The Orangemen and the Legacy of Secret Societies in the Strategy of Tension

The Orange Order is one of the most mysterious and little remarked upon secret societies around. There's a reason for that: it's also one of the most historically important of the last two-hundred and fifty years. And not for reasons Alex Jones will ever acknowledge. 

You see, modern history has produced a certain type of secret society. Think Germany's Thule Society, France's La Cagoule, Italy's Propaganda Due, or our very own Sovereign Order of Saint John. One thing all of these outfits have in common are their own secret armies. 

It is now grudgingly acknowledged, at least in Europe, that "stay-behind armies" were a common feature of the Cold War era. These clandestine militias were established across Western Europe in the aftermath of the Second World War by the intelligence services of the US and UK. In theory, these stay-behinds would be used, in conjunction with American and British special operations forces, to wage a guerrilla war against the Soviet Union in the event that Western Europe was invaded. 

That was the theory at least. In actuality, these stay-behinds often turned up in more nefarious and illicit activities. This is one aspect of the stay-behinds that has been covered up for decades. Another is the close relation these stay-behinds often had to secret societies, or that they were modeled on interwar arrangements used by groups like the Thulists or Cagoulards. 

But to find the origins of the modern use of militias by secret societies, one must turn to the Orangemen. Unlike most secret societies, this group always had militant intentions from it's very inception. For over two plus centuries years, it has been used as a cudgel to support British interests in Ireland and beyond.  

The strange and terrible history of the Orangemen and their legacy is the subject of The Farm's latest subscribers episode. Helping me unfold this history is the great Richard B. Spence. Richard is the author of such works as Secret Agent 666: Aleister Crowley, British Intelligence, and the Occult and Trust No One: The Secret World of Sidney Reilly. He is also the host of "The Real History of Secret Societies" of the History Channel's Great Courses series. 

This is an epic chat that covers both the modern history of Ireland and Freemasonry, the role of secret societies in the strategy of tension, and all kinds of high weirdness surrounding America's oh-so-mysterious Sovereign Order of Saint John, more commonly known as the "Shickshinny Knights of Malta." 

For those of you unaware, by joining The Farm's patron for $5 a month you receive two additional, full lengths episodes per month. That's between two and four hours of bonus material with exclusive guests and content. The likes of Christopher Knowles, J. Michael "Doc Future" Bennett, Neil Sanders, and David Metcalfe have already joined me for these exclusive shows and in the coming weeks Greg Bishop and Adam Gorightly will be dropping by. So please, consider it folks. 

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.

Nashville on Christmas Day

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. 

Captain Emily Rainey, the alleged PSYOPs officer who had resigned from the Army prior to the riot

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? 

Where were these guys?

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. 

DeVos

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. 

Pompeo

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 guy?

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. 

Ong's Hat, Super Soldiers, and Other Mysteries

If you've been following this blog lately, you know I've been fascinated and disturbed by the rash of murders involving special operators at Fort Bragg. This topic was previously discussed at length here and updated here. 

While Christmas brought a reprieve for Fort Bragg, special operators still managed to make headlines across the country over the holiday weekend, and in tragic fashion. At the Joint Base Lewis McChord in Washington state, a former special operator (of the US Army Special Forces, more commonly known as the "Green Berets") nearly beat his wife to death in front of their children. Fortunately, no deaths were involved in this incident, just a lengthy police standoff in which the operators threatened to kill himself. 

Elsewhere, things were much more dire in Rockford, Il. There, a Green Beret on leave went on a shooting spree at a bowling alley that left three dead and three wounded. So it goes. 

While there has been a staggering amount of deaths in general involving military personnel at domestic bases in recent years, the rash of killings involving special operators warrants close attention in light of other, ongoing developments. As I noted before here, the aftermath of the 2020 election witnessed some staggering changes to the national security apparatus. The US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has effectively been made it's own branch of the military, while a veteran special operator (also a Green Beret) whose never held a rank higher than colonel was made the acting Secretary of Defense. Elsewhere, one of the staunchest cronies of General Michael Flynn (who earned his reputation heading intelligence for the Joint Special Operations Command) was placed in command of all special operations forces and military intelligence. These moves were followed by the Pentagon informing the CIA that it was cutting off its access to special operators. If this move stands, this is effectively the end of the CIA as a major cover operations forces. 

So against this backdrop, the rash of killings involving special operators is most curious. But, is it just related to recent developments? Or, are these deaths, and many of the other bizarre ones that have unfolded across domestic military bases for years now, indicative of something darker? Something like a real-life "super soldier" program run amok? 

Why wait till 2050?

This is but one of many fascinating topics David Metcalfe and I cover during The Farm's most recent premium episode. While many of your probably haven't heard of Metcalfe, his CV is mighty impressive. Not mentioned there, but most relevant to our discussion, is Metcalfe's longstanding friendship with Ong's Hat creator Joseph Matheny and his nearly two decades in the alternate reality game (ARG) community. Thus, Metcalfe brings an insider's perspective to ARGs, a topic that is highly relevant now. And, closely related to the rise of the special operators. 

Another topic David and I explore is one that's already been discussed here and on The Farm: Is QAnon an ARG, and if so, is it one launched by the US intelligence and/or special operations community?  You guys know what I think, but now you can hear an ARG insider's take on the phenomena. 

the ultimate ARG?

Besides super soldiers and "QAnon as ARG," Metcalfe and I found the time to cover a host of other interrelated topics: the metaphysics of Chicago and the glorious 1980s counterculture; the personality profiling used by Joseph Matheny; "mastermind groups"; Adam Parfrey, Genesis P-Orridge, and the attempted Process revival; whether Cambridge Analytica and/or Steve Bannon would have been interested in the ARG format; and so much more. 

This is a great discussion guys. Please consider becoming subscriber. This episode alone is worth the price of admission. 

And on a more personal note, thank you all again. I have the best fans in the whole wide world. Happy New Year's to you all!