From Russia Without Love
Frederick Clarkson printable version print page     Bookmark and Share
Mon Oct 31, 2016 at 09:18:26 PM EST
It was less than two years ago but it now seems like a lifetime ago that I wrote about how Russia appeared to be encouraging secessionist groups in the United State. In light events of the past few months, it seems worth reprising part of my story -- adapted from the blog of Political Research Associates.

Groups and individuals involved in the wider movements of the Christian Right and contemporary libertarianism, have advocated varying degrees of nullification and secession; and have envisioned varying degrees of political tension, violence and civil war. None other than former Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) spoke at a gathering in January 2015 at the Mises Institute, in Auburn, Alabama, called “Breaking Away: The Case for Secession”.

“I would like to start off,” Paul declared, “by talking about the subject and the subject is secession and, uh, nullification, the breaking up of government, and the good news is it’s gonna happen. It’s happening.”

While its not clear how far along Ron Paul’s vision may be, one of those who is seeking to put boots on the ground is Michael Hill, head of the theocratic and White supremacist Alabama-based League of the South.

Hill has called for the formation of death squads to kill American government officials and journalists, and for White men of all ages to become “citizen soldiers” in a great modern defense of archaic notions of Christendom. He has as gone so far as to organize a paramilitary group.

Hill sees himself and his comrades as part of a long line of such “citizen soldiers,” invoking historic battles with Islamic armies going back to the Battle of Tours in the 8th century. His role models for warriors for Christendom, however, are the White Westerners who fought against Black liberation movements in Southern Africa in the 1970s.

“So if Western men in past times were willing to fight for their civilization in remote areas of the world,” he asked, “shouldn’t we expect them to be just as willing to fight for that civilization here at its very heart – the South? … The traditions and truths of Western Christendom are anathema to the [Obama] regime,” he concluded. “The tyrants’ regime and Western Christendom cannot coexist—that is not possible. One must win and the other must disappear. It is indeed the ultimate Zero Sum game.”

Michael Hill is treating a federal judge’s overturning of the “Sanctity of Marriage” amendment to the Alabama state constitution as the last straw. Hill declared that he no longer considers himself an American and called for violent secession of the South from “the American monstrosity.”

As it happens, the League of he South has been receiving encouragement from elements in Russia, particularly some who support Ukrainian separatists. He addressed, via Skype, a red/brown conference of anti-globalism activists, in Moscow in December 2014. Hill told the conference that he sees American southern nationalism as an “historic ‘blood and soil’ movement” – an overt reference to 20th century ultra-German nationalism and Naziism.

Hill reports that he also emphasized the League’s “direct Southern nationalist challenge to the political, economic, and financial engine of globalism – the Washington, DC/European Union alliance.”

While the League has been networking with separatist movements around the world for a long time, the relationship with and support for pro-Russian, Ukrainian separatists has been growing. On his Facebook page last year, Hill cast the situation as a battle between the “decadent West,” meaning the U.S. and the European Union (EU), and supposedly traditionalist Russia—which he described as “conservative, Orthodox, anti-Muslim and anti-PC.”

“We Southerners, as Christian traditionalists,” he concluded, “ought to sympathize with those in Ukraine who would object to closer ties with the USA-EU regimes simply because of what they now stand for: multiculturalism, tolerance, and diversity; anti-Christian policies from abortion to homosexuality; open borders and the demographic displacement of native Whites; an aggressive foreign policy, including war, in the name of spreading liberal democracy. On the other hand, Russia today stands against such things.”




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but are little noticed or remarked upon outside of those of us who write about the various elements of the political and Religious right.

by Frederick Clarkson on Mon Oct 31, 2016 at 09:27:18 PM EST
(I hope it's not too late when they do), I imagine the first thing out of their mouth will be "But it's a CHURCH, it can't be THAT BAD!".

Seriously, my wife and I are feeling a great deal of concern, if not fear, about this election.  People don't see what we see because they're conditioned NOT to.  They're taught that everything is economics, or political, and that it's just some sort of jockeying for political positions - and apply false equivalence between "liberals" (people who are concerned about the very real threat to freedom and the constitution) and conservatives (especially the dominionists) who insist that by our demanding that ALL people are equal and deserve equal and fair treatment - it is very much a case of false equivalence.  You tell them that their precious politician (like Paul) is a successionist and they refuse to listen - denounce you as a 'conspiracy theorist' and refuse to even consider examining the evidence.  Some even come out and say they're for things like succession because us "horrible liberals" are out to destroy America and Christianity and that we must be converted or destroyed (or stripped of our rights and citizenship).

I'm seeing a ramping up of violent and aggressive Religious Right rhetoric every day.  More ranting and raving and, for instance, encouragement of "Submission to authority".  It's even invading non-religious conversations and topics - I've even run into it on kitten videos!  (They think they must turn EVERY conversation or discussion into a religious proselytizing/fearmongering session - and if you disagree with them or ask them (even politely) to keep it to themselves, they just get more aggressive and even threatening.)

by ArchaeoBob on Mon Oct 31, 2016 at 10:02:29 PM EST
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by MariyaDorothy on Fri Sep 04, 2020 at 01:29:56 PM EST
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There has been actual news talking about the threats being made by the Trump supporters (I found that a bit surprising).  One person is quoting as saying that if Trump didn't win the white house, they were going to be at the White House and armed (I can't find the actual story right now, so I'm paraphrasing the quote).  Then we have the 'disturbance' at one of Trump's speeches (according to one source, the person was carrying a "Republicans against Trump" sign).  The good news is that the one news source mentioned a militant animal rights person attacking (or trying to) Hillary Clinton.  Others didn't... almost made it sound like it was "those horrible libruls" doing it.

It's easy to lie by omission - and the research I did (and mentioned elsewhere) demonstrated that most of the major news outlets did it - the more conservative, the more likely.

The YouTube videos I mentioned clearly blame Liberals for the 'disturbance'.  Funny thing is that they have no problem with their people protesting at a Democrat function (even creating a major disturbance) - but if anything happens at theirs... it's those horrible liberals trying to control America (and attack or assassinate their favorite - who they like because he says the things they wish were not only tolerated, but supported in policy again).

YouTube had several video channels claiming that it was an assassination attempt.  At least one video claimed he'd been shot.  I don't do Facebook, but from what I've heard, it's probably much of the same.

All of this ties together.  Trump's words and actions de-legitimize the US government.  If he wins, it doesn't look good for a lot of innocent people (the ones he and the people we resist like to demonize).  If he looses, he claims fraud and a stolen election - and people "resist" and violence flares (and people feel fear).  That's also a win-win situation for him.  A less powerful government means he's less likely to face justice and easier to avoid limits on his greed.  He gets into the white house, he sets the rules.  No justice.  Either way, he gets what he wanted.

The only thing I could see the Russians getting out of this is some sort of one-upmanship ("we're now the greatest nation in the world!" type nonsense) - but at the cost of innocent lives.   In fact, I think if the Russians are trying to destabilize the US, it will eventually harm them even more.  They'll loose out in trade at the least - except maybe for their 1%ers, just as those in this country try to set themselves up to always profit no matter the situation or the cost to everyone else.  I think they are short-sighted.

Tying this to dominionism...

De-legitimizing the US government is one of the goals of the dominionists in general.  They don't like limits put on them - on their ability to discriminate and be bigoted, on their "right" to force people to listen to their proselytizing and hate speech (I've had way more than my fill!), and so on.  In a sense it started as a tiny cancer with the Moral Majority (we can look to Frank Shaeffer as to why that started - racist bigotry), and grew from there.  Meanwhile the religious nuts were being led down a path of deeper and deeper control - not realizing that they were also being led away from some of the teachings of the one they claim to follow.  Then the cancer infected them too... they were wide open and accepting of the idea of "Taking America over for Jesus", not realizing what it REALLY means.

They may find themselves regretting their actions - if they don't kill each other off first over some tiny point of doctrine.  What some people I know have projected as a possible (and terrifying) outcome may come to pass.

by ArchaeoBob on Sun Nov 06, 2016 at 08:35:11 PM EST


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