The Bundys are at it again.

[Fenris]

@tokyobayer

at first, i was giving you too much credit assuming that you were white washing mormon history to make it seems less cultish and kooky, but it’s obvious that you are simply willfully ignorant of the particulars of your religion.

< stuff snipped >

really, it’s not difficult to figure that out. Just tell people that the time of god commanding people to kill is over. Would it really be that hard to do?

still tl, dr

[Slow_Moving_Vehicle]

@lance_strongarm

Their theory is almost like a paper version of The Matrix.

Hah, I can understand where they go that idea. If you’ve ever applied for certain government benefits, you know that sometimes there are “magic words” you need to say or write to satisfy the technical requirements, and they won’t tell you what they are.

Yeah, that description sounds like the syllabus for a grant-writing class at Hogwarts.

[kaylasdad99]

@TokyoBayer

But you get people who put out pdf guides like this

TL;DR

[Morgenstern]

Wtfl:dr

[eschereal]

@Morgenstern

Wtfl:dr

Summary: Mormon dogma is tragically fucked up, and some (few) Mormons follow it straight into tragedy.

Approximately.

[Morgenstern]

@eschereal

Summary: Mormon dogma is tragically fucked up, and some (few) Mormons follow it straight into tragedy.

Approximately.

I honestly expected it would be something like that from our one trick pony anti-mormon.

[Der_Trihs]

@Rick_Kitchen

An interesting post from Vox on sovereign citizens and their beliefs.

This article by a Canadian judge is a very interesting analysis of this family of crackpottery, what he calls OPCA (“Organized Pseudolegal Commercial Argument”) believers.

@Chimera

Sure, and if you use just the right combination of hand signals, words and materials, you too can learn how to throw Fireball spells at your enemies!

That isn’t too far off from how they actually think, really. It’s magical thinking; use the right words, cast the right ritual and get the desired result. To quote the article I linked:

[77] The bluntly idiotic substance of Mr. Mead’s argument explains the unnecessarily complicated manner in which it was presented. OPCA arguments are never sold to their customers as simple ideas, but instead are byzantine schemes which more closely resemble the plot of a dark fantasy novel than anything else. Latin maxims and powerful sounding language are often used. Documents are often ornamented with many strange marking and seals. Litigants engage in peculiar, ritual‑like in court conduct. All these features appear necessary for gurus to market OPCA schemes to their often desperate, ill‑informed, mentally disturbed, or legally abusive customers. This is crucial to understand the non-substance of any OPCA concept or strategy. The story and process of a OPCA scheme is not intended to impress or convince the Courts, but rather to impress the guru’s customer.

[78] Mediaeval alchemy is a helpful analogue. Alchemists sold their services based on the theatre of their activities, rather than demonstrated results, or any analytical or systematic methodology. OPCA gurus are modern legal alchemists. They promise gold, but their methods are principally intended to impress the gullible, or those who wish to use this drivel to abuse the court system. Any lack of legal success by the OPCA litigant is, of course, portrayed as a consequence of the customer’s failure to properly understand and apply the guru’s special knowledge.

[79] Caselaw that relates to Gurus, reviewed below, explains how gurus present these ideas in seminars, books, websites, and instructional DVDs and other recordings. They provide pre‑prepared documents, which sometimes are government forms, and instruct how to fill in the necessary information that then produces the desired effects. Gurus write scripts to follow in court. Some will attempt to act as your representative, and argue your case.

[80] When gurus do appear in court their schemes uniformly fail, which is why most leave court appearances to their customers. That explains why it is not unusual to find that an OPCA litigant cannot even explain their own materials. They did not write them. They do not (fully) understand them. OPCA litigants appear, engage in a court drama that is more akin to a magic spell ritual than an actual legal proceeding, and wait to see if the court is entranced and compliant. If not, the litigant returns home to scrutinize at what point the wrong incantation was uttered, an incorrectly prepared artifact waved or submitted.

[BrainGlutton]

@kaylasdad99

TL;DR

OK, here’s the Straight Dope on LDS in more accessible format.

[Chimera]

@Der_Trihs

That isn’t too far off from how they actually think, really. It’s magical thinking; use the right words, cast the right ritual and get the desired result. To quote the article I linked:

Exactly. It’s magical thinking. Attempts at mimicking the “rituals” of court to get the desired results. And like Occult Magic, 95% of it is bullshit with 5% facts and (mis)information sewn in to make it seem legitimate and possible.

Me: “What is the point of doing your magick in ancient greek when you don’t speak the language? You’re basically speaking rote words that you sort of know the meaning to, expecting that is somehow more ‘Powerful’ than English?”
Former Friend: "Words have power, and people have spoken those words for longer than English.
Me: “Mispronouncing the Greek word for “Strength” in an ostentatious tone doesn’t make it a Word of Power. Say what you mean and intend in your native tongue.”
FF: “It doesn’t work that way”
Me: (Yes, actually it does.)

[Slow_Moving_Vehicle]

@Rick_Kitchen

An interesting post from Vox on sovereign citizens and their beliefs.

So…the secret, scary-ass group that runs the world and enslaves us all is not the U.N., or the Trilateral Commission, or FEMA, or the Jesuits, or the Freemasons. It’s not even the Illuminati or the Jews.

It’s the U.S. Post Office.

Hunh. Did not see that coming.

[Richard_Parker]

@Slow_Moving_Vehicle

So…the secret, scary-ass group that runs the world and enslaves us all is not the U.N., or the Trilateral Commission, or FEMA, or the Jesuits, or the Freemasons. It’s not even the Illuminati or the Jews.

It’s the U.S. Post Office.

Hunh. Did not see that coming.

It makes a certain sense, actually. For a long period in American history, the post office was the source of federal government power in many far-flung parts of the country. 75% of federal employees worked for the post office during parts of the 19th century, and it was a key mechanism of patronage, bringing all kinds of other power into federal control by tempting newspapers editors and others with plum jobs.

[TroutMan]

My mail carrier wears shorts every day, no matter what the weather is like.

Meanwhile, the evil government keeps insisting the world is getting warmer.

I’m not quite sure what the connection is, but I’m sure it’s there…

[eschereal]

@Muffin

Since it’s not 'mer’c’n, I suppose a landmark decision by the Associate Chief Justice of the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta wouldn’t be reliable either: Meads v. Meads.

Encyclopaedic, but not half as entertaining as Russia Today’s sovereign citizen guest.

How can one argue with a ruling that references Dante followed closely by Wm. S. Burroughs? It must have taken the judge days to author that, between fits of rofl.

[Rick_Kitchen]

@Slow_Moving_Vehicle

So…the secret, scary-ass group that runs the world and enslaves us all is not the U.N., or the Trilateral Commission, or FEMA, or the Jesuits, or the Freemasons. It’s not even the Illuminati or the Jews.

It’s the U.S. Post Office.

Hunh. Did not see that coming.

Don’t believe it. According to Lyndon Larouche, the scary ass person ruling the world is Queen Elizabeth.

[Muffin]

@Rick_Kitchen

Don’t believe it. According to Lyndon Larouche, the scary ass person ruling the world is Queen Elizabeth.

Canada is ruled by Queen Elizabeth. This is a pic of a Canadian stamp celebrating our first postmaster.

Now have a look at this pic of a US$100 bill.

Notice anything suspicious about the portraits? A coincidence perhaps? I think not. Obviously Queen Elizabeth rules the world, including the USA.

[Morgenstern]

@Muffin

Canada is ruled by Queen Elizabeth. This is a pic of a Canadian stamp celebrating our first postmaster.

Now have a look at this pic of a US$100 bill.

Notice anything suspicious about the portraits? A coincidence perhaps? I think not. Obviously Queen Elizabeth rules the world, including the USA.

Was that before or after the US sold Canada to the Chinese?

[Fubaya]

@Muffin

Canada is ruled by Queen Elizabeth. This is a pic of a Canadian stamp celebrating our first postmaster.

Now have a look at this pic of a US$100 bill.

That old Canadian gal looks just like Ben Franklin!

[Slow_Moving_Vehicle]

@Muffin

Canada is ruled by Queen Elizabeth. This is a pic of a Canadian stamp celebrating our first postmaster.

Now have a look at this pic of a US$100 bill.

Notice anything suspicious about the portraits? A coincidence perhaps? I think not. Obviously Queen Elizabeth rules the world, including the USA.

Clearly Cliff Clavin and Newman were propaganda figures, designed to make us think that the Post Office is just a bunch of harmless incompetents, while the the secretive Queen Franklin tightened her deathgrip on our throats. Sheeple, we’re all sheeple!

[silenus]

@Slow_Moving_Vehicle

So…the secret, scary-ass group that runs the world and enslaves us all is not the U.N., or the Trilateral Commission, or FEMA, or the Jesuits, or the Freemasons. It’s not even the Illuminati or the Jews.

It’s the U.S. Post Office.

Hunh. Did not see that coming.

Some did:

“But this is the post office. This could get us in real trouble.” – A Security Guard to Garibaldi in Babylon 5:“A Late Delivery from Avalon”

[Fubaya]

FBI moving in, live audio