Mr. Lindstedt,
My name is Marie Flanagan. I am a second year doctoral student, in
communication, at the University of Tennessee. My area of interest is
how members of a militia view various methods of information sources.
Also, how militia view the news media.
With great suspicion, sometimes tempered with loathing.
I'm hoping that you may be able to help me. I have selected your group
because clearly the information you provide on your web site
distinguishes your group from others. I'm asking if you could take
just a few moments to answer a few questions about your group. I
promise you, or anyone willing to participate, complete anonymity
and confidentiality. This research is for academic purposes only. My
goal is to show that not all militias are the same. Each has a
different ideology, set of rules and practices. And that the media
would paint all such groups with a single stroke. Your bi-laws and
information indicates that my theory is accurate. To that end I'm
hoping you will answer my questionnaire. Please feel free to add any
comments and change the questions in any way you may fee comfortable.
I would also like, if possible, your input on points which I may have
missed.
A man who has 5 WWW pages is not much interested in anonymity or
confidentiality. The government knows who I am and knows my
inclination to cause trouble for them.
Would you please help me in making these points. I can be reached at
flanagan@utk.edu If you would like, when I complete my study, I can
send you a copy of my findings. I am currently contacting as many
groups as I can. Thank you for your time and consideration.
As a courtesy to the other militia groups, I shall send bcc: this
questionaire and my responses to them. If they wish they can answer
your quesions in their own way.
It is one of the niceties that they get their chance to respond
because in many cases these other militia groups do not agree with
me or my particular cell within the 7th Missouri Militia.
--Martin Lindstedt
Marie
These are the questions I propose.
1. How would you describe yourself?
As a Revolutionist for the sake of civilization. The current
ruling criminal regime is destroying the foundations of civilization,
and after the current civilization has reached its deserved fate, a
new civilization must be allowed to emerge and flourish, free from
its parasitic rulers of the past.
2. How would you put that in relation to being a member of a militia?
The most dedicated of the militias are Revolutionists. They
recognize as enemies the current regime, and view the current situation
as being in a war from which no quarter will be asked nor given.
3. How would you describe a militia?
There are so many of them, each distinguished by their own
characteristics. I distinguish them by their organizational
structure, as opposed to ideology, which runs the spectrum from
moderate to what is called the 'extreme' right wing.
One is the open public type militia, composed of middle-class white
suburbanites worried about what the future holds. Such militias are on
the decline as a result of of the government's infiltrating them with
agents provacateur, public vilification of their really innocent
peaceful aims and concerns, plus their own inherent tendencies towards
moderation, compromise and toleration of evil.
The militia organization on the rise is the "cell," which is
composed of from 3 to 5 members in an ideological cell and larger or
smaller in the case of family cells. The family cells are interested
mainly in survival. The ideological cells, due to their determination
and tight-knit organization, are essentially undetectable and can
strike at will.
4. How did you decide to join a militia?
Because I determined that the this country no longer deserved to
exist as presently governed. Fifteen years ago I was a supporter of
the government; I even served for two years in a nuclear missle
battallion in Germany. But as a result of injustices committed against
my family by the current regime, and as a result of legal battles
initiated against me by the local political establishment, when the
first rumblings of the militia movement came to a head throughout
the country as a result of Waco, around summer 1994, I gravitated
towards it as a natural member and eventual leader.
5. How is the militia, in which you are a member, different from
other militias?
The concept of "leaderless resistance" impels each of us to use our
talents to the best use. My talents in writing and political activity
has impelled me to be active in the use of those talents. So as I
look at it, my job is to attack the current regime's legitimacy,
propose how the post-regime world should look like, and bait it legally
wherever possible. Essentially my job is to destroy the foundations
of the current order and to pour new foundations for post-revolutionary
society.
All Resistance organizations should be divided into a open
political and propaganda wing and an action wing. I myself am in the
open political activity wing and must by definition not be involved
in or know the action arm's activities.
6. Do you believe that militias influence society?
Yes, because they are the crystals around which opposition will be
formed and grown.
But the type I know the best would not change in any way the course
of society as it is headed because they approve of the destiny of the
current order and would not change it in any way.
7. How would you describe the "typical" member of the group?
Survivalists. They are no longer trying to change the world, they
just want to see it through. (Pun intended.)
8. Could you describe the major issues facing your group?
It used to be whether or not to be an "open" militia or not back
in late '94 or early '95. The OKC bombing and consequent campaign
of vilification caused the survivalists to go back underground and the
open militia advocates to separate.
The open militia suburban types disappeared and went back to
ineffective and sporadic right-wing political activity with the
US Taxpayer Party or Perot activists or have disappeared altogether.
9. Do you feel that members of your group all agree on major issues?
There is no debate in a Resistance cell. The members are there
because of their close ties of kinship or ideology. There may be minor
quibbles over tactical issues, but in such a small organizations there
is usually an undisputed leader who governs by consensus.
10. How does the group decide to communicate information to the
general public?
By the use of WWW pages and e-mail, one of which you saw. I have no
doubt that government agencies view my WWW page to see what is the
militant slant for today.
With the availability of anonymous e-mail, it is now possible for
messages to be sent to the major news media as secondary outlets.
11. If it is necessary to dispense information quickly which media
is the most effective?
E-mail. E-mail to journalists, reporters, political WWW pages.
E-mail to milita members and their above-ground organizations.
12. How would you describe the newspaper industry?
As an industry.
While some of my Christian Identity colleagues call it them "the
Jewspapers," reality dictates that the newspapers are the most
credible seeming and thoroughly perused of the mass media. By virtue
of its print medium, the newspapers can cover a subject (if they
choose to do so) more thoroughly than any other of the other mass
mediums.
13. How would you describe television?
As not capable of any detailed look at anything because of its
very nature. Its sheer power and superficiality ensure its hostility
to any militia message. Even a sound byte will be doctored if a
militiaman says it.
In April 1995, a few days after the OKC bombing, a local TV
station was desperate to interview a local militiaman. Like an idiot
I agreed. I talked with one particular lying bitch for 45 minutes
and was reduced to 20 seconds of speaking disjointedly with my words
imposed upon a picture of a smoking OKC federal building. I nearly
got kicked out of the local militia because of some scared militia
generals thinking I made them look bad. Now they are gone and I am
still here. The station kicked out the lying heifer because she got
caught lying and was an embarrassment about 6 months later.
14. How would you describe the Internet?
As the most effective medium for the modern militiaman. You can
use it for command communication and control (C3) of far flung units,
as a means of infiltrating and spying on your enemies, and as a
publications and propaganda mill using the World Wide Web.
A year and a half ago, I was asking that every militia unit or
its communications officer get e-mail for communications purposes.
Eight months to half a year ago I was asking that every open militia
unit set up its WWW page. And it has come to pass, not because
people listened to me, but because every remaining open militia
organization seen the value of such a policy or policies.
15. Which of these is most effective?
By far the Internet. As I said to MSNBC journalist Alan Boyle
(http://www.msnbc.com/news/8029.asp) "It was the Internet which
made the Militia Movement roar." Far more than even the crack of
the Chinese-made SKS rifles, which are the standard rifles used by
militiamen.
16. Which of these is least effective?
Television. One has no control over that one-eyed monster of
such incredible power.
For example, last week ABC News had an hour long program
concerning The Order. Nobody except the ones who narked or
professed remorse were allowed on the program. No David Lane, who
was railroaded using triple jeopary charges was interviewed. Morris
Dees, a Southern Poverty Law pimp and confidence man was trotted
out to declaim about the awful extremist movement. Dees shows up
at every TV gathering to rustle up money from the liberal
establishment to fight us awful militiamen.
What really annoyed me for its awful dishonesty was a segment
wherein Louis Beam was tricked out to appear like an Adolf Hitler
look-alike under the tag "Radical Right Leader."
Well, I have corresponded with Mr. Beam and saw his famous speech
"Enemies of the State" at Estes Park in 1992, and I disapprove of
the TV hatchet job on what seems to be a man of humility.
Mr. Beam is recognized by friend and foe alike as being one of the
most intelligent and effective of the Resistance leaders. Whatever
happened to giving even the devil his due?
I call what ABC "News" did as a sweatily dishonest act of
cynical propaganda, beyond the pale of what Resistance propagandists
should do, even for our cause. If we were to gain a well-deserved
reputation for dishonesty then our cause would be crippled. Let the
government and press lie; we should be known as being either honest
or silent.
17. How would you describe journalists?
In relationship to militias? Profoundly hostile to our cause.
Leftists to start, they go through j-skule and learn to cater to
the whims of their left-wing Marxist j-skule professors, and then
to try getting a job catering to their bosses in corporate Amerika.
Even the most "conservative right wing" journalists are to our
eyes fraudulent appeasers. This is why it is sometimes better to
talk to unknown left-wing journalists because there is so little
commonality there that they have no choice other than to quote you
accurately.
18. How would you describe their job function?
To filter the "news" and display the "news" in a way which serves
their masters.
19. How do you decide which of these sources of information should
be used to distribute information?
You have hit the key question. It is a matter of usage between
journalists and their subjects. Journalists use their subjects.
Subjects use journalists. Knowing this reality in advance prevents
misunderstandings. It is primarily a matter of power and control
between journalist and subject as to what version of the "truth" will
come out.
Some militiamen choose not to play such a game. Others like to
gamble and hope to win at the long odds. I look at it as a game,
like lawsuits and war, which must be played or else you lose by
default.
The means I prefer to use, the WWW page, is absolutely
under my control. I determine the content. The WWW page is always
ready to speak whenever and whatever I choose to speak. It is a
medium which favors the most intelligent individual as opposed to a
committee of dullards. A level of intelligence is by definition an
individual thing, not an additive function favoring the collective.
Therefore it gives me an unassailable advantage. The commentary I
hear concerning my WWW page is not its content, it is the fact that
I am not producing even more free quality content.
Additionally, once established, a WWW page acts as a magnet for the
type of people you wish to attract. While I have no doubt that my
WWW page attracts snooping feds interested in what I will say next,
the vast majority of people reading are fellow travellors or the
curious.
E-mail can be used to for quick, easy communication. It is far
more common than even WWW pages. While this medium is notorious for
its frequent false alerts and flame-wars, still it is unequalled for
quick secure inexpensive communications.
Also, e-mail can be used for intelligence gathering and political
espionage if desired. It can generate both information and
misinformation. See my "Resistance Computer Communications"
article in Modern Militiaman Issue #6 for more details.
20. When using these different media, do you treat them differently
one from the other?
Yes, of course. They are so much different in every single way.
They are tools to be used to generate political power, if you know
how to use such tools.
--Martin Lindstedt
Director of Political Communications
7th Missouri Militia
http://www.mo-net.com/~mlindste/index.html
http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Lobby/1076
---------------------------------------*
Marie Curkan-Flanagan Ph.D. Student
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
College of Communication
flanagan@utk.edu
---------------------------------------*
.
Mr. Lindstedt, Thank you so very much for your participation and your candor. Because good research requires the researcher to remain objective during the collection of the data I was not at liberty to give your more background. Now that you have been so frank I want to let you know that I am a 20 year veteran of the news industry, and I couldn't AGREE with you more. My husband is a 25 year veteran of the United States Marine Corps who served 2 tours in Vietnam, he is an avid hunter and we have weapons in our home. Our children have been trained to respect and use these weapons. NO, not as the media would have you believe, my husband is not crazy...nor is he a fanatic. I retired, as a journalist, 4 years ago specifically because I was so very, very tired of working for and with people who had lost their sense of decency, honesty, pride and genuine love of country and home. I also retired because I felt I needed to get into education. Perhaps, if we get the kids just entering the industry and teach them values and a sense of ethics....things might change. I certainly plan to do my very, very best to make them change. It's also fair to tell you that because of my views, I too have become, and am earning a reputation as a revolutionary. I wear the "Scarlet Letter" with pride. Again, thank you very, very much. Sincerely, Marie ---------------------------------------* Marie Curkan-Flanagan Ph.D. Student University of Tennessee, Knoxville College of Communication (423)/521-6184 flanagan@utk.edu ---------------------------------------* Thanks for the information in reply, Marie. I wish you luck in your re-education efforts, although I think it is way too late to turn things around at this late date. Still, I understand the necessity and value of your efforts. If you do not strive then you lose by default. I had a number of reasons for my candor, not least because when you are a writer and propagandist honesty is indeed the best policy. By maintaining a partition between the propaganda and action arms of the Resistance, candor can be achieved, and truth disseminated. I will send this reply to all the other militia organizations to whom I sent your initial questionnaire and my reply. Some of them thought I might be communicating with a clueless left-wing j-skule graduate student or an FBI agent provacateur. While your reply will not satisfy the clinically paranoid (who indeed have their reasons), it should be viewed by those who have their Resistance cell house in order as an opportunity. Sincerely yours, --Martin Lindstedt.
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