https://medium.com/@darshansanghrajka/trump-is-inciting-the-far-right-to-fight-his-violent-civil-war-here-is-how-we-stop-it-a6ee091b419b
Trump Is Inciting The Far-Right To Fight A Violent Civil War. Here Is Why He Is Doing It And How WE Stop It.
Darshan Sanghrajka
Unlike the show of unity above, on Friday 29th May, Trump chose to divide a nation by Tweeting "When the looting starts, the shooting starts". In a fit of rage, I Tweeted:
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/may/29/twitter-hides-donald-trump-tweet-glorifying-violence
"Trump is a white supremacist & that's been clear for years. It should frighten you. At UCLA, I studied a whole heap on religious violence & cults, and I'm tempted to do a thread on why and how he's trying to incite neo-Nazis to fight a violent civil war. Should I?"
https://twitter.com/chiefchimpanzee/status/1266325166201724930?s=20
What was meant to be a Twitter thread, has turned into this post.
Since my time at UCLA and over the last 16 years, I've learned a lot about religious violence, extremist movements and cults; across the world, there have been alarm bells ringing for the longest time but they've always been too insidious. But it was always the USA that worried me the most. Now they're loud enough for anyone to hear them. However, whilst I say that, please remember I am not talking about all of Trump's supporters; his movement has many different people in it, and I want to be clear that I am focusing on the elements of his movement that make him so resilient and so dangerous.
https://medium.com/@darshansanghrajka/trump-is-inciting-the-far-right-to-fight-his-violent-civil-war-here-is-how-we-stop-it-a6ee091b419b#2b40
The more Trump has said over the last few days, the more it made me worry and that worry is why I have taken time to write all of this; I know it's long but I hope you will take the time to read it.
We can only turn back the serious situation that's unfolding if we understand what Trump is doing, truly understand it. If we don't, we are going to see a violent civil war, and it will specifically be a race war so that Trump can pave a possible path for total control. (If I'd published that at the beginning of last week, you'd have thought I was mad but his Tweets last Friday made it madder not to write this piece.). I'm not saying it will happen today or indeed, this month, but the closer we get to November, the more dangerous things become.
As you watch things play out in the USA and reflect over the events of the last few days, in particular, let me ask you three questions:
1. Do you think Trump will fight a fair election in November?
2. Do you think if he loses in November, he will go?
3. Do you think if he goes, his most loyal supporters will accept that?
Whilst I want you to think about all three questions, it's the last one that I really want you to answer. At least, that is what I'm going to focus on, and hopefully, through this piece and the evidence it presents, you'll see how seriously we need to think about this question, what it means, and what lies ahead.
As you read further, I'll show you some background and some key concepts that should make you go 'Now it makes sense!' followed quickly with, 'We have to do something, quickly!'. I'll also explain the backdrop to the various factions in Trump's movement, and zoom in on an example which demonstrates that we have all the warning signs of an extremist movement powering Trump, and Trump powering it — so that they can both meet their goals. This example focuses on The Covenant, The Sword and The Arm of the L-rd (The CSA), one of the most dangerous extremist organisations in the USA during the 1980s — and I'll include what I learned in 2004, when I spoke to a reformed Kerry Noble, who was the CSA's former second in command when it was around.
https://medium.com/@darshansanghrajka/trump-is-inciting-the-far-right-to-fight-his-violent-civil-war-here-is-how-we-stop-it-a6ee091b419b#988f
https://medium.com/@darshansanghrajka/trump-is-inciting-the-far-right-to-fight-his-violent-civil-war-here-is-how-we-stop-it-a6ee091b419b#0ebf
https://medium.com/@darshansanghrajka/trump-is-inciting-the-far-right-to-fight-his-violent-civil-war-here-is-how-we-stop-it-a6ee091b419b#e5f6
https://medium.com/@darshansanghrajka/trump-is-inciting-the-far-right-to-fight-his-violent-civil-war-here-is-how-we-stop-it-a6ee091b419b#082d
By showing you all of that, I'll be able to explain why Trump gets away with so much, why his movement supports him no matter what, why he does what he does, and where he's going with all of this.
https://medium.com/@darshansanghrajka/trump-is-inciting-the-far-right-to-fight-his-violent-civil-war-here-is-how-we-stop-it-a6ee091b419b#fe2c
Most importantly, I'll hope to show you what we can all do to stop him. (If you want to jump to that bit now, you can check it out here but I promise it will make more sense once you take in everything else that I explain before it).
https://medium.com/@darshansanghrajka/trump-is-inciting-the-far-right-to-fight-his-violent-civil-war-here-is-how-we-stop-it-a6ee091b419b#9d6a
I'll start by briefly setting the scene
2020 has been a terrible year for Trump or has it? The COVID pandemic hit the USA and the rest of the world and it exposed Trump to what he called the 'unseen enemy'. He was used to winging his way through challenges that he created himself, and here came something he couldn't control. He didn't know what to do. His ego told him he had it covered, that nothing could be impossible to deal with. 4 months later — 40 million people are unemployed, 107,750 are dead, 1.89m are infected, and he has only a few months until the election. This wasn't part of his plan. And yet support from the MAGA movement doesn't waver. However, Trump needs to be sure. So, what does he do?
He exploits the brutal murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. An unarmed man killed by Derek Chauvin, a racist cop who drove his knee down on George's neck for almost 9 minutes, all whilst 3 of his colleagues did nothing to stop him. A senseless and deliberate act of racist violence that is inexcusable.
As justified anger flared amongst communities who had had enough, as protests erupted around the city, as the official autopsy blamed the cause of death on underlying health conditions despite there being a video of his murder, as militarised police hit the streets turning a protest into a powder keg guaranteed to blow, as opportunists took advantage of the situation, as black people around the country cried tears at yet another life taken away due to police brutality — Trump decided this wasn't the time to extend warmth and be an empathetic leader. This was not the time to be a human and say "Enough is enough, I stand with black people. I will do what it takes to make things better."
Instead, he grabbed the opportunity to incite a civil war and then doubled down his efforts in the White House garden. Whilst he is seemingly sending the US military out on the streets, his actual call to arms is neo-Nazis and extreme right-wing Christian movements. If he succeeds, he will get a violent race war that will get him what he wants and gives the extremists within his MAGA movement exactly what they need. What is happening in the USA right now (and in other countries around the world, including the UK) is steps towards the worst aspects of authoritarianism and totalitarianism. Certain leaders are hell-bent on dividing people so that they can create the conditions to achieve their personal goals. It is fuelled through carefully crafted ultranationalist fervour, the sowing of divisions in society, and the motivations of various disparate groups who all have something to gain along the way. Leaders will use all of this to provoke reactions that will enable them to slowly erode our rights, knowing full well that apologists will tell us "trust the law' — until one day there is no law.
I am not being alarmist and saying that the path will be completed, but simply using the evidence at hand to show that the path is being paved. If we don't watch out for the signs, it will creep up to a point where we can no longer do anything to stop this movement.
The US political system does have checks and balances in place with the tripartite system of the executive branch, the legislative branch, and the judicial branch. That should mean the separation of powers keeps him in check. If you were to bet on a leader to test how to break those separation of powers, who would it be?
We need to break his strategy and unite people again. If we don't we're running out of offramps.
Now let's take a little step back in time to give you some context of where my thoughts are coming from
Back in 2004, I was a 21-year-old studying at UCLA for my third year abroad from St Andrews. I was an Economics and History major, and whilst I'd manage to enroll quite easily (and reluctantly) in all my Economics classes, I really wanted to find History classes that would help me see things from a viewpoint that I hadn't yet explored. I came across a small class taught by Dr. Jean Rosenfeld — it was about religious violence and I realised that we would learn how ordinary people leading ordinary lives can turn into cult members and terrorists. With the backdrop of the War on Terror, this class felt like it would help make sense of a senseless world. Luckily it did, and I'm deeply grateful because it has completely shaped so much of my thinking over the last 16 years. Jean's knowledge was infectious — not just her academic knowledge but her ability to draw from her real-life experiences of advising the FBI and policymakers. (There is not a single doubt in my mind that if every Government listened to Jean, there wouldn't be any terror.)
Her teaching and the course material sparked my imagination. It helped me to see how hate can take form and a life of its own, and it made me understand how we can begin to tackle religious violence. Al Qaeda was terrorising the world, ISIS was taking shape from its infant guise, and everything I was learning was showing that the strategy being used to confront these terrorists was only going to make them rise further. I learned so much, I was hooked. A year later and back at St Andrews, I continued to build my knowledge through a class taught by Professor Ali Ansari. I learned even more about myth and ideology in the Middle East, and in particular, the power of Osama bin Laden's carefully crafted myths in driving his recruitment strategy. UCLA helped me to understand one aspect, St Andrews helped me to understand another. If life had allowed me to, I would have loved to carry on studying and researching this area of interest as an academic at UCLA. Of course, life always has other plans but that didn't stop me from learning further in my spare time. Over the last 14 years, I've been doing exactly that. My particular focus is on religious violence from cults in democratic countries with ultranationalist leaders. That has meant more of a focus on far-right neo-Nazi organisations. Until 2015, I just never imagined it would be Trump that would be the person to worry about.
Why? I wanted to understand how someone living within a free society can go from being part of it to being against it. I wanted to do something about this. It's why the motivation for all the work I have done and continue to do since my studies has been based on a single principal — every child is born innocent, curious, funny, joyful, and full of potential — how do we create the conditions for them to fulfill that potential and maintain all that natural brilliance? How do we give them options so that they do not turn to the one extreme option they have left. (Of course, there is a deeper discussion about systemic barriers and our approach to mental health, but that's for another piece.)
Observing all of this in the context of what Trump is doing in the present day and who is fuelling these actions makes me extremely worried. But as I mentioned, if we know what could be going on, we can do something about it.
Let's get back to it.
"When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time" Maya Angelou
On November 9th, 2016, as news of Trump's victory in the Presidential election hit the airwaves — David Duke, the former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan tweeted this (Keep in mind that image, every detail of it. I'll come back to it later to explain why the imagery is so important. It's not about the US being mighty, it's much more alarming than that):
At that point, anyone with any decency should have asked 'Do I really want to follow someone that is celebrated by someone who led the KKK?'. I suspect many did and the answer was something along the lines of 'Trump isn't that bad. He just says controversial things, he doesn't mean it. Just because David Duke supports him, that doesn't make me a white supremacist. I voted for Trump for the economy or something else'. Once you support a team, you'll always find ways to rationalise something that is at odds with your own belief system. Until one day, you don't.
Of course, his most hardcore supporters were like David Duke, celebrating for more horrific reasons. That image above isn't just some artwork with Trump made to look like an American war hero. It's more frightening than that. That image is of Trump fighting the Holy War, and the American symbolism is because many religious white supremacists in the USA believe that America is the promised land, not Israel. They're anti-Semitic and they think non-whites are not human. The 'moral high ground' that David Duke spoke about wasn't just about ethics, it was about gaining legitimacy to see through the apocalyptic visions and Holy wars that these far-right groups think they're preparing for.
They'd been waiting for a leader like Trump for the longest time. Eight years of Obama had really riled them up (It caused a rise in number of hate groups); the open and overt abuse of a black family in the White House was a backlash against the worst of two worlds for them — a liberal Government with a black President. Then came along Trump. A man who was on their side and would correct everything they felt harmed by. A man who called his voters a 'spiritual movement'. A man who had chosen Mike Pence as his VP. A man who would give them permission to no longer hide their beliefs. A man who G-d has sent to free them. That set in motion what we are seeing today.
To see how quickly his victory led to hate crimes, here is a post someone made outlining how things were unfolding on the 1st day of Trump's America. You can see just how the victory had mobilised and given extreme permission to extreme hate; It has only grown since that 1st day on November 9th 2016.
https://medium.com/@seanokane/day-1-in-trumps-america-9e4d58381001
On that day, I posted this below (In hindsight I should have focused my message on Trump and white supremacy rather than his voters — it was the heat of the moment and I couldn't see why ordinary people with no extreme beliefs had just voted for someone so dangerous.):
https://miro.medium.com/max/850/1*DqVk_XqILsqOWCDi8dMeww.png
A couple of my friends told me to get over it but others agreed with the post. Jean Rosenfeld had retired by then but she commented with two chilling lines:
"I hope you see some correlations between it and what is now happening, not only in the States, but in Europe and a few other places as well."
If Jean also saw that, then I knew we were done for. A couple of weeks later she sent an email outlining her worries about a possible path to a fascist takeover in the USA and ended it with "ps. I hope I'm wrong".
She wasn't. She is thoughtful and would not have sent that email if she didn't have clear warning signs. I believed her then, and I believe her even more now.
(If you get time, please do read her paper Fascism as Action through Time (Or How It Can Happen Here))
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/315954737_Fascism_as_Action_through_Time_Or_How_It_Can_Happen_Here
Essentially, Jean's thoughts were that the 'Patriot' movement needed voters and a charismatic leader. They couldn't do it alone because they were fragmented and didn't have one leader to lead them all. They needed a charismatic leader and that was Trump. They mobilised to get him in and then he began his work to reward them, so that in turn he could get what he wanted. He began implementing anti-immigration policy right away and he started dismantling the status quo, removing and weakening the powers that could keep him in check. We're now beginning to see the extent to which he is willing to go before he crosses over to the end goal.
We'll come back to this. For now…
Why should we look at far-right white supremacist movement to see how Trump came to power?
If we know the mechanisms that Trump is using to strengthen his movement and we know the mindset of his MAGA movement, we can spot the signs and do something.
To begin with, if you want to see what white supremacists envision — don't just look at online threats or even physical violence on the streets. That's horrific enough but look to a book that has catalysed 42 years of deep hatred and apocalyptic visions.
In 1978, under the pseudonym of Andrew Macdonald, white supremacist William Luther Pierce published The Turner Diaries — a fictional story about a neo-Nazi Apocalypse. (Pierce was one of the most high profile white supremacists in the USA — he led the National Alliance for almost 30 years.) It might have been fictional but it represented the dark thoughts that people like Pierce have gladly fought for.
Through the diary of the book's protagonist, Earl Turner, we see vivid details of his part in a white resistance army that fights an extremely violent revolution to overthrow the US Government, embarks on a race war where all non-white people are exterminated, and then a nuclear war that leads to a global neo-Nazi apocalypse.
It's as brutal as you can imagine, which is also why so many countries see it as one of the most dangerous books in publication. (In hindsight, it's probably what got me stopped in airport security at Toronto Airport in 2004. I had a deadline for a paper I was writing and I had a copy of this book when returning from Toronto to LA. I had no idea that Canada had classified it as a hate-propaganda literature and banned it from being imported into the country. For over two hours I had to explain myself. If nothing else, I hope there is CCTV footage of a brown man trying to prove that it was a textbook for a class at university and not his user manual on how to start a neo-Nazi apocalypse).
The Anti-Defamation League says it is "probably the most widely-read book among far-right extremists".
https://www.adl.org/education/resources/backgrounders/turner-diaries
The Southern Poverty Law Centre called it the "bible of the racist right".
Indeed, the book was designed to inspire hate and action to further the cause of white supremacy. And it has succeeded in doing so:
It inspired The Order a white supremacist organisation named after the political organisation in the book. Their aim? Commit crime and violence to provoke a race war in the USA. In the 15 months that they existed, they brutally murdered three people, including Alan Berg — a Jewish liberal talk show host. (David Lane and Bruce Pierce were never charged with murder, instead, they were convicted on charges of civil rights violations. They ended up getting life in prison but even though they had committed a murder, they were not charged for murder).
It inspired the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. (clippings from the book were found in Timothy McVeigh's car).
http://edition.cnn.com/US/9704/28/okc/
It inspired John William King to drag a black man called James Byrd to his death in 1998. Witnesses report King saying "We're going to start the Turner Diaries early".
It inspired the 1999 London nail bombings (The terrorist, David Copeland told police that he was inspired by the book.).
Today, it inspires The Alt-Right; they use the phrase 'day of the rope' to refer to a point in the novel where race traitors are publicly hanged. If that doesn't scare you into action, I don't know what will.
By the turn of the century around 500,000 copies of the book had been sold, and since then countless copies have been read online. That's a lot of minds being programmed to fight a bloody race war.
I guarantee the hardliners around Trump like Stephen Miller have read it. (If Trump read books, he would have too.)
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/nov/24/stephen-miller-white-nationalist-trump-immigration-guru
And that's just the thing — after the Civil Rights Act, the most hardened racists didn't just repent and reform, they went about their daily lives feeling angry, enacting their hatred by subverting from within their jobs, and by recruiting the next generation. They didn't stop being racist or in the case of revolutionary millennialists, they didn't stop believing in their prophecies. Before, during, and after their time in their various hate groups, they all had jobs. Remember when I mentioned the notorious white supremacist William Luther Pierce? He was a former physics professor at Oregon State University. Today, there are many William Luther Pierces going about their daily jobs.
Why am I telling you this?
It's important to know how each of these organisations shares a common bond and fuel — texts like The Turner Diaries, amongst others, are a language that is just as mutually understood as the corrupted versions of the faith that they practice. Unless you understand what they consume, you can't deal with the challenge properly.
They believe they are warriors. When we see men walking around with guns calling themselves patriots and we think 'What is wrong with you?', we should instead remember that they literally see themselves as soldiers in an upcoming civil war. They don't care what you or I think of them. What's the difference between the time The Turner Diaries was published and today in 2020? Yep, Donald J Trump. They now have an ally in power who has not only whipped up their ambitions but actively supported them. They see a man who is untouchable (so far), a man who does what he wants, a man who isn't scared of anybody or anything (he looked directly at the sun during an eclipse for a reason).
Imagine waking up after years, and maybe even decades after a terrible vision, and then suddenly the President of your beloved country is supportive of that vision? What sort of confidence would that give you?
But how does something like that take hold? To show you, I'll walk you through that example of the CSA but before I do that, I want to explain what we can learn from the study of religious violence and millennialist cults.
Some key concepts to look out for
There is so much we can look at but I want to focus on three important concepts — millennialism, 'ultimate concern', and charismatic leadership. Once I've explained them, you'll see the example I give just how dangerous all of these can be under the worst conditions (and those conditions exist in the present day), how it all applies to Trump, and finally, explain what we can do about it all.
What is millennialism?
It encapsulates the belief in the end times being followed by paradise. The belief that after the Apocalypse, there will be a transition to collective salvation associated with the second coming. Whilst the majority of people who practice millennial faiths have an expectation of salvation that is personal to them and never harmful to anyone else, there are extremist groups or movements within those faiths who see things differently . They truly believe that they have a part to play in the Apocalypse, and that's why you see how hard it is to defeat extremists in any millennialist religion. They have bastardised their scriptures and when you try to defeat their violence with force, they double down because it reinforces the prophecy of the Holy war that they have been preparing for. They only spend time with fellow extreme believers, and the more time they spend with each other, the more their beliefs are reinforced. You cannot defeat that mindset with rational thought or weapons, you have to neutralise their prophecy through other means, often using people they respect as bridges or conduits of the message.
To put it another way, if you believed the enemy was the living embodiment of the devil and everything they did served to reinforce your perception of the devil, would you cooperate with them? Of course not. However, if someone you respected worked with you to understand, you might listen. If the behaviour of your enemy was totally at odds with your prophecy, you'd listen even more.
There are many types of millennialist groups but catastrophic millennialism is the most common. The belief is of an imminently catastrophic transition to paradise through a holy war which will lead to collective salvation on the day of Judgement. With that anticipation reinforced time and time again, members become focused on the violent destruction of society, so that a perfect kingdom can manifest. As Catherine Wessinger says "Catastrophic millennialism is a worldview that offers the hope that the experience of evil is not meaningless, and that the righteous will be vindicated and included in salvation."
The worst case of this is revolutionary millennialism. It involves a radical dualistic perspective of good battling evil that becomes a sense of 'us' vs. 'them'. This dehumanises 'them' and provides a justification for violence and murder. When revolutionary millennialism becomes an expression of catastrophic millennialism, then (in my mind) it is at its most dangerous. Especially as they believe civil law is secondary to G-d's law. It doesn't necessarily mean they will be violent but when they do, they'll either be attacking because they believe they are warriors summoned to fight in the grand prophecy of the end times, or they'll be fighting back because they feel they have to defend themselves whilst they wait for salvation. It's the former that should worry us most, as they don't keep themselves to themselves, they become a violent part of the vision they have seen. It's what we see when religious neo-Nazis roam the streets loaded with weapons without a worry in the world.
These are the people Trump is calling to fight his civil war and they will because they think it's their Holy War. The latter is really important to remember. You have to put yourself in their minds. At the turn of the century, they were expecting the Apocalypse. It didn't come but like all prophecy driven extremist movements, a missed date doesn't mean much, the total belief remains. War has always been imminent in their minds, and they truly believe they are the crusaders fighting evil. And you'll notice they will incite the violence when needed.
What is the concept of Ultimate Concern?
The idea of 'ultimate concern' was originally coined by theologian Paul Tilich for defining religion and then in 1971, historian Robert D Baird extended its definition to mean "a concern which is more important than anything else in the universe for the person involved". Whether they are a person, group, or movement — the ultimate concern is what people will fight for, and indeed die for. For a lot of us, our ultimate concern is our loved ones — we would do anything for them. We all have an ultimate concern (Interestingly, if you study every political shock you'll notice a common theme — the unexpected winner had honed their message to tap into the ultimate concern of voters.) In extremist millennialist movements, this is about the Apocalypse bringing about collective salvation. They anticipate and look forward to the Holy War that will lead to it (the attitude that dying equates to the salvation they have been waiting for, so bring on the fight). For Trump it's not that, it's purely to be the King of the USA and maybe even the world. He wants all-encompassing power and a pure white USA. The hardcore people around him might tap into a millennialist ultimate concern — this is an inevitability for some (Pence is an example). For others around him, their ultimate concern is white power and money — Trump is the gravy train that makes that happen.
A crucial thing to know is that believers in a cult will not concede or cooperate if you threaten their ultimate concern. If anything they will fight back. There is a strong sense of perceived slight, that they're being persecuted, and the more you attack their worldview, the more that feeling is reinforced. Even the followers of cults who mind their own business, if challenged, will over time turn outwards and fight. (I'm not saying we should ever appease dangerous beliefs but rather to direct our focus on how we neutralise them. Otherwise, it's like trying to put out a forest fire by throwing bombs.)
What you need to do is weaken the group by using their own language, otherwise, you confirm their prophecies.
Saying all this, ultimate concerns can change and can be inspired to change. It just requires careful intervention to pull someone away from a lethal ultimate concern but it can be done.
What is charismatic leadership?
Catherine Wessinger says charisma in millennialist leaders refers to a person who has "access to a divine or superhuman source of authority that is not usually shared with many others", someone that has been "appointed as a prophet by the divine.". This is what makes the leader of a cult worthy of devotion.
That leader is critical to the success or failure of these groups. They believe that collective salvation will often be brought about by an agent of G-d (and who might be G-d themselves).
This is why catastrophic or revolutionary millennial movements with charismatic leaders are the most dangerous (in my mind). We saw this in Johnstown and Waco —where a challenge to their perceived authority can accelerate violence inwardly or outwardly, respectively in those two cases. When you confront their views and actions you allow the charismatic leader to reinforce their message to their followers, and end up making things worse. That's what happened at Waco. The FBI negotiators used their hostage protocol — not only did they ignore the ultimate concern of the Branch Davidians, they believed the women and children were unwilling participants and worked on the basis of staying focused on the preservation of their lives. This played right into David Koresh's mindset; he had been telling his followers that the end times were coming and sadly, the FBI played right into it all with a gunfight. Koresh brought forward the Apocalyptic end game and went out fighting in a blazing battle— 76 people died — men, women, and children.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/17/an-apocalyptic-cult-900-dead-remembering-the-jonestown-massacre-40-years-on
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waco_siege
So now that I've set that out, let me show you these concepts in action within the case of the terrorist cult I brought up at the beginning of this piece — The Convenant, the Sword, and the Arm of the L-rd (CSA). As you move through the next bits, try to think about the armed militias you are seeing on the streets of cities across the USA and why Trump can call them to arms.
The Covenant, the Sword, and the Arm of the L-rd (CSA)
I want to use this example to show you how the underbelly of white supremacy can form, take hold, and how each group builds on each other.
Before I get into it, who were they?
The CSA was a far-right terrorist organisation during the 1970s and early 1980s. Led by James Ellison, the CSA was a highly dangerous, revolutionary, and catastrophic millennialist group. It initially attracted the vulnerable and Christian Survivalists to its Baptist congregation at the Zarephath-Horeb Community Church, and from there it evolved to become the second most dangerous terrorist organisation in the USA. They sought to overthrow legitimate authorities and their radical dualism always meant they had a very clear and violent idea of 'us' versus 'them'. This all stemmed from their belief in the 'Identify version of Christianity', where white Anglo-Saxons, not Jews, are the true Elect — the chosen people of G-d. So they believed that the white race was superior to non-whites (who have no souls and are therefore considered at the same level as animals). The CSA believed that during the great battle the Elect would need somewhere safe to stay, and that would be at Zarephath-Horeb. By using the Identity Church's teaching, the CSA justified their promotion of violent ideas and actions.
The CSA expected that "Racial Holy War," signifying the battle that white supremacists believe will pit the white race against minorities and Jews and lead to Aryan rule over the world. Ellson had prophecied that the apocalyptic racial war would come in 1979. It didn't but like all cults, the dates get moved forward and the belief doesn't falter. It became the very thing they prepared for, and it was always imminent.
Just how dangerous was the CSA?
In the 1980s, they committed arson, bombings, armed robberies, and murdered CSA members stalked their targets, practiced assassinations, and trained for attacks at their training base Silhouette City — A 224 acre compound in Elijah, Arkansas.
One of their members, Richard Snell, shot and killed a pawnshop owner called William Stumpp because he thought he was Jewish. Seven months later Snell killed Louise Bryant, a black Arkansas State Trooper. He ended up getting the death penalty and was executed in 1995 (He also had knowledge of Timothy McVeigh's plan to attack Oklahoma City but only went as far as mocking the prison guards without revealing any details.).
Amongst the horrific acts of violence that they carried out, there were also plans for large scale attacks and war; luckily some of their biggest plots failed:
- Their 1983 manifesto A.T.T.A.C.K. (Aryan Tactical Treaty for the Advancement of Christ's Kingdom) declared a civil war against the federal government, which they referred to as ZOG (Zionist Occupied Government). This wasn't a pipe dream, they truly believed in the manifesto and prepared for war. And they had serious weaponry — during the law enforcement raid in 1985, the ATF found a light antitank rocket, 94 long arms, 35 sawn-off shotguns, one heavy machine gun, C-4 explosives, machine guns, and lots of gold.
https://miro.medium.com/max/813/0*jmb5CEWpTv3gh47x.jpg
- In the summer of 1984, Noble was seconds away from committing what, at that time, would have been the largest domestic terror attack in US history. He walked into a gay-affirming church with the intention to kill over 70 people. As Noble sat in the church, he decided he couldn't go through with it.
- In 1985, it was James Ellison who had planned to bomb the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, but luckily he didn't manage it. Tragically, 10 years later Timothy McVeigh did.
The CSA didn't keep to themselves, they allied with other supremacist organisations such as the Aryan Brotherhood and helped each other — as long as they could benefit mutually, there was cooperation. It was steeped in a web of hideous relationships:
- Robert G Millar was one of Ellison's spiritual advisors (Ellison even married his granddaughter). Who was Millar? He was the founder of Elohim City (of which Timothy McVeigh was a member) and was once considered to be one of the most important leaders in the Christian Identity movement.
- The Christian Identity movement is included on the FBI's extremist religion watchlist. It believes people of colour are a lower species because they are pre-Adamic and that Jews are the descendants of Satan. It's a fully anti-Semitic and racist belief system. Why have they got roots in the USA? Members believe that America (not Israel), is the promised land and that white Anglo-Saxons (not Jews), are the chosen ones
- If that wasn't bad enough, Ellison was also mentored by Richard Girny Butler (founder of the Aryan Nations) and Robert E Miles (founder of the Mountain Church). In particular, Miles believed that earth was where the battle between a true G-d and a false G-d would happen. He considered Jews as acting on behalf of the false G-d and that white Aryans were the true G-d's chosen people.
- They trained around 1500 Christian Identity followers to fight. In preparation for what? Well Randall Rader who had set up 'The Order's', ran the boot-camp and it was called 'End Time Overcomer Survival Training School' — so you work it out.
This type of constant fuel must have been catalytic for Ellison.
It was them versus everyone else. Everyone else was the enemy and this was reinforced.
How on earth did a Baptist Church turn into a terrorist organisation?
This is where we turn to Kerry Noble's book The Tabernacle of Hate — it's such an important vantage point from a reformed terrorist, who since his release from prison has worked to prevent others from falling into hate crime. It shows how a Church can very quickly turn into a community of believers who turn to extreme violence. I know this book inside out. It was one of the primary texts we read during Jean's class (She later went on to write the introduction to the updated version of the book — you really should read it if you can — it's now called "Tabernacle of Hate: Seduction Into Right-Wing Extremism"). Back then, I got in touch with Noble to ask him questions that would allow me to understand more about the CSA and him.
As I break this down, I'll give some examples from the book or my correspondence with Noble (these will all be quotes directly from what Noble told me in November 2004.)
Stephen O'Leary in Arguing the Apocalypse: A Theory of Millennial Rhetoric argues that the belief system of these movements causes them to be eclectic millennialists that do not subscribe to just one religion but borrow ideas. In this case, we saw the Zarepath-Horeb Community Church create its paramilitary wing, the CSA, which then merges with the radical right-wing extremism of Christian Identity to form a Christian right-wing extremist movement. It moves away from the general teachings of Christianity and becomes its own eclectic self-thinking movement. It might justify its actions as the wishes of G-d but in essence, it creates its hybrid ideology. By using the Identity Church's teaching, the CSA justified their violent ideas and actions. Their ultimate concern drives their behaviour.
This sense of order in the group, lay the path for them to find answers to their questions; they did during prayer and praise meetings through "prophecies, speaking in tongues, healings, visions, dreams, and miracles.". They knew that, they as Christians were vital to the end times but how were they to prepare for it? How were they to become better Christians? All these questions would be answered through prayer and the spiritual gifts they believed they possessed. Through prophecy, G-d would give them a sign and this would be the basis of every decision. Total and utter faith in this meant that no prophecy was questioned for years until the issue of polygamy was brought up by Ellison. Even when the FBI siege began, Ellison argued that he was prepared "For a shoot-out, for an escape, for whatever G-d wants."
Essentially, signs from their version of G-d both make the decision and justify them.
What attracts people to join such extremist millennialist groups?
Cognitive psychology tell us decisions can only be made with the presence of emotions, and when someone chooses what seems like the worst possible option, it's led by the negative emotions associated with all other options (or the lack of options) being far less alluring.
I did ask Noble if there was a way for
ALL of us have some problem or another. The major problem in our society is that we do not know who has or who has not healed from some childhood trauma until it is too late usually. No preventive care psychologically in general. I
would probably not have been diagnosed as psychologically ill before moving
to the farm. But the circumstances there (& Ellison) caused those hurts to
surface more. With society the way it is (high divorce; abuse in families;
bullying at schools; easy access to porn; drugs; etc), so many children
have hurts that need healing, but don't usually get it until it's too late.
Indeed, the initial members of the CSA were young people who were recovering from drugs or cults.
In the book, Noble explains that he "always wanted a large family, and to live in the country, far from the dangers and pace of city life…wanted to live and work with Christians and raise (my) family in a truly Christian environment. Not a churchy environment, full of hypocrisy and church politics, but where Christianity was a lifestyle, not a set of stuffy doctrines and traditions.".
That similar theme comes across from something else that Noble says — "Ellison, I discovered years later, knew that people who had used drugs or who had previously been in cults were basically discontent with society and the kind of people he wanted, who would be easier to mold than regular church people or non-Christians would be.".
Everyone needs to believe in something and if you can give them that emotional feeling, you have their attention. Tragic how much of the world is in chaos because of that on principle. Tragic how Trump is able to use this to his advantage.
How did James Ellison maintain his authority?
It was through his greatest gift — his charismatic leadership; Ellison claimed that he had the gift of prophecy and constantly reinforced that he was a descendant of King David and a prophet of G-d sent to settle in Arkansas. (Robert Millar even anointed him "King of the Ozarks".) He brought this all to life through stories of his revelations, for example, he talked about G-d making a building collapse around him in 1970 to 'get his attention' and then how G-d brought back him to life "…for a purpose. His purpose!".
The community was taught that he was a prophet, sent by G-d to save them. This teaching came from his belief that he was the shepherd, and from the teachings of the "Five-Fold Ministry", that taught there are apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, and evangelists in the church and that through their teachings, the disciples of Christ would be perfected into sonship. The latter is the idea that the body of Christ would be made up of all the Elect when he returned.
"The only hope for America, G-d told me, is for Christians to leave the cities and organized churches and to build refuges in isolated sections of the country, so others will have a place to come when the Tribulation Period hits. When G-d does judge America for its sins, good people will need somewhere to go, and that's why we're here."
That made him the cohesive force of the group; Everyone saw him as an agent of G-d, the only person in the CSA with divine authority. In their eyes, not only was he able to lead but like Jesus, he was able to forgive like Jesus too. For example, when another member slept with his wife or when someone ran over his baby, he remained calm. They were all enchanted by his charisma and virtues.
When I asked Noble what he thought Ellison's 'gifts' were, he replied:
"Ellison's gifts were patience, strength, charisma, experience, kindness, morality. He worked harder than any of the men, though he was older. He was patient & kind with all of us in the beginning. He had a lot of meekness and did not brag about what he had done in the past. He clearly wanted to do what G-d wanted, especially early on. He was a "man's man" without the usual drinking and immorality. And there was a peace about him in the beginning. He knew how to make people feel good about themselves and to believe in themselves. Everyone loved Jim and wanted to be like him. Everyone knew they could depend on him to do what was right and good for all. That is, until he changed. It was like he kept on this upward climb to take us to the mountain peak and then suddenly he began to descend (even though, in his mind, he was still ascending)."
Much like him, the other members in the camp were also enchanted by Ellison. Not only did he possess charismatic leadership in the religious sense, he also had natural charisma too, (Of course, the former influences the latter somewhat) until one day he didn't:
"Now to me — he clearly had Charisma — like when you first saw him — your
reaction was that you were really drawn to his personality; you liked him
immediately. Secondly, he was able to keep everyone's respect due to his spiritual experiences and his general ability to remain calm. Now, this meant that the community in the beginning respected and obeyed him but gradually things changed as "all the King's men began to leave".
The relationship between Ellison and the community is simplified by Noble's explanation. We witness a leader, who sees himself as the shepherd and his followers as the sheep. This, of course, is no coincidence — it spoke a language that worshippers would have faith in; Jesus is seen to be a shepherd to the lost sheep in the Parable of the Lost Sheep in Matthew 18:12–13.
G-d is constantly the justification for each action.
(If Trump is ever removed from the White House, I can guarantee he will invoke G-d to appeal to his hardcore supporters. In Ellison's case, the FBI and ATF had learned from Waco and had managed to peacefully make them surrender. In Trump's case, is surrender an option in any way?)
But why would such believers in G-d's word suddenly worship another authority?
Yep, it seems paradoxical. It goes back to their ultimate concern — Christ and their millennial kingdom. The community is lead by a prophet of G-d and the rules they obey are not manmade but dictated by G-d. They take this message from Psalm 146 3:5…
"Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. Blessed is he whose help is the G-d of Jacob, whose hope is in the L-rd his G-d…"
Their authority is G-d and Ellison.
Noble also illustrated how important the distribution of spiritual and earthly powers, are amongst communities like the CSA. To maintain order, the members were organised according to their capabilities: the men worked in the woods, the women took care of the household duties, and the leaders took care of the community's spiritual and physical welfare. When it came to spiritual powers, anyone could receive a prophecy and proclaim it to the group; the group would never question it and just accept it as the word of G-d. Was this done in a hierarchical way? Absolutely not. According to Noble "Spiritual duties…were distributed mainly by Ellison as he believed G-d had given certain gifts to certain individuals. He alone anointed any elders into that position." Keeping people on their toes requires a degree of favoritism. It makes people paranoid and fear missing out next time, so when they are chosen to do something, they do it.
Some could say that the combination of indoctrination and isolation from alternative information, also helped keep a hold of everyone. Noble acknowledges this in his book "Steve's (Hassan) phenomenal book, Combatting Cult Mind Control, was instrumental in helping me understand the mind control that went on at CSA."
However, we must not overestimate the presence of mind control. Noble shows us that there was a capacity for freedom of choice; we see members leaving, first Tom and Barbara (Noble's friends, the very reason he and his wife, Kay, ended up meeting the CSA in the first place) and later on we see others leave the group including the main paramilitary leader, Randell Rader (he was the guy that had slept with Ellison's wife). It seemed people were still able to think for themselves and the greatest model of this was Noble himself; On many occasions, his own thought process prevented him from carrying out atrocities, most notably at the gay-affirming church.
In the CSA, the social indoctrination was voluntary in the community; nobody was forced to stay and people did end up leaving. (This is in sharp contrast to other extreme millennialist groups such as ISIS, where forced indoctrination leads to internal violence if people try to leave or doubt the word of the leadership.)
But this all seems mad and at odds with the Christianity most of us know?
Their radical duality meant that they lived every day as if it was them versus everyone else (everyone else being the unchosen people). Everyone else was the enemy and that was drilled into them. As I said, by using the Identity Church's teaching, the CSA justified their violent ideas and actions.
Noble's account shows us that under such a closed community, Christian scriptures are spiritualised to justify acts of violence against the scripturally based "enemy" groups, who are deemed to be products of the devil. Noble explains this contradiction clearly — "it is important to realize that in the right-wing, the primary theological doctrine is "Identity," a doctrine that claims that the white, Anglo-Saxon people are the true Israel of the Bible and that the Jews are a counterfeit race, descendant from the devil himself. Further, the doctrine proclaims, all other races are lower creations, probably descended from the apes or other animals. Only whites are presumed to be made in the image of G-d." The violence espoused is a total contradiction to the values of Christianity. Fast forward to today and think about Trump's MAGA movement.
Michael Barkun explains why this cognitive dissonance is possible — "The disposition to reject traditional forms of authority is particularly strong among millenarians. Fundamentalism with its vision of a purified religious tradition, often attacks traditional conservative religious leaders, claimed to be corrupt or coopted. Charismatic authority, operating outside traditional constraints, legitimizes novel doctrinal permutations". This is what allowed them to ignore the teachings of Christianity and instead workshop the version that Ellison had consistently preached to them.
We see a paradigm shift from the Church attracting Christians wanting to experience a spiritual awakening to merely men who wanted to join the countries second most violent organisation. As Noble protests to Ellison, "you see men to add to your army; I see men whose hearts have never been touched by G-d.".
However, these groups can come to an end, and this one did.
The FBI and ATF raids helped to break things up — 5 members of the CSA including Ellison and Noble went to prison and the group eventually died out. So what can we learn about breaking the spell?
Like a lot of extremist groups, the rank and file aren't bad people deep down. They're stuck in a vacuum where their thoughts are reinforced every minute of the day by people who are truly driven by evil. If we don't help them get out of those situations, they'll keep being frogs in boiling water. That's how Noble explained things — he used the 'frogs in boiling water' analogy — the water doesn't feel hot if the temperature is increased incrementally, which make complete sense in this context. People don't become extremists overnight, they're conditioned bit by bit.
Even Ellison's wife, Ollie, felt this way:
"Kerry didn't know my deep secret desires to be out of there, away from Jim. I had never told anyone how I despised Jim deep inside. I couldn't let myself think, let alone reveal, such traitorous feelings. So at a thick surface level, it was as it appeared to Kerry. But always, buried so deep, I was fighting to survive this brainwashing, hatred and departure from my Jesus. Yet at the time I couldn't admit this, even to myself.".
In the absence of a charismatic leader (who was on his way to prison) and the constant reinforcement of beliefs, it would have been easier to meet other people, practice a faith without the constant talk of war, and have the headspace to think independently.
Notably, the CSA's surrender was also peaceful — it seemed the FBI had played this in a way that didn't threaten their ultimate concern. They'd broken any preconceived ideas that the CSA might have had about them and used a conduit to convince Ellison to surrender (as I showed above, he was ready for an almighty fight but by using a trusted bridge, it's possible to inspire cult members to listen).
In spite of the peaceful surrender, you'd expect there to be some level of anger and resentment about being arrested. Well, when Noble responded to my questions back in 2004 he said something about the FBI that made me wonder why he was so empathetic of them. So I enquired further. His response provides a lot of insight and gives us a lot to learn from:
"No system is perfect, even the FBI. But I do praise them for how they conducted themselves at CSA…Has the FBI made mistakes? Of course. What organization or individual hasn't. But I will praise anyone who helped save my life."
Watch this interview with Kerry Noble a short while after the CSA was raided by the FBI. You notice he is calm and that he believes in his ideology, but observe how he talks about the agents from the FBI, and also how the ATF talks about Government grievances and their knowledge of the Bible. (The latter was either luck, a coincidence, or a very smart move from the agents on the scene.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqIYRRhSCqA
Do you now see some alarming parallels with what we're seeing today?
From this quick introduction, I hope you can see how individuals evolve in their commitment to the ultimate concern, and how the group itself grows and adapts. Through a combination of their belief in an ultimate concern, a charismatic leadership, closed communication to the legitimate authority, open communication to extremist groups, and voluntary social indoctrination, the people stayed within their groups.
However, the spell can be broken!
How does all of this make Trump dangerous?
Whilst Trump might not even care, believe, or want what a lot of his MAGA movement wants, he is utilising them for his own ends. I'll come back to that in a bit, but first, let's focus on his movement.
This is what Jean Rosenfeld says in her introduction of the republication of Tabernacle of Hate:
"The case of the CSA illustrates what could happen in the United States if the neo-Nazi movement, which justifies genocidal violence but has very few followers, crossed with the Christian religion, which has millions of devotees."
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tabernacle-Hate-Seduction-Right-Wing-Extremism/dp/0815632487/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Tabernacle+of+Hate%3A&qid=1591070359&s=books&sr=1-1
10 years after that was published, here we are, exactly in that place.
https://miro.medium.com/max/875/0*VEsCGeAYVOX67vwS.jpg
Can you now associate any of the signs I've shown you above with the way Trump's MAGA movement behaves, and their ultimate gameplan? Now when you look on in horror, even if everything they and he does is entirely senseless, can you now understand it?
They are radical dualists who firmly believe in a 'us' and 'them' mindset. You have racist and anti-Semitic groups who believe that everyone who isn't a White Christian needs to die. Then you have groups that believe that they will fight in an imminent Holy war. Together, by using the mechanisms and techniques I've illustrated above, they fuel millions of ordinary people who don't believe in violence or white supremacy, but who do believe in Trump. They end up creating a movement (a cult).
Trump is their charismatic leader and his position is upheld because those hardcore followers believe in his divine authority to deliver what their prophecy tells them. Trump then plays into that by saying he has been sent by G-d, and with Mike Pence by his side — they depict the ultimate imagery.
Whilst Pence utterly believes it, for Trump — this has been carefully constructed so that he can build his cult. And it works; About a third of Americans believe Trump was sent by G-d, Trump's former energy secretary Rick Perry once said the President is "here at this chosen time because G-d ordained it, and last year, Trump even retweeted a post claiming he has been sent by G-d and that Obama had 'kicked' Jesus out of the USA.
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/03/12/about-a-third-in-u-s-see-G-ds-hand-in-presidential-elections-but-fewer-say-G-d-picks-winners-based-on-policies/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/11/25/rick-perry-trump-G-ds-chosen-one/4295185002/
You might ask, "How?! … He doesn't display any Christian values?!"
My answer to you? As I explained with the CSA, it doesn't matter. A charismatic leader can influence and justify a clear cognitive dissonance. In Trump's case, white evangelicals aren't sure about his beliefs but they do think he is doing G-d's work and fighting for their beliefs. And radical millennialists don't care about his beliefs, they 'know' that he is part of G-d's plan. And that's all that matters. It is not for them to judge someone they believe is sent by G-d to bring about the path to paradise. That's all he needs, the illusion of being something his supporters need. As long as they believe he serves their needs, they'll follow him.
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/03/25/most-americans-dont-see-trump-as-religious/
But why would pious believers in the sanctity of life and family turn a blind eye to separating families at the border and caging children? Simple —not all do, but for the racists, the separated families are not white and so it doesn't matter. For the extreme right-wing Christians who only believe that white Aryans are the chosen people, they don't see this as going against the word of their version of the Bible. They trust that G-d has sent Trump with a plan and they must have faith in it. That faith is why Pence can act all holy but yet support Trump at the same time. (This is also why he has so much faith in their response to the pandemic. 100,000 people dead? All part of G-d's plan.)
As long as his followers feel he is succeeding at helping them with their ultimate concern, they will worship him. When he doesn't, he will be replaced. So in this case both Trump and his followers need each other. To do that he keeps playing the game. He knows that they will attack anything that threatens their ultimate concern, so he makes that happen and keeps sending them visual messages.
As I write this, he's just had peaceful protestors tear-gassed so that he could walk through that road to stand outside a church in DC with a bible in his hand (even if it is upside down). He got the image he wanted his revolutionary millennialist followers to see. The message is "The protesters are attacking G-d, I'm fighting them and you should too."
https://miro.medium.com/max/875/0*JS544js941-m3EoK
Trump is James Ellison with 21st-century technology. He knows what to say to keep his believers believing, and when he says it, within minutes he can get the message to every single supporter across the country.
We need a national movement of Churches to help break his spell. Of course, this won't work for the millennialist extremists but it will work for communities who might have been swept up through the propaganda.
I'm so relieved to see this beginning to happen. Bishop Budde responded swiftly to Trump's stunt: "Let me be clear, the President just used a Bible, the most sacred text of the Judeo-Christian tradition & one of the churches of my diocese without my permission as a backdrop for a message antithetical to the teaches of Jesus & everything our churches stand for…". If we see a nationwide response like that, and change will start to happen.
He is THE charismatic leader of the MAGA movement, a cult that encompasses every group that fights for him.
When Trump campaigned to run for President, amongst other target audiences, he had 6 already on his side:
1. White supremacists and ethno-nationalists who needed him for their cause and resented 8 years of having a liberal black President — it had absolutely solidified their desire to have a pure America;
2. The Christian Reconstructionist movement that has been permeating right-wing movements across the USA. It thinks G-d's Law ought to be the law of the USA, and that the Government's only job is to defend the people through its police and military and not overreach into anything else because G-d's law deals with that. So their ultimate concern is not just about serving G-d and going to heaven, they also believe in activism and work to bring about their vision in normal structures of society.
3. Revolutionary millennialists who believed he was sent by G-d to fulfill the path to salvation;
4. Republicans who couldn't stomach being out of power whilst their ideals were diluted by 8 years of the Democrats in power;
5. Libertarians who felt that big Government was taking away its freedoms (like gun control);
6. The disenfranchised who had not seen their lives improved since 2008 but kept hearing how great the economy was doing. They saw someone who promised them the world, and they took the hand that extended towards them.
(I'm going to ignore the Russia angle for this piece, as I want to focus solely on what I have a deep understanding of and the things that we can actually change).
Trump meant something to all of their ultimate concerns, especially for those who belonged to more than one group. His strategists mastered how to play to each of their ultimate concerns, so they would in turn vote for him.
The Alt-Right's slogan was 'America First' — Trump rode on that momentum with MAGA. A simple message that brought together every group who felt that America was no longer their country, who felt persecuted by their way of life, who felt that traditional Government was too big, and who felt that eight years of a black man in the Oval Office was too much and should never happen again. He became attractive to every single one of those groups. Anyone outside of those groups got swept up because they had been fed up of being ignored by everyone else.
He had a clear message that spoke to all of their hopes and fears. That message combined with a high volume of targeted social media advertising reached wider and struck deeply.
Using the 'Make America Great Again' slogan allowed Trump to fit it to whatever he wanted — he could say something had to change to make America great again and it would stir up support with his rhetoric. This is how he took over the Republican party and has since spent four years dismantling any semblance of unity by dividing and conquering. His approach — you're either a liberal or a patriot. The former is code for anything he wants to file under it, and the latter is code for anyone who furthers his cause.
Trumps every word represents a charismatic leader manipulating his cult
Trump's rallies, his Tweets, his headlines create soundbites — they're all recruiting tactics. His compound is not physical, it's distributed across the web and within communities. He manipulates, he throws petrol on the fire, he invokes G-d, he does obscene things to show his grand power. It's the classic rule of knowing your audience — he doesn't care about anyone who might be offended, he cares only about the people who worship and follow him. He manufactures outrage because without it he can neither recruit nor strengthen his following.
Charismatic leaders are narcissists and possibly sociopaths (Trump is both) that will do what it takes for their ultimate concern.
Let me give you an example of one we all know:
During the 2004 US elections, John Kerry was talking about pulling out of Iraq and Afghanistan. Osama bin Laden knew that if John Kerry came to power, it would shatter his ultimate concern and his message to his followers…in simple terms, it could destroy the prophecy that Holy War was on its way and that the USA was the devil that had to be defeated. If the USA stopped attacking, then what would happen to the prophecy? Like most revolutionary millennialists, bin Laden and Al-Qaeda felt they had an active part to play in the end times. So on 29th October 2004, just 4 days before the 2004 election, he resurfaced with an 18-minute video where he took responsibility for 9/11, explained why he did it, made fun of Bush, and threatened the USA. He absolutely knew it would provoke any Presidential candidate to react with strength.
https://web.archive.org/web/20081116092323/http://english.aljazeera.net/archive/2004/11/200849163336457223.html
His baiting was both brazen and evil:
"It is easy for us to provoke and bait this administration. All that we have to do is to send two mujahidin to the furthest point east to raise a piece of cloth on which is written al-Qaeda, in order to make the generals race there and cause America to suffer human, economic, and political losses. … This is in addition to our having experience in using guerrilla warfare and the war of attrition to fight tyrannical superpowers, as we, alongside the mujahidin, bled Russia for 10 years, until it went bankrupt and was forced to withdraw in defeat."
He also laid into Bush personally:
"It never occurred to us that the Commander-in-Chief of the country would leave 50,000 citizens in the two towers to face those horrors alone because he thought listening to a child discussing her goats was more important."
Indeed, George W Bush reacted just the way Bin Laden needed him to — he doubled down with this response:
"Let me make this very clear: Americans will not be intimidated or influenced by an enemy of our country. I'm sure Senator Kerry agrees with this. I also want to say to the American people that we're at war with these terrorists and I am confident that we will prevail."
He also made it clear that he would fight for Christianity — which then mobilised the Christian vote for him too.
It worked. Bush immediately took a 6 point lead against John Kerry and ultimately, won the extremely tight US election. He would have lost if it wasn't for bin Laden's October Surprise. I remember being in my room in LA thinking 'How on earth has he laid such an easy trap for Bush!?" Later, the CIA also revealed their consensus view that bin Laden had indeed made the video to help Bush win reelection in 2004. Jami Miscik, CIA deputy associate director for intelligence, said "Certainly, he would want Bush to keep doing what he's doing for a few more years."
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/1475515/Bush-takes-a-six-point-lead-after-new-bin-Laden-tape.html
Trump does this sort of thing with his words all the time.
He knows if he says something debatable, he can then tie the press up in knots and convince his followers that the press are the enemy making it all up. The more the press protest, the more oxygen he has to fuel his strategy. Remember what he said about injecting bleach to cure COVID? Despite there being video of him saying it, he made the case that he was being sarcastic and that the 'fake news media' were lying. Do you think his loyal followers watched the video or do you think they just take his word for it?
He knows he can say racist things and it will provoke liberals, and that in turn will fuel his base into action. They don't think he has said anything racist but they do see him being attacked.
He knows he can Tweet obscene things and we'll all make it fly, thereby making him look like a man standing up to millions.
Everything he does is in an effort to strengthen his power and position. Find a way to neutralise that and you are on to something. Mocking him will just make him double down. Stop broadcasting his press briefings, stop giving him oxygen, stop letting him do anything that helps him recruit and strengthen his position with his followers.
Trump wants to be seen to be fighting the devil
As long as he can maintain this stance, his position and purpose remain believable. As such, Trump comes down hard on gender rights, minority rights, reproductive rights, non-white human rights, in fact, any rights that he feels threatened by — and by threatened, I don't mean he is scared of people having those rights, it's more about his fear of being abandoned by his hardcore loyal supporters if he doesn't take this line of action. (Throw in his racist ego's urge to undo anything Obama did, and you have a very focused Trump).
His presidential campaign message in 2016 was clear to all of the people who were fighting to have those fundamental human rights — "We're coming for you", and after coming to power he has done everything he can to fulfill his promise. When he said he was 'draining the swamp' and used the imagery of a snake, he was playing to the crowd — he was saying he will lead the fight against the devil.
Just look at who he has chosen to help him reach his goal. Every single one of these people are motivated by a need to inflict harm on the enemies of their beliefs and Trump's movement. Amongst many, most notably, he chose Steve Bannon (who is back now), he chose Stephen Miller, he chose Michael Flynn (who as his national security adviser tweeted 'fear of Muslims is RATIONAL'), he appointed Jeff Sessions as attorney general (back in 1986 he was only one of two nominees for the attorney general to be rejected by the Senate Judiciary Committee for racist behaviour). He pandered to his most loyal base, and he received praise in return.
https://thewire.in/world/donald-trump-steve-bannon-return
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/nov/24/stephen-miller-white-nationalist-trump-immigration-guru
https://www.nytimes.com/1986/06/06/us/senate-panel-hands-reagan-first-defeat-on-nominee-for-judgeship.html
Everything is a message and everything is a means to an end. Even something as simple as tax returns — his refusal to reveal them is not just because he has things to hide, but because that message appeals to right-wing organisations who have traditionally considered the IRS as an enemy (They don't believe in anything but G-d's law, so resent the Government taking their money). If you read chatter online, you'll see how much Trump appeals to his movement by standing up to the devil's establishment.
Trump wants his movement to know that he'll fight anything that threatens their ultimate concern
This is how Trump spoke about the heavily armed militia who stormed the Michigan state capitol building to protest COVID lockdown measures, as stood outside Governor Gretchen Witmer's office:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-52496514
https://miro.medium.com/max/875/1*2ZHzlvmtUrN-XAn1dRz5Sg.png
Compare that with how he talks about unarmed black people in Minneapolis rising up against police brutality and murder:
https://miro.medium.com/max/875/1*3TnGRjK0BAOhlAAOqRT3sw.png
People will say the former were not causing damage, whilst the latter were. They're missing the point. The former were heavily armed and threatening the Governor. The latter were black protestors rising up against continued oppression and murder of their families. He doesn't talk about peaceful protests and community spirit. He knows that the people causing the damage come from all walks of life and do not represent the majority, but he just doesn't care about that fact. His way to de-escalate those factions does not involve making peaceful protesters feel unseen, but rather to lump them in with the vandals. So, instead of using similar words to those in his Tweet about Michigan and also calling out any violence, he focused everything on calling black people 'THUGS'.
https://www.boredpanda.com/george-floyd-police-brutality-protest/
And what about the heavily armed militia? Are they not 'THUGS'?
He did the same with Charlotteville where right-wing neo-Nazis attacked innocent protestors, and a white supremacist drove into a peaceful crowd of people protesting against the 'Unite the Right' far-right rally, tragically killing Heather Heyer. Trump's only response was to say "there were very fine people on both sides". What was his aim? To show support to his base. Did it work? Here is a Tweet from David Duke again — when the former Grandmaster of the KKK uses these words, you know who Trump was standing up for.
https://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-charlottesville-verdict-20181207-story.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmaZR8E12bs
He's just being complicit, it's a quid pro quo (Trump loves those doesn't he?). He does something for them, and they'll do something for him in return. Of course, the only difference is he doesn't have to ask them. They are loyal to him and will do it anyway.
Of course, you might ask — if Trump is taking such a strong stance against civil unrest, how does he justify his silence when it comes to neo-Nazi rallies or armed militia storming state government buildings? He creates a myth that focuses all attention on anyone who goes up against them. Not only does he then look like he's taking action but he signals to his base "You're untouchable because of me, so make sure you stay loyal to me". I'm already seeing right-wing extremists on social media saying these riots show why citizen militias and guns are needed. Tonight, we will see radical millennialists and white supremacists on the streets. For them, the Holy War is starting.
Like all cult leaders, Trump manipulates, divides and conquers
Cult leaders are extremely good at indoctrination. Trump uses manufactured fears to subvert any rational attempts to dismiss him. Whether it's the mass wave of immigrants he conjures up every few months or the liberals taking away everyone's freedom, he takes it all to such a level that it induces hysteria. Even dying from COVID becomes a game, where he can convince his followers that he will protect them, and if they fall ill, they don't blame him — after all, it was part of G-d's plan.
He demands loyalty and he does what he needs to do to maintain it — he manipulates, he gaslights, he threatens, he praises some to make others jealous — it's why so many people around him just do as he says. If they don't, he cuts them loose. Quite simply, if you're a follower and you don't believe it, then you're the odd one out. What do you do? Well, you go ahead and believe it. Soon that mild fear turns into a real fear. You know what scared people do? They do whatever someone says, and especially if that someone is their leader and promises them safety.
During his Presidential campaign, Trump said he could "shoot someone in the middle of Fifth Avenue without losing voters". He meant what he said. He knew it would be on every news broadcast and the video would be shared on social media. With a huge applauding crowd behind him, he was visually signaling just how loyal his supporters are and reinforcing his demand for loyalty. The message was strong — if you condemn Trump for the most violent of crimes — a murder, then you're a traitor. And if you accept it, then you definitely won't condemn him for anything else. He was also testing how far he could push things before anyone outside of his base would hold him to account (nobody did). Trump may not shoot anyone directly but he can and will incite it.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jan/24/donald-trump-says-he-could-shoot-somebody-and-still-not-lose-voters
But how does he make it work without the powder keg atmosphere of a cult living together in a compound?
It's so easy — the fact is that he's already won them over. As I touched on earlier, for those that believe he is sent by G-d to fulfill their ultimate concern, he fuels their beliefs through images and words that speak to them. For those that feel he will make their life on earth better, he knows that if he makes them believe they have a greater purpose and a part to play in his quest, he can get them to do anything.
Trump has reinvented the truth for two reasons
Truth used to mean truth, now Trump and the Alt-Right have carefully constructed the idea of truth being whatever they think it should be. You can show Trump's MAGA movement a clip of him saying one thing and doing another, and they'll deny it ever happened. This is conditioning. We're seeing it at the protests right now. Right-wing white supremacists can turn up and attack people and never be mentioned, whilst those that fight back are demonised to be the ones in the absolute wrong. And that message is then amplified by Alt-Right allies in other countries. Over time, those that fight violent power are admonished for using violence and those that started it are ignored. On top of that anti-Semitic conspiracy theories about George Soros are used to drive doubt into the hands of those they want to manipulate. Any form of a potential threat against the Alt-Right's plan is carefully neutralised.
There is another added bonus for Trump. Extreme millennialists don't like being misrepresented, especially by the press. Trump knows this, so he coined the term 'Fake news media' and drove it home. He is giving his followers a way to ignore the press and focus on him. Sure, the mechanism allows him to destroy a free press that can hold power to account, but it also appeals to his followers.
What is Trump's own ultimate concern?
Trump has the most powerful seat in the world but he wants to be known as the most powerful man in the world. He wants to be King of the USA. That is his ultimate concern. That's why he has so much respect for every other dictator. Like a child in a sweet aisle, he'll throw a tantrum until he gets what he wants. Unlike that child in a sweet aisle, he's far from harmless.
Although he is playing within the lines of the law at the moment, Trump behaves like an authoritarian leader on his journey towards becoming a totalitarian one.
That statement sounds insane but really, look at what he's doing, and tell me it's not a real worry. He has been setting the scene since way before his campaign for President began (Going after Obama was his first recruitment campaign). Every single thing he has done and is doing is a step towards total control.
When I hear his moderate supporters say "The law would stop him from doing that", they're speaking from a position of naivety. Remember, no fascist leader has appeared overnight. It takes many tiny steps and then one day you wake up with no freedom.
He has filled the key judicial posts with his allies, he's tried to suppress the vote (and is now rallying against postal voting), he has neutralised the press so that he can use social media as his own news network to incite hatred and division every single day.
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/12/9/20962980/trump-supreme-court-federal-judges
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/18/republicans-devote-20m-and-50000-people-into-efforts-to-restrict-voting
Trump rarely talks about being the Republican President. He talks about his way. The GOP is nothing but a vessel for Trump's power grab. Everyone in the party knows that, and that's why they don't stand up to him. If they do, he'll treat them the way he treated John McCain or Mitt Romney. They're all too scared that Trump will attack them, and if he leaves, the party will become redundant.
For Trump staying in power until he has completed those steps is crucial and he'll use whatever state apparatus he has to do it (the police, the military, the judicial system, the education system — they're all his playthings and he will not fear using them). And if he gets criticised for using those, he will use his movement to get what he wants.
That's why he is trying to incite a civil war so that he can divide the nation, give his MAGAs what they want, and move on to his takeover plan. If in the meantime people get killed, what does he care? He has nothing to lose — he won't fight himself, he'll use others to do it for him.
Ultimately, he is a coward — he dodged the draft when his peers fought in Vietnam, he hides behind security, he uses his tiny thumbs to tap away on Twitter, and because he knows all this, he projects the image of a strongman through his words, and his supporters lap it up. He needs to keep it that way — although calling for supporters to come to his rescue with "Tonight, I understand, is MAGA NIGHT AT THE WHITE HOUSE???" and then hiding in a bunker, might not be the image he wanted.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-white-house-protests-bunker-melania-barron-george-floyd-a9541601.html
Trump is a white supremacist and he's unleashing his foot soldiers
Hopefully, you can see now how Trump has appealed to the apocalyptic mindset of those who think a battle is happening between good and evil. Of course, it should be noted that their version of good and evil isn't always the same. For some, it's a bloody Apocalypse on earth (far-right Christians, white supremacists). For others, it's the destruction of traditional government that they feel threatens their way of life (pro-lifers, the NRA, homophobes, ultranationalists — are just four examples). And for the rest, it's about money (businesses that want 'laissez faire' Government). At times they all intersect.
They are all Trump's loyal followers. They all feel hard done by and they believe that he has been sent to make their lives better by fulfilling their ultimate concern.
The MAGA slogan, the MAGA uniform, the co-opting of the Stars and Stripes, they're all imagery and symbolism (super important in cult belief systems) — a visual language that Trump and his advisors have carefully constructed to bring together all of the various supporting groups into one home. You're either a MAGA or you're a traitor. That's powerful and permeates into everything. It's a coded language that the cult begins to use and understand. One that tells them who is accepted and who is not.
For example, Trump recently said "MAGA is make America great again. By the way, they love African-American people, they love black people. MAGA loves the black people."
Listen to how he says it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6SuZPkhTVQ
If you're not white, you're not actually MAGA (someone please tell Kanye!). Trump saying it overtly wasn't a slip of the tongue — it was another coded message. The symbolism of the MAGA slogan and the hat, are all tricks used by other white supremacists. The Order's David Lane has his '14 words' slogan:
https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/individual/david-lane
The slogan fuelled many a believer within The Order and outside of it. It's still a mantra that is quoted. MAGA now encapsulates that and everything else.
When Trump attacks others, his followers see that they're part of the superior team — they see their supreme leader standing up to someone they don't like with two barrels. That extreme polarisation is crucial because it programs followers of a cult to associate their sense of self-worth and safety to the perceived strength of being on the 'right side'. In their mind, if they're not on his side, they're on the losing side.
But as I touched on earlier Trump isn't just playing to his crowd, he actively hates people of colour. The apple doesn't fall far from the racist tree (in 1927 his dad, Fred Trump was arrested after a "near-riot" involving the KKK and New York City policemen at a "Memorial parade.)
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/charlottesville-latest-donald-trump-father-fred-arrested-ku-klux-klan-kkk-rally-riot-queens-new-york-a7891701.html
Throughout his life, Trump has made racist comments and racist actions a norm. Whether it's discriminating against black renters, his vicious campaign calling for the Central Park Five to be executed (which he doubled down on during his 2016 campaign), or calling neo-Nazis at Charlottesville — "very fine people". He wears his disdain proudly and with no shame. If anyone calls him out on it, he just brushes past it.
https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/06/19/what-trump-has-said-central-park-five/1501321001/
When he attacks Obama, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Maxine Waters, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, black people, Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Immigrants, Muslims, the Chinese, and anyone who isn't white, watch the venom spitting from his descriptions. He doesn't think of people of colour as humans (even though like the Saudis, they are of benefit to him), and he certainly doesn't appreciate them talking back to him. For example, when Obama made fun of him at the 2011 White House Correspondents Dinner, not only was Trump visibly angry, his supporters were too. (Despite Obama only making a humorous speech that was initially provoked by Trump's ridiculous demands for Obama's birth certificate.) Do you think white supremacists didn't talk about that speech? It fuelled their support of Trump and fuelled his desire for revenge.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHckZCxdRkA
The fact that some of his most staunch followers also believe in his racist views is just a bonus for him. He continually praises the far-right and that gives them the permission they need. In fact, white nationalist hate groups have grown by 55% since Trump came to power.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/18/white-nationalist-hate-groups-southern-poverty-law-center
The Anti-Defamation League's Center on Extremism published a shocking report in 2019 — it showed that every single one of the 50 extremist murders in 2018 were linked to right-wing extremism. Only one of the perpetrators had recently switched to supporting Islamic extremism. All others had links to at least one right-wing, white supremacist Christian movement and were mostly white supremacists themselves.
https://www.adl.org/murder-and-extremism-2018
(It's prudent to point out that it's just as bad in this country as the 2019 Global Terrorism Index found the UK to be one of the most worrying places in the EU for its significant rise in far-right white supremacist terrorism; seven out of the 22 foiled plots from 2017–2019 were linked to white supremacist ideology. This is what happens when leaders paint immigrants as the enemy.).
http://visionofhumanity.org/app/uploads/2019/11/GTI-2019web.pdf
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-49753325
And it's not just about the impact on American citizens. For 4 years Trump has weaponised ICE as his ground force for pain — each ICE raid shows Trump's more radical followers that he is the real deal, that he is capable of doing what he was put in place to do. Anti-immigrant groups like the Federation for American Immigration Reform have praised Trump's position on immigration. For over a year, Trump has been threatening to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807 in order to remove immigrants from the USA under the pretext of the Act — it says that "the President has the authority to use the military and the National Guard to combat 'unlawful obstruction or rebellion".
When people say 'The law will protect', remember his Muslim ban and how much pain it caused as the law does a continued tango of back and forth. He knows he can do these things, and he knows his own party won't stop him either. The Republican Party was meant to be a center-right Party, and then along came the Tea Party fringe, then the Alt-Right, and now Trump. The GOP has no concept of serving all of the USA, it's now a vehicle for Trump alone; Trump has destroyed it and without him, it's dead.
https://www.aclu-wa.org/pages/timeline-muslim-ban
Along with appealing to his fanatical base, his own belief in white supremacy is why he has threatened a civil war on a number of occasions. These aren't empty threats. His civil war is a race war, and he knows that using this approach also gains him some supporters of the opposition in the bargain. He's building a visual language in preparation for a civil war — if it happens, it will be clear who is on his side and who is dispensable. The likelihood of him achieving his goal is up in the air but he is trying. Ultimately I still believe in checks and balances of the system; when push comes to shove I cannot imagine the US military, or indeed, other world leaders standing by and supporting Trump. Or will they?
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/09/donald-trump-civil-war-impeachment
What I do know is that Trump has a dangerous movement to help him. The entirety of the Alt-Right (and all the extremest revolutionally millennialists.)
Coined by Richard Spencer in 2010, it encapsulates a movement of far-right extremists and it's been building over a few decades through incarnations of various white nationalist groups. These right-wing movements in the USA have always extolled hate and the idea of a pure America. The Alt-Right is simply a repackaging of all these ideas and uses social media to extend its reach like never before. Whilst groups like the CSA required you to physically join them in their spiritual compound, the Alt-Right in the present day can bring indoctrination into any bedroom across the world. And then to top it off it becomes a tornado of hate to cross-distribute the mad anti-Government/anti-Soros/anti-liberal conspiracy theories, manipulation, and thoughts of Alex Jones, Ben Shapiro, Paul Joseph Watson, Candace Owens, Carl Benjamin, Katie Hopkins, and so many more (notice the huge synergy between US and UK figures).
When Bannon was the editor of Breitbart, he and the likes of Milo Yiannopolous fuelled the Alt-Right agenda. Their belief? America can only become great again if the way it is governed is changed, if immigrants are thrown out of the country, and if the economy grows nationally not just in pockets. Bannon has never been shy about his views, he deeply believes that the West needs to return to a Judeo-Christian white culture, and thinks that the world can only be rebuilt as he wants it once it has been destroyed first. So, he alongside the rest of the Alt-Right are trying to do just that — to destroy everything. Along comes a viral pandemic but they're collective thoughts are, "So what? Everything is going to be destroyed anyway". This is how they think. Of course, to them, their worldview doesn't make them extreme; they believe they're right and everyone else is attacking them. But their belief is not right and never will be right. We must do everything in our power to help people break away from those thoughts.
The movement is extremely dangerous for people of colour, for Muslims, for Jews, for minorities, for women, and essentially for anyone who is not deemed to be a worthy Aryan Christian. This is why I get so angry when I hear the President of the United States of America criticise Antifa as a movement but whilst completely ignoring the Alt-Right. Antifa and others wouldn't have to defend anything if it weren't for the very real threat and brutality of neo-Nazis.
If The Turner Diaries was dangerous as a book, imagine what can happen when someone delegitimises the press and creates an alternative method of news distribution? The Alt-Right has worked hard to do that with a constant attack on mainstream media, while they bring together elders in the white supremacy movement with young people who have been manipulated. It gives fuel to dangerous people like Jared Taylor, who can now take advantage of the Alt-Rights distribution network. If you want to delve deeper, this is a good read on the Alt-Right and the media .
https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/individual/jared-taylor
https://www.mediamatters.org/breitbart-news/what-alt-right-guide-white-nationalist-movement-now-leading-conservative-media
The situation was bad enough 30 years ago but then came along social media and YouTube. The latter radicalises and forms communities around that content, and the former is just as dangerous; Facebook found that 64% of people who join its hate groups are recommended to do so by its own algorithm. So when people talk about censorship — just remember in a civilised society we don't allow this in our education, so why do we allow social media platforms to enable it?
https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/3351095.3372879
https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-algorithm-sociopath-management-too-greedy-to-stop-it-2020-5
They're on the scene and he wants them to fight
Aside from the usual suspects in the Alt-Right, there are organisations like the Patriot Prayer, the American Guard, the Watchmen Project, the Proud Boys, the Bugaloo Bois, the Oath Keepers, and so many more. Each and every organisation is being dangerously fuelled by Trump's permission to carry on. In 2019, the Southern Poverty Law Center listed 1,020 hate groups on its watchlist. They all want to destabilise America so that they can bring about a race war, even if all of them have different reasons for why they want it.
Trump enables them all and he is one of them.
They're out in the streets and always have been. He won't criticise them. He not only needs them for the fight, but he also needs them to provoke peaceful protestors too. This sort of provocation isn't new. Going back to the CSA, 3 of their members attempted this in 1983 when they tried to blow up a natural gas pipeline that crossed the Red River from the Gulf of Mexico to Chicago. Why? They thought as it was winter, their actions would create riots and incite a fight that they were ready for. Fortunately, they didn't succeed. Another example is the Blackwater's Erik Prince and his infiltration of progressive and liberal groups.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/07/us/politics/erik-prince-project-veritas.html
It's important to highlight that not all organisations are necessarily driven by issues of race. One example is the Boogaloo Bois who resent the threat on their right to bear arms. Although I say that race isn't their focus, their decision to include George Floyd on their list of 'martyrs' has caused an uproar from the racist elements within; so make of that what you will. That's the point — as you saw from the CSA, a lot of these groups intersect and fraternise, and the new groups are no different. The Boogaloo Bois can and do attract white supremacists.
The Boogaloo Bois' ultimate concern is to fight a civil war against law enforcement. Of course, you won't hear Trump talk about this (at all) but he readily speaks up against Antifa, black people, or others who defend their rights. The Boogaloo Bois aren't a threat to him, they're an ally; He resents traditional big Government with strong checks and balances; He needs his armies on the ground to help him be free of this, and that starts with any officers that enforce gun control. So, as things stand, the MAGAs in law enforcement are going to be in a bit of a quandary — how do they stop the Bois from attacking them when they and the Bois both support Trump?
The Bois are all over Facebook and other social media channels, egging each other on with statements like "It's time for war". They're using protests against the murder of George Floyd as a call to arms. I could go on further about this but this article gives you a primer on what you need to know.
https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2020/05/27/the-boogaloo-movement-is-not-what-you-think/
If Trump doesn't do the right thing and calm things down, there is a real and terrifying possibility that the streets are about to become bloody.
He knows his movement is within the police too
The FBI warned about white supremacists in the police back in 2006 but nothing has changed. In that bulletin, they showed the threat of white supremacist nationalists infiltrating law enforcement so that they could recruit members and influence investigations against their peers. 14 years later, what has changed? Nothing. Every institution of power has them hiding in plain sight.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/fbi-white-supremacists-in-law-enforcement
http://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/402521/doc-26-white-supremacist-infiltration.pdf
He has emboldened his racist supporters within the police. The murder of George Floyd was a brutal and deliberate act of violence from 4 officers from the same police force where Bob Kroll, the man in charge of the Minneapolis Police Union, sold "Cops for Trump" t-shirts, was praised by Trump on Twitter, and has spoken at a Trump rally. Do we really expect that that fire won't have spread to others in the Minneapolis Police force? For 8 minutes Derek Chauvin stared into the camera, with one hand in his pocket, and his knee pressing down in George Floyd's neck. Despite the pleas, he carried on encouraged by the complicity of his 3 colleagues. Even once George Floyd had taken his last breath, Derek Chauvin kept pressing down. You have to ask, what were they expecting? It certainly wasn't to be charged. They were playing to their crowd. The murder was a deliberate act done just because the officers thought they could.
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2019/10/07/minneapolis-police-union-sells-cops-for-trump-tshirts
https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2019/10/10/bob-kroll-head-of-minneapolis-police-union-speaks-at-trump-rally/
And this cancer within the police is happening all over the USA.
In 2018 the Patriot Prayer, a group based in Washington crossed over into Portland, Oregan dressed in full battle gear and armed with weapons, to hold right-wing extremist rallies in a fight against Portland's progressive policies. Their one aim? To provoke unrest. Trump didn't say or do anything in response but on May 30th with regards to the riots across the USA against the oppression of black people, he said:
These extremist groups are also helped by people in power who agree with their cause. For example, in the Portland case, Portland Police Lieutenant Jeff Niiya was caught sending information about anti-fascist organisations to Patriot Prayer's leader, Joey Gibson.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/portland-police-jeff-niiya-text-message-far-right-group-patriot-prayer-joey-gibson-a8782931.html
What happened at the Patriot Prayer rally in 2018 was shameful. Police even discovered members of the group armed with loaded weapons on a rooftop overlooking the site where an anti-fascist counter-rally was going to take place. Did anyone get arrested? No. In fact, the police gave them back their weapons after the rally and nobody was informed about this until later that year. And yet, to this day, the Alt-Right claim that Portland was 'where they were wronged'.
https://www.portlandmercury.com/blogtown/2018/10/15/23710274/members-of-patriot-prayer-brought-loaded-firearms-to-roof-before-august-protest
Have you ever seen a protest where the police have attacked neo-Nazis? If anyone comes to stand up to the racists, the police treat them with disdain. They exercise their control over the antiracists and not the neo-Nazis.
We keep seeing videos of extreme police brutality like in this article. I know a number of police officers personally — not a single one would react the way the officers in that video have, so enough with the "The cops were scared, they had no choice" mantra. The attackers in that video are Trump supporters and the videos are trophies. They know cameras can film them and they want the cameras to film them. They are sending a signal to their fellow Patriots and to Trump to say 'We did what President Trump wanted us to! You better do the same.'.
https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/31/21276044/police-violence-protest-george-floyd?utm_campaign=theverge&utm_content=entry&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter
Here is a thread of those trophies. See how overt and confident they are. They do not care about being seen.
We also keep seeing videos of reporters being arrested, of reporters being shot at with rubber bullets (Police have attacked journalists more than 120 times in the last week). These racist cops believe the press is the enemy and they want to show Trump they are fighting them.
https://www.niemanlab.org/2020/06/well-try-to-help-you-follow-the-police-attacks-on-journalists-across-the-country/
Whilst this doesn't involve all police, we know that the ones that use brutality against innocent unarmed civilians, also attack journalists and drive into protestors — why? Quite simply, their leader Donald J Trump gave them a rallying call with the MAGA shout.
https://miro.medium.com/max/875/1*oJVl6LGTMBczaWzO1m93ig.png
And it's not just the police that are infiltrated with neo-Nazis — the US military is too. Read Matt Kennard's book "Irregular Army: How the US Military Recruited Neo-Nazis, Gang Members, and Criminals to Fight the War on Terror". Although these events took place before he came to power, Trump has taken advantage of them to sure up his support on domestic soil. This is why Trump pardons soldiers who have been convicted for clear war crimes against innocent civilians, including against children and young people. It's a message to supporters in the US military — do whatever you like, and you'll always have full support from the President. Keep this in mind as Trump sends soldiers out on the street.
https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2019/11/16/trump-grants-clemency-to-troops-in-three-controversial-war-crimes-cases/
Thinking back to the police, I cannot imagine how heartbreaking and scary it must be to be one of the many cops who genuinely want to protect and serve — to have to deal with colleagues on a daily basis who are in key positions and giving strength to people they shouldn't (especially to racist cops out on the streets). It must be hard enough standing up to power, but then imagine doing this whilst knowing that this power has been given a greenlight by the President himself?! Here is Trump inciting cops to beat up people that oppose him.
Who is he appealing to? He's certainly not appealing to you or I — but to his followers. Then sow in a glorification of #alllivesmatter and #bluelivesmatter, and suddenly #blacklivesmatter gets attacked by two opposers who didn't overtly exist at scale until the reach was manufactured. In short, Trump is shutting down legitimate protest by using his own supporters to do it, whilst also making them feel powerful in the process. To them, Trump is King already and they'll do anything for him.
Trump has the movement to help him take control
Whilst neo-Nazis maintain that their way of life has been attacked (from what I've told you, we may not agree with their perceived slight but we can now understand why they truly believe it), they win legitimacy through the silence of many, including those in positions of democratic power.
Compare that to the response we see when it comes to the real and actual persecution of minorities in the USA, but especially when it comes to black people. The constant need to explain what racism, discrimination, and police brutality means. Even when there is a video, people make excuses, and it becomes an allegation rather than a clearly visible murder by the police. Imagine how exhausting it must be to be invisible yet visible, heard yet unheard, ignored yet harassed, and all at the same time.
Listen to this man:
Things cannot carry on like this. It has to change and communities of black people are tired of not being allowed to ask for that change.
If black people ask politely, they're told they're imagining things. If they protest peacefully, they're told they're too loud. If they take to the streets, they're told they're all criminals.
Colin Kaepernick peacefully took a knee and got banned by the NFL whilst the Alt-Right did everything they could to position him as a 'traitor' to the country. They drummed home the message to rile up fellow Trump's followers — "if you're not with us, you're against us." As Nike doubled down by supporting Kaepernick, videos emerged online of patriots burning their Nike shoes. Trump and his gang lost their plot. The manufactured outrage rang out with their message "How dare someone protest against the national anthem of the greatest country on earth?". Not only was your patriotism decided by someone else but you were made into a traitor too. It was no longer enough to simply go about your life and be a collaborative part of American society, nope, you had to drape yourself in a flag, wave an automatic rifle, and don a MAGA hat. Anything less than this (and even if you fought in wars for the country) and you weren't an American.
Trump has done everything to not only encourage and reinforce that message but also made sure he provokes innocent people and incites a reaction from his supporters. Last week, Trump Tweeted "when the looting starts, the shooting starts" — a quote from Walter Headley, Miami's bigoted police chief in 1967. Headley had used those words in response to protests caused by aggressive policing of black neighborhoods. The spark had been Miami police terrorising a black teenager and holding him over a bridge. But the fire was started by Headley's words. Now we know Trump doesn't read and there is more chance of him knowing where his tax return is than having studied any history. So another person must have mentioned it to him and he liked the sound of it. What's noteworthy here is that someone around him knew the words of a racist police chief and used it to incite neo-Nazis to go to war on the street. They'll act under the cover of vigilantism, they'll walk around intimidating and if none of that works, they'll provoke.
Even without the physical violence, it's violent enough. Here below is an example of the horrific behaviour that he and the Alt-Right have inspired and encouraged, not just in the USA but online and all over. My heart breaks — how can anyone do this? How can anyone laugh? It truly is sickening.
https://miro.medium.com/max/875/0*bcCVEF71S9tlMfMo
And whilst his side will get away with these words and actions, Trump will do everything he can to weaken any opposition to him and his team. This includes making it harder for protests to happen — knowing full well that this approach will provoke more protests and create issues for innocent people.
Only democracies allow protests, so what is the USA now?
Well, we've seen what Trump is capable of. I've been writing this over the last 4 evenings and each time I think I've finished, a new report emerges of something else he has done. Last night, he used tear gas on peaceful protestors. He then gave a speech declaring military violence on US citizens. Every protestor that's not on his side is the enemy, whether they're violent or peaceful. Rather than de-escalating the situation, he has deliberately ramped things up in a wish to incite violence. He's testing how far he can take this and so far, he's getting away with it.
Trump knows that not all protesters are looting or setting buildings on fire but they are purposely making it appear like they are. He also knows that agitators are on the scene causing damage and based on what I've told you so far, it's completely reasonable to expect provocation and escalation from white supremacists and revolutionary millennialists. This is the moment they've been waiting for — a race war that enables a white takeover and a Fascist leader sent by G-d to enforce that victory. This might make little or no sense to many of us, but you can take action if you look at things from their perspective.
Watch how Barr talks about the violence— :
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/minneapolis-protest-riot-umbrella-man-george-floyd-a9539741.html
"Far-left extremist groups using Antifa like tactics' — which ones? What does 'Far-left' mean? Which groups? And why is there no mention of the far-right extremist groups?
If he's blaming anti-fascists then who is he supporting? By using this approach, he can expand the definition of Antifa and encompass within it, all civil protest against his allies. How do you define what Antifa is versus what is just a protestor with a sign? How do you define what an 'Antifa like tactic' is? At what point does it become dangerous to allow that decision to be made by front-line officers in the heat of the moment? Anyone can be labeled as Antifa. Neither Trump nor Barr will ever define what 'tactics' are, because if they did, they'd be in troubled water.
On Monday night, I was reviewing posts from friends in the USA from all sides of the political spectrum. They've been protesting in solidarity with black communities. If they had encountered a far-right extremist threatening them and they defended themselves, what would happen? Who would be publicly called out? Who would be arrested? Who?
And that's just it. Let's look at who is never called out. Whenever there is a rally by white supremacists or ultranationalists, Trump and his administration will draw all attention on Antifa even though it's not a singular group — it's a distributed collective of people who are committed to standing against fascists. Whatever you think of Antifa's tactics, when the President of the USA says nothing about white supremacist violence and comes out on their side, you have to worry.
To Trump and his support, Antifa or any protestors who stand in their way are attacking their ultimate concern. In response, this leads to the Alt-Right movement spreading an array of careful messaging to reach ordinary folk and influence their opinion. They will blame George Soros (a purposely crafter anti-Semitic trope that is quite frankly disgusting and dangerous) they will say it's a communist plot to overthrow the USA, they will say it's there to undo G-d's work, they will say that the protests are false. It's all carefully planted to sow doubt. All of it will be aimed at people who are easier to manipulate (as I've mentioned in the CSA example). You may even know friends who are currently sharing the same conspiracy theories — everything they say is a cut and paste from something that's been pushed to them on social media and YouTube. They'll keep telling you that they don't watch mass media and that they don't trust it. Even when it's subtle, the messaging will be crafted to associate today to yesterday in a way that would confuse most people but work for those who are lost in their thought processes. They fill in the logic gap with what they want to hear. The image below is an example of this in action. The false equivalence is stunning but you can see how it will convince those who are on the fence or those that believe Trump. It's manipulation but the Alt-Right are very good at using social media to do it. (The people they manipulate will entirely ignore the swastika that the neo-Nazis love so very much).
https://miro.medium.com/max/875/0*y3jXMhX9qmRRZBHH.jpg
Then as I continued to write this post, Trump Tweeted this:
https://miro.medium.com/max/875/1*2F_7fHY4onlWVz8LNttxdw.png
History is littered with leaders doing this — using the edges of the legal system to quash opposition. The more they see how much they can get away with, the quicker they get to a point where the law is not needed at all.
Barr and Trump know that it will be hard to do designate ANTIFA as a terrorist organisation because banning a domestic group on the basis of their viewpoint is unconstitutional in the US (this is also why white supremacists are not classified as terrorist groups — it would infringe on their rights if they had to be monitored for their thoughts). However, they also know that there is always a way. They can slow down any opposition through fear, intimidation, and surveillance through other justifications. There are countless injustices of black people in prison because of a lack of representation, impossible bail demands, and doing extreme jail time (including time spent in isolation) as they wait for their case to be heard (Kaleif Browder is an utterly tragic case and there are many more like him). Legal representation has never been equal.
https://www.netflix.com/title/80187052
Today there is the rule of law and a constitution to protect the rights of US citizens, but what happens when this protection is no longer there? Trump has already started calling himself "President for law and order". It's his own law and his own order, and we know that neither is going to be objective or fair.
For minorities, this is already a reality. And this is why people rise up.
Then with the addition of data privacy encroachment and a world where Governments are now monitoring every move (some even tracking movements on your phone and using facial recognition), we've got the perfect conditions for leaders like Trump to take control in the way they want and have citizen soldiers on the ground too.
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/jasonleopold/george-floyd-police-brutality-protests-government
Enough is enough
We have a dangerous sociopath in the White House, and he is dividing the country for his own ends. Please, take this seriously. Many thought he was just a harmless TV presenter/ tacky billionaire who said things to win, then many believed the system would keep him in check, then many looked on in shock.
Trump believes in white supremacy. However, unlike neo-Nazis, that's not his only aim. His aim is total power. He is a fascist at heart and to get to his goal, he will incite violent action from his supporters — which he defines as 'MAGA' not 'Americans'. He doesn't care about America, he doesn't care about religion (here's a video of him trying to appeal to Christians), he doesn't care what any other country thinks (hence his isolationist policies — he wants to call the shots and if it means others might have a say, he'll isolate himself and play without them), he doesn't care about people (due to his inaction, 106,588 lives have been lost so far during this pandemic), he doesn't care about anything other than total power and economic control. His movement needs him and he needs them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERUngQUCsyE
He has put loyalists in key positions, and in particular, in roles that should be non-partisan. For example, Barr is supposed to serve the people of the USA but he has demonstrated that all he does is serve Trump. There are MAGA troops on the street, a majority in the Senate, a Republican Party that is never going to disown Trump. Bit by bit, he has all the right conditions to do whatever he wants to do. The law is slower than his actions will ever be. He always has enough time to create pain and panic before the law catches up to stop him. The damage he wants to do is inflicted instantly and the justice to stop him takes time. He knows that.
If Trump succeeds in mobilising his movement towards a civil war, he will get the circumstances he needs to assume full control. Imagine the message that will be sent to other leaders like him around the world? It's a green light for an ultranationalist way forward, especially Putin's agenda for annexing more territory. If this happens, I'm not sure how this can be curtailed other than with another World War.
Everyone is entitled to believe in something — each to their own and all that. However, when their ultimate concern actively has them harming others, we have to do something.
Let's do something now.
(I want to add, although this whole piece is about the USA and Trump, so much of it applies to other democracies with ultra ethno-nationalist leaders (no matter how subtle they maybe — things can escalate fast). If you're in one of those countries, please take action there too).
So, how can we tackle both the threat and unite people?
First and foremost — stay hopeful. Humans are designed to help each other, it's the powerful forces with vested interests who are attempting to break that magical spell. That's always been the way throughout history, but overtime peace has always won (in the end). At the same time, hope without action is like Trump with a golf course — it leads to nothing productive.
There is so much that we can do, but here I want to highlight 5 key areas that each of us can put into action right away. (Although this piece is about the USA, the issues and concepts I've raised are universal; if you're in a country where you're seeing the same signs and even if you're not — do these, please.)
1. We have to build a bridge that people stuck on wrong side of the river can cross.
Use the concepts and examples I've explained through this piece to understand and empathise (that doesn't mean 'agree with') and then tackle this head-on using these pointers:
a) Talk to people
Most countries are awful at finding safe ways for people to exit bad mistakes. This is why extremists find it so hard to get out. In the case of the CSA, members had a choice to stay or leave but in many other organisations, it's not as easy. It could be that people live in the same town or city as their group/ gang; it could be that they are related; it could be that it's just too dangerous to leave. Either way once someone is in with a group or organisation — not only can it be hard for them to leave but if there are further barriers, like mentioned above, adding to their predicament. When you block off all exits, what happens?
We all know someone who is susceptible to radicalisation — the signs are always the same — they're lonely, they're in pain, they're in an environment with dangerous influences, they're started to be more extreme with their views, they're gullible, they feel victimised, they have unmet mental health needs, they're ignored, they have little sense of identity or belonging — talk to them, help them find a way out.
(I know someone who has recently started quoting tonnes of dubious conspiracies that he's seen on YouTube, I can see him steadily moving to an extreme mindset. What am I doing? I'm trying to give him other things to look at and it's working.).
b) Build bonds and remove the need for extremism
When you're growing up you have hopes and dreams, but life doesn't always go to plan. Sometimes you get pulled up from the brink, other times you keep looking for meaning but no matter how hard you search you never seem to find it — until one day, something comes to you. You grab it with open arms. When humans have no options, they go towards the hand that is extended to them. That's how people get radicalised — through a lack of options and isolation from a multitude of viewpoints, which means they become easy to manipulate. Whether it's ISIS or the Alt-Right recruiting people, the method and reasoning is the same. Any one of us could be manipulated and influenced to become an extremist, but the majority are lucky to have never encountered the circumstances that make this even remotely likely. Not everyone has that luck.
Over the last few years, I've spoken to a number of people who have left extremist beliefs behind. For whatever reason, Kerry Noble's account stays with me most strongly. He provides so much that we can learn from. When I asked him questions, he was patient and forthcoming because he wanted to ensure that nobody would ever make the same mistake; there are many Kerry Noble's out there. If I was trying to deradicalise people, I would speak to every person who has left an extremist organisation (on any extreme of the ideological spectrum) — to understand the conditions and factors that made them believe and then stop believing, and how they got out. Let's find them and bring their learnings into any deradicalisation strategy.
In the meantime, how can we pull the rug from under the perceived need to hate, so that we can neutralise Trump's plan?
- Don't make fun of people — the important thing to remember about cults is that nobody thinks they are in one. So, when we criticise Trump or make fun of his supporters, guess what? They don't take kindly to it. Or when we stop talking to friends and family who support Trump. It simply drives them to become more isolated in their beliefs. We can humanise people by bringing them into the conversation. Using a top-down approach achieves little other than prompting a defensive response — "YOU attacked me, I just stood up for myself". That's why when we see men with guns walking around state government buildings, you and I might think they're wrong but in their mind, they're not. They feel attacked by the Government whose authority they do not recognise, and this is just them defending themselves. And it's worse when it comes to radical millennialists that only believe in G-d's law, not civil law. We have to find a way of talking to them without exacerbating that feeling. This is not about appeasement, this is about finding strategic ways to deradicalise people OR if they are Trump believers for economic reasons alone, then finding a way to improve their life so that they don't need to believe in a 'Trump'.
- People can change — It's possible for even the most extremist believers to abandon violent ultimate concerns — as you have seen through the examples in this piece. It's possible to inspire people. It's possible to find mediators who they will listen to; in this case the mediators would be well respected Christians leaders). We can learn from people like Daryl Davis , who over the last 3 decades has befriended over 200 KKK Klansmen and convinced them to give up their hoods. We can begin this journey.
https://www.npr.org/2017/08/20/544861933/how-one-man-convinced-200-ku-klux-klan-members-to-give-up-their-robes?t=1590869623106
- Break the isolation — The more isolated you are, the more isolated you become. Our job is to give people more to focus on, not less. We have to fund culture that fuels positive and diverse imaginations. Whilst the Alt-Right feeds hearts and minds with hate, we have to fund entertainment and culture that drowns them out.
- It's important to find ways to get people away from their physical and mental environment— Most people (I say most because there are always those who are so dogmatic that nothing will change their mind) when taken away from the voices around them will listen. They'll listen when you explain the difference between fact and fiction by using examples in their lives — do not attack their ultimate concern, instead talk about harmless everyday things, even things that might seem mundane like how to tell if an email from a Nigerian Prince is real or not. It's all a way to exercise their critical thinking skills. Once that spell breaks, it becomes hard for them not to question Trump and Trump supporters around them. Win people over by love.
- Be factual— when you quote anything you should be accurate — what people read should be what they believe; Otherwise, it reinforces the dualistic worldview. Accuracy means that you don't magnify their perceived slight and end up making them hate even more. (This is especially important if you are a journalist.)
- Embrace those who want to change — As Kerry Noble said about the members of the CSA, we have to realise that many Trump supporters have either been frogs in boiling water or have never believed that Trump could harm them. Suddenly, the supporters that aren't waiting for the Apocalypse are going to be jumping out of that boiling water. I cannot stress this enough — you will make it harder for them if you are one of the "Told you so" brigade. We have to be kinder and celebrate their change of heart in a mature way. If they want to talk about it, listen to what they have to say, and praise their words and actions. If they don't, just let them be. They've made a change and that's all we need.
- And finally, we have to help bystanders do the right thing. Trump can't become an authoritarian or a totalitarian leader without the support of his non-hardcore supporters or bystanders. Not a single despot in history remained in position without the help of ordinary people 'just doing their jobs' around them. We have to work to help them see an alternative and break the spell. This is especially important for the people directly around Trump, the people who aren't the likes of Stephen Miller. I am talking about the ordinary people who might have started off looking on in horror but now silently go about their jobs in the hope that one day he will stop doing what he does. I understand it is not easy to stand up against a power like this, so how can we make it easier for them?
2. We have to represent in our democracy
Starting from today, if you're in the USA, write to your representative and ask them to do three things:
1. To put out a statement to encourage unity between police and communities — a statement that removes the acid from Trump's call to arms and its repercussions
2.To take action to ensure a cleanup of the police by vetting out any racists and extremists, taking a zero-tolerance approach to police violence, and looking at ways to demilitarise the service (I came across this positive thread the other day that might help you quote some proposals and new legislation that some US cities have passed)
3. To make funding available for programs that involve all people, to ensure that nobody gets left behind and becomes susceptible to extremist influence.
Those who want to pave the way to a fascist state want you out of the way. Never disengage. At the present time, we have a democracy — use it, and make it work. Vote, write to politicians, organise, support more intersectional diversity to run for office, maybe even run for office yourself. Things can change.
3. We need to be anti-racist every single day, without it, equality is not possible
- If you have an advantage in life, use it positively — use it with your platform, your voice, your vote, and your everyday support. Read this excellent thread on Twitter from Mireille Cassandra Harper on how to be an ally. It's only through an alliance of humanity that we can stand up against forces that try to sow division and lay the conditions for hatred.
https://twitter.com/mireillecharper/status/1266335563197501440
- Contribute to any organisations that are focused on unity, anti-racism, and human rights. At this moment in time, the first thing you can do is support peaceful protestors who need bail through their communities (Yes, innocent people will be arrested by the police and mistaken IDs will lead to miscarriages of justice, if not more brutality.). This thread tells you how you can contribute. If you're in the UK, this fund splits your donation across 38 bail funds. (Please feel free to leave a comment below with suggestions of projects, initiatives, and organisations that we can all fund and I'll update this post with them.)
https://twitter.com/bailfundnetwork/status/1266408876838014983?s=20
- Contribute to all organisations that act against white supremacy, ultranationalism, and hate. This is the time where they need all the funding they can get to do their best work and continue to bring these issues to light. If we don't know what's happening, we can't do anything about it.
https://secure.actblue.com/donate/bail_funds_george_floyd
- Don't fall into the trap of a hierarchy of racism. Keep in mind that racism is racism, and all racism is inexcusable — whether it's subtle or overt, it's still racism. Ignoring even the smallest bit of hate doesn't make it magically go away — it builds and gets worse. Speak up when you see it and do not be complicit by supporting those who perpetrate it. And when you speak up, do it in a way that people listen and change. Your voice has more influence than you think. It's your silence that is more damaging.
- And on that note — Black Lives Matter. Even now people will keep saying 'Yes I think it's terrible, but all lives matter'. We have to find a way to educate people about racism and why 'All lives matter' is not a response to 'Black lives matter'. We have to build a library of imagery that helps people to visually and emotionally see how ridiculous 'All lives matter' is as a response. And we have to use stories for people to have epiphanies that "Oh okay, so yeh, I never have to deal with any of this. I can see why it's important now."
- Learn about different cultures, and especially cultures that have had their histories partially or completely erased. Then do what it takes to bring your learning into common knowledge (for example, convince your child's school to teach it to children and young people).
4. We need to eliminate damaging gender stereotypes and fund intersectional feminism
The white supremacist system is underpinned by the belief that men are being oppressed by feminism. Trump himself doesn't respect women and he also uses this to play to his crowd. He knows his strong anti-feminist stance will appeal to the white supremacists. We desperately need to nurture humans who are confident, compassionate, and empathetic. We can only do this if we can be free of the pressures to conform to the expected stereotype. These stereotypes put constraints on people who in turn, constrain those around them. Until we can achieve this, we'll always have bullies like Trump and Incels (a movement for male supremacy) who can manipulate to serve their purpose. This is vital for long term change.
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/the-rage-of-the-incels
We can all be great without taking away from someone else's greatness. That's not a pipedream — we need to eliminate the need for people to act out because they're scared.
5. We have to organise and never back down
Dai Sugano captured this image of a brave protester taking a knee during a San Jose protest on 1st June, 2020. There are more people standing up against hate than there are perpetrating hate. It's about finding ways of doing it, no matter where we are. Trump is going to use the law as a hammer, be prepared for this.
http://www.daisugano.com/
https://miro.medium.com/proxy/0*aI5qq1ATMN_7yYCM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cRRRP6wDzo
Now it's up to all of us — will you join me?
Thank you for taking the time to read all of this. It's taken me 4 evenings to write it all, and each time I thought I had finished, Trump would say something new. He's exhausting but he's entirely predicable (in strategy, if not in words). (I also want to say thank you to my incredible wife, Priya, for helping me edit this — she really has the patience of a saint, and her ultimate concern is eliminating bad grammar. She hasn't seen this sentence, so I know it's going to be grammatically incorrect.)
There comes a time where it's too late to do anything but we are not at that stage yet. We have time. Not a lot of time but we have time. I really hope you can see the warning signs, you can see what Trump is trying to do, you can see how to make his moderate supporters see the light, and most importantly, you take action, spread awareness, and know that you can do something about this.
Whilst he divides, we can unite. When a society comes together and feels a sense of belonging, people within it will always act for the common good. I know this whole piece has been heavy, so I'll leave you with this…
Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson joins protesters as they walk for George Floyd:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9jaEM49cIw
Thank you,
Darshan
ps. If you would like to chat, you can follow me on Twitter, drop me an email at darshan@superbeinglabs.org, or leave a comment below.
http://www.twitter.com/chiefchimpanzee
PPS. POST PUBLICATION AREA: As this is a long piece designed to inform, I will update this post with news that is coming in post the publication of the piece:
1. The FBI Finds 'No Intel Indicating Antifa Involvement' in Sunday's Violence — but also notice the last paragraph : "However, the report did warn that individuals from a far-right social media group had "called for far-right provocateurs to attack federal agents, use automatic weapons against protesters."
https://www.thenation.com/article/activism/antifa-trump-fbi/
2. 3 members of the Boogaloo Bois were caught trying to commit a terrorist act in "a conspiracy to spark violence during recent protests in Las Vegas.". Crucially all 3 have links to the military.
https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2020/06/03/us/ap-us-american-protests-terrorism-charges.html
3. This is how misinformation is spreading. Highly anti-semitic tropes and done through a high volume of coordinated content online. https://t.co/mOGv6u82am?amp=1
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/01/technology/george-floyd-misinformation-online.html
4. The armed white men terrorised Philadelphia's Black Lives Matter supporters.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/01/technology/george-floyd-misinformation-online.html
5. A member of the Ohio National Guard was suspended and removed from a mission in Washington, D.C. after it was discovered he had expressed white supremacist ideology.
https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/06/05/dewine-national-guard-member-suspended-white-supremacist-views/3157137001/
6. I mention the Proud Boys in my post. Here is a police officer telling members of the Proud Boys to hide inside the building because the police are about tear gas protestors. The officer says he is warning them 'discreetly' because he doesn't want the protesters to see the police playing favourites. It's chilling.
https://twitter.com/Satellit3Heart/status/1268863536299675648
7. In only one week, "The US press freedom tracker has received 192 reports of journalists being attacked by police forces while covering the protests across the US."
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/06/george-floyd-protests-reporters-press-teargas-arrested
8. Lawmakers have sent AG Barr a letter, calling for halt to "covert surveillance" of protesters by DEA after the Department of Justice granted the DEA sweeping new powers against the protestors.
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/jasonleopold/lawmakers-call-for-halt-to-covert-surveillance-of
9. This image is a screenshot that someone shared (verified it). It's an email from the official Trump Store. Look at the language, and what I was saying about the MAGA uniform and why Trump is building a visual language:
https://miro.medium.com/max/875/0*M7VdX6eR7ZikEdNc
10. "Trump Has Flooded DC With Law Enforcement Officers Who Won't Identify Themselves" No badges, no uniforms, and they refuse to identify who they're working for specifically. This is not normal!
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/06/trump-has-flooded-dc-with-law-enforcement-officers-who-wont-identify-themselves/?fbclid=IwAR08WlZhXYsKTKbEMmprJbwKn96xdnUHyW_ThfymjqFKxxqHx0nn_cN8Uig
11. This is the kind of anti-Semitic trope that the Alt-Right are spreading online — "They came with shotguns, rifles and pistols to protect their businesses from outsiders. They had heard that antifa, paid by billionaire philanthropist Geoge Soros, were being bused in from neighboring cities, hellbent on razing their idyllic town."
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/klamath-falls-oregon-victory-declared-over-antifa-which-never-showed-n1226681
12. A self-proclaimed 'President of the Virginia KKK and propagandist for Confederate ideology', has been arrested for driving his truck into a crowd of Black Lives Matters protestors, and hitting one them with it. (luckily no serious injuries!)
https://www.wtvr.com/news/local-news/kkk-president-arrested-for-hitting-protester-with-his-truck?fbclid=IwAR129nJr0JX8-AgW9KvCmkGDVa9F8dHBEXdsQWAiq3h7B77fF3Fy6_Iotsw
13. The US has now arrested over 10,000 people across the country — as police regularly use pepper spray, rubber bullets, teargas, and batons.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/08/george-floyd-killing-police-arrest-non-violent-protesters
14. This white supremacist threatened to shoot Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin + shoot and bomb anyone who touches the statue down in Linn Park. Read the transcript of the call here. It's chilling.
https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2020/06/04/bomb-threat-issued-birmingham-neo-confederates-react-monument-removal
https://www.al.com/news/birmingham/2020/06/man-who-threatened-to-shoot-birmingham-mayor-set-off-bomb-in-linn-park-arrested-police-say.html
15. Official response from CNN General Counsel to Trump's campaign's teams letter demanding that CNN apologize for a poll that shows Joe Biden leading. "To my knowledge, this is the first time in its 40 year history that CNN had been threatened with legal action because an American politician or campaign did not like CNN's polling results."
https://twitter.com/CNNPR/status/1270802155201576962
15. Trump will do what it takes to suppress the vote. If he wins, he'll accelerate his plan. If he still loses, the extreme parts of his movement will rise up. We have less than 6 months to unite the USA. Voters all over Georgia are experiencing long lines & broken voting machines. This is voter suppression in action.
https://twitter.com/DemRedistrict/status/1270444211465261057
16. This Tweet from Trump is designed to appeal to the religious extremists in his base. Read the letter and see the language used. He needs them and they need him.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1270842639903006720
https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/archbishop-viganos-powerful-letter-to-president-trump-eternal-struggle-between-good-and-evil-playing-out-right-now
17. Check out this official Trump campaign email. Look at the language in it. Look at the programming, the capitalised words, the call to arms, and the reinforced radical dualism?
https://miro.medium.com/max/875/0*M3rzqwE4Ernqb8x6
18. This is deliberate — Trump is holding his 1st campaign really around Juneteenth & he's doing it in Tulsa — where 99 years ago white supremacists massacred a thriving black community
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/10/us/politics/trump-rally-tulsa-oklahoma.html
https://www.tulsahistory.org/exhibit/1921-tulsa-race-massacre/
19. A US Airforce Sgt and Boogaloo extremist ambushed a cop and killed another cop in Oakland, trying to stoke unrest at protests, wrote on Facebook -"Use their anger to fuel our fire. We have mobs of angry people to use to our advantage.". Read the article here.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/airman-charged-killing-federal-officer-during-george-floyd-protests-california-n1231187
And on that note — the black Oakland security guard that he killed, many were previously claiming was killed by "looters" during the protests. Read more about this here.
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-06-16/suspects-charged-killing-santa-cruz-cop-and-oakland-federal-officer
20. "President Trump's reelection campaign is displaying a marking once used by the Nazis to designate political prisoners in concentration camps.". Facebook let the Trump campaign run 88 ads with inverted red triangle — an infamous Nazi symbol. The aim? To mark out 'ANTIFA' protestors (which by now you should realise is just his way of marking out anyone who stands up to him). Just read the language:
https://www.mediamatters.org/facebook/facebook-let-trump-campaign-run-ads-inverted-red-triangle-infamous-nazi-symbol
https://miro.medium.com/max/875/0*sU28s6_z5UAK4Tgp
21. Now compare that to how Breitbart reported the above — notice how they don't mention the detail. The comms is meant to make MAGAs believe that the 'deep state' is censoring it.
https://miro.medium.com/max/875/0*aRHWmirQZaJdcuWe
22. These are the less radical Christians I talk about — they don't mean any harm but they're swept up with the messaging that Trump has been sent by G-d. Listen to the lyrics: "There will never be another USA if we don't vote Trump"
23. Leaked DHS document undercuts Trump's portrayal of Antifa as a deadly nationwide menace. No Antifa arrests. Most of the violence was instigated or perpetrated by white supremacist terrorists.
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/06/leaked-dhs-document-undercuts-trumps-portrayal-of-antifa-as-a-deadly-nationwide-menace/
24. This is an actual Tweet from Trump. Look at the language + "any protestors" — this is a clear threat & an incitement — 178,000 likes and 60.6k RTs. All amplified to the extremists within his movement.
https://miro.medium.com/max/875/0*PDEPgGbZkV3boa5C
25. "Intelligence analysts warned law enforcement this week that far-right extremist "boogaloo" members live in — and may be setting sights on — D.C. And a separate DHS memo sent to LE today is focused entirely on threat of boogaloo violence." — Just have a read and tell me this is normal?
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/06/19/intel-report-warns-far-right-extremists-target-washington-dc-329771
26. "The Justice Department abruptly announced that it had replaced the U.S. attorney Geoffrey Berman in Manhattan, who has investigated President Trump's associates, including Giuliani and Cohen.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/19/nyregion/us-attorney-manhattan-trump.html
27. The Department of Homeland Security has been dispatching drones and airplanes to surveil Black Lives Matter protestors in at least 15 cities.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/19/us/politics/george-floyd-protests-surveillance.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share
28. Remember when I spoke about the ultimate concern of Trump's devotees and their utter loyalty to him? Well take a look at this:
29. Watch this Neo-Nazi emboldened by Trump — the small northern Pennsylvania town he lives in blames Trump for giving neo-nazis a voice.
https://twitter.com/KremlinTrolls/status/1275039271192231936?s=20
30. SDNY indicts a U.S. Army soldier for sending sensitive details about his unit to a neo-Nazi group in preparation for an ambush on his own unit. Horrific details here.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/us-army-soldier-charged-terrorism-offenses-planning-deadly-ambush-service-members-his
31. "Secret efforts to groom and recruit teenagers by neo-Nazi militant group, The Base, have been exposed by covert recordings. They capture senior members of The Base interviewing young applicants and discussing how to radicalise them. The FBI has described the group as seeking to unite white supremacists around the world and incite a race war.The recordings were passed to US civil rights organisation, the Southern Poverty Law Center, before some were shared with BBC One's Panorama."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53128169
This is very good at showing just how interconnected the far-right white supremacist threat is. They want a race war and are preparing for one. Trump and other right-wing leaders have fuelled them.
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