To Coup or to LARP Part II

Shortly before Christmas 2020, I posted some musings on the looming date of January 6, 2021. I entitled it "To Coup or To LARP?" as it seemed like it was being hyped up for something to happen, but whether it would be serious or spectacle was still left up in the air. A week removed from the actual events of 1/6/21, and I'm still not sure what the answer to that question is. 

Dramatic developments unfolded in the days preceding that faithful Wednesday. On January 3, all ten living former Secretaries of Defense published an op-ed in the Washington Times to effectively remind the military of their oath to the Constitution. What that even means in 2021 was never addressed, but this certainly isn't the type of thing that characterizes "stable" democracies. 

This came just a little after the bizarre Christmas Day Nashville bombing. Remember that? Seems like a million years ago, right? 

As could be expected, the attack was chalked up to a three-named lone nut, one Anthony Quinn Warner. No one saw it coming of course, other than his ex, who reported that he was making bombs to the authorities prior to the attack. There's also the bizarre transactions between Warner, and an AEG entertainment executive than unfolded between 2019 and 2020. Effectively, Warner gave two Antioch, Tennessee-based properties to a certain Michele Swing worth nearly half a million dollars combined. Naturally, authorities have yet to reveal what the relationship was between Warner and Swing.

As should come as little surprise at this point, Warner was also a believer in numerous conspiracy theories, especially those of the UFO variety. His cosmology included moon landing hoaxes, Reptilians, and purported attacks on Earth by an advanced alien species. If this had any bearing on the bombing will probably never been known. Nor will much else, if authorities are to be believed. By far the most interesting thing about this attack were the numerous disruptions that it caused to telecommunications. This is very interesting in light of reported waves of blackouts unfolding in the aftermath of the events of 1/6/21, which we'll get to below. 

While we're on the topic of UFOs, a word must be said about the latest Disclosure initiatives. The massive COVID relief bill passed at the end of 2020 included a provision requiring the Pentagon and various intelligence agencies to reveal what they know about UFOs within 180 days. Predictably, this has been manna from heaven to the usual sources. It's also led bizarre specters such as this:

This is the perfect backdrop for the events of 1/6/21. Did we witness a coup attempt on that day? This is certainly the way much of the legacy media is framing it as. And various European allies (i.e. anti-Trumpers) have also alleged all the signs of a coup were evident. On the other hand, Glenn Greenwald, probably the only mainstream journalist left with any integrity, has compellingly argued that the coup narrative is being oversold. 

What unfolded could probably best be described as a coup LARP, or maybe a LARP coup. Regardless, it is hardly unsurprisingly. For the last few months, I've been chronicling the use of the alternate reality game (ARG) format in QAnon (see, for instance, here). There are compelling indications that General Michael T. Flynn is one of the principal figures behind the QAnon ARG/LARP. Presently, Flynn's close associate, Ezra Cohen-Watnick, holds one of the most senior posts in the Pentagon. Cohen-Watnick has also been accused of involvement with Q. 

By now, you've probably heard about pro-Trump activist Captain Emily Rainey, a PSYOPs officer at Fort Bragg, who led a group of Trump supporters to the capital on that faithful Wednesday. Regular readers of this blog know some weird things have been unfolding at Fort Bragg of late. And Cohen-Watnick is currently the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence, meaning he controls all military intelligence at present. While it will be interesting to see how this plays out, Rainey is hardly a smoking gun. Still, there were some other peculiarities coming from the Pentagon that day. 

Such as the persistent allegations that acting Secretary of Defense Christopher C. Miller delayed the deployment of National Guardsmen to quell the riots. This is interesting in light of the mounting evidence that Pence is one who ultimately called in the Guard. We'll return to that possibility in a moment. 

So, a compelling argument could be made that elements within the Pentagon gave tactical approval to the events that transpired on 1/6/21. But clearly, this alleged "insurrection" had no possibility of succeeding. If they were really serious about toppling Congress and preventing Biden's ascension, why not give the rioters a few special operators (either public or private)? Or at least a real paramilitary force like the Oath Keepers to support the QAnon LARPers? 

Clearly, the events of 1/6/21 were not a serious coup. And yet, the Pentagon (or a faction therein) may have played a role. The question then becomes, to what purpose? Well, there is the enigmatic disappearance of Pelosi's laptop during the unrest. It will certainly be interesting to see how that plays out. 

What can be said is that there is much confusion within the Republican Party and the broader American Establishment at present. Consider: The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) called on for Vice-President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment. This is quite significant. As the great J. Michael "Doc Future" Bennett has illustrated in his must-read Two Masters and Two Gospels Volume I, NAM has been at the forefront of financial support for far right activism since the early twentieth century. While little acknowledged, NAM has been the historic rival of the Wall Street-centric Council on Foreign Relations for decades. NAM coming out this forcefully against Trump so soon after the events of 1/6/21 is quite eyebrow raising. 

Elsewhere, the highly controversial Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos tendered her resignation days after the rioting. The DeVos family has longstanding ties to the far right Council for National Policy (CNP) while DeVos brother is Blackwater founder and former head Erik Prince, a key Trump backer in national security circles. Why DeVos resigned is a matter of much dispute. Betsy claimed it was over Pence's refusal to invoke the 25th Amendment against Trump. Conversely, Democrats alleged that she resigned so as to avoid ousting Trump. 

Uncertainty reigns internationally as well. A strange series of blackouts unfolded in Pakistan during the weekend following Wednesday's LARP coup. There are also reports Vatican City experienced blackouts, but these reports appear to be false. The possibility that Iran is also experiencing power outages seems far more credible and compelling. 

This comes against the backdrop of the strange moves being made by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The outgoing SoS appears to be attempting to inflict as much damage as possible. Thus far he has normalizing relations with Taiwan and accusing Iran of being the "home base" of Al Qaeda. Pompeo recently canceled a planned trip to Europe. Officially, this was due to leading EU figures snubbing Pompeo, but the time is interesting. 

This is a strange time, even by the standards set by that foal year of Our Lord 2020. The Christmas Day Nashville bombing was likely a stress test on the US's telecommunications infrastructure. And it would hardly be surprising if Anthony Quinn Warner had links to QAnon. Elsewhere, nations the US has long considered antagonistic are experiencing sudden nationwide blackouts. Our European allies appear to be pushing the coup narrative while refusing to meet with the current Secretary of State. The Democrats and much of the Republican Party seem fanatical about driving Trump office even if he only theoretically has a little over a week left in the White House. 

And now word comes that the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) have issued a memorandum to all US forces affirming Biden's victory and reminding them of their oath to uphold the Constitution. Certainly, there are shades of the op ed issued by the ten living former Secretaries of Defense along the same lines shortly before the events of January 6th. 

At this point, a really pressing question needs to be asked. The barometer the CIA uses for determining who is in control of a nation is who controls said nation's military. Thus, it's highly relevant as to who exactly is in control of the military of these United States at present.

This recent memorandum by the JCS combined with the events of 1/6/21 seem to strongly indicate that, if push comes to shove, Mike Pence is currently the commander-in-chief. However, there is a distinct possibility that much of the nation's special operations forces are loyal to Trump, or at least the faction of the Pentagon backing him. This may include acting Secretary of Defense Christopher C. Miller, the Flynn loyalists in the DoD, and possibly good chunks of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). 

Thus, the nation may effectively have two acting commanders in chiefs right now. Or in other words, there is not a clear line of authority as to whole controls the Armed Forces. It probably goes without saying, but this is a very disturbing prospect, and may go a long way towards explaining this last minute push to force Trump out. This is especially ominous in light of events currently unfolding overseas as well. An attack, be it real or false flag, would plunge this nation into utter chaos at present, with the chain of command totally breaking down. 

Strange days indeed dear readers. And with that, I shall sign off for now. If you're looking for more commentary, be sure to check out the latest episodes Farm episodes dealing with the events of 1/6/21 (I discussed them on the day of the riots with Billy Ray Valentine and over the weekend with John Brisson and Erica Lukes). As always, stay tuned till next time.