The “look” at the Virginia rally, explained

If you’ve been watching the news about the “pro-gun” rally in Virginia, you may have noticed that this is the defining “look” of the protesters:

Want to know what’s behind the beard-and-sunglasses aesthetic? Find out in Nate Powell’s comic, About Face, which explains this uniform paramilitarized look.

It also explains what’s behind the black-and-white U.S. flag, the predominance of the Punisher’s death’s head logo among the beard-and-and sunglasses set, and more.

I’ll close by repeating the final lines in the comic, because they’re that important:

At its core, this is a child’s power fantasy finally enacted in adulthood, speaking only the language of power, the intellectual crudeness of reaction, contrarianism, opposition.

This is a canary in a coalmine (just one of many): that aggrieved, insecure white Americans with an exaggerated sense of sovereignty have officially declared their existence as above the law, consistent with a long tradition of living and acting above it — propped up by apolitical consumer trends’ normalizing impact.

These are the future fascist paramilitary participants and their ushers — take them seriously.