Behind the Bastards

Part One: Ragnar Redbeard: The Patron Saint of Toxic Masculinity

Oct 8, 2019
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ANECDOTE

Shooter Quoted Might Is Right

  • Santino Legan referenced Might Is Right by Ragnar Redbeard shortly before the 2019 Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting.
  • The hosts connect the book's influence to modern extremist online subcultures and real-world violence.
INSIGHT

From Radical Laborer To Extremist

  • Arthur Desmond (likely Ragnar Redbeard) began as a radical, pro-labor politician in New Zealand.
  • His early advocacy for land tax and Maori rights contrasts sharply with his later extremist turn.
ANECDOTE

Failed Parliamentary Runs

  • Desmond campaigned for a single land tax and nationalization of large estates while representing small settlers.
  • He won substantial local support but lost elections and later faced blacklisting and ruinous campaign debts.
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