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The IRA style of announcing the bombing ahead of time might be confusing in the context of a person who appears to be a paranoid conspiracy theorist... Anyway, here's a thread about "Commander Pedro" and the Aryan Republican Army (and the OKC bombing). /1 https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/12/27/downtown-nashville-bombing-home-anthony-quinn-warner-searched/4052211001/
Well, we all know the IRA loved a good ANFO bomb, and even used one in the notorious 1993 Bishops Gate bombing, which injured 44 and killed one. Klan leader Bob Miles called for the fascist movement to follow the IRA in the mid-80s, and as Hainsworth notes below, they did. /2
The Aryan Republican Army (1993-94) were what @DavidNeiwert calls "a gang of Midwestern bank robbers" inspired by Richard Kelly Hoskins's "Phineas Priesthood"—a group of "Saxon warriors" charged with pursuing vigilante actions for the cross and against "race enemies." /3
Byron de la Beckwith, who murdered Medgar Evers, was the most infamous "member" of the Phineas Priesthood, but members of the fascist terrorist group, the Order, were also linked to the tendency. With the Order, the Aryan Republican Army was also tied to Aryan Nations. /4
Basically the Aryan Republican Army mostly robbed banks and sent money to white supremacist groups until getting busted. However, they had gimmicks, like wearing weird masks or leaving an apparent bomb to cover their escape, according to Leonard Zeskind's _Blood and Politics_. /5
The group, which was fairly small, was led by a guy named Peter Langan, who called himself "Commander Pedro." He got busted after his buddy ratted him out, and they found Phineas Priest literature at his place, along with military ordnance, weapons, etc. /6
Now, the Aryan Republican Army also hung out at Elohim City, a "Christian Identity settlement" in Oklahoma (per Zeskind). One of their members was for two years roommates with a guy they called "Andy the German," whose full relationship with Timothy McVeigh is still opaque. /7
What we do know is that McVeigh placed a call to Elohim City days ahead of the bombing asking to talk to Andy the German, and had Andy's business card in his wallet. Obviously, Andy knew about the Aryan Republican Army, and we know McVeigh talked about the Phineas Priesthood. /8
A longstanding conspiracy theory is that the Aryan Republican Army (1993-1994) and McVeigh's 1995 OKC bombing were connected, but it is enough to note that the tactics of massive ammonium nitrate bombings were reminiscent of the IRA, which inspired the Aryan Republican Army. /9
Was Anthony Q. Warner a would-be Phineas Priest or a Christian Identity adherent inspired by McVeigh and the Aryan Republican Army? I somehow doubt it. It may very well be that he was a QAnon follower, as fascists on Telegram appear to claim. But that's still important. /10
If it's the case, it would show that QAnon followers have engaged in tactics qualitatively similar to the Christian Identity and Phineas Priest types who were part of Timothy McVeigh's extended network. In other words, we are looking at something that's a lot like fascism. /11
The kind of fascism that blows up huge buildings, city blocks, assassinates journalists, radio hosts, and so forth. Even if he was into 5G theories without being a QAnon devotee, there's enough overlap in the conspiracy theory community to be concerned here. /12
I do think it's getting worse, more dangerous, and more radical and revolutionary. The Nashville bombing seems to me a warning shot (it could have been a lot worse), and it's important to note that QAnon is a leader cult for Trump who, far from disassociating, supports it. /13
So while it appears increasingly similar to the overlap of anti-government, militia, and fascist entities from which the OKC bombing arose, its numbers are also way stronger than Christian Identity. Again, not saying there's a big conspiracy but that doesn't matter. /14
Right wing and conspiracy-theory networks are complex, adaptive systems in which signaling is sent through a codex of words and action, and translated by participants engaging in a broad, horizontal online media system. It's "leaderless resistance," and it's insurgency. /15
They want the elections tossed and Trump rule; they want an end to lockdowns and a halt to vaccines (there will likely be sabotage and attacks); they want to eliminate their enemies—openly-radical antifascists first, then liberals, etc. The despair grows as Trump loses. /16
So don't let them win by getting scared and hiding. Oppose fascism, support each other with empathy, and don't let them accelerate societal tensions into a civil war. There are lots of them, but more of us. /Ends
Also, shout out to @SawyerLIKE for teasing out some of these thoughts during an earlier convo.
