In the US: Civil War Talk

 

Trump followers and "Jesus" followers seek to overthrow the US government in the 6 Jan 2021 riot. It was too spontaneous and disorganized to be effective. 

I'm on the email circulation list of the far-right publicity group "Townhall". I won't go into how I managed to get on their list, but it's been a revelation in right-wing thinking.  See here, here,  here  and here for prize examples of what can only be described as Townhall crackpotism. 

Below I reproduce an email recently circulated by Townhall in response to Donald Trump's home being raided by the FBI. Even if one withholds judgement on whether the Trumpkins are right or wrong, it is clear from the circular below that we are not witnessing just the usual sharp contentions over policy between political parties working within a constitutional & regulated forum that we would recognize as democratic. Going on the language below (and elsewhere) it looks and feels more like a civil war than the party political wrangling one expects to see in a democracy. The Trumpkins are accusing their opponents not just of policy incompetence (that's to be expected in a democracy) but of being criminals and even war opponents. That's serious in the West's chief democratic power; the Trumpkins are effectively telling us that the vital democratic institutions of the US are irredeemably corrupt.  In a country awash with military grade weapons and armed right-wing groups that look suspiciously like militias the situation is ominous*. 

I'm not an expert political commentator by any means so perhaps I'm being simplistic and binary, but to me what is currently only a war of words has a basically simple overall structure: Maverick far-right establishment outsiders typified by Trump himself feel alienated from the status quo and are seeking to overthrow the political, legal, law-enforcement, media and business institutions; or at least populate them with their men. They will, or course, deny that they are in the business of revolutionary overthrow and instead claim they are simply trying to oust  the conspiratorial "radical left" who they  are trying to convince us effectively run the status quo. 

But the truth is that as mavericks they don't see themselves as working within an established constitution in order to reform that constitution (as do the political parties in the UK) but instead believe the entire status quo to be so evil & corrupt that if not overturned should at least undergo revolutionary reform in favour of the far-right. Ironically that is also the goal of the far-left. Both believe in a "deep state" that is so stacked against "we the people" that revolution is needed rather than mere piecemeal reform. Some of the causes of the extreme alienation of these conservative Americans are discussed in the book Strangers in their own land by Arlie Russell Hochschild.

In the following extracts from Townhall all the emphases are mine.

Townhall: Yesterday was an attack on our country, the first salvo of the war openly declared on conservatives. The FBI raid of a former President's home has never happened in the history of our country. My Comment: Raids on homes by law enforcement are of course legal if there is good reason for the raid. But in this warring context it's seen as the deep state's attack on the man who claims to be working for  "we the people", namely Donald Trump. As we all know Trump (and his followers) assert that the last American election was rigged in favour of the "deep state" as might an "election" in a tin-pot dictatorship like Putin's Regime. One interpretation of the fact that it's  "never happened in the history of our country" is that the Trump administration was the first time the US has hosted an arguably wholly corrupt maverick president. Townhall: The radical left showed the corrupt lengths they will go to in order to stop President Trump from running in '24, but as Trump has always said, "In reality they're not after me, they're after you. I'm just in the way."  The same corrupt FBI and DOJ that cooked up the Russian Collusion Hoax struck again. This time, to a whole new level. The weaponization of the government against political opponents and its citizens cannot stand. These are dark times for our nation.  My Comment: The FBI and DOJ: These are very important institutions of state: So either they are corrupt, which is a very serious threat to democracy, or it is Townhall that is corrupt and/or falling for conspiracy theories . It seems we can't have it two ways here: What ever side we take it follows from Townhall's fulminations that American democracy is in peril either because  the state itself is irredeemably corrupt  or because the far-right are looking for a pretext to grab power by telling stories of conspiracy.  Again, notice that the government is being accused of the most Machiavellian activities and not just of peddling bad politics & policies submitted within an accountable democratic forum; Townhall are telling us that the forum itself must go. As one Trump supporter told me "The republic is being rebirthed": A euphemism for overthrow? Donald Trump of course has an interest in stoking-up the fear of "we the people" by spreading abroad conspiracy theories about a deep state out to get them.   Townhall's talk of a government against political opponents and its citizens would be an appropriate description of Putin's regime... so is that what Townhall is claiming to have become of American democracy?  As for the so-called "Radical left"; ask a Marxist  or even a Critical Theorist whether the current American state can be said to be in the hands of "the radical left". No! Rather America is a capitalist democracy with liberal values and which tolerates dissenters: If it didn't Townhall would have been suppressed and Donald Trump jailed or poisoned.  Townhall: We the people (sic) are fed up and angry as hell. Join us in fighting back. But we need your help to continue to tell the truth. My Comment: ....via "Truth Social",  perhaps, the only truth teller of "We the people"? Townhall: By joining Townhall VIP, you'd be directly supporting our in-depth investigative reporting exposing the corruption of the Biden cabal. There are no ads—just pure conservative writing that will arm you with the truth and cut through the liberal media's BS. Every penny is devoted to telling the truth liberals don't want you to know. From just this morning: "The guy who created the Russia collusion hoax in 2016 and orchestrated the widespread, coordinated campaign to change election laws and processes in 2020 admits this is about the regime rigging yet another election." Yesterday was horrendous, but if they can do this to a former President, just think of what they can do to you with their 87,000 new IRS agents and the force of the entire federal government.  Join the Townhall army working to save America and our beloved freedoms. We won't back down. Not now, not ever. Use the promo code SAVEAMERICA for 40% off your Vip membership, our largest discount ever! P.S. - While VIP members have access to a wealth of exclusive content, VIP Gold members get even more. With VIP Gold, not only is your direct support doubled, but VIP Gold members have Gold access across the entire Townhall Media family (Townhall, RedState, PJ Media, and more) along with the ability to interact with your favorites like Katie, Schlichter, Julio, and more – a $300 value. My Final Comment:  Yes, of course, they want our dollars to subsidize their civil war against the liberal media establishment and the state they claim rigs elections; In Townhall's perceptions all the status quo institutions of American democracy and in fact the entire federal government are part of a "cabal" opposing the MAGA savior of America, Donald Trump. If this was really true and the US establishment was really a Putin-look-a-like that jails and kills opponents then their cause would be just. But I'm finding it very difficult to believe that a well established and publicly argumentative system like the US is really in the grip of a Putin-like regime.  Although its true that many in the American populace have had a long fascination for intriguing establishment conspiracy theories  I've only become aware of the kind of civil war talk we get from the far-right becoming mainstream since the rise of Donald Trump, a man who has a rapport with conspiracy theorists and dictators (See here, here & here).  For me this implicates Trump as a possible dictator-in-waiting.... either that or (actually, more likely) a successor of whom Trump will be the "king-maker".  What for me has clearly disqualified  Trump as a truth teller and made him more of an antichrist-like figure is his conspiracy theorism, his talking of "draining the swamp" of government, his side kick Michael Flynn advocating the use military force to get the "election" result Trump wanted, Trump's intimidation of an election official, his tendency to divide rather than unify, his ex-chief strategist Steve Bannon praising Putin and above all Trump's ability to dupe Christian fundamentalists. Footnote * I hope I'm just paranoid and it's all a storm in tea-cup: Somebody who probably knows American politics better than I do said that both Republicans and Democrats want Trump gone.... but for Republicans no doubt in a face-saving way that looks as though they never really changed sides.  Perhaps there's a job here for Mike Pence if he wasn't branded such a "traitor" by Trump's followers! Crank's Corner Featured at "infowars" 13/8022: Alex Jones, Marjorie Taylor Greene and Steve Bannon, Trump's ex-chief strategist.  Click to Enlarge

ADDENDUM 24/08/22

In an updated version of the mail-shot I've revealed above Townhall are even more bellicose and clear about fighting a war involving guns....

These are dark times for our nation. But it's only the beginning... 

If they can do this to a former President, just think of what they can do to you with their  87,000 new armed IRS agents "willing to use deadly force" and the force of the entire federal government under the  control of radical leftists. 

By joining Townhall VIP, you'd be directly supporting our 

in-depth investigative reporting exposing the corruption 

of the Biden/FBI/Deep State cabal... 

Every penny is devoted to telling the truth liberals don't 

want you to know. 

I have a very bad feeling about this "deep state" conspiracy theorism which makes claims about "87,000 new armed IRS agents willing to use deadly force...under the  control of radical leftists". That'll give the well armed pro-Trump militias a pretext to clean and load their guns!  I'm sure this kind of language warms the heart of the Kremlin and ultra conservative Orthodox coreligionists like Alexander Dugin who also have a pathological fear of  "radical leftists and liberals". If I can get onto the Townhall emailing list I'm sure the Kremlin can too. They might even do something I wouldn't do; that is, make a big financial contribution to Townhall as it is clearly so dedicated to stirring up anger, discontent and even violence in the world's leading democracy.

The Compulsion of Conspiracy Theorism

I have recently compiled this analysis of an article by end-times pundit Wilfred Hahn. Below I've copied in the introduction to my analysis. 

1.     Introduction

T  This document is best read in conjunction with my document here where I explore some of the pratfalls of conspiracy theorism. 

Conspiracy theorism is a pernicious evil that wracks democratic society; it undermines confidence and plays into the hands of tricksters and would-be-dictators who are looking for the disillusioned, the angry, the disaffected, the traumatised and the paranoid as an easy-sell for their concocted rumours of conspiracy & blame in order to justify a power grab. The cut & thrust and the open contensions natural to an accountable democracy exacerbates the insecurity of those targeted by would-be-despots who perceive democratic debate and its rancour as a sign of weakness and failure.

Of course, in societies where dictatorship has been successfully installed (e.g. Putin’s Russia) there is sufficient autocratic media control to block all conspiracies theories but the one put out by the protection racketeers in charge. In totalitarian and authoritarian states government may be headed by a demagogue figure who is portrayed as the only truth teller.

In this document I look at a web article by Christian end-times pundit Wilfred Hahn.  He consciously avoids fanciful conspiracy theories peddled by web enabled theorists. These theorists join the dots of social history into ramifying plots hatched by hidden nefarious operators who are said to be the evil geniuses behind current affairs. Hahn’s overall thesis is that an integrated economic system facilitated by enhanced technology, social integration and a world market makes the idea of international centralized social control by an anti-Christ an all too plausible scenario. I would not disagree with this conclusion.

But as we shall see, although Hahn identifies no specific baroque conspiracy behind current affairs he nevertheless informs us that the history of progress is a product of a conspiracy intended to bring about an anti-Christ power grab. He therefore inadvertently plays into the hand of conspiracy theorists by leaving the edges of the map blank and making statements to the effect that “Here be Monsters”. Therefore the active imaginations of the disillusioned, the angry, the disaffected, the traumatised and the paranoid are encouraged to fill in those spaces with fanciful entities which explain and make sense of their fears and anger: Such will take their eyes off up & coming world-dictators and instead they will focus on the fanciful intrigue imagined to be going on behind the scenes. All this will play into the hands of an antichrist.

It’s with reluctance that I relate my anticipation that many Christians are well set up to be duped by up-and-coming dictators who use conspiracy theories to exploit Christian diffidence about the democratic West where freedom of expression & choice is a prime moral value.  It is ironic that reformation Christianity opened the way to a sequence of events that ultimately gave Western populations the choice to accept or reject the core message of Christianity. This very freedom of choice was built into Christianity along with many other aspects of the democratic West where the concept that community serves the individual (and vice versa) along with the freedom to dissent still has a very strong hold on Western minds. The irony was that Christ’s take-it-or-leave-it presentation of Himself turned out to contain the seeds of the possible demise of core Christianity in the West.

As a reaction against the marginalisation and decay of core Christianity in the West it seems that some Christians consequently find common ground with potential dictators and will support a dictators cause as the price for the restoration of their traditional authoritarian view of society. (e.g Hitler, Trump and Putin). In any case many of those Christians come from sects with a culture that has a high view of demagogic leadership and may even seek to bring about a Christian social authoritarianism bordering on dominionism.  My guess is that Christianity will become debatable ground during the end times; by that I mean demagogues will claim to be working for Christianity.