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Oathkeepers, and Insurrection
One of the myths the far-right keeps perpetuating is that the January 6 events were not that bad. Why? If they were, why has nobody been charged with insurrection? By inference, the claim from the media that this was such a beast, is just the “lamestream media” lying to the American people.
This messaging has been constant over the last year or so, in places like OANN and Fox, as well as Breitbart and the rest of the propaganda universe. What is worse, this has been embraced by members of Congress, some of whom were likely involved. The Big Lie also continues to rile the same people who participated in this insurrection. So is the idea that we do not have secured elections.
That the rare as nails voter fraud has been committed by Republicans points to what is a feature of this culture war: Projection. This is not a good thing. For this is the most dangerous form of propaganda. It is insidious because it transforms what you believe is real, and some in your tribe may be willing to do, into what the other side will certainly do.
When your tribe engages in the exact practices that you believe the other side will engage in, ignorance, minimizing, or plain out not admitting it happened is the preferred road.
Victimhood
As soon as the papers were released, we saw a common pattern repeat in places like Telegram. The far-right is under assault and are victims of an out-of-control police state. This is at the heart of grievance politics. That the far-right has engaged in these practices for decades, is a fact. This is why some white Christians believe they are a persecuted minority on the edge of genocide.
The posters in far-right channels on Telegram even said that they were getting pushed towards civil war. They were also patriots. That this parallels the indictment is true as well. The Oathkeepers, like many in the far-right, believe that the government “has been co-opted by a cabal of elites actively trying to strip American citizens of their rights.”
These shadowy forces range from the media to Jews, to well-educated college professors. It is a list of the usual suspects that are in the deep state.
Realize, the plan to stop the steal included weapons caches, as well as quick-reaction forces…
