By Tom Baxter

Unless you’re among the select few who really know what’s going on, you may never have heard of the 305th Military Intelligence Battalion, or Executive Order 13848, or Scytl.

You may not know that CIA Director Gina Haspel was killed last month in a U.S. Special Forces raid in Frankfurt, Germany, which retrieved a server used to control the Dominion voting machines in the U.S. presidential election. Or maybe she was just wounded. Or arrested, and singing like a bird about the global conspiracy to throw the election.

To those who believe a secret cabal of liberal pedophiles rule the world and is on the brink of being exposed, it doesn’t matter that the story changes a lot. It’s the specifics, the numbers and the code-like words, the dates and addresses that feed the hunger of those who want to believe the story, and pass it along as their own. That, and the promise that the whole thing’s about to blow, and they’ll be vindicated in their beliefs. That Gina is right now singing like a bird. That the world will soon know.

Conservative commentator Erick Erickson recently compared the QAnon movement to the Gnostics of early Christianity, who believed that only those who had access to a special, secret knowledge would reach the highest part of heaven. It’s a very apt comparison, worth expanding on, especially at this time.

From what we’ve learned, Gnosticism appears to have been more a habit of mind settled around a collection of beliefs rather than a single movement. Similarly, the new Gnosticism appears to be spreading in the post-election period far past the QAnon movement of a few months ago. It’s becoming a habit of mind for Trump voters who hunger for the knowledge that the election was rigged.

Since the election there are a lot more people who are unhappy with the reality they’re confronted with, and open to a new one more in line with their beliefs. Therefore when the certified Democratic electors met Monday to cast Georgia’s electoral votes for Joe Biden, a shadow group of Republicans, with no real electoral votes, went through the motions of casting their vote.

The secret knowledge of the early Gnostics often involved turning conventional beliefs on their heads. Judas was not Christ’s betrayer, but the disciple who really “got” him. The mighty God of Genesis was a bumbling demigod, not the creator of the universe.

This tendency is very consistent, down through the ages. “Destroy the GOP,” pro-Trump demonstrators chanted at a Washington rally Saturday, as President Trump flew over several times in Marine One. The number of conservatives and party leaders being denounced as Deep State traitors grows longer by the day.

Donald Trump has been at the center of the new Gnosticism, not so much the visible Trump as the one working behind the scenes, masterfully maneuvering his enemies into inevitable defeat.

With the Electoral College meeting to make Joe Biden’s election official, that belief in Trump the hidden mastermind is being tested as never before.

There really is an Executive Order 13848, but it doesn’t give Trump nearly the reach some have speculated he has. There’s a 305th Military Intelligence Battalion, but it’s a training unit based in Arizona. There’s a Spanish voting machine company called Scytl, but it has no presence in Frankfurt, where that fateful raid is supposed to have taken place. Gina Haspel, according to the CIA, is still on the job.

All the intricate puzzle pieces that were supposed to combine for a stunning turnaround haven’t fitted together. As the world moves on, the details that meant so much at the moment will fade, fairly quickly. But we don’t know yet what the people who have believed so fervently in this hidden knowledge are going to do.

Trump didn’t invent this movement he’s been at the center of, and his fate after the White House is no predictor of how this new strain of Gnosticism is going to develop. There are sure to be more stories which fit what their listeners want to believe, and a Democratic administration on which to focus their ire. But will the secret genius ever be as convincing as he was?

Tom Baxter has written about politics and the South for more than four decades. He was national editor and chief political correspondent at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and later edited The Southern...

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48 Comments

  1. Boy are your eyes going to be opened before Jesus one day for your blasphemy! You need to repent and ask Jesus for forgiveness because your soul is in jeopardy!

  2. First of all, it’s not “fitted together” it’s “fit together”. Second, why don’t you do some real journalistic investigation into the election fraud? Every American regardless of party preference should be concerned that this election held no integrity. And it takes a REAL conspiracist to think that the factual links between Dominion machines, Soros, Clinton, Venezuela, and China are nothing more than coincidence.

  3. Lol imagine being dumb enough to think there was widespread election fraud even though trump’s lawyers haven’t provided a single shred of evidence in court and refuses to even allege fraud in court. So dumb.

    1. Apparently, you don’t need to imagine being dumb. Trump never made it into court on the merits. Judges, in contravention of applicable law, and without any sort of summary judgments motions, simply refused to hear the cases. No conspiracy here, right?

  4. Authoritarianism has found a comfortable home in the GOP as have racism, religious zealotry, misogyny, and homophobia. And the Trumpet’s version of these is only slightly more virulent than the pre-Trump versions. But, now they are the Republican Party policies. If one cannot accept those as the party gospel going forward, you are not and never again will be a Republican. While I would like a Republican party not just there to be obstructionist or push through radical fringe policies, they should address what bring fringe candidates like Marjorie Green, conspiracy theorist, to Congress in the 14th district. This is an example of our extraordinarily depressing primary process in gerrymandered districts that rewards the craziest of crazies. Start there and you’ll restore sanity. Let’s see if the Georgia house dominated by Republicans rises to this responsible challenge, I doubt they will.
    If the coalition that defeated Trump and elected President-elect Joe Biden, of which some Republicans were apart, fails now to lead the nation past the coronavirus pandemic, widespread job losses and economic instability, social division and injustice, inaccessible health care, fiscal shortfalls, and disinformation, we will invite a resurgence of Trumpism and even more formidable ill-liberalism. Moreover, the further decline of American institutions will continue First, that’s a big ask for four years. But to even get started on it, we have to control the Senate. So the start of this process is in Georgia with the election of Jon Ossolf and Raphael Warnock to the United States Senate.
    Finally, as for the Republicans, they will have to decide about returning the Republican Party liberated of fear, corruption, and authoritarianism, or will they attempt to replace it with a new conservative alternative? From what 126 Republican congressmen did in supporting Texas’ seditious challenge to Trump’s defeat, I am not optimistic.

        1. She is just laying low hoping to hold onto her job. She’s probably thinking, “ut of sight–out of mind” might allow her to continue in her current position with the new administration. But I don’t think Biden will keep her.

      1. As was mentioned,she took a bullet for the DNC because she was a TRAITOR and was arrested. She was treated for her wound and spilled the beans against the rest of her cohorts.Guantanamo Bay.

  5. So this writer thinks he is debunking Gina Haspel rumours by just saying ‘The CIA say she is at work’. Wow, hard hitting investigative journalism.

    1. That’s the story given by the CIA two weeks ago. They also added it was the most ridiculous inquiry they had ever received. Two weeks later now and there has been complete silence. If someone wants everyone to know how ridiculous it is to think something happened to them, isn’t the most obvious solution to show yourself?

  6. Im offering $10,000.00 reward for proof that Gina Haspel is free and in the USA after 12/1/20. Her family should reach out to me. Let’s put an end to this. Fact check and Snopes should match my reward.

  7. CIA reportedly made a telephone statement that Gina Haspel is “alive and well” and working in her office.

    But, she has not made any public appearances since prior to the election.

    A serious journalist would do some research of his own on this. Interview Gina, for example, on video, in order to prove his point. But, this author has apparently done nothing more than take the CIA press office’ word at face value, something that anyone with an internet connection can do.

  8. Gina Haspel was last seen in public meeting at McConnell’s office after the election. Since then, she has been MIA. The last verified news event with her was around November 10th. Chris Wray hasn’t really been seen much either lately… There is no shame in having an inquisitiveness regarding their whereabouts.

    As for servers in Germany, Scytl, and Dominion, these aren’t things made up from the internet. This information comes from statements from Sidney Powell, and Lin Wood to name a few. What makes these people less legitimate than you, Tom Baxter?

  9. Before you provide your opinions as factyou really should do some research and BTW there is no such thing as a Qanon movement that was the first clue you did no research, but just just spread verbal diarrhea on a page because your a DNC believer….

  10. I’ve been trying to find the answer to this for the last 3 weeks . Not even a peep from CIA since Trump didn’t inform them of meeting in mid November

  11. Are you serious? About a Biden video–& Trump supporters being based in facts & evidence. Donald Trump’s name should never be used in the same sentence with the word “facts”.. It’s an oxymoron. So you all aren’t serious about Gina Haspel being MIA, right? Bill Barr was MIA too–for over a month. I thought he had Covid but he was just laying low–probably trying to avoid the President.. He didn’t want to be the one to tell The Donald that no election fraud could be found & no dirt on Joe Biden for any October surprise. For a guy fighting so hard to hang onto his job, he sure doesn’t seem to want to DO HIS JOB. He;s got 30 days left but he checked out 3 days after the election was called for Biden. He should just go home early to Florida since he’s not doing his job. All he does is play golf, watch tv & tweet. But his neighbors down there don’t want him there either & nobody ever wants to golf with him b/c.he cheats o much. He cheats on every hole he plays & kicks his balls so much on the course that all the caddies call him Pele.He steals other player’s balls and always drives his cart up on the greens–which is a HUGE NO-NO. He’s just a crude jerk.He always plays at his own courses b/c he’d probably be kicked out of any other club he doesn’t own.

    1. Pan, I’ve heard of liberal delusion but you my dear are the queen of stupidity. You are so full of liberal shit I can smell you from here. You might want to read up on facts and not opinions.

  12. What the f#ck kind of garbage did I just read? You owe me for time wasted on this drivel. Utter nonsense. Go get a frickin’ job writing code because you sure as hell can’t write “news”. Journalist hack.

  13. So I must have missed it. Where did you show that Gina is currently? Not the internal rumor that she is ‘on the job’. That’s rather vague. Show her to us.

  14. Wow, what garbage. Another Cabal mouthpiece. What’s sad is these people actually cannot conceive the idea that we’re being lied to and manipulated. There whole outlook of life is collapsing and their desperately attempting to sustain the old paradigm. Yet the old paradigm is coming to an end and we’re all going to have to face the music. The election was rigged, there is plenty of evidence out there. Grow up Tom and face the music

  15. This article was written by a delusional old man, not sure how it got publicized. The second he compared the state legislation in Georgia to a “shadow group of republicans with no real votes,” he lost all credibility. Sad, that a reader has to be the one who informs you on how our constitution is written, sadly for you, it’s actually the state legislation who is the ONLY one with real power to appoint electors. I think you and Biden have been sharing the same basement, because it sounds like both of you lack the cognitive ability to formulate coherent thoughts.

  16. So we can spin and waffle and guess , but why doesn’t Gina H do a public appearance ? She must know that many people are worried about her whereabouts ….just do a brief public appearance ,…. has any mainstream media reporters requested an interview with her ?

  17. You wanna know where she is? Gina Haspel was corrupt and has been arrested for her vile work and putting a hit out on John McCroan. He (Me) has been exposing all the vile things her agency was doing. Christopher Wray assisted with the take down and is as corrupt, if not more. She is sitting in Jail with a gag order.
    John McCroan

  18. Q Anon is an Alice In Wonderland rabbit hole – for those who love baseless conspiracy theories. They thrive on decieving themselves that they are a small elite group privvy to government “secrets”. Another word for this is paranoid delusional. Like folks that wear aluminum foil hats to deflect the beams from outer space. LOL Ask them about their lizard people. (The earth is flat and Elvis is in the house..)

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