Newsletter - Jonestown and Beyond: Lessons in Power, Control, and Betrayal
Reflecting on the Jonestown Tragedy, the Rise of Authoritarianism, and an Explosive Interview with Craig Unger
Yesterday was the 46th anniversary of the Jonestown tragedy, a day I shall never forget. This date has become a yearly observance for many of us in the field of cult education, a day to reflect on how our understanding of mind control has changed over the decades. It is more important than ever that we comprehend how otherwise intelligent, independent adults can be seduced into supporting authoritarian leaders, believing that they have “all the answers” but, in fact, will actively suppress their rights.
This week’s episode of The Influence Continuum features investigative journalist Craig Unger, author of the stunning book Den of Spies: Reagan, Carter, and the Secret History of the Treason That Stole the White House. We discuss the CIA’s role in influencing our elections as far back as the Reagan/ Carter race and the implications for future elections.
Last week, I hosted a multi-social media livestream from 3 to 4 p.m. EST; if you missed it, you can see the replay here. I will do another one tomorrow (Nov. 20th); I welcome everyone to tune in with questions and comments! This past Thursday, I gave a 30-minute PowerPoint presentation and answered questions on a YouTube livestream hosted by the National Capital Area Skeptics.
I was recently quoted in an article in Fast Company about Donald Trump and Elon Musk's partnership. Given their personality traits, it will be interesting to see how they relate to each other in the coming months.
Trump is publicizing his choices to obey his will. Going forward, folks will need to build trustworthy communities- for information sharing and activism. We hope you will tell folks you know to join our movement for Freedom of Mind. We will be able to continue our work with your support. We know there are many good organizations to help fund. We hope you will see the importance of the Influence Continuum and BITE Model of Authoritarian control and five decades of full-time effort and scholarship.
November 18th, 1978, will be a day I will never forget. I was glued to the television as images came over the screen about a horrible mass suicide. I had never heard of the People’s Temple before but was about to learn. Ultimately, it changed the course of my life as it summoned me to be involved in a much higher level of activity than ever before. I did this interview and blog on the 40th anniversary of the Jonestown massacre, where over 900 people were killed.
On this episode of the Influence Continuum, I spoke with Craig Unger, an investigative journalist and the author of Den of Spies, which is described in his biography as “a real-life political thriller about how master spy William Casey put together a treasonous covert operation in 1980 that hijacked American foreign policy and stole the election for Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush.” Craig is also the author of six books on the Republican party’s assault on democracy, including American Kompromat: How the KGB Cultivated Donald Trump and Related Tales of Sex, Greed, Power, and Treachery. He has written for New York Magazine, The New Republic, The Washington Post, The Guardian, The New Yorker, The New York Times, Esquire, The Independent, and many others.
Read the blog post, or listen to the podcast, below:
As always, please let us know what you think about these pieces or what you’d like to see us discuss in the future. Thanks so much!
How to Stop Authoritarians Before They Start
🔸️FITNESS FOR DUTY EVALUATIONS that are mandatory, like the military for high responsibility positions, would have stopped Trump before he got within a mile of the White House.
Bandy X Lee, Steven Hassan, and 100 other psychiatrists agree Trump has five dangerous mental pathologies as listed in the books "The More Dangerous Case of Donald Trump" and "The Psychology Of Trump Contagion - An Existential Threat to American Democracy and All Humankind".
"Containing Trump Contagion and Healing from Mental Pathology in Politics"
https://youtu.be/HTkCqU5LM-k?si=f6g0PolglC21w1nR
🔸️Fitness for Duty Evaluations start with everyone who interacts with the individual in question, and when red flags start to appear, 'say something.'
The US Military has procedures to follow that require individuals in question to have a Fitness for Duty Evaluation. Voters must demand the House and Senate do the same.
"Stephen Xenakis- Fitness for Duty Exams: Preventing Autocratic Abuse"
https://youtu.be/vdtChF07ryU?si=VJ5dauWFoUQg10uH
🔸️Outside the military are professionals like Dr. Bandy X. Lee who has several dozen colleagues all of whom are highly qualified to do Fitness for Duty Evaluations.
The U.S. House and Senate have several mechanisms to enforce their rules, including:
* Leadership
* Committees
* Floor Procedures
* Party Discipline
It's important to note that these mechanisms are not always used consistently or effectively. The more voters demand mentally fit leaders the more the House and Senate will comply.
🔸️I like what forensic psychologist Dr. Bandy X. Lee says that fascism and authoritarianism are just dangerous mental pathologies that worm their way into politics.
Everyone on Earth deserves and demands leadership that is mentally fit.
Fitness for Duty Evaluations performed by well respected psychiatrists ensures every country has leaders who do not serve their own power, but serve their own people.
With a pool of mentally fit candidates, we then have all the elections we wish.
Thank you Steve, for this and for the blogpost regarding your conversation with Craig Unger. It is truly shocking and sobering. I think much of this has been reported in Deiba and drabs but we do not have a comprehensive view of how corrupted those in the Republican Party have been since at least the late 60s and the Nixon era. Total executive power at all costs. This should sicken all Americans of conscience - and the dems should spare no time pushing back against this corruption and against the wealthy white supremacist Christo fascist agenda that supports it. As for my own view of power, readers might like this from 2022.
Which of Six Power Types Will You Embody and Support? | Psychology Today https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-pacific-heart/202209/which-of-six-power-types-will-you-embody-and-support