Craig Cobb

Craig Cobb (born on 9 October 1951 in Maryville, Missouri, United States), also know as Craig "corn on the" Cobb, is a longtime anti-semitic white supremacist activist who operated a now-defunct video sharing website named Podblanc. He claims "racism is my religion"^[1] and advocates "racial holy war" in accordance with the tenets of The Creativity Movement.^[2] Cobb gained notoriety within anti-racist and anti-fascist movements and legal advocacy organizations that investigate hate speech and hate crime for his "celebration of violence and murder committed against minorities"^[3] as documented in his videorecordings, online activities, and disruptions at public events. For this same reason he is admired by some, but not all, neo-Nazis. Supporters herald him as a "brave, dedicated, and highly effective White activist"^[4] while others consider him a "pseudo-Nazi" and agent provocateur^[5] whose website is a "false front dedicated to data-mining".^[6]

Life

Cobb is reported to have grown up in a wealthy family and attended a private school in Boston, Massachusetts where he graduated in 1968.^[7] After serving in the armed forces he moved to Edmonton, Canada for five years then relocated to Hawaii where he lived for another 25 years and earned a living as a taxi driver. In 2003 he relocated to Frost, West Virginia where he opened a grocery store and subsequently registered a business called "Gray’s Store, Aryan Autographs and 14 Words, L.L.C." During this time he was involved in unsolicited inter-state deliveries of a neo-Nazi newspaper published by Alex Linder,^[8] distribution of Project Schoolyard CDs to local children,^[9] and attended an invitation-only leadership conference of the National Alliance.

In late 2005, after receiving an inheritance of $85,000, he moved to Tallinn, Estonia, established Podblanc, met with white power skinheads, and purchased land thirty miles south of the capital where he hoped to establish an "International Office of White Diaspora".^[10][11] He also attempted, unsuccessfully, to find an Estonian wife^[12] and came to public attention after conducting an interview with a former Estonian Ministry of Justice employee whom he introduced as the leader of the Estonian Nazis.^[13] On August 25, 2009 he was issued a ten-year ban from Estonia and deported to Canada, where Cobb claims to hold citizenship, for "endangering state security, public order, public safety, moral standards, health, other public interests"^[14] and promoting racism.^[15][16] During his period of incarceration before deportation his supporters in the US made contact with Canadian neo-fascist Paul Fromm in order to prepare for Cobb’s anticipated arrest under Canadian hate speech laws.^[17] In March 2010, after posting videos of anti-racist activists online, he was discovered to be living in Vancouver where he also made an unsuccessful attempt to register a non-profit society called Whitepeace.^[18] Cobb has expressed interest in emigrating to South America, Serbia or Belarus but U.S. anti-racists have called for his repatriation so they may "take care of our own garbage".^[19]

In June 2010 Cobb was arrested by police in Vancouver but released with a summons^[20] after which he left Canada to return to the United States. As of July 2010, Cobb is living in Flathead Valley, an area in Montana which has become a recruiting target for several white nationalists. Cobb is engaged in a feud with another local neo-Nazi, Karl Gharst, against whom he recently obtained a restraining order. His activities are opposed by the local pro-tolerance group Love Lives Here.^[21] At the end of December 2010 Canadian authorities issued a warrant for his arrest on the charge of willful promotion of hatred after a failure to appear.^[22][23] Cobb responded to the warrant by stating "You can find me in the orange easy chair near the elevator" at the library in Kalispell, Montana.^[24][25] As of mid-January 2011 Cobb (in his words) has relocated to Wyoming.

Videorecordings and disruptions

Cobb’s videorecordings fall into two types of productions. The first consists of unedited presentations of antisemitic canards and commentary featuring close-up shots of himself, often presented as part of his "Deprogram" series on YouTube and Podblanc. The second consists of street interviews gathered at events where Cobb presents himself as a journalist for Vanguard News Network, asks a series of provocative questions laced with racial slurs, typically sparking outrage from targeted individuals.^[26] Documented incidents include a rally in Kingston, New York in 2005 and a 50 Cent concert in Tallinn in 2008.^[27][28] The most well-known of these disruptions occurred in October 2005 at the U.S. Capitol Rotunda as civil rights leader Rosa Parks was lying in state. Cobb confronted visitors, referred to Parks as a "shitskin communist", and stated that he was there celebrating her death.^[26]

Online activities

Cobb uses the online pseudonyms "No 1965 Chain Immigrants" (on Stormfront) and "Chain" (on Podblanc), references to the abolition of the National Origins Formula in the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. While his internet activities center upon "tireless propaganda"^[29] for Podblanc he is also active in far-right discussion boards where, after the arrest of Matt Hale in 2003 for soliciting the murder of U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow, Cobb posted the judge’s home address, family photographs and a map to her house. Lefkow’s husband and mother were subsequently murdered. In reply to a reporter’s question "What were you feeling when the double murder happened?" Cobb stated "What was I feeling? Emotions are not yet illegal. I was just fine with it. I think it was well done."^[1]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Kärmas, Mihkel (9 November 2006). "Rassism on minu religioon". Eesti Ekspress. http://paber.ekspress.ee/viewdoc/F1572A734C0D74BFC225721F00420192. Retrieved March 28, 2010. 
2. ^ Cobb, Craig (24 March 2010). "Deprogram". Podblanc.com. http://podblanc.com/node/40799?page=0%2C1. Retrieved March 29, 2010. 
3. ^ "Looky Who Wants To Come To Canada: Craig Cobb". Anti-Racist Canada. 11 August 2009. http://anti-racistcanada.blogspot.com/2009/08/looky-who-wants-to-come-to-canada-craig.html. Retrieved March 28, 2010. 
4. ^ Miller, Glenn (30 May 2009). "Fund Drive for Podblanc (Craig Cobb)". Vanguard News Network Forum. http://www.vnnforum.com/showthread.php?t=94895. Retrieved March 30, 2010. 
5. ^ Maynard, Curt (21 January 2010). "More Pseudo-Nazis Exposed". Rebel News. http://powerofno.org/opinion/hate/171500-more-pseudo-nazis-exposed. Retrieved March 30, 2010. ^{[dead link]}
6. ^ Lindstedt, Martin (21 April 2009). "The Christian Identity News Network vs. Corn Cobb’s Podblanc". White Nationalist. http://whitenationalist.org/forum/showthread.php?p=1473#post1473. Retrieved March 30, 2010. 
7. ^ Morenko, Constantine (5 September 2009). "Apxив: Одинокий расист желает познакомиться". DzD.ee. http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:Nvv_sFFXojgJ:www.dzd.ee/%3FSID%3D%26n%3D76%26a%3D4123%26anumber%3D179+podblanc+site:dzd.ee&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk. Retrieved March 28, 2010. 
8. ^ Owens, Michael; Foster, J. Todd (28 October 2005). "Aryan Messenger Comes to "Wake up White People"". The News-Virginian. http://www.oweb.com/state/story/1029202005_staWV--AryanMessenger-M0017.asp. Retrieved March 30, 2010. 
9. ^ "Racist Group Distributes White Supremacy CDs in West Virginia, Weeklies Report". Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues. 29 October 2004. http://www.uky.edu/CommInfoStudies/IRJCI/blogOct2004.htm. Retrieved March 28, 2010. 
10. ^ "Американский националист искал в Таллинне жену". Postimees.ru. 3 September 2009. http://rus.postimees.ee/?id=160037. Retrieved March 31, 2010. 
11. ^ "U.S. Neo-Nazi Operates in Estonia". Southern Poverty Law Center. Summer 2007. http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/article.jsp?aid=801. Retrieved March 28, 2010. 
12. ^ "Одинокий расист желает познакомиться". Postimees.ru. 3 September 2009. http://rus.postimees.ee/?id=159583. Retrieved March 28, 2010. 
13. ^ "Неонацист ищет сторонников в Балтии". Gorod.lv. 7 November 2006. http://www.gorod.lv/novosti/40070-neonatsist_ischet_storonnikov_v_baltii. Retrieved March 28, 2010. 
14. ^ Turay, Abdul (14 August 2009). "Американского неонациста высылают из Эстонии". Postimees.ru. http://rus.postimees.ee/?id=152797. Retrieved March 28, 2010. 
15. ^ Turay, Abdul (11 August 2009). "Neo-Nazi Thrown Out". Estonia Today. http://estoniatoday.blogspot.com/2009/07/about-this-website.html. Retrieved March 28, 2010. 
16. ^ "Estija išsiuntė amerikietį neonacį". Lrytas.lv. 14 August 2009. http://www.lrytas.lt/-12502563921250078115-estija-i%C5%A1siunt%C4%97-amerikiet%C4%AF-neonac%C4%AF.htm. Retrieved March 30, 2010. 
17. ^ Miller, Glenn (6 August 2009). "Craig Cobb Requests Our Help". Vanguard News Network Forum. http://www.vnnforum.com/showthread.php?t=98661. Retrieved March 30, 2010. 
18. ^ Smith, Charlie (25 March 2010). "U.S. White Supremacist Videotapes Anti-Nazi Rally in New Westminster". The Georgia Straight. http://www.straight.com/article-299482/vancouver/us-racist-videotapes-rally. Retrieved March 28, 2010. 
19. ^ "Let’s Bring Craig Cobb Home!". One People’s Project. 29 March 2010. http://onepeoplesproject.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=369:lets-bring-craig-cobb-home&catid=29:antifa-news. Retrieved March 29, 2010. 
20. ^ Bellett, Gerry (7 January 2011). "RCMP seek white supremacist who fails to appear in court". The Vancouver Sun. http://www.vancouversun.com/news/RCMP+seek+white+supremacist+fails+appear+court/4073749/story.html. Retrieved 7 January 2011. 
21. ^ Headley, Jessica (October 14, 2010). "New Sect Of White Nationalists Promotes In Flathead Valley". NBC Montana. http://www.nbcmontana.com/news/25397939/detail.html. Retrieved November 8, 2010. 
22. ^ Chan, Cheryl (6 January 2011). "Warrant issued for man over B.C.-based racist website". Postmedia News. http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Warrant+issued+over+based+racist+website/4070350/story.html. Retrieved 7 January 2011. 
23. ^ Wintonyk, Darcy (6 January 2011). "B.C. Mounties hunt white supremacist over website". CTV News. http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20110106/bc_white_surpremacist_110106/20110106?hub=BritishColumbiaHome. Retrieved 7 January 2011. 
24. ^ Baron, Ethan (7 January 2011). "White supremacist wanted in B.C. taunts police from U.S.". Postmedia News. http://www.vancouversun.com/news/White+supremacist+wanted+taunts+police+from/4076539/story.html. Retrieved 7 January 2011. 
25. ^ Wintonyk, Darcy (7 January 2011). "Wanted white supremacist taunts authorities". CTV News. http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20110107/bc_racist_110107/20110107?hub=BritishColumbiaHome. Retrieved 7 January 2011. 
26. ^ ^{a b} "Behind the Gunfire: Alleged Murderer Inspired by Podblanc Hate Site". Southern Poverty Law Center. Summer 2009. http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/article.jsp?aid=1065. Retrieved March 28, 2010. 
27. ^ Nichols, Nicole (7 December 2005). "Chain of Fools". Citizens Against Hate. http://niksnest.blogspot.com/2005/12/chain-of-fools.html. Retrieved March 31, 2010. 
28. ^ Kärmas, Mihkel (8 April 2008). "Американский неонацист занимался пропагандой на концерте 50 Cent в Таллинне". Postimees.ee. http://rus.postimees.ee/080408/glavnaja/estonija/32619.php. Retrieved March 28, 2010. 
29. ^ Kärmas, Mihkel (2 November 2006). "Neegrivihkaja rajab Rapla metsatallu keskust". Eesti Ekspress. https://195.250.160.49/viewdoc/4F9ACF372178233CC2257219003D7C51. Retrieved March 31, 2010. 

External links

• Craig Cobb YouTube channel
• "Rassismipreester visatakse Eestist välja" ("Priest of Racism Thrown Out of Estonia"), an article by Mihkel Kärmas in Eesti Ekspress on Cobb’s deportation
• English translation of Kärmas’ article by One People's Project
• "Paradise Lost", an editorial by Abdul Turay in Estonia Today on Cobb’s time in Estonia
• Photographs of Craig Cobb

Persondata
Name	Cobb, Craig
Alternative names
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Date of birth	9 October 1951
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death