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March 19, 2006

The Fringe

As a former pysch ward nurse-turned-sociologist once taught me, the key to understanding clinical paranoia is that their delusions are not illogical. If you accept their first premise, the rest of their argument follows, completely logically. It's that first premise that is off the wall.

Like these people. I'm not going to excerpt from the article because frankly I don't want to attract any of their followers. So go read.

Doesn't sound too bad, does it? A little wacky but relatively harmless. 'Voluntary' taxes, no vaccinations, 'real' money standard, states rights, state 'militia'. Take a good look at the photo accompanying the article. Do you really think those gentlemen acquired those firearms without the sincere belief that they would one day have to use them? And do you really believe they keep all their firearms at their 'meeting house'?

Me neither.

If you closely examine their publicly touted 'harmless' beliefs, there's a common thread. Their first premise, if you will. The government is out to get them because only they understand the conspiracy. Someday they will have to overthrow the government to 'protect' the peoples' rights. Hence the arsenal. And they expect that 'someday' will come soon.

Scary crazy, that's what they are.

Posted by Rita at March 19, 2006 06:26 AM

Comments

I guess they don't all live in Montana.

I don't know whether to be relieved or a-skeered.

Posted by: Craig at March 19, 2006 07:06 AM

Be a-skeered. Be very a-skeered.

I especially like their 'you don't really have to pay income tax' thing. That one always cracks me up.

Posted by: Rita [TypeKey Profile Page] at March 19, 2006 07:22 AM

I think I may have mentioned that my former landlord was involved in something like that.

She freely told me she pays about $3 grand a year in attorney fee's to some group in Florida to keep from paying her taxes.

I pointed out that, since she didn't work...she was probably spending more than she would have paid in the first place.

After that my wife had to give her the rent because she wouldn't speak to me :P

Posted by: BloodSpite at March 19, 2006 08:02 AM

In Jersey, we have guys who have lots of guns, don't pay taxes, and meet (well armed) in secret places. We call them mobsters.

I think they have more jewelry than these guys. Maybe more teeth too.

Posted by: Jim - PRS at March 19, 2006 08:39 AM

Hehe. Now why'd you go bursting her fantasy bubble like that for, BS?

Jim, it's been my experience that most of these people ain't from around here. They move here in the mistaken belief that they can disappear into sparsely populated areas....which totally ignores the reality of our rural, small-town life.

Everybody knows what everybody else is doing, sooner or later. And we tend to keep a real close eye on 'furriners'.

Posted by: Rita [TypeKey Profile Page] at March 19, 2006 10:01 AM

Yo, that's nuts! I'm surprised I didn't hear anything from those guys when the county zoning discussion was going on here in Benton County. Some farmers were under the impression that they were losing their rights to the government.

Actually, I'm kind of afraid to talk about these guys.

uh....nevermind

Posted by: Bill McNeal at March 19, 2006 10:28 AM

I'm surprised you didn't too Bill. Or maybe you did and just didn't realize it.

Posted by: Rita [TypeKey Profile Page] at March 19, 2006 10:52 AM