Ryan Fletcher has been one of the most prolific and enigmatic contributors to The XYZ in its three years of operation. He has produced a new booklet, which you can purchase here, which summarises his political development over the last decade, a journey which took him from a precocious youth who enjoyed provoking the outrage of his peers, to an adult alt-right shitlord who enjoys provoking the outrage of his peers.
Its title, “Trading Hemp for Hitler” is a self mocking expropriation of an attempted barb thrown his way by a closet homosexual failed librarian who can’t spell and goes by the name of Peter.
From the beginning, Ryan embraces his identity without shame:
“I am a White cis gender male born from the Australian secular middle class.”
I loved this.
Also this:
“As a student I was somewhat rebellious and attracted to the creative areas of the curriculum, such as Art, English, Theatre and Music. Although often characterised as a polite well- natured individual, it wasn’t uncommon for me to present as an incorrigible wayward wingnut.”
Having gotten to know this gentlemanly rascal in recent years, I would say he has changed very little.
Ryan is very open about his epilepsy, his drug taking, and the movements he was involved with on his path through life. He describes his brief experience with Scientology in overall positive terms, as it gave him an “insight to the truism of life being a game of struggle, and that the way to transcend its tussles is to find fun in the fight and persist against all odds.” He has also taken a lead out of their book when it comes to dealing with one’s foes – “always attack, never defend.”
His next adventure took him to the Phillipines through his work with the Uniting Church. As with Adam Piggott’s time spent in Africa, it appears that Ryan’s time in the Phillipines had a profound effect on him:
“Having dined on cuisine ranging from Jollibee to exotic dishes like Adobo Aso (dog stewed in vinegar, garlic, soy sauce, bay leaves, and peppercorns) and balut (a duck embryo boiled and eaten from the shell) I praised God for having blessed me with the experience.
“While some today would cast me as a Xenophobic pariah who hates everything that doesn’t fall in the territory of the Anglosphere, this exposure trip to the Philippines remains one of the most providential events in my life to date.”
Upon his return to Australia Ryan became involved with the libertarian movement and the HEMP Party, running as a candidate in Shepparton. He eventually moved away from this scene as he became suspicious of the motives of those pulling the strings:
“While I still support the principle of Cannabis legalisation, I’ve come to realise that its heightening of hedonic hotspots (amongst other means) were/are being used by alien antagonists to amplify anarchy and abstraction against homogeneous institutions of authority (for their own enrichment).”
The last chapter details his involvement with right wing politics and his time with The XYZ. He reveals that he had enjoyed stirring his mates and his elders with the ironic Roman salute as a youngster, and he has applied this to hilarious effect in recent years. Ryan has also shown that he is prepared to put his body on the line for his beliefs, being deliberately targeted by Antifa terrorists when he attended a protest against animal cruelty in Melbourne in April 2016. From there he has transformed into a strong opponent of the in-group preference practiced by those who follow the Talmud.
The booklet itself is brief and easy to read, and features some of Ryan’s typically outrageous artwork. As with most of his work, one should approach it with an open mind, a commitment to free speech, and a pinch of salt. It is worth getting your hands on a copy, as my own judgement of Ryan’s character tells me that he is going to be an influential figure in the Australian political scene for many years to come.