Milo, Fallen Angel of the Alt-Right

Published in El Mundo
(Spain) on 23 February 2017
by Pablo Pardo (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Kaleb Vick. Edited by Helaine Schweitzer.
Most likely, if Milo Yiannopoulos spoke with a southern U.S. accent, no one would have cared. Or more directly, he would have been too eccentric to pay any attention to. Because if nothing else, Milo, as he is known in the U.S., is colorful. He is foreign – British – and on top of that, his mother is Greek. He is gay, Catholic, opposes immigration, feminism, gay marriage, and the idea that people can change their sex. Among the things that he likes are Donald Trump, video games, and having sex with black men, which, according to him, proves he isn't racist. On his Grindr profile, an app for people of his orientation to hook up, under his name is the phrase: “blacks only.” “I could come up with a formula to achieve the same effect, like, say, ‘nine inches and over,’” the man himself has said.

That is how Milo has been converted into a figure in American politics. The alt-right, which is nothing more than the extreme right of the 21st century, has adopted him as their star. Even the Conservative Political Action Conference invited him to speak at its annual assembly that is held this week in Washington.

That the lifelong conservatives who are CPAC have adopted Milo signifies the collapse of that ideology in favor of the alt-right, which, according to the star (now in decline) of the movement, is based on three things: the rejection of free commerce, opposition to immigration, and saying no to political correctness.

Until this week. In only 24 hours, Yiannopoulos lost everything. That includes his job as director of the opinion section of Breitbart News, which was Trump’s largest media supporter, and whose leading manager, Steve Bannon, served as Trump’s campaign manager and is now the president’s closest political adviser. Yiannopoulous’ invitation has also been rescinded to participate at CPAC’s annual reunion. The publishing giant Simon and Schuster, owner of the CBS television station, has canceled Yiannopoulous’ contract for the publication of his new book, for which he would have earned an estimated 237,000 euros (approximately $250,000).

Milo, king of insults, of “they told me to’s,” and alternative facts (traditionally known as lies) has not fallen victim to the left. On the contrary. His (probably temporary) downfall has come from people like him, like Breitbart, and like all the false news networks that are marking the political debate in the United States – a debate in which there only seems to be one rule, borrowed from the Argentine comedian group Les Luthiers: he who thinks, loses.

It is the Reagan Battalion, a secret conservative organization, which has a blog, Twitter account, and Facebook site that destroyed Milo. The Reagan Battalion simply had to disclose two videos in which the alt-right star defends homosexual sex between adults and a 13-year-old boy. And defend it he did, very much in his style, speaking from experience. That was the end of Milo. For now. Because the movement that he militates, the alt-right, is on the rise, and is devouring traditional U.S. conservatism. The fallen angel still has a splendid future.


Probablemente, si Milo Yiannopoulos hablara con acento del sur de Estados Unidos, nadie le hubiera hecho caso. O, directamente, hubiera sido demasiado pintoresco como para prestarle atención. Porque otra cosa no, pero 'Milo', como se le conoce en EEUU, es pintoresco. Es extranjero-británico-, y su madre, además, griega. Es homosexual, católico, se opone a la inmigración, al feminismo, al matrimonio gay y a que las personas cambien de sexo. Entre las cosas que le gustan están Donald Trump, los videojuegos, y tener sexo con negros lo que, según él, muestra que no es racista. En su cuenta en Grindr, una app de personas de esa orientación para ligar tenía, bajo su nombre, la frase: 'Solo negros'. "¿De qué otra manera puedo formular el mismo efecto que si dijera '25 centímetros'?", ha escrito el propio interesado.Así es como Milo se ha convertido en un personaje en la política estadounidense. La 'derecha alternativa'-que no es más que la ultraderecha del siglo XXI-le ha adoptado como su estrella. Y hasta el Comité de Acción Política Conservadora (CPAC, según sus siglas en inglés) les había invitado a hablar en su asamblea anual, que se celebra esta semana en Washington. Que los conservadores 'de toda la vida', que es CPAC, hayan adoptado a Milo significa el hundimiento de esa ideología en favor de la 'alt-right', que, según la estrella (ahora en declive) del movimiento se basa en tres cosas: el rechazo al libre comercio, la oposición a la inmigración, y el 'no' a la 'corrección política'. Hasta esta semana. En apenas 24 horas, Yannopoulos ha perdido todo. Eso incluye su trabajo como director de la sección de Opinión de la web Breitbart, que es el mayor apoyo mediático de Donald Trump, cuyo máximo responsable, Steve Bannon, fue luego su jefe de campaña y ahora es el máximo consejero político del presidente. También le ha sido retirada la invitación para participar en CPAC, la reunión anual del Comité Conservador de Acción Política. Y el gigante editorial Simon and Schuster, propiedad de la cadena de televisión CBS, ha rescindido el contrato para la publicación de un nuevo libro de Yiannopoulos por el que le había entregado un anticipado de 237.000 euros (250.000 dólares). Milo, el rey de los insultos, de los "me han dicho", y de las 'realidades alternativas' (tradicionalmente conocidas como 'mentiras') no ha caído víctima de la izquierda. Al contrario. Su ocaso -probablemente temporal- ha llegado de gente como él, como 'Breitbart', y como toda la red de noticias falsas que está marcando el debate político en EEUU- un debate en el que solo parece existir una regla, prestada de los humoristas argentinos Les Luthiers: el que piensa, pierde-. Ha sido el 'Batallón Reagan', una organización conservadora secreta, que tiene un blog, una cuenta en Twitter, y otra en Facebook, quien ha destruido a Milo. Para ello, simplemente ha tenido que sacar a la luz dos vídeos en los que la estrella de la 'derecha alternativa' defendía el sexo homosexual entre adultos y niño de 13 años. Y lo hacía, muy en su estilo, hablando desde la experiencia. Ése ha sido el final de Milo. Por ahora. Porque el movimiento en el que él milita, la 'alt-right', está al alza, y se está comiendo al conservadurismo tradicional en EEUU. El ángel caído todavía tiene un futuro esplendoroso.
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