I recently binged Heaven’s Gate: The Cult of Cults and could not believe the similarities between them and the true believers of the cult I’ve come to call the Branch Covidians.
I’m not talking about the people who are going along with the regulations because they’re trying to survive, nor the ones who got the vaccine to keep a job, nor even the ones who don a mask to go grocery shopping. The Branch Covidians are much more insidious than that. These are the people for whom it is not enough to slavishly conform with every directive (“I put my cloth mask over my N95!”) despite COVID having a 99% survival rate. No, these people demand that everyone else also conforms to every dictatorial decree that comes down from on high like a message from God. The second coming of Christ took the form of Anthony Fauci to these people.
[clip]
Has anyone stopped to assess whether or not we’ve been initiated into a cult? How is a cult defined, and what are the danger signs? According to Cult Education, there are several signs you should look out for.
1. Absolute authoritarianism without meaningful accountability.
To whom have governors been accountable when they’ve extended “states of emergency” for going-on-three years now? Or demanded that you receive medicine you don’t want or else lose your job? No one (in blue states, anyway). To whom is the health department accountable? Not the voters; they’re unelected. And yet, they can have you locked in your house and restrict you from going to the grocery store if you have a cold (which omicron literally is: a cold). That seems like absolute authoritarianism to me.
2. No tolerance for questions or critical inquiry.
If you question the official narrative of the CDC or Saint Anthony Fauci, you are banned from all popular platforms and your message is censored and stifled. It doesn’t matter if you spent your life practicing science, treating patients, studying immunology; if your conclusions are different than the ruling authority, you’re demonized and silenced.
3. No meaningful financial disclosure regarding budget or expenses, such as an independently audited financial statement.
This one can be compared to the transparency of data. There is none. And nothing else needs to be said beyond what Scott Adams tweeted out a few days ago: “If it’s opaque, it’s fake.”
4. Unreasonable fear about the outside world, such as impending catastrophe, evil conspiracies, and persecutions.
It’s dangerous out there. Don’t go out. Your fellow citizens are walking disease vectors who could kill you. You are in danger everywhere.
5. There is no legitimate reason to leave, and former followers who leave are always wrong, negative, or even evil.
See Joe Rogan.
6. Former members often relate the same stories of abuse and reflect a similar pattern of grievances.
Has anyone gotten out successfully yet? I’m not sure. But I can’t wait to hear their stories when they do.
7. There are records, books, news articles, or television programs that document the abuses of the group/leader.
Buy this:
I’m not talking about the people who are going along with the regulations because they’re trying to survive, nor the ones who got the vaccine to keep a job, nor even the ones who don a mask to go grocery shopping. The Branch Covidians are much more insidious than that. These are the people for whom it is not enough to slavishly conform with every directive (“I put my cloth mask over my N95!”) despite COVID having a 99% survival rate. No, these people demand that everyone else also conforms to every dictatorial decree that comes down from on high like a message from God. The second coming of Christ took the form of Anthony Fauci to these people.
[clip]
Has anyone stopped to assess whether or not we’ve been initiated into a cult? How is a cult defined, and what are the danger signs? According to Cult Education, there are several signs you should look out for.
1. Absolute authoritarianism without meaningful accountability.
To whom have governors been accountable when they’ve extended “states of emergency” for going-on-three years now? Or demanded that you receive medicine you don’t want or else lose your job? No one (in blue states, anyway). To whom is the health department accountable? Not the voters; they’re unelected. And yet, they can have you locked in your house and restrict you from going to the grocery store if you have a cold (which omicron literally is: a cold). That seems like absolute authoritarianism to me.
2. No tolerance for questions or critical inquiry.
If you question the official narrative of the CDC or Saint Anthony Fauci, you are banned from all popular platforms and your message is censored and stifled. It doesn’t matter if you spent your life practicing science, treating patients, studying immunology; if your conclusions are different than the ruling authority, you’re demonized and silenced.
3. No meaningful financial disclosure regarding budget or expenses, such as an independently audited financial statement.
This one can be compared to the transparency of data. There is none. And nothing else needs to be said beyond what Scott Adams tweeted out a few days ago: “If it’s opaque, it’s fake.”
4. Unreasonable fear about the outside world, such as impending catastrophe, evil conspiracies, and persecutions.
It’s dangerous out there. Don’t go out. Your fellow citizens are walking disease vectors who could kill you. You are in danger everywhere.
5. There is no legitimate reason to leave, and former followers who leave are always wrong, negative, or even evil.
See Joe Rogan.
6. Former members often relate the same stories of abuse and reflect a similar pattern of grievances.
Has anyone gotten out successfully yet? I’m not sure. But I can’t wait to hear their stories when they do.
7. There are records, books, news articles, or television programs that document the abuses of the group/leader.
Buy this:
