Since then, Deevers has gone on to work with folks at American Reformer and New Founding, who are firmly in that wedge of Network State in the techno fascist/Christian nationalist overlap, and are in the process of building white nationalist towns www.newschannel5.com/news/newscha...
For example, in 2021, the Southern Baptists Convention went from positioning on that outer incrementalist ring to being explicitly abolitionist, largely through the work of pastors like Tom Aschol and Dusty Deevers. www.sbc.net/resource-lib...
Related, there is a much larger conversation to be had about how messaging and normalization of violent rhetoric pushes groups and individuals toward the center of these charts bsky.app/profile/did:...
Anti-abortion ideologies: From what we know so far, Boelter had ties to NAR churches, and believed in justifiable homicide. On a faded version of the previous graphic, a red dot with the description "Vance Boelter" is placed on the upper left edge of the Justifiable Homicide circle that overlaps with 7 Mountains, Network State
From what we know of Boelter, he was not even among the most extreme of these intersections. He had connections to a NAR church (Christ of the Nations), but we do not know of any connections to militant groups, just that he believed homicide was justifiable.
Anti-abortion ideologies: Each of the intersecting ideologies have a range of how extreme their anti-abortion beliefs are. Over the previous venn diagram is a bullseye diagram. The outer ring says Incrementalists: Legal, gradual bans on access. The second ring says Abolitionists: Total ban, criminalization. The center says Justifiable Homicide.
Within the overlapping groups who fear the replacement of their peer group, you have a range of increasingly extreme beliefs on how to approach restricting abortion.
Anti-abortion ideologies: The common ground of extremism, based on replacement theory. A venn diagram shows the overlap of Christian Nationalism (Quiverfull), White Nationalism (14 words), and Techno Fascism (Pro-Natalism). Where CN and WN overlap - Christian Militias. Where WN and TF overlap: Non-Religious Militias. Where TF and CN overlap: 7 Mountains, Network State. In the center where all three overlap: Accelerationism.
There is currently a lot of debate about whether Vance Boelter was an outlier for Christian extremism, and whether anti-abortion extremism is an outlier for Christianity. The reality is, the anti-abortion movement is inextricably linked to Replacement Theory and anyone who believes in it.
Meanwhile, the FBI has halted their task force that was created to enforce the FACE Act, so now the one federal protection for clinics that existed has also been neutralized, and they are currently working to overturn it.
Part of the reason we've had to lean on the notably lacking FACE Act for protection is because being pregnant is not considered an immutable characteristic to be discriminated against. (Though I would argue having a uterus is.) 2/3
Abortion providers would like a word. Did you know that harassment and violence outside of clinics (and of providers and volunteers online) is not considered a hate crime? 1/3
Especially wrt tech alternatives. There are a few solid options but very few companies are offering user-friendly turnkey options for divesting from US tech.
How can you mention the TheoBros and Charles Haywood and not acknowledge that they are Nazis? Not an exaggeration, like full on Pinochet enthusiast, Hitler defending Nazis. @motherjones.com @reproaction.bsky.social www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
You can read all about it here. Important to note that CPC attacks dropped off sharply after that summer, while abortion clinic attacks... did not. But guess which one kept being reported on? www.endora.tech/news/compara...
In May of 2023, we released a report that compared the reported incidents at abortion facilities, vs what was being reported as an "epidemic" against crisis pregnancy centers. Spoiler! at the peak of the Dobbs protests, CPCs still only experienced 1/5 to 1/20th of the attacks (depending on type)
So while they are stopping and/or pardoning all the prosecution for crimes against abortion clinics, they're also pushing to up the sentences for targeting fake clinics. www.thebatavian.com/press-releas...
We're disappointed, but not surprised, by today's news about the pardons for anti-abortion clinic blockaders. Just remember that this is how they behaved when they had federal charges hanging over their heads. Imagine how they will behave tomorrow.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GP-...
When you think about religion as a broad category, two things should be top of mind in my view: diversity and power dynamics.
On diversity:
There are huge differences both within and among religions. You don’t know what you don’t know; pretending you do makes you look like an ass.
1/2
I don’t know. Maybe you don’t have to platform an unabashedly antidemocratic, authoritarian creep in your paper and allow him the opportunity to sell your readers on raising up an American Caesar.
And maybe you don’t do a photo shoot where this loser asshole gets to pretend he’s cool.
While I am delighted that there is a spike in people taking their digital security seriously, I also want to remind folks to help the people who are most immediately in danger - immigrants, journalists, sex workers, the houseless, trans folks, people of color, and medical providers.
Really useful info for everybody trying to navigate boundaries with Meta.
Going to try to keep this in the center of my heart the next four years
Hundreds of incarcerated firefighters are fighting the wildfires raging across southern California for $5.80-$10.24 per day
When responding to disasters, they may earn $26.90 over a 24-hour shift
Florida officials ordered transgender women in the state’s prisons to submit to breast exams. Prison staff ranked the women’s breast size using a scale designed for adolescents. Those whose breasts were deemed big enough were allowed to keep their bras. www.themarshallproject.org/2024/12/10/n...
Sending all the love, glad you are all safe.
Here is an ongoing list of LA restaurants that are offering shelter, food, and support to first responders and evacuees:
bit.ly/LAaid
Endora.tech/target
My new year's resolution is to be sand in the gears every fucking chance I get.
Elder Hog knows to take ibuprofen before going to bed tonight
Normalize saying this instead of living the dream: The horrors persist, but so do I.
Good morning
A reminder, especially given how high the fear levels are right now, that fascists are *a lot* weaker than they look when people fight back.
"One of the great tragedies of mankind is that morality has been hijacked by religion. So now people assume that religion and morality have a necessary connection. But the basis of morality is really very simple and doesn't require religion at all."
Arthur C. Clarke