cabaret, in which a Nazi sings the number "Tomorrow Belongs to Me."
That's when Kander hopped in to the fray—not only is he a former Secretary of State of Missouri and a recent Senate candidate, he's the nephew of lyricist John Kander, who created Cabaret with Fred Ebb.
"Hey buddy, that song you love was written by my uncle," Kander tweeted. "He's been married to my other uncle for 40 years. And he's a Jew."
Today on CNN, where he is now a commentator, Kander remarked “It’s not everyday you get to tell off a neo-Nazi.”
“The reason that it went viral is because people are upset about what they are seeing,” he added. “When you look culturally at what is going on right now, and the feeling that some of these folks, like [Spencer], has been given the license to be more mainstream, it bothers people.”
Kander also called on Donald Trump to condemn Spencer and his ilk.
“Americans need to hear that president is bothered by it and that he feels the need to speaking up without anybody really pressures him to do so."