America Needs To Defeat The QAnon Conspiracy Cult Domestic Terrorist Organization

My father served in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific Theater, and his brothers and cousins also served in the Navy, Army and Marines in the Pacific and European Theaters during World War II.

My family was lucky. None were killed in combat, but some returned home from the war decorated combat veterans. They were first generation Americans who proudly served their country, defending American democracy from fascist tyranny.

They fought a world war to rid the world of fascism, and they succeeded in defeating Hitler and Hirohito.

They would be shocked and outraged at the results of a poll released this Memorial Day weekend. A new Economist/YouGov poll finds that 32% of Americans believe it to be a mistake or are unsure if it was the right decision to send troops to fight in World War II.

Even after Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941, “a date which will live in infamy”?

So what you’re telling me is that 32% of Americans would prefer that fascist dictatorships engaged in racist genocide had been victorious in World War II?

Just who the fuck are these un-patriotic Americans who now cheer for the enemies of democracy, and dishonor the sacrifice, service and bravery of The Greatest Generation?

I think we know the answer. Another poll released this past week holds a clue. QAnon Now as Popular in U.S. as Some Major Religions, Poll Suggests:

As hopes fade for a bipartisan inquiry into the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, it’s increasingly clear that the Republican base remains in thrallto the web of untruths spun by Donald J. Trump — and perhaps even more outlandish lies, beyond those of the former president’s making.

[B]ut it’s not just the notion that the election was stolen that has caught on with the former president’s supporters. QAnon, an outlandish and ever-evolving conspiracy theory spread by some of Mr. Trump’s most ardent followers, has significant traction with a segment of the public — particularly Republicans and Americans who consume news from far-right sources.

Those are the findings of a poll released today by the Public Religion Research Institute and the Interfaith Youth Core, which found that 15 percent of Americans say they think that the levers of power are controlled by a cabal of Satan-worshiping pedophiles, a core belief of QAnon supporters. The same share said it was true that “American patriots may have to resort to violence” to depose the pedophiles and restore the country’s rightful order.

And fully 20 percent of respondents said that they thought a biblical-scale storm would soon sweep away these evil elites and “restore the rightful leaders.”

The poll created a category labeled “QAnon doubters” to include respondents who had said they “mostly disagreed” with the outlandish statements, but didn’t reject them outright. Another 55 percent of Republicans fell into this more ambivalent category.

Which means that just one in five Republicans fully rejected the premises of the QAnon conspiracy theory.

For the math challenged, this means that 80% of Republicans are open to QAnon conspiracy theories.

“These are words I never thought I would write into a poll question, or have the need to, but here we are,” Robby Jones, the founder of P.R.R.I., said in an interview.

Mr. Jones said he was struck by the prevalence of QAnon’s adherents. Overlaying the share of poll respondents who expressed belief in its core principles over the country’s total population, “that’s more than 30 million people,” he said.

“Thinking about QAnon, if it were a religion, it would be as big as all white evangelical Protestants, or all white mainline Protestants,” he added. “So it lines up there with a major religious group.”

He also noted the correlation between belief in QAnon’s fictions and the conviction that armed conflict would be necessary. “It’s one thing to say that most Americans laugh off these outlandish beliefs, but when you take into consideration that these beliefs are linked to a kind of apocalyptic thinking and violence, then it becomes something quite different,” he said.

The FBI has labeled QAnon a domestic terrorist threat.

This domestic terrorist organization held a conference in Texas over the Memorial Day weekend, dubbed the “For God and Country: Patriot Roundup.” This is a quasi-religious right-wing political cult that is neither for God nor country – they were participants in the January 6 failed coup d’etat to overthrow the U.S. Government – and how dare these seditious insurrectionists call themselves “patriots” – they cheapen the meaning of the word. My family were patriots, they are treasonous traitors to their country.

Vice News reports, QAnon’s Wildest Moments From Their Massively Disturbing Conference:

QAnon’s biggest celebrities threw a three-day conference in Dallas over the weekend—and it did not disappoint.

Whether you wanted to hear a former U.S. Army general calling for a military coup or Roger Stone’s social media adviser calling for Hillary Clinton’s execution, there was something for everyone.

A sitting Congressman appeared on stage and literally embraced QAnon influencers. Dozens of members of a shadowy militia provided protection—some with their own pugs in tow. And then there was Kraken-lawyer Sidney Powell trying to sing the national anthem.

And, of course, journalists were kicked out, to standing ovations from the crowd.

[T]he event was a coming-out party for many well-known figures in the QAnon world, but it also highlighted just how far the conspiracy movement is bleeding into mainstream Republican politics, with one sitting Congressman, Rep. Louie Gohmert, speaking on stage, along with the chairman of the Texas GOP, Allen West. [The Texas Republican party has endorsed legislation that would allow state residents to vote whether to secede from the United States.]

Former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn called for a coup

Flynn, the disgraced former national security advisor during the Trump administration, has long been viewed as a godlike figure within the QAnon community. For his part, Flynn has attempted to distance himself from QAnon, but that’s a difficult thing to do when you post a video of yourself and your whole family reciting the QAnon oath or, you know, headlining a QAnon conference.

And on Sunday, Flynn delivered the goods.

While speaking on stage, Flynn was asked by a member of the audience: “I want to know why what happened in Myanmar can’t happen here?”

After cheers from the crowd died down, Flynn responded: “No reason. I mean, it should happen here.”

As a reminder, the military coup in Myanmar in February has already cost 800 civilians their lives. Ever since the coup took place, QAnon supporters have been obsessing over it and questioning why it could happen in a Third World country and not in the U.S.

Flynn’s call for another coup d’etat has led some to call for him to be court-martialed for inciting insurrection, so he can spend the rest of his miserable life in prison at Leavenworth. Americans demand court-martial for Flynn after call for military coup: ‘Honor veterans — arrest this traitor’:

[Flynn’s comments] sent many to demand he be court-martialed, the legal process of prosecution in the U.S. Military.

It isn’t unheard of, Jan. 2020, the Navy Appeals Court decided that “a Navy retiree was properly court-martialed and convicted for a crime committed after he had left active duty,” reported the Military Times.

Even the right-wing Federalist Society noted that the Uniform Code of Military Justice allowed for some retirees to be court-martialed though they are rare. But in the civil case Larrabee v. Braithwaite there is a question before the DC Circuit about whether a military member can be court-martialed for a civil crime. For advocating the overthrow of the government, it’s a different issue entirely.

Other legal experts believe that Flynn must be called up again to active duty to be court-martialed.

UPDATE: Michael Flynn Denies Calling for Violent Military Coup Despite Video Footage. QAnon believers have cited the Myanmar coup as an example of how Trump could be reinstated as president.

‘Krazy Kraken Lady’ Sidney Powell turned up in a biker vest

Sporting a biker vest dotted with badges saying everything from MAGA to “No God, No Peace” and “Ride free, take risks,” Sidney Powell spoke on Saturday night in a question-and-answer session with right-wing talk show host Doug Billings.

The conversation quickly turned to what Powell sees as her area of expertise: election fraud. And Powell had a surprising revelation to make when asked about the possibility of Trump returning to office.

“He can simply be reinstated,” Powell told a cheering audience, adding that a new inauguration date will be set “and Biden is told to move out of the White House.”

Now, there are no provisions in the Constitution to just reinstate Trump, but remember: This is Powell’s area of expertise, and she and her fellow members of Trump’s “elite strike force” legal team did file 62 lawsuits in the wake of the election.

The fact that all but one were laughed out of court is probably just bad luck.

[I]n a video posted to his Telegram account, QAnon John showed that as well as losing lawsuits, Sidney Powell was adept at taking part in a group singalong—though it’s unclear if she knew all the words.

Here's Kraken lawyer Sidney Powell trying to sing along to the US national anthem at the QAnon conference in Dallas last night.

It's not clear she knows ALL the words… pic.twitter.com/OweHyxqxnF

— David Gilbert (@daithaigilbert) May 31, 2021

Roger Stone’s social media advisor calls for Hillary Clinton to be hanged

Jason Sullivan, who is Roger Stone’s social media advisor and calls himself “The Wizard of Twitter,” was among the first speakers on stage Saturday, and he definitely made an impact.

Having spoken about QAnon’s “80 million followers” (a recent survey suggests the figure in the U.S. is closer to 30 million) and spreading some anti-vax content, Sullivan got around to speaking about Hilary Clinton.

Referring to her as that “god-awful woman,” Sullivan then made a noose gesture around his neck, which was greeted with wild applause by the audience.

Rep. Louie Gohmert said January 6 riots no big deal

Then there was Rep. Gohmert, known as the “dumbest member of Congress,” appearing on stage at the largest-ever QAnon convention.

While Gohmert is no stranger to embracing the worst sort of people, his appearance in Dallas gives significant weight to the entire QAnon movement and the people who promote it.

A sitting member of Congress, Louie Gohmert, is currently speaking at a QAnon event in front of the event's logo, which has the QAnon slogan right in it. pic.twitter.com/fcZhA0PsH5

— Alex Kaplan (@AlKapDC) May 29, 2021

Gohmert didn’t specifically address QAnon while on stage, spending his time instead attacking Nancy Pelosi and trying to claim that the Jan. 6 riots were not that big a deal when compared to things like 9/11 and Pearl Harbor.

“I would submit that weaponizing the FBI and the Department of Justice against one administration was an attack on democracy,” Gohmert added.

Off-stage Gohmert mixed freely with the QAnon crowd, including Zak Paine, known online as RedPill78, who took part in the Jan. 6 riots.

There are many reasons why Rep. Louie Gohmert should be expelled from Congress, this is just the most recent example.

Journalists were not welcome

QAnon is not a big fan of the media, particularly if you don’t work for a right-wing outlet that doesn’t indulge QAnon’s conspiracies, support the election fraud narrative, or otherwise views Donald Trump as some sort of god-like figure.

So it was no surprise that several journalists were kicked out of the event this weekend. On Sunday, VICE News reporter Vegas Tenold had his conference pass “yanked” off him by the organizer before being kicked out.

But that turned out to be a pretty tame expulsion. Hours later QAnon John posted a video of himself and his partner Amy informing police that Daily Beast reporter Will Sommer was illegally trespassing at the conference.

The QAnon militia—and their pugs

In addition to ubiquitous police at the event, there was additional protection provided by a shadowy group of ex-US military personnel known as the 1st Amendment Praetorians.

The Praetorians are a group who claim to provide protection for “patriotic and religious events” across the U.S. They were founded by Robert Patrick Lewis, an ex-Green Beret who tweeted a picture of himself with Flynn and West during the weekend (someone else who should be reactivated and court-martialed):

Very proud moment from the For God & Country Patriot Roundup.

I may be the guy in the picture but the distinction was earned by the entire 1st Amendment Praetorian team: pic.twitter.com/oL0B455SPc

— Robert Patrick Lewis (@RobertPLewis) May 30, 2021

There were at least a couple of dozen members of this group in attendance at the event over the weekend, but according to one source on the ground in Dallas this weekend, the 1st Amendment Praetorians had a secret weapon to keep the crowds under control — their pugs.

Several members of the group had pugs on leashes with them while they patrolled the event, though it was unclear whether or not they were killer pugs.

And then there was the most hated man in the United States Senate, Ted “Cancún” Cruz, who last week used Russian propaganda to demean the readiness of the U.S. Military, prompting a new nickname, “Kremlin Cruz” from Brian Williams of MSNBC. ‘Kremlin Cruz’ Erupts Over Nickname By Brian Williams For Attack On ‘Emasculated’ Military.

Actually, it was Viktor Orban of Hungary (a pro-Putin dictator). Ted Cruz’s Slap At ‘Emasculated’ U.S. Troops Traced To Hungarian Right-Wing:

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) tweeted a Russian military video in a highly controversial message last week that has been traced by a propaganda expert to Hungary’s extreme right-wing.

It was also circulated among American white supremacists before Cruz took it mainstream a week after its birth, Alexander Reid Ross told Business Insider. Ross is a fellow at the British Centre for the Analysis of the Radical Right who specializes in mapping the spread of far-right propaganda.

Cruz last week posted a video extolling Russia’s brutish he-man troops that was juxtaposed against a U.S. Army recruitment video featuring a woman.

“Holy crap,” snapped Cruz. “Perhaps a woke, emasculated military is not the best idea,” he tweeted in a pointed dig at American troops. He later tweeted that U.S. troops were at risk of becoming “pansies.”

Are you fucking kidding me? Is there a bigger “pansy” than Ted Cruz? Remember when Cruz threw a hissy fit over Donald Trump suggesting that his wife is ugly? Now he is a full-fledged Trump fluffer, and a leader of the January 6 seditious insurrection in Congress on January 6, for which he should be expelled from Congress.

Cruz’s message, illustrated by the melded video uploaded to TikTok, was strikingly similar to a message that first surfaced in Hungary earlier this month, Ross pointed out to Insider.

Twitter account Koskovics Zoltán, belonging to Zoltán Koskovics, an analyst at the Center for Fundamental Rights in Budapest, posted two tweets comparing the Russian and U.S. military films, slamming the American film, just as Cruz did, as “woke.” The “Fundamental Rights” center is linked to the far-right government of Hungary’s strongman Prime Minister Victor Orban, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

So this is what “Kremlin Cruz” was watching on his cell phone when he was being berated by his committee chair, Amy Klobuchar, a couple of weeks ago?

“None of this fills me with any optimism regarding the West’s future,” Koskovics tweeted May 13.

The tweets were picked up by Russia’s extreme right outlet Krasnava Vesnva and the conservative U.S. blog Red State, Insider reported. The two videos were also discussed by Gavin McInnes, founder of the violent right-wing Proud Boys, on his YouTube channel May 15.

The two films were finally melded in the TikTok post that Cruz boosted to the mainstream in his May 20 tweet after it made the rounds of U.S. white supremacist forums on Telegraph and among international extremists including Russia’s ultra-nationalist National Bolsheviks, according to Insider.

After a furious reaction to Cruz’s disdainful dismissal of the U.S. military from American veterans, citizens and active-duty service members, the senator insisted in a tweet that Americans were the “finest fighting force on the face of the planet.”

As for complaints on Twitter that he was being a shill for Putin after helping promote Kremlin propaganda about its mighty forces, Cruz (who never served in the military) responded: “I hate Communists.”

Neither Russia — nor Hungary — are communist nations.

Finally there is the Proud Boy white supremacist host of “White Power Hour” on Fox News, Tucker Carlson. Tucker Carlson Opens Memorial Day Show By Denigrating the U.S. Military:

Tucker Carlson opened his Memorial Day show by denigrating the very U.S. military on a day we honor those who gave the greatest sacrifice, dying while fighting to preserve the very liberty and freedom that the Fox News primetime host so regularly celebrates.

“Our military at times does not seem interested in protecting the country,” Carlson noted, on a weekend when public personalities and elected officials were under the microscope for messaging before and during the holiday weekend.

Carlson has been a frequent critic of the U.S. military, especially since President Joe Biden took office. The Fox News host has railed against what he sees as a trend of overtly identity politics in marketing messaging, which he consistently has suggested makes the military somehow softer and less equipped to defend the “homeland.”

OK, in answer to my question “Is there a bigger “pansy” than Ted Cruz?”, Tucker Carlson is the poster boy for “pansy.” This privileged white boy born with a silver spoon in his mouth who advocates for his white male privilege and white supremacy has never known a day of sacrifice or service in his life. All he does is whine.

Tucker Carlson has been inciting the MAGA/QAnon seditious insurrection against the U.S. government since Election Day.

I know some women Marines who would love nothing better than to beat the stuffing out of this big mouthed little pansy and show him just how tough and equipped they are to defend this country against a fascist tyrant like Tucker Carlson.