The observation that Marjorie Taylor Green’s husband is divorcing her in an election year is quite frankly weird. He is also Greene’s 2022 re-election campaign treasurer. How that gets worked out I have honestly no idea.
For those unfamiliar with who she is, (welcome back from Mars), she not only famously promoted the Jan 6th attack and begged Trump for a presidential pardon, but she has also established a rather robust track record as a complete nutter who promotes whacky conspiracy theories. Additionally, she claims that all Democrats are Nazis, yet without any irony just loves hanging out with literal far-right white-supremacist Nazis.
Why do I mention her divorce? This is a deeply private and very personal matter between her, her husband, her gym coach, her tantric sex guru, and also a few other blokes in her gym. (I’m really not making any of that up)
She deserves the exact same degree of “respect” and “privacy” that she has shown to gay people, democrats, the survivors of the parkland shooting, Hunter Biden, Catholics, non-white people, and many many many many others. As a supposedly devoted “Christian evangelical”, who has weaponised her belief for political purposes and vigorously promotes it in the public square, she also wholly deserves to have her rampant hypocrisy called out within that very same public square.
I do wonder if somebody will now start harassing her by following her about and screaming at her that her divorce is just a false-flag operation to distract from the horrible job she is doing in congress. (Reminder: This is exactly what she has been doing to the survivors and grieving parents of the numerous shootings). (Pro Tip: Don’t do that, seriously don’t, be far far better than she is).
To put it all into bible speak, a text she is wholly unfamiliar with, the most apt verse is this rather famous one …
for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap
Galatians 6:7 (KJV)
Speaking on behalf of a nation, we all do truly offer our heartfelt congratulations to her husband. We now ask if we can also all please now get a divorce from Marjorie Taylor Greene in Nov.
Moving on, below you will find my usual selection of some truly bizarre claims that have popped up during the last 7 days. Each is laced with my snarky commentary. With my usual hat tip to my various sources, let’s dive in.
Enjoy.
Christian Nationalism
Pastor Mario Murillo declares that “the people of Florida feel more reassured with Ron DeSantis at the helm during a hurricane, than Americans feel with Joe Biden in any weather. … The November election is not a choice between two parties. It is a choice between good and evil. And a chance to go from groaning to rejoicing.”
- He is actually correct, this November it is indeed a choice between good and literal evil. If you vote Democrat then that’s a vote for “good”.
Everything they don’t believe in is “Satanic”
Mychal Massie thinks that President Joe Biden “is a sack of rotted flesh and fecal matter with a mind that has never been suited for more than encopresis sans micturition that relieves the pressure of the crap for brains between his ears.”
- I have a suspicion that he did not vote Democrat, but I’m not too sure, I may be wrong about that.
- The source of this is his article on the far-right fake news website WND, perhaps better known as Wing-Nut Daily.
During an unhinged rant, Benny Johnson warns there are “literal Satanists” working in the Biden administration: “This is what Christ fought against.”
- Fact Check: This is literally a lie.
- Background Check: This is the guy who was fired from Buzzfeed following revelations that many of his published articles were plagiarized (I plagiarised that last bit from his wikipedia page)
Ian
Todd Coconato claims that “the devil and forces of darkness” are targeting Florida with Hurricane Ian because “this state has stood during the plague and did not bow to Nebuchadnezzar. The Governor has taken a stand against wickedness, against the push of the demonic and the cancel culture & Baal ideology.”
- Have you ever noticed that it works like this – Something bad happens in a Blue state and they cry “It is God punishing those evil sinners“, yet when something bad happens in a Red Sate, the cry is, as above, “It is the devil attacking us for being the chosen ones of God“
- Meanwhile in the state of Florida alone over 81,000 people died of COVID. If they had followed proper guidance then the numbers would not have been that high. No bowing to Nebuchadnezzar or Baal required.
Asked to pray for Florida as Hurricane Ian made landfall Wednesday, right-wing pastor Mario Bramnick quickly shifted his focus to politics and began praying against the “demonic, leftist, socialist, communist storm” that seeks to destroy America.
- Call me a tad picky, but I don’t think Hurricane Ian is registered to vote.
- Given the large numbers of praying Christian Nationalists in Florida, you might suspect God would pay attention to them. Apparently not.
DeAnna Lorraine and Lauren Witzke agree that Hurricane Ian is the deep state using “weather manipulation technology” to punish Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for not enacting a vaccine mandate in the state.
- The way this “weather manipulation technology” appears work is that it sends hurricanes to hurricane prone areas in the middle of hurricane season.
- The scary part here is not that they said this shit, but that there are people out there believing it.
- Side Note: DeAnna Lorraine is so whacky that she was fired from InfoWars for her wackiness.
- Side Note 2: Lauren Witzke is the flat-earth QAnon conspiracy nutter.
Truly Bizarre
Kathryn Joyce writes within Salon: Far-right activists have a brilliant new strategy: Don’t vote!
- Now this is indeed a stance we can all happily encourage them to embrace vigorously.
Teddy Daniels, a MAGA candidate who unsuccessfully ran for lieutenant governor in Pennsylvania, says that “we need to do something to change” the election system because rural areas are constantly being outvoted by the cities just because more people live there.
- In one sense, but not the way he means it, he is actually correct. Wyoming, population 581,000, has two senators and California, population 39,000,000 (that’s millions), also only has two. We really need proportional representation.
- His “concern” appears to revolve around the fact that people get votes, not land does not. What exactly is he suggesting? Perhaps he wants every sq mile to have a vote instead of people.
Teddy Daniels says that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is “fake MAGA” and accuses her and Milo Yiannopoulos of working “to keep America First candidates out of Congress.”
- This guy, who ran for Lt. Gov. in Pennsylvania, actually thinks that Marjorie Taylor Green is way too moderate and liberal.
- Being that paranoid and extreme is a very lonely place to live.
- We need a new term … how about MINO (MAGA In Name Only).
Conspiracy Claims
Media Matters reports: Candace Owens suggests Bill Gates is using mosquitoes to make people allergic to beef.
- Fact Check: The essence of any good conspiracy claim is that the lie is built around a kernel of truth. In this instance the truth is that he is funding a breed of mosquitoes that carry bacteria called Wolbachia. This blocks them from transmitting dengue and other viruses, such as Zika, chikungunya and yellow fever, to humans. By releasing them to reproduce with wild mosquitoes, they spread the bacteria, reducing virus transmission and protecting millions of people from illnesses.
- These days using a specific famous name, Bill Gates, Soros, etc… and then associating some crazy conspiracy with them has become a very familiar trope. Anybody doing it is now simply self-certifying that they are a nutter. Another example is the next item below.
Mario Murillo declares that former President Barack Obama, George Soros, and Bill Gates “despise Christianity and Israel. They are working to rid the world of the laws of God.”
- I’m not exactly a Bill Gates fan, but what is well-known is that he is striving to pour his vast financial resources into making the world a far better place by tackling real-world problem … so lets have lots more of that please.
- Barack Obama, faithful husband to one wife, zero scandals, devoted Christian, very very smart, and an all round decent human being … also lots more of him please.
- As for George Soros, because of his Jewish identity, wealth, and philanthropy, he has become the perfect target for every whacky conspiracy theory going. If somebody pops up to declare Soros to be evil incarnate then you can more or less guarantee that they are a conspiracy nutter.
Tucker on Fox: Fascists don’t believe in God…(its his response to the election of a Fascist in Italy)
- “God, Fatherland, Family” was literally Mussolini’s slogan.
Eric Metaxas rants that “the 2020 Election was stolen. The vaccines are extremely dangerous & forcing them on people was an evil act. J6 was not an insurrection, and the imprisonment of most who were there proves that our ‘Fed govt’ is at war with ‘We the People’ — who ARE America.”
- His “rant” is in effect a top 10 whackiest conspiracy claims listing
Beyond the Fringe
If you have ever wondered just how batshit crazy the QAnon cultists have become, then be aware that the word “very” does not even begin to describe how far down the rabbit hole some have fallen …
The False Profit$
Self-described Christian “prophet” Robin Bullock says he visited Heaven and saw a dinosaur.
- “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him will be gullible enough to believeth in anything and can be easily duped” – John 3:16 (RRV – Republican Revised Version)
- But of course, and there is evidence. Here it is …
Johnny Enlow asserts that the QAnon conspiracy theory—specifically, its claim that world leaders are satanic pedophiles who “steal blood” and “do sacrifices”—has been proven true beyond all doubt and that Christians who refuse to accept it are violating scripture.
- His Evangelicalism manifests like this:- Make up utterly absurd lies, then label anybody who questions such claims as “shitty Christians”.
Self-proclaimed Christian “prophet” Julie Green said God told her Rep. Jerry Nadler and Klaus Schwab (chair of the World Economic Forum) will die soon.
- Rep. Jerry Nadler is 75 and Klaus Schwab is 84. Predicting the death of elderly guys is a classic fake psychic card to play. It’s a statistically probability, so when it happens, she will claim a hit … even if “soon” turns out to be many years from now. It’s not a first for her, she regularly plays this card. So far exactly none of her “prophecies” have worked out.
- Meanwhile God just told me that he has a warm accommodation ready and waiting for fake prophet Julie Green for misrepresenting him.
Shane Vaughn told his viewers they can never abandon Trump: “You’re on the side of the anointed of God … Donald Trump is God’s eagle that is getting ready to fly again.”
- The Greek word for “anointed one” is χριστός, or as we know it in English, “Christ”. He is literally claiming that Trump is an alternative Christ. I think the bible had a few words to say about alternative Christs popping up. You would expect a pastor to actually know this, but apparently not.
- If only there was some sort of red flag to alert Shane Vaughn’s followers that he is just a grifter, for example his incarceration in jail for fraud a few years back (while a pastor).
Interesting Articles
- Taylor Lorenz @ The Washington Post: The online incel movement is getting more violent and extreme, report says.
- Molly Olmstead @ Slate: Why Christian Nationalists Are Into “Jumbo-Sized” Shofars.
- Zachary Cohen @ CNN: Meadows texts reveal direct White House communications with pro-Trump operative behind plans to seize voting machines.
- Zachary Cohen, Holmes Lybrand and Jackson Grigsby @ CNN: ‘Let’s get right to the violence’: New documentary film footage shows Roger Stone pre-Election Day.
- Sarah Posner @ Talking Points Memo: The Key Ingredients Of Christian Nationalism.
- Kathryn Joyce @ Salon: Why Trump went full QAnon: He’s desperate — and “those are the only people he’s got left.”
- Akela Lacy @ The Intercept: Florida Contracts Go to Companies That Flooded Ron DeSantis Campaign Fund.
- Allan Smith @ NBC News: In 2019, Doug Mastriano said women who violated proposed abortion ban should be charged with murder.
- Ed Mazza @ HuffPost: War On Halloween! Fox News Wants To Cancel Holiday In Latest Right-Wing Freakout.
- Andrew Buncombe @ The Independent: The January 6 hearings revealed stunning details of Trump’s attempted ‘coup’. Can the committee close out with a bang?
- Sarah K. Burris @ Raw Story: ‘Still promoting that lie’: Jamie Raskin says Ginni Thomas remains a true believer in Trump’s election claims.
- Steve Benen @ The Maddow Blog: Trump’s Mar-a-Lago special master gambit seems to be backfiring.
- Tess Owen @ Vice News: Gab Founder Andrew Torba Wants to Build a Christian Nationalist Internet.