Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Great, Yet Another Apocalyptic Cult Backs Trump

I have never been a Facebook user... my background in investigations made me leery of posting personal information on the internet (I’m largely anonymous online now). I have largely been insulated from targeted political ads. This, I really had no idea that yet another apocalyptic cult was producing a ton of pro-Trump content online. While it’s well-known that Christian end-timers are enthusiastic, even heretical, Trump supporters, the support of Trump by a syncretic Eastern cult surprised me. I was aware of Falun Gong through brief encounters with adherents in NYC, and news reports of persecution of believers by the Chinese government, but I had no idea that their doctrine was homophobic, anti-evolution, and eschatological in nature. Of course, there are aliens involved, but, like Scientology, that content is hidden from new converts.

The NBC story is essential reading, it lays out the Falun Gong leadership’s use of Donald Trump as a foil to... uhh... foil the Chinese government. The psyop campaign they have been running online has been broad, but subtle. Beware, though, the story opens up a rabbit hole which could occupy hours of your time- this is a pretty thorough introduction to the group from a former insider.

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