Welcome to Leith Review
By David Kempler
Welcome to the Future?
I vividly remember seeing Craig Cobb on a television talk show, years ago. He was an American neo-Nazi leader, the type who was routinely trotted out on stage to be ridiculed by other guests and a hooting audience. He re-appears in Michael Beach Nichols and Christopher K. Walker's "Welcome To Leith", a documentary that presents an interesting strategy that Cobb has recently elected to employ.
The setting for his plan is Leith, North Dakota, a place I can guarantee none of you have ever set as your vacation destination. It's highly unlikely that you ever even knew it existed, and that's what makes it such a unique plan by Mr. Cobb.
Leith is as rural as rural gets. Approximately twenty people call it home. Cobb has decided to buy a house there, which is a bit odd at first glance, but his plan involves buying up multiple properties there. Those homes will be filled by other neo-Nazis. When enough of them have moved into Leith, they will take over the city government legally and declare it a homeland for neo-Nazis. As repugnant as the idea is, I couldn't help but admire it as a way to accomplish the goal. It reminded me of Ralph Reed's plan in the 1990s where Religious Right candidates attempted to stealthily take over local school boards.
The local residents are not happy with what's going on, but appear confused on how best to combat Cobb's plan. We watch as they conduct meetings amongst themselves and express fear for their families. They have never had to confront anything quite like this before. Then again, who has?
Cobb, interestingly, is not just an ignorant brute. He's now older and more mature. However, he and his particularly dull second-in-command, manage to blow it by reverting back to their usual mistakes. Despite his ultimate failure, one can't help but wonder how smarter leadership might be able to effect their desired dream, or how anyone else could accomplish anything else equally heinous.
