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The WA S H I N G T O N washingtonspectator.org MAY/JUNE 2021 vol. 47, no. 3 issn 0887-428x SPECTATOR © 2021 The Public Concern Foundation washingtonspectator.org activity within the military, would have been a central focus Military Veterans, the of any investigation, and is already a priority for the Defense Department. Republican Party, and But if the commission had been limited to the events of Janu- ary 6, it would have missed much of the point. The biggest risk January 6—a New here is not that we fail to understand what happened in the past and breathe a sigh of relief that American democracy dodged a Chapter in the Story bullet. It’s that we don’t recognize what some have called a pro- cess of “ongoing incitement.” The main significance of January By George Black 6 is that it failed. But failure is a learning experience, and those who propelled the insurrection are determined not to fail again. n an April 27 article for THE WASHINGTON SPECTA- In that sense, the storming of the Capitol was not a culmination: tor, “All Enemies Foreign and Domestic,” I set out to trace it was one event in a sequence, even a dress rehearsal, just as the I the enduring influence of conspiracy theories that took invasion of the Michigan State Capitol by armed militants last root among military officers April can be seen as a dry on the far right after the run for January 6. disaster in Vietnam, then When Republicans in morphed into present-day Congress twice opposed extremist and paramilitary the impeachment of movements, and inspired Donald Trump, they gave many of those who led the reasons that were at least failed Capitol insurrection superficially plausible. on January 6. But their excuses this It’s easy, and entirely time are either laugh- justified, to denounce con- able—like Mitch McCo- gressional Republicans for nnell’s argument that a blocking an independent commission with sub- bipartisan investigation into poena powers wouldn’t those events. Who incited find anything that won’t whom to do what and when? be uncovered by ongoing What did they do on the day criminal proceedings—or of the attack? What degree transparently self-protec- of shared belief and active tive, like the assertion by collusion was there between Senator John Thune of elected Republican offi- South Dakota that the cials, QAnon conspiracy commission’s findings theorists, and the cutting would be politically wea- edge of the assault—the organized groups of military veterans ponized before the 2022 midterm elections. So by all means like the Oath Keepers, who led the disciplined “stack” that led call them cynics, hypocrites, and, above all, cowards. But that the charge is also how the increasingly powerful forces on the far right ALSO INSIDE: up the Cap- that have seized control of much of the Republican Party see itol steps? them—their cowardice being their refusal to overturn the 4 Roberty Rudney on nuclear weapons The role results of the election. 5 Barbara Koeppel The Prison Phone Rip-Off of these The gutting and takeover of the party has progressed in plain 7 Zuri Washington Beyond Being “Black at Dalton” groups, and sight since January 6, embodied in the state-level drive to curtail 9 Child Allowances by Steven Pressman the degree voting rights and driven by the zeal of the two-thirds of Republi- of far-right can voters who have embraced Trump’s Big Lie of a stolen elec- 11 Letter From Pembroke and white tion. The advance of the “cutting edge”—the military veterans supremacist of the Vietnam era and their present-day acolytes, however, 1 Illustrations by Edel Rodriguez may/june 2021 The has been less visible, though no less real. Per- accurately reflect ‘the will of the people’ our Con- WASHINGTON haps the most important, though scantly reported, stitutional Republic is lost,” it read. “H.R.1 and SPECTATOR manifestation of this has been the emergence of a S.1 (if passed) would destroy election fairness and new group of retired officers called Flag Officers allow Democrats to forever remain in power.” Legal Affairs Correspondent Andrew Cohen 4 America—“flag officers” meaning generals and The list of signatories this time contained many Digital Editor admirals. familiar names. They included two of the princi- Sophia Fish Copy Editor The origins of the group go back to 2015. As I pal figures in the Iran-Contra scandal during the Kirsten Denker wrote in April, the leading post-Vietnam conspiracy Reagan administration: former national security Contributing Writers theorists came from units that considered them- adviser Vice-Admiral John Poindexter and retired Cyrus Cassells, Guest Poetry Editor Alison Fairbrother selves the military elite, like the Special Forces, Air Force Maj. Gen. Richard Secord, former head Autumn Hayes the fighter pilots, and the airborne divisions. One of clandestine air operations in Southeast Asia (the Dorothy Samuels such officer was retired Maj. Gen. Sid Schachnow, Vietnam-era Air Force is in fact disproportionately Circulation Management Circulation Specialists LLC who had led a 12-man team of Green Berets on represented, especially among the higher ranks of Design Point Five, NY the Cambodian border, later moved on to the 101st three-star generals in the group). There are two of Illustration Edel Rodriguez Airborne, and eventually became commander of the best-known fringe conspiracy theorists, both of Editor and Publisher Hamilton Fish the U.S. Special Forces Command. Schachnow that same rank, Lt. Gens. William “Jerry” Boykin, organized a letter, signed by 88 retired flag offi- executive vice president of the Family Research Subscription inquiries Visit washingtonspectator.org/ cers, in support of Trump’s Council and a member of customerservice, or call toll-free candidacy. Although it was “With the Democratic Party the Council for National (866) 949-5290 M–F 9-5:30 EST, or write to strongly worded, the issues welcoming to socialists and Marxists, Policy, and Thomas McIn- P.O. Box 241, Oregon, IL 61061. they focused on were the our historic way of life is at stake.” erney, who told One Amer- Letters to the editor Email to kind you might convention- ica News that Trump should [email protected]. Please include your full name and ally expect from military conservatives: unaccept- have invoked the Insurrection Act and declared a postal address and whether the letter able cuts in the military budget; insecure borders; state of emergency to prevent Biden’s theft of the is intended for publication. Letters, if published, may be edited for clarity and the threat from foreign adversaries, especially election. There are also present-day elected offi- and space. Hard-copy letters may radical Islamists. cials and aspirants, such as retired Brig. Gen. Don be sent to: Washington Spectator— Letters, 105 Hudson Street, Suite There’s nothing inherently unusual about retired Bolduc, who plans to run for the Senate in New 407, New York, NY 10013. military officers and national security officials Hampshire in 2022 (and already has the endorse- The Washington Spectator (ISSN endorsing a presidential candidate—more than 500 ments of Boykin, as well as Senator Tom Cotton 0887-428X) is published monthly by the Public Concern Foundation Inc, did so for Joe Biden. But Schachnow’s initiative of Arkansas), and Trump’s former chief medical 105 Hudson Street, Suite 407, New morphed into something entirely different. By the adviser, Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson, who was forced York, NY 10013. © 2021 in the U.S. by the Public Concern Foundation Inc. time the 2020 election came around, Schachnow from his post after allegations of misconduct but himself had died, and the baton was passed to then went on to win a landslide victory in Texas’s Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY. Please allow 4–6 weeks retired Army Maj. Gen. Joe Arbuckle, who orga- 13th congressional district last November, and has for receipt of your first issue and nized another open letter endorsing Trump’s vowed that “every Deep State traitor deserves to be for all subscription transactions. POSTMASTER: Send address reelection. The list of signatories had swelled from brought to justice for their heinous actions.” changes to The Washington Spectator, 88 to 317, and the language was sweeping and While the language of the May 10 letter was P.O. Box 241, Oregon, IL 61061. The Washington Spectator is printed with apocalyptic: “As senior leaders of America’s mili- unprecedented for a group of former military offi- union labor on recycled paper. tary, we took an oath to defend the United States cers, there was still another shoe to drop, which from all enemies, foreign and domestic. [T]his took the Flag Officers 4 America deeper into is the most important election since our country uncharted territory by allying them explicitly with FROM THE was founded. With the Democratic Party welcom- the far-right effort to take control of the Republican EDITOR’S ing to socialists and Marxists, our historic way of life Party at the grassroots level. On June 1, the group is at stake.” Steve Bannon, on his War Room show, issued a Citizen’s Action Plan for America, “to put DESK praised the letter as “a called shot.” constitutional government back in the hands of ‘We Sign up for our free email Arbuckle waited until the end of Biden’s first the People.’” The laundry list of actions focuses on newsletter by visiting 100 days in office before issuing his next broadside elections, education, law enforcement and organiz- washingtonspectator.org. and formally launching the new organization, Flag ing “within church groups, among church groups, Officers 4 America.

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