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1/A READING LIST: Understanding #Jan6 and the info operations that contributed to it requires going beyond the chatter on Twitter and Reddit and actually digging into history. Here is a list of books that I think are essential. Your suggestions are welcome also!
2/I recommend Shadow Network by @anelsona as a baseline set of knowledge to understand the Council for National Policy, and where it came from. Updated edition available in paperback next month, also. https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/46020029-shadow-network
3/Now let's go back in time... Check out Seven Days (1962) in May by Fletcher Knebel and Charles W. Bailey II, which outlines fears that anti-communist zealots in the military + intel world may overthrow the US government. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1153485.Seven_Days_In_May
4/"The Plot to Seize the White House" (1973) by Jules Archer describes the true story behind the 1934 "Business Plot" where anti-New Deal gold bugs plotted to depose (or kill) Franklin Roosevelt. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25313101-the-plot-to-seize-the-white-house?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=dCwKMX1012&rank=1
5/"Inside the League" (1986) by Scott and Jon Lee Anderson is still today the definitive guide to the formation and machinations of the World Anti-Communist League and its interface with the John Birch Society + Moon Cult, etc. https://www.amazon.com/Inside-League-Terrorists-Infiltrated-Anti-Communist/dp/0396085172
6/"Old Nazis, the New Right, and the Republican Party" (1991) by Russ Bellant is a compact monograph that brings together the European Anti-Bolshevik networks with their Asian counterparts in Taiwan, Korea, etc., focusing on Singlaub et al. https://www.amazon.com/Old-Nazis-Right-Republican-Party/dp/0896084183/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=old+nazis&qid=1614269938&s=books&sr=1-1
7/"The Sovereign Individual" (1997) by William Rees-Mogg (UK far rightist) and James Dale Davidson of Agora Publishing predicts the rise of "digital cash" and advocates for individual rule and a breakdown of nation-states. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/82256.The_Sovereign_Individual
8/"The Fourth Turning" (1997) by William Strauss + Neil Howe is Steve Bannon's personal blueprint for how to understand historical cycles. Widely discredited as "history" it nonetheless offers insights into popular theories of societal change. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/670089.The_Fourth_Turning
9/"Gold Warriors" (2003) by Sterling and Peggy Seagrave tells the story of the efforts to recover Yamashita's gold after WW II. Connecting Singlaub to the Philippines, this storyline comes up repeatedly in multiple cold war anti-communist networks. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/249237.Gold_Warriors
10/"The Handbook of 5GW" (2010) by Daniel H. Abbott is a compact guide for understanding the mechanics of networked warfare, information operations, memetics, and the like. Pull back the curtain on the info soup and see what's really going on. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19057337-the-handbook-of-5gw?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=fHcxC13RYr&rank=1
11/"Interlock" (2015) by Patricia Goldstone about the research, art, and ultimate death of Mark Lombardi is a fascinating look at his documentation of banking, intelligence, and CIA networks. Meticulously researched and a very accessible read. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24796564-interlock
12/"Dark Money" (2017) by @JaneMayerNYer is her seminal work describing the complex network of dark money behind Trump and other parts of the right. Good background on Charles + David Koch and connection to "I AM" cult. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27833494-dark-money
13/"Democracy in Chains" (2018) by Nancy MacLean details the strategy the Koch Brothers devised with economist James Buchanan to introduce "interrelated plays" aimed to achieve goals incrementally and covertly. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30011020-democracy-in-chains
14/"Invoking the Beyond" (2021) by Paul and Phillip Collins is new to me, but in its 1,000 pages they connect the military intelligence world with many of the mystical phenomena that reoccur in that world, and explore this in deep detail. https://www.amazon.com/Invoking-Beyond-Kantian-Mythologized-Menaces/dp/1663213518/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=invoking+the+beyond&qid=1618243973&sr=8-1
15/"Secret Warriors" (1988) by Steven Emerson describes how the Pentagon "went rogue" by ramping up its own "mini-CIA" operations in the early 80's in response to restrictions from Congress. Covers Iran-Contra and several related efforts. https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Warriors-Inside-Military-Operations/dp/0399133607/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=secret+warriors+Steven+emerson&qid=1618244082&s=digital-text&sr=1-3
16/"The World of the John Birch Society" (2014) by D. Molloy is a detailed look at the origins and early history of the JBS from the years 1958-1968 in particular. A complex treatment of a topic often oversimplified. https://www.amazon.com/World-John-Birch-Society-Conservatism-ebook/dp/B00L32QN82/ref=sr_1_1?crid=4KWGSBBNK5B9&dchild=1&keywords=the+world+of+the+john+birch+society&qid=1618247523&s=digital-text&sprefix=the+world+of+the+John+birch+so%2Cdigital-text%2C205&sr=1-1
17/The failure by researchers and media to connect with history has impeded popular understanding our current moment. Studying these titles as well as my essay series can help.
What books would you recommend as must-read companions? https://davetroy.medium.com/the-big-history-behind-january-6th-the-entire-series-fcf432f391dd
What books would you recommend as must-read companions? https://davetroy.medium.com/the-big-history-behind-january-6th-the-entire-series-fcf432f391dd
18/One thing that's also clear is that the frequent appearance of para-spiritual and cult-like structures in the study of the intelligence world suggests that it is a go-to technology for manipulation of societies. And it's not because it's "real" per se, it's because it works.
19/It is, in effect, the weaponization of imagination and social capital, and a way to obtain leverage on the whole of society by getting outside of its frames and manipulating it at scale. The fact that it seems "kooky" to outsiders masks its actual effects and functionality.
20/This looks like a good addition to this list in that it's historical (not a reaction to the moment) and focuses specifically on this specific network of characters. There are plenty of good books to read but a focus on the roots is quite useful. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/175064.The_Outlaw_Bank
21/I haven't read this yet, but knowing of its existence is interesting. Coe served with the same OSS clique as John Birch, Singlaub, et al in China and may have weaponized the 2012 Mayan narrative in service of CIA interests (per "Invoking the Beyond"). https://www.amazon.com/Breaking-Maya-Third-Michael-2012-02-27/dp/B01FEK3VVU
