Conspiracy Theories in the Patriot/Militia Movement
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CONSPIRACY THEORIES IN THE PATRIOT/MILITIA MOVEMENT SAM JACKSON MAY 2017 About the Program on Extremism About the Author The Program on Extremism at George Washington Sam Jackson is a PhD candidate in the Social University provides analysis on issues related to Science Doctoral Program at Syracuse violent and non-violent extremism. The Program University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and spearheads innovative and thoughtful academic Public Affairs. He studies the contemporary inquiry, producing empirical work that patriot/militia movement in the US. He is working strengthens extremism research as a distinct field on a book-length study of the Oath Keepers, which of study. The Program aims to develop pragmatic investigates the group’s use of American history policy solutions that resonate with policymakers, and political ideas. More generally, he studies the civic leaders, and the general public. ideas that domestic extremists use to justify breaking the law and the public communication strategies they use to portray themselves as part of the American political mainstream. The views expressed in this paper are solely those of the author, and not necessarily those of the Program on Extremism or the George Washington University. 1 Introduction The Patriot/Militia Movement “If we do not stop Jade Helm 15 there may be no The patriot/militia movement is diverse, future for our children.” This is the title of a video encompassing a wide range of groups and actors posted to the YouTube channel of the motivated by diverse political goals.3 However, patriot/militia movement Internet radio show those in the movement share several common known as “The Liberty Brothers Show” in May features. The most important is the perception 2015.1 It suggests a common line of thought in the that America is turning its back on the vision of patriot/militia movement: the federal government those who founded the nation in the 18th century, is actively conspiring to steal the liberty—even and that the federal government is becoming the lives—of Americans, and patriots must act increasingly tyrannical, threatening the rights and now to defend themselves. liberties of everyday Americans. Members of the movement therefore declare that they intend to This paper provides a primer on conspiracy defend the nation from “enemies foreign and theories in the patriot/militia movement. After domestic.” Other important features include self- introducing the movement, it describes the basic description as patriots and a conviction that the features of conspiracy theories. It then walks answers to contemporary political problems can through several prominent and pervasive anti- be found in the thoughts and writings of 18th and government conspiracy theories, including those 19th century Americans. For example, those in the focusing on gun control, the Federal Emergency patriot/militia movement frequently refer to the Management Agency (FEMA), and the United 2nd Amendment, arguing that this sentence proves Nations as key components of the threat posed to beyond question that those who wrote the Bill of the lives and liberty of Americans by the federal Rights believed that the people should be armed government. It does not cover racist conspiracy with weapons equivalent to those used by the theories (for example, those positing that Jews military, as an armed citizenry is the best defense control the federal government, referred to as ZOG against a tyrannical government. [Zionist Occupied Government or Zionist Occupation Government]) or the more bizarre ones For many, the obligation to defend the nation (for example, those positing that the world is entails preparing for a future conflict: training controlled by a race of subterranean reptilians with a local group in a wide range of paramilitary who sometimes take human form).2 In closing, it or survivalist skills (primarily firearms training, offers some thoughts on why conspiracism plays but also emergency medical skills, alternative an important role in the patriot/militia movement. communications techniques like ham radio, and other useful skills if modern American society 1 The Liberty Brothers Radio Show, If We Do Not Stop 3 For more on the patriot/militia movement, see Jade Helm 15 There May Be No Future for Our Mulloy, American Extremism; Churchill, To Shake Children! Their Guns in the Tyrant’s Face. 2 These conspiracies and more are discussed at length in Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy. 2 collapses); stockpiling supplies (especially authoritative sources say about the world, and ammunition and food); and remaining vigilant in operate under the assumption that these sources identifying allies and enemies for that future are lying, or else hiding important details. conflict. For others, this obligation to defend the nation demands that they be more proactive, Conspiracy theories rely on three basic premises: preemptively taking the fight to the federal nothing happens by accident, nothing is as it government rather than waiting for the federal seems, and everything is connected.6 The first government to bring the fight to them.4 premise asserts that every bad outcome is the Regardless of whether defense only requires result of an intentional decision by an evil actor. preparation at this point or demands more For example, the federal government didn’t botch proactive steps, it follows from the common its response to Hurricane Katrina. Instead, the identification of threats by those in the federal government’s response reveals that it patriot/militia movement. Often, the description either wanted to see people suffer, wanted to of these threats constitutes a conspiracy theory. practice for the future imposition of martial law, or wanted to create background conditions that Basic Features of Conspiracy would justify an expansion of governmental bureaucracy that it could later use to oppress and Theories control Americans. Conspiracy theories are attempts to explain The second premise—nothing is as it seems— events by identifying a group of actors working in explains why the conspiracy theory is not common secret to benefit themselves at the expense of knowledge: the conspirators hide their actions others.5 These theories often describe the from the masses. They fabricate evidence to activities of this secret group as an existential distract observers from the truth, as identified by threat. They differ from other explanations of those promoting the conspiracy theory. The threats in that they identify a malevolent actor conspirators trick unsuspecting people into (unlike non-conspiracist theories, which warned of helping with the conspiracy, so that many of those unintentional Y2K dangers). Generally, theories involved don’t even realize that they are part of the about malevolent actors working in secret develop conspiracy. Thus, for those who believe the out of a default position of distrust. No matter the conspiracy theory, any evidence that the theories’ content, they start from a general conspiracy isn’t true is actually evidence that the predisposition to be suspicious of what official or conspiracy is true: disconfirming evidence must 4 The occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Was Time To Make A Hard Stand’; Closing Arguments Refuge in Oregon in early 2016 is an example of how Completed In Malheur Trial”; Wilson, “Ammon Bundy those in the movement might be proactive. The leader Contradicts Previous Testimony On Refuge Takeover.” of the group that took over the refuge, Ammon Bundy, 5 Uscinski and Parent, American Conspiracy Theories, repeatedly remarked that “it was time to make a hard 32. stand” to push back against a federal government 6 Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy, 3–4. threatening the rights of Americans. Hersher, “‘It 3 have been fabricated by those who don’t want the public, those who promote conspiracy theories conspiracy to come to light.7 For example, after offer themselves as more accurate, honest, and then-President Barack Obama released his long- authoritative sources of information—not based form birth certificate in 2011, conspiracy theories on formal qualifications or training, but on their that argued that he was not a U.S. citizen added self-described ability to see through the the new detail that this document must be disinformation spread by the conspirators. fraudulent, claims that resurfaced in 2016 with a press conference held by Sheriff Joe Arpaio of The third premise—everything is connected—is Maricopa County, Arizona.8 more apparent in expansive conspiracy theories than in those more narrowly focused. These This treatment of evidence means that conspiracy theories tie together a wide range of events, theories are non-falsifiable. Though they claim to suggesting that seemingly unrelated occurrences be “testable by the accumulation of evidence are all part of a larger plot. The most expansive about the observable world…belief in a conspiracy conspiracy theories suggest that events around theory ultimately becomes a matter of faith rather the globe are orchestrated by a small group of than proof.”9 Those promoting conspiracy theories individuals (perhaps the Illuminati, perhaps the argue that nothing is as it seems to discredit Council on Foreign Relations, perhaps the authoritative stories about the events they Rothschild family) for their personal gain. Richard describe, suggesting that they have exclusive Hofstadter noted the prominence of this feature of access to special information that allows them to conspiracism in American politics: in “the see past the lies told by the conspirators.10 In paranoid style,” “a ‘vast’ or ‘gigantic’ conspiracy arguing for the conspiracy theory, conspiracists [is] the motive force in historical events.”11 ask those listening to take it on faith that they Conspiracy theories in the patriot/militia have access to a hidden truth about the movement include both smaller scale conspiracies conspiracy. Building from the general that focus on corrupt individuals within predisposition to distrust authoritative sources, government and larger scale conspiracies that conspiracists encourage others to ‘wake up’ and depict government itself as corrupt. see that the government, scientists, and the media are lying to them.