Okay, the title of this article could rightfully be accused of being click bait and of being unfair to Brian Jean, but it is also an accurate title.
Much like the late Rob Ford was photographed a an event with an individual well known to those familiar with the racist movement in Canada, so too was Brian Jean, leader of the Wildrose Party of Alberta who posed for this photo with Jonathan Besler we presume at the Calgary Stampede:
Given Besler's attitude toward the current NDP government in Alberta, perhaps we shouldn't be too surprised that he would gravitate towards the Wildrose Part as an alternative....
.... as well as towards the cause of Alberta separatism.
Now, Jonathan Besler is not be on the same level as Jon Latvis in terms of significance in the Canadian racist movement, and Latvis' own significance had diminished substantially by 2012 when his photo was taken with Ford. We also wouldn't expect Brian Jean to have any idea who Besler is so it isn't really fair to suggest a photo with Brian Jean means that Jean supports the tenets of "White Nationalism".
Our own readers though will be well aware of Besler's regular participation in the once annual White Pride March organized by Kyle McKee's Aryan Guard, later re-branded as Blood & Honour. Here he is, for example, at the 2009 event (perhaps even wearing the same shirt as in the photo with Jean):
And here at the much more poorly attended (in part because McKee was in jail at the time, the no contact orders for those not at the time in jail, and the infighting between W.E.B. and Blood & Honour) march in 20011.
Actually, it wasn't so much a "march" as it was a "stand around and whine":
Actually, it was at the 2011 event that Besler sought to show how much the police didn't intimidate him, later using the video in support of his anti-police bonafides.
Though we should hasten to add that he didn't actually DO anything and that he DIDN'T try to cross the police lines despite his posturing:
Yes, we still do think you're stupid, but that is neither here no there.
It should be noted that if there's been any consistency in Besler's beliefs, it's his hatred towards authority:
To reiterate what we wrote earlier, there is no reason why Brian Jean should have any idea who Jonathan Belser, never a full member of either the Aryan Guard or Blood & Honour if memory serves us, is or that having a photo taken with him should matter. In the whole cosmic scheme of things, it really doesn't matter.
But there is a "but" in there.
The photo reminded us that there was a time when the then Aryan Guard was somewhat smitten by the Wildrose Party, then known as the Wildrose Alliance. Back in 2008, Aryan Guard leader Kyle McKee claimed on Stormfront to have had the candidate from the party at his home to speak to Aryan Guard members. McKee then encouraged participants on the Canadian Stormfront section from Alberta to support the Wildrose Alliance:
Jason Harley, another member of the Aryan Guard, echoed McKee's sentiments:
In addition, John Marleau also supported the Wildrose Party:
We don't actually believe the candidate actually visited McKee's squat to hammer out an agreement o get the support of a notorious neo-Nazi gang. A representative whom we contacted denied that such a meeting with a candidate actually took place, and we are inclined to believe that. Harley's claim of meeting with a representative is probably more accurate, but even then it was probably a low-level volunteer who attended such a meeting without the approval of the Wildrose Alliance.
More importantly though, the photo does serve to remind us that the Wildrose Party and its predecessor the Wildrose Alliance, have had their own problems with extremism all on their own:
Much like the late Rob Ford was photographed a an event with an individual well known to those familiar with the racist movement in Canada, so too was Brian Jean, leader of the Wildrose Party of Alberta who posed for this photo with Jonathan Besler we presume at the Calgary Stampede:
Given Besler's attitude toward the current NDP government in Alberta, perhaps we shouldn't be too surprised that he would gravitate towards the Wildrose Part as an alternative....
.... as well as towards the cause of Alberta separatism.
Now, Jonathan Besler is not be on the same level as Jon Latvis in terms of significance in the Canadian racist movement, and Latvis' own significance had diminished substantially by 2012 when his photo was taken with Ford. We also wouldn't expect Brian Jean to have any idea who Besler is so it isn't really fair to suggest a photo with Brian Jean means that Jean supports the tenets of "White Nationalism".
Our own readers though will be well aware of Besler's regular participation in the once annual White Pride March organized by Kyle McKee's Aryan Guard, later re-branded as Blood & Honour. Here he is, for example, at the 2009 event (perhaps even wearing the same shirt as in the photo with Jean):
And here at the much more poorly attended (in part because McKee was in jail at the time, the no contact orders for those not at the time in jail, and the infighting between W.E.B. and Blood & Honour) march in 20011.
Actually, it wasn't so much a "march" as it was a "stand around and whine":
Actually, it was at the 2011 event that Besler sought to show how much the police didn't intimidate him, later using the video in support of his anti-police bonafides.
Though we should hasten to add that he didn't actually DO anything and that he DIDN'T try to cross the police lines despite his posturing:
Yes, we still do think you're stupid, but that is neither here no there.
It should be noted that if there's been any consistency in Besler's beliefs, it's his hatred towards authority:
To reiterate what we wrote earlier, there is no reason why Brian Jean should have any idea who Jonathan Belser, never a full member of either the Aryan Guard or Blood & Honour if memory serves us, is or that having a photo taken with him should matter. In the whole cosmic scheme of things, it really doesn't matter.
But there is a "but" in there.
The photo reminded us that there was a time when the then Aryan Guard was somewhat smitten by the Wildrose Party, then known as the Wildrose Alliance. Back in 2008, Aryan Guard leader Kyle McKee claimed on Stormfront to have had the candidate from the party at his home to speak to Aryan Guard members. McKee then encouraged participants on the Canadian Stormfront section from Alberta to support the Wildrose Alliance:
Jason Harley, another member of the Aryan Guard, echoed McKee's sentiments:
In addition, John Marleau also supported the Wildrose Party:
 |
| Wrong about Wildrose winning and Nenshi as popular as ever. A double fail. |
 |
| Not as ringing an endorsement as McKee and co. gave the Wildrose Alliance, but still something. |
More importantly though, the photo does serve to remind us that the Wildrose Party and its predecessor the Wildrose Alliance, have had their own problems with extremism all on their own:
- Extremism in Wildrose
- Byfield "Linked" To Extremist
- Wildrose Alliance Candidate "Linked" To Paul Fromm
- Smith about to graduate from kook to fool
- Manning Centre director says Albertans see the Wildrose Party as rural extremists
- Alberta's Wildrose party backtracks on equal rights statement
- The angry, radical right
- Tragedies we ignore: Recent Wildrose gaffe won't end right's bogus equivalencies in Canadian political discourse
- Wildrose blog post that compares carbon tax to Ukrainian genocide requires apology, NDP cabinet minister says
- Violent, lurid and misogynistic threats against Alberta NDP both enabled and exposed by social media
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