Anonymous is a Rigid, Hierarchical Cult, Not a Looseknit Hacker Collective

And Jesus asked him, saying, "What is thy name?" And he said, "Legion": because many devils were entered into him Gospel of Luke, Luke 8:30

Anonymous propagagnda film to convince doubtful new recruits and skeptics. Notice how quickly the subliminal message flashes by from the old slogan, "Because None of Us are as Cruel as All of Us" -- a message that Anonymous wants absorbed by movement activists, but avoids fronting now on its JustSec op as counterintuitive. The training film claims that "anyone" can decide to run an "op" that will be "democratically" decided as good or bad by the "the public". But as this slice of Anonymous life below illustrates, there is no democracy.

Many journalists and a few of the "progressive" scholars of Anonymous (I wish some more critical scholars would show up) start with a fundamental premise that Anonymous is a "loose-knit" or "an informal collective" or "constantly shifting or changing" or "democratic" in some sort of rough and ready online way.

Anonymous propaganda (see above) claims it is the "first democratic institution in the world necessarily being good by definition".

Nonsense. Anonymous is a rigidly disciplined and hierarchical organization that is more like a paramilitary or terrorist or gang organization than any sort of Tupperware party or geek G+ hangout, which is how people want to pretend it is. I've written an essay summarizing my experience that this is not the case.

Whatever some very new and low-level recruits may think about it, Anonymous has only a few top leaders and a cascading hiearchy based on quests and accomplishments and obedience, and has a highly-refined system of bullying, hazing, and heckling of its own recruits, sometimes out of sight, sometimes visibly, something like the dedovshchina (hazing by elders of juniors) in the Soviet army or the press-khata in the Soviet labour camp (beatin by trusties of political prisoners). It has very clearly defined and elaborated symbols of power, identity symbols, memes that are transferred around, etc. just like the Bolsheviks or the Nazis or any authoritarian movement trying to come to power.

That's obvious to anyone who has studied the totalitarian movements of the 20th century, the anarchists and the Bolsheviks and the Nazis, as well as the subcultures that form in teen gangs, prisons, and online MMORPGs. I'm not a sociologist and I only study this in an informal way as a blogger, and unfortunately, there just aren't any really good scholars of these modern descendents of Lenin and Bukharin and Trotsky and Stalin -- those on the left completely discount any relation to past anarchist traditions and babble on about transgressive behaviour and emergent behaviour, doting on the wunderkind. We really do need to have public scholarship on Anonymous and Occupy Wall Street that is not captured by the leftists, the Soros nonprofit circuit, etc. and is independent also of the US military and government. Will we ever get this?! When will I win the lottery!

One of the hecklers asked me tonight to define Anonymous and tried to give me a three-minute propaganda film about his cult that he thought would "convert" me.

Of course, whether he realized it or not (some of this is rote training that recruits imitate without realizing its deeper meaning), he was echoing the classic KGB operation: when a KGB agent attempts to recruit a new agent, or attempts to subvert a dissident into informing on others, he will start with a simple, seemingly innocuous task, to see if the recruit will perform it on command, and get sucked in. So it might be something like, "Oh, you mentioned that newspaper article, can you send me a clipping". Or, "here's a book you might like to read, tell me what you think of it". Or, "Is that the restaurant he normally eats in?" -- anything to draw the person into their clutches.

So instead of following his instructions, I gave him the definition that I think best suits Anonymous, from Lenin: "a complete and open liquidation of democratic forms for the sake of revolutionary dictatorship"

How can that be if this group claims it is "democratic" and seemingly resting on public consent? Because they don't let the public decide openly; they decide in secret behind masks. Because they bully and harass and dox any critics and prevent actual debate. Because they claim falsely that they don't exist when in fact they have high-level secret councils and some of their main operatives are arrested.

Here's what I would have to say about JustSec in Stuebenville and OpLastResort avenging Swartz: I would say it's more about breaking down organic Justice and imposing revolutionary justice via the Internet than it is about the literal cases selected for the "ops".

And it's what Lenin said after closing down the Provisional Government and the parliament by saying "the guard is tired". This is a very good summary of the events of 95 years ago by the Russian journalist Kara-Murza, who himself was forced to leave Putin's Russia due to threats of prosecution and harassment for his critical writing.

So what you see in this little slice of Anonymous Twitter life is the following:

o a new Anonymous recruit answering the call to all cadres to come and harass someone identified as a "bully" (me, for criticizing vigilantism) comes to give me "the treatment" (doxing, heckling)

o she attempts to use the cognitive dissonance propaganda stunt by harassing me with swear words and insults into adopting her special cultish usage of the word "cunt"

o when I refuse to be bullied and stand up to her, she calls in reinforcements, consulting a higher-up in the chain who she thinks will help persecute me better and more scarily

o he arrives and then tells me I'm not worth it and that essentially, the Anonymous position is that they don't harass people for criticism of themselves because that's freedom of speech. But that isn't really their position -- it's like the Taliban saying that they're for girl's education -- they aren't really despite whatever showcases they put out front while they throw acid on the other girls or kill the vaccination workers. Even as he is telling me I won't be harassed for my criticism of Anonymou, two of his comrades are busy doxing me on Pastebin.

o he informs me that I should realize I am small fry

o she keeps up the harrassment and brings in some friends

o meanwhile another "wise soul" contacts me to tell me that he is preventing harm and is able to convince some Anonymous operators not to harm civilians (*snort*) and that he can't tell me too much about this (or he'd have to kill me LOL!) but he really does accomplish this

o likely the scenario played out about was his manipulation to prove this

o he then scolds the noob who was harassing me and appealing for help and tells her essentially she's giving the whole op a bad name.

Look, guys, do you really think nobody knows that Feb. 23 is Soviet Armed Forces day? A day in which the KGB often plans attacks on its enemies? If you didn't know it, they do, and they are right beside you, and you don't realize it>

So, this little scenario above with the free-lance harasser coming to annoy me, whistled to by other Anon regulars, and then seeking higher-level griefing capacities and getting rejected, as in fact a text-book illustration of a claim made by another interloper who said that Anonymous knew how to restrain itself for the greater glory of its Steubenvill op. But it's also a classic illustration of the secretive cadre organization where people are under "Party discipline" and cult rules.

So, follow along:

faceyet ‏@faceyet

@catfitz I'm looking for a way to get that crew to expressly say who is/isn't ops-responsible, because their tracks are on a few domains.

faceyet ‏@faceyet

@Anonymity47 JusticeSec exposed themselves. I'm willing to point that out. Why won't they minimize harm & say who's participating? @catfitz

faceyet ‏@faceyet

@anonloverz I haven't pored over your acts re law. I'm a bit surprised by you, even. I first notice attempting harm. @Anonymity47 @catfitz

When I object that Anonymous' business plan does not include harm reduction, he responds:

@faceyet

@catfitz No Anon is an island. And there are gradations of Anons. | Choices made--and holding back, in some cases--may matter for lives.

faceyet ‏@faceyet

@catfitz Easy for you to say; that's your specialty. I've seen this very night efforts to keep Anonymous folly from hurting innocent folks.

faceyet ‏@faceyet

@catfitz I dare say I've seen more of the nasty parts up close than you have. I don't flaunt accomplishments; you won't know how I've done.

So, some kind of black hat who thinks he is doing Anonymous and the world a favour. One of them cut from the same cloth, anyway.

The old MMORPG style of speaking cryptically like Aesop on a quest as if ancient and wise and rueful. He tries to discipline Anonymous' ranks:

faceyet ‏@faceyet

@luxecunt It's bad form to intrude and insult from behind a block. What more do you have to say about https://twitter.com/luxecunt/status/300136799085400064 …?

See that?

@faceyet has secret l33t skills to check for blocking on Twitter! I've blocked @luxecunt as I block all these people to show up to heckle though of course anyone can look up a feed -- it's just to minimize their harassment. Actually, the skill is not so l33t. Maybe I could even use this command:

If you are blocked by a user that you are following, your user_id will no longer appear in the list of follower ids for that user, which you can retrieve via GET followers/ids.

So he reprimands this Anonymous noob:

@faceyet

@luxecunt Do you even know how to check for blocking? You are ignorant about trolls. Did you study under Sabu?

#JusticeSec Lux ‏@luxecunt

@faceyet nope haven't been around that long I'm still a n00b but I know how to rustle your jimmies obviously ; ) meow

faceyet ‏@faceyet

@luxecunt So you desire to be a jimmies-rustlin' troll. Don't you think you should stop being part of an opsec calamity?

#JusticeSec Lux ‏@luxecunt

@faceyet I only troll old hags who bully rape victims and mess with my family. Check my work. I stand up for human rights #whatdoyoudo?

So, rustle my jimmies? From 4chan? From people who say they've never been there? But you don't have to go there in the hologram that is the Internet! Sabu? the Lulzsec guy who turned state's evidence and sang to the FBI in exchange for his freedom?

So the foot-soldiers keep up the threats, and if they send the right signals to the right people, and those right people go higher up the chain -- "expect us"!

Anonymous-Ohio ‏@AnonXain

@catfitz ..you crucify us? you slander #Anonymous? after we help innocent people who dont have a voice for themselves speak? what happens...

Anonymous-Ohio ‏@AnonXain

@catfitz ..next isnt up to me, but when you slander the name of freedom, you can expect #Anonymous. we are not one face but many.

Anonymous-Ohio ‏@AnonXain

@catfitz lets take america for exaple then, you are a drone controlled by a subliminal message. a place that swears by freedom and takes..

Anonymous-Ohio ‏@AnonXain

@catfitz your rights of privacy away. yet you slander #Anonymous? i as an individual have done nothing to degrade you. but when you degrade.

Anonymous-Ohio ‏@AnonXain

@catfitz me and my family, for the courageous acts we do, to keep the home you sleep in safe, and fight for your right to even have a blog.

Anonymous-Ohio ‏@AnonXain

@catfitz thats when a retaliation will occur. it may not come today or tomorrow, but when the sites are set, its done.

So again: this is what you get when you sign up for JustSec. The women's groups and the lefty movements and publications that think this is all lovely grassroots stuff which is just what the doctor ordered to fix "the broken" justice system, look at what you are getting -- a rigid, destructive, coercive movement that seeks to brutally punish anyone who gets in their way.

Meanwhile, "the lady doth project too much," the noob comes to instruct her fellow noob in the way only noobs can do:

#JusticeSec Lux ‏@luxecunt

@AnonXain @catfitz she doesn't have her own opinion she just regurgitates bile and negativity. Tsk tsk

Anonymous-Ohio ‏@AnonXain

@luxecunt @catfitz yeah, i can see that.

If we are to prevent this coercive embryonic totalitarian movement struggling for power from coming into being and destroying society and institutions, we have to keep documenting and opposing it. It's difficult because every kid with a cell phone now can be whispered to and flattered and recruited to fight the Man on Twitter -- even Rep. Issa shouts it from Congress.

 

Comments

[AnonXain]

for one, i am no noob. i may be new to #justicesec but that makes me no noob.

you are brainwashed by society and its pathetic.

you as an individual, arent worth my time alone. again, ill leave it to the others. post that on your blog.

yes, we are legion, for we are many.

legion came from the roman empire as well. legionaries, a fleet of 3000 or more people to fight a battle. they were undefeated!

rome wasnt built in a day, rome fell, because technology started to progress. now, as technology is in its prime, anonymous is the new rome. only this time, we use the technology to our advantage to distribute the message of JUSTICE and FREEDOM to the people. FOR THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE! only this time, rome wont fall. we will build our empire of freedom, true freedom where you can make your own decisions without being brutally chastised by social media, and blinded people who methodically go about there lives not knowing what goes on around them.

i am only here to enlighten those to oper their eyes. YOU ARE THE HEROS!

-ANON-XAIN-

[Catherine Fitzpatrick]

Re: "we will build our empire of freedom, true freedom where you can make your own decisions without being brutally chastised by social media"

So wait, comrade. This is only coming in the Bright and Glorious Future, and not now?

Because right now, I can't make a decision to opt out of the vengeance against Stuebenville and express some skepticism about the vigilantes, and a desire to see justice go forward with the real judges and courts.

When I do, I face a brutal chastisement on social media where some fucktard doxes my private information and opens me up to harassment.

My eyesight is just fine, thanks.

[AnonXain]

well you have another thing coming...

[AnonXain]

and those ADULTS are going to juvenile court. they arent being tried as adults. why dont you be a real activist, and instead of taking vengeance out on just steubenville, take it out worldwide.

you cant take what was already established, the vengeance was already ours, the vengeance was jane doe's. but, the justice hasnt been yet, which is why we occupied steubenville. i didnt see you there, supporting a poor child that was brutally taken advante of. its sick!! im a man, and i could never imagine how she must feel, that she was drugged, and raped without her consent!

so, what do you support?

as far as our glorious future, this is no easy movement, itll take our legion to act. we are busy occupying this messed up world to fix it for our future generations. how dare you quote a bible scripture in anonymous' sake? you are probably one of the ones that are with the freedom from religion movement as well huh?

its because of people like you that God was taken out of this country to begin with. and its up to us to restore it, insinuating that we apposed for a cultish movement. we dont have weekly gatherings, and we dont chant among ourselves. we socialize as a family.

our goal is to just show the people that theyre capable of changing the world as they see fit.

we take out the wrong doers.

thats no different than someone coming up to you to steal your purse and you beat the guys ass.

you did it because you felt threatened.

[AnonXain]

one more thing!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_nEH8LYjv0

[Catherine Fitzpatrick]

I have no idea what you're babbling about here. I have no need to "take out vengeance" on Steubenville or anyone.

I've documented the harassment that Anonymous is making of me and other bloggers and commenters on Twitter just for calling out their vigilantism.

"Vengeance is mine," sayeth the Lord. Not yours.

The idea that you can create the first "good" organization is completely laughable; only people completely out of touch with human nature and their own failings could posit such a utopia that inevitably turns bad.

I am not required to show up to every media and revenge circus in the universe. This girl has lawyers, she has a loving family and friends, and the police chief appears to be doing his job. Those who feel the local justice system is not impartial are welcome to use normal legal channels like contacting Congress people and so on to pursue their allegations.

Online justice delivery from Anonymous, the misogynist, abusive and hateful movement that has terrorized thousands of people for years, particularly women, is completely discredited. Anonymous has no business delivering this "justice" and is only engaged in reputational laundering.

I don't support "Occupy" because it's a coercive and even violent movement with radical ideology also from the same place yours comes from -- Marx and Lenin. I've witnessed a lot of the mayhem from them here in New York City. I'm unimpressed. Occupy yourselves, children.

Er, I hardly thing "God was taken out of this country" because of anything I've done; I believe in God which is more than you can say of a lot of the Internet thugs.

Your movement is cultish, and you need to get educated about it. In fact, Rick Ross should start a section of his website on the Anonymous cult.

No one elected or appointed you to engage in these horrific bullying stunts and stalking and idiocy, least of all this girl and her family.

I'm hardly threatened by a bunch of Anonymous losers. Your harassment of me gives the lie to your cause and lets us know that it is really not about righting the wrongs in a rape, but attempting to destroy the justice system and come to power and install revolutionary justice.

[AnonXain]

the girl and her family are very thankful that we are there to support her.

[AnonXain]

you have no idea at all how anonymous was thought up. marx and lenin was not the basis of our movement, your sources tell you wrong.

[Catherine Fitzpatrick]

I've never seen any testimonials from the family, and I would expect as a rape victim the girl would want to stay out of the news, but I don't know their strategy.

I see no indication that the family is "grateful" for all the crazy extra media attention. I'm certain that's exaggerated.

Marx, Lenin, Bukharin -- these are all the antecedents to Anonymous, and I likely know more about this subject than you.

[Catherine Fitzpatrick]

No, I can't seem to find anything about this girl's family grateful to Anonymous, although perhaps they've ginned up something.

Instead, I find a local newspaper complaining that the Anonops and the LocalLeaks caper have in fact harmed an innocent bystander in this story through the outing of a man's pictures on his email.

http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/HaireoftheDog/archives/2013/01/09/steubenville-hackers-release-nude-photos-of-apparently-innocent-victim

Not surprisingly (to me), he links to a LocalLeaks site that turns out to be on...the Ru domain. Russia.

Where sleazes go to post things that won't be susceptible to a conscientious ISP honouring their TOS and complaints. Or non-corrupt law-enforcement.

Or where people who are in cahoots with RU in other ways go.

[Why should i o it]

Thanks for the great article..