Got Guns, Got Guns Too

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Got Guns, Got Guns Too
By: Spencer Ackerman Monday April 6, 2009 9:58 am	Tweet

Dave Weigel spent the weekend in Kentucky at a machine-gun show where the American right blends into the survivalist movement. I gave him $10 to bring me back a copy of The Turner Diaries, but alas, that one doesn’t seem to have been on display. He did however bring me back a short manual called How To Start And Train A Militia Unit that contains this helpful section on security oaths:

Throughout history, secret groups have reinforced group cohesion with the use of secrecy and loyalty oaths. It is important that members openly and directly declare their willingness to protect one another. Psychologically, the act of swearing loyalty is of far greater value than the assumption of same. The memory of the event can give that added ounce of strength under enemy questioning, when most groups come unraveled.

You know I want to draw an equivalence. Anyway, more soon at the Washington Independent from Weigel.

Update: Machine-gun funk.

1 Comment

One Response to “Got Guns, Got Guns Too”

scribe April 6th, 2009 at 10:18 am

You mean, loyalty oaths like this one:

“I want you to stand, raise your right hands,” and recite “the Bush Pledge,” said Florida state Sen. Ken Pruitt. The assembled mass of about 2,000 in this Treasure Coast town about an hour north of West Palm Beach dutifully rose, arms aloft, and repeated after Pruitt: “I care about freedom and liberty. I care about my family. I care about my country. Because I care, I promise to work hard to re-elect, re-elect George W. Bush as president of the United States.”

An oldie but goodie from 2004….

Or this one, from 2004 reporting on 2003:

What did you think about President Bush’s Thanksgiving visit to Iraq?

I was there when President Bush came to the [Baghdad] airport. The day before, you had to fill out a questionnaire and answer questions, that would determine whether they would allow you in the room with the President.

What was on the questionnaire?

“Do you support the president?”

Really!

Yes.

Members of the military were asked whether they support the president politically?

Yes. And if the answer was not a gung-ho, A-1, 100 percent yes, then you were not allowed into the cafeteria. You were not allowed to eat the Thanksgiving meal that day. You had an MRE.

As the drill sergeant used to say: “if I can control where and when you eat and sleep, inside of three days you’ll beg to do whatever I say.”