Month: January 2017

Charlatans Among Activists? Maintain a Level of Skepticism

Recently I wrote about the need to watch out for infiltrators in #TheResistance. In this article I will discuss a situation that raises a red flag and the reasons I feel skepticism is necessary. I want to be clear that it is not my intention to malign, accuse or ridicule, but to give guidance to fellow activists and supporters of #TheResistance.

In December, I became aware of a person, @OfficialNMP, who claimed to have ‘inside knowledge’ of the Trump family and the election. The tale she told was a full-throttle conspiracy theory — specifically, that billionaire, Jacob Rothschild, is responsible for Trump’s Presidency…as the leader of the New World Order. Take that, RWNJs, we see your Soros and raise you a Rothschild. Suffice it to say, the tale got stranger from there — ritual sex abuse, occult, Illuminati. It’s worth noting that it is her position that Donald Trump is POTUS against his will, but he must continue to protect Barron from continued ritualistic abuse. Somehow she managed to get brought into DM groups to tell this story, which is how I heard it. I ignored it at the time, figuring that peers would not believe it.

Recently, though, I noticed that there is an individual, @InsideDJTTruth, claiming to be her friend and Jacob Rothschild’s grandson, Robbie (Rothschild has no grandson by this name), who is echoing her tale and adding a personal account of abuse. He’s gaining followers pretty fast. @OfficialNMP has over 30K followers since December. Pretty impressive. She also lists her phone number in her profile, and encourages people to text her — that’s unusual.

My initial concern was that they are distracting and confusing activists and resisters by pulling them into this conspiracy nonsense. Let’s face it, we are all emotionally distraught, which makes us more vulnerable than normal. We desperately want answers. I was also wary about the phone number, as that is a way to get people’s contact information. But, there is one more factor. In her profile, she says to follow @KalenaVX (an account which has disappeared as of this writing), which leads you to a website TheResistanceUnite.org. This website is a joint project between @KalenaVX and @OfficialNMP and is not officially launched yet, but the purpose, ostensibly, is to create a repository of activities related to #TheResistance and promote cooperation across groups. Sounds good, right? It does, but because it is collecting information on the people and activities of #TheResistance, I decided it needed a closer look. This is what I found.

  1. The domain is privately registered. So whoever owns the site has gone out of their way to hide it.
  2. @KalenaVX seems to be the same person as @KalelVX and @UniteResistance. Why so many accounts, I don’t know.
  3. @OfficialNMP has been involved in a lot of things and gone by a lot of names. She is a young revivalist pastor. She has listed herself as an actor/model, author, editor, spiritual advisor (to Obama-she says) among other things. She is a YouTuber. She believes she is battling the occult and in the center of the Trump/Rothschild/New World Order conspiracy. Oh, and, vampires are real and Jacob Rothschild is a shapeshifter. Now, all this said, understand that I know a lot of people who are following her and/or in direct contact with her. I find that unsettling.

So, at the point of this writing, I find myself having to ask the question. Are these people who legitimately mean well and are trying to help #TheResistance, but just happen to be…mentally unhealthy? Or, is this a well-orchestrated effort to befriend activists, gather counter-intelligence and pepper confusion and fear into the movement? Either way, this is precisely the type of situation I mean when I ask members of #TheResistance to remain vigilant.

One final note: We are seeing a lot of “rogue” and “alt” accounts crop up. Some of these are the real deal and some are not. Approach information with logic and skepticism. We are only as good as the quality of our shared information.

Article Update: I was right to have concern about @OfficialNMP. I have conducted a full investigation of this account and found it to be involved in catfishing. @KalenaVX , @KalelVX and @UniteResistance are innocent bystanders and have no culpability. TheResistanceUnite.org website is no longer associated with @OfficialNMP and is not a cause of concern. You may read the results of the investigation in this article, “Cait-fishing” In The Resistance – An Exposé – Rachel Murphy Azzara.

Infiltration in #TheResistance

#TheResistance must be vigilant. The #GOP conned their base by appealing to their emotions. They can and do use the same methods on us. Be cautious of individuals and organizations that are infiltrating our groups to gain counter-intelligence. If it seems off, it likely is. Generally, an infiltrator has four goals:

  1. Gather contact information of Democrats, #HRC Supporters or members of #TheResistance for marketing purposes or harassment
  2. Perform oppositional research on groups and leaders and keep tabs on our activities and knowledge
  3. Exploit fear and anxiety to discourage action, particularly the fear of retribution or violence
  4. Foster distrust and division within #TheResistance and within the Democratic Party

Take note of who one is following and who is following them. What type of information do they share? Do they refer you to a website that is gathering any kind of data? Are they trying to directly gather information? Asking people to email or text them? This is a low-cost method of gathering contact data. Be wary of anyone who claims to have insider knowledge that they can’t tell you because ‘it’s not safe’ or making vague claims they can’t validate.

Remember, fear, anger and anxiety is normal, but it makes us vulnerable targets for those who wish to bait us into giving up personal information that could potentially be used to undermine our efforts. Stay Strong! Stay Aware!

For a more detailed examination of Infiltration in the Resistance and what you can do about it, please read my article in Dame Magazine:  How Can The Resistance Ward Off Infiltrators?

Was the 2016 Election About ‘Movements’? 

Both Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump described their campaigns as ‘movements’ this election cycle, but there is more to a movement than filling venues. They generated excitement with campaigns high on emotional ideology, but low on policy. Hillary Clinton’s base, in turn, was deemed unenthusiastic. No one declared that the Clinton had a ‘movement.’ She had a plan, the most progressive Democratic platform ever and policies mandated by 68M voters. The party-line of the aforementioned ‘movements’ is that Americans want change. “Give up, switch gears, start over-it’s not working.” 

Hillary Clinton supporters want progress. We want to continue working hard to improve our policies, learn from mistakes, revise and build. Bernie’s ideas excite us, too. But, we have enough respect for our European friends to know their socialized systems took decades to perfect. We also respect that our generations who lived through the Cold War have a negative view of socialism in any form. Change takes time. 

Trump did manage to generate enough excitement to mobilize his base to vote, but this is the purpose of a campaign-not exactly a movement. With an Electoral College win of less than 77K votes, it wouldn’t have been enough to win without the other election factors that resulted in low Democratic voting. The #GOP gerrymandered, the FBI electioneered, and the Russians set out to divide the party. They succeeded. They are still succeeding. 

We have seen the worst possible outcome unfold before us. The true ‘movement’ is our response. #TheResistance #WomensMarch #Indivisible exemplify a true movement. This movement is powerful and widespread. It calls people to awareness and action for a common cause. Organized activism is our new normal. Bernie supporters who either did not vote or voted against #HRC are now part of a movement that is bigger than a candidate and campaign. It is my sincere hope that the factions created in this election not only come together to #resist, but to unify the Party for progress. Because a movement of this size and commitment can accomplish anything.

The World Is Counting On You – A Letter to the U.S. Supreme Court

Dear Honorable Justices,

I would hope you are aware that this decision is coming before you, and that the People do not request your action casually. Our country is in crisis – divided, scared, at risk, and about to go over a precipice that could be the undoing of American democracy and the allied countries that depend on us for stability. The majority of Americans voted against Donald Trump. The system failed. Corruption, gerrymandering, foreign and domestic electioneering proved to be more than it could take. Now, we are mere days from the inauguration of a rogue, incompetent President-Elect with highly questionable foreign loyalties and risky behavior.

Since Election Day, many Americans have fought courageously and diligently for justice. We have protested, petitioned, called and written letters to our government leaders, departments and committees, raised money and organized actions to no avail. The American people are being ignored. Those we have elected to represent us lack either the will or fortitude to take action on our behalf. We look to you, now, as our last line of defense. We ask that you issue a Writ of Mandamus to stay the election, pending investigation into Donald Trump and his campaign, then hold a new election which is a globally standard action when an election has been compromised.

I’m not going to waste your time listing all the reasons why an investigation is warranted, as I’m sure you have been following the news. Unlike Trump, the American people do believe our Intelligence Agencies over Vladimir Putin. We know that he is able to release his tax returns. We know he lies constantly. We fear that Congressional leaders are putting party before country and allowing this travesty to continue due to either complicity or opportunism. You are not bound by the machinations of partisan politics. The American people deserve answers, they deserve accountability, and they deserve a fair election. We are looking to you, as are our foreign allies. Please stop this inauguration.

Sincerely,

Rachel Murphy Azzara

@RachelAzzara

Tax Resistance Is Our Last Recourse

The American people have protested, called government leaders and offices, signed petitions and written letters en masse. Our outcry has been ignored. American democracy is in crisis. Our reputation, the safety of our citizens, our future, and our global relationships are at risk. The gravity of our situation leaves us no recourse but to consider tax resistance as an act of protest if our own elected officials will do nothing. It is dismaying that our political arena has digressed into playground politics where national decisions are made based on personal gain or fear of personal retribution — not on the will of the represented electorate.

No Taxation Without Representation — if our government irresponsibly installs Trump as POTUS as the result of an illegitimate election, at the behest of a foreign government, and against the will of the American majority, then the people have no choice.

The attempts by government and media to normalize this election only serve to further inflame the majority and add to the cognitive dissonance of Trump supporters, who will eventually come to realize what has happened. We cannot accept the unacceptable. Russian interference, gerrymandering, crosscheck and electioneering are ALL unacceptable. Donald Trump as PEOTUS is unacceptable. He is a liar, corrupt, unqualified, mentally unfit, and, likely, treasonous…not all situations allow for giving someone a ‘chance’. One would not give a CFO a ‘chance’ to perform heart surgery. Why? Because their lack of skill poses a clear danger. The danger presented to Americans (and the world) by allowing Trump to take office is not a partisan issue, the damage to our democracy and our nation affects every one of us.

Tax resistance has been used by war protesters and others throughout history and can take many forms. Examining what others have done, this is the plan I propose:

  1. This would only be for Federal tax– state, local and property would still be paid.
  2. For FY17 submit a new W4 taking exempt status if you can, or declaring as many dependents as necessary to nearly eradicate taxes that are deducted from your paycheck. Keep note of what you normally pay, as you will set that money aside in another account with each paycheck.
  3. If self-employed, also set aside the same amount that you would normally pay in income tax and SE tax.
  4. This money can be kept in your own separate account, or, could be paid into an offshore account specifically designated to be paid to the IRS upon the Federal Government’s compliance, as described in 65 Million Americans Should Threaten Not To Pay Taxes by Mark Weston.
  5. Every quarter that the government does not comply, I suggest taking an appropriate portion of the reserved ‘taxes’ and donating it to social charities. Send those receipts to the IRS on a quarterly form with a letter explaining what you did (e.g. I refuse to give tax dollars to pay for a Mexican border wall and have instead chosen to fund Planned Parenthood). Pay specific attention to organizations that rely on federal dollars for operation.
  6. Make sure to calculate and file your tax forms as you normally would, as the money (minus the payouts described in the above step) will be paid back to the IRS upon proper representation of the will of the American people.

I want to be clear that I don’t suggest Tax Resistance as a method of protest within regular partisan politics. We are in an extreme and unique situation — an illegitimate election with an outcome that presents a clear and present danger. We have a crisis that must be addressed. An acceptable forms of resolution would be overturning Donald Trump’s win and holding a new vote with the full protections of the Voting Right’s Act in place. We would also demand a bipartisan investigation with a special prosecutor on the relationship between the Trump Campaign and Russia, including an ethics review of the RNC, GOP and FBI Director Comey’s actions regarding this election. 

This is not a comfortable or desirable situation for any American to find themselves in, but we must protect the greatest aspects of our country. Free and fair elections are integral to our identity and function as a nation. We are a government for the people, by the people. This election turned out to be about more than electing a President — it is about being willing to stand up for freedom and democracy, and demand that our will is reflected by the actions our leaders. If our government irresponsibly installs Trump as POTUS as the result of an illegitimate election, at the behest of a foreign government, and against the will of the American majority, then the people have no choice as we have lost representation.

It is my sincere hope that our government equally realizes the seriousness of this matter, and acts accordingly.

Note:

I conducted a Twitter based poll to see how citizens feel about this action. Time period for poll is 24 hours with about 7000 impressions and 800 engagements within that time frame:


@RachelAzzara