It’s easy to forget how unnatural it is to tolerate views we disagree with

Among the words and phrases I’d be quite happy to never hear of again in 2017 is ‘Alt-Right’, up there with ‘remoaner’ and ‘liberal elite’. It’s partly the extraordinary amount of media attention given to an absolutely tiny fringe of a fringe of a fringe; partly that it’s one of those phrases that can mean whatever the user wants it to mean, from paleoconservatism with memes, to neo-Nazism; but also that there are plenty of American conservative intellectuals making logically coherent and often very original critiques of multiculturalism, race and democracy which an open-minded progressive might read – instead the media are interested in Richard Spencer because he holds rallies where his supporters make Nazi salutes. But all political communities need their out-groups and Spencer comes straight from central casting, so he gets attention. And Spencer’s at it again, although now in a rather more passive role, this time being punched in the face while discussing Pepe, the loveable anti-Semitic frog used by empathetically-challenged young men on social media.