{"id":25260,"date":"2013-09-16T00:40:04","date_gmt":"2013-09-16T03:40:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/christianfighterpilot.com\/blog\/?p=25260"},"modified":"2016-11-26T00:48:28","modified_gmt":"2016-11-26T03:48:28","slug":"michael-weinstein-as-subject-matter-in-af-eo-course","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/christianfighterpilot.com\/blog\/2013\/09\/16\/michael-weinstein-as-subject-matter-in-af-eo-course\/","title":{"rendered":"Michael Weinstein as Subject Matter in AF EO Course"},"content":{"rendered":"

It was noted once here before that Michael Weinstein met a newspaper’s definition for “conspiracy theorist”<\/a>, though it wasn’t trying<\/em> to talk about Weinstein at the time.\u00a0 In that vein, Judicial Watch recently obtained training materials<\/a> from an Air Force Equal Opportunity course, which had a similar unintended subject matter\u00a0— listing character traits for Michael Weinstein without meaning to.<\/p>\n

What was it the AF training was trying to describe?<\/p>\n

An extremist<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The following text describes how the EO course inadvertenty describes many character traits that Weinstein displays.\u00a0 While most won’t be interested in such a character analysis, the reason for noting this is to highlight the fact that Michael Weinstein is no run-of-the-mill “religious freedom” advocate, despite his claims.\u00a0 He is, as the course material shows, a religious “extremist” intent on bending the US military to his<\/em> will — even if it contradicts human liberty and the protections of the US Constitution…and an Air Force training course actually helps explain that.<\/p>\n

Quoting from Nazis, communists, Klansmen, and others on the fringe: Political extremism in America<\/em> by George and Wilcox (1992), the Air Force Equal Opportunity Advisor Course, as of January 2013, listed the following traits and explanations:<\/p>\n

According to George and Wilcox, there are a number of specific traits or behaviors that tend to represent the extremist style…<\/p>\n

a. Character assassination
\n<\/strong>Extremists often attack the character of an opponent rather than deal with the facts or issues raised.\u00a0 They will question motives, qualifications, past associations, alleged values, personality, looks, and mental health as a diversion…<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

That’s a pretty easy one.\u00a0 Look at any article or interview in which Weinstein has talked about just about anyone<\/em> else.\u00a0 Weinstein has threatened physical violence<\/a> rather than address the substance of a disagreement, and he has even stooped to anti-Semitism<\/a> to denigrate those who don’t agree with him.\u00a0 Character assassination is Weinstein’s modus operandi<\/em>.<\/p>\n

b. Name calling and labeling
\n<\/strong>Extremists are quick to resort to taunts (e.g., pervert, racist, and crackpot) to label and condemn opponents…<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Weinstein is (in)famous for his “creative<\/a>” name-calling<\/a>, as well as labeling Christians<\/a> with descriptors <\/a>of his own choosing.<\/p>\n

c. Irresponsive sweeping generalizations
\n<\/strong>Extremists tend to make sweeping claims or judgments with little to no evidence…<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Weinstein claims a large percentage of the US military is driven by their theology to take over the world<\/a>.\u00a0 He frequently identifies the private theological beliefs of public figures.\u00a0 His evidence?\u00a0 None.<\/p>\n

d. Inadequate proof behind assertions
\n<\/strong>Extremists tend to be very fuzzy about what constitutes proof for their assertions…<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Weinstein claims to have received tens of thousand of complaints, while never actually explaining what those complaints are<\/em>.\u00a0 When asked who these evil Christians are that he is fighting, he’ll launch into a diatribe about Officers’ Christian Fellowship<\/a> — without ever explaining how their existence is “proof” of anything.\u00a0 Combined with the mantra of his research assistant, Chris Rodda, who famously demurs that she has the smoking gun but can’t show it to anyone, Weinstein has the perfect, unproveable, 1-2 punch.<\/p>\n

e. Tendency to view opponents and critics as essentially evil
\n<\/strong>Extremists feel that their opponents hold differing views because they are bad, immoral, dishonest, hateful, cruel, prejudiced, etc. and not merely because they simply disagree..<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

See (a) above, and Weinstein’s claim that his opponents are equivalent to racists<\/a> and rapists<\/a>.\u00a0 Weinstein has never publicly had a remotely kind word for anyone who opposed his accusations.\u00a0 (Rodda, Rick, feel free to provide a citation to say otherwise.)<\/p>\n

f. Dualism worldview
\n<\/strong>Extremists tend to see the world in terms of absolute good and evil…with the right and good positions coinciding with their interests…<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This is most evident in Weinstein’s treatment of those who support<\/em> him, but don’t support him strongly enough<\/em>, like the Jewish Anti-Defamation League<\/a>.<\/p>\n

g. Tendency to argue by intimidation
\n<\/strong>Extremists tend to frame their arguments in such a way as to intimidate others into accepting their premises and conclusions. To disagree with them is to ally oneself with the devil or to give aid and comfort to the enemy…<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

When Weinstein claims military Christians are\u00a0national security threats<\/a> that aid al Qaeda, he’s daring<\/em> people\u00a0to disagree with him and ‘support the enemy.’<\/p>\n

h. Use of slogans, buzzwords, and thought-stopping clich\u00e9s<\/strong>
\nFor many extremists, shortcuts in thinking and in reasoning matters out seem necessary to avoid troublesome facts and compelling counterarguments. Simple slogans substitute for more complex abstractions<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In his desire to be quoteworthy and mined for soundbytes, Weinstein lives<\/em> by these “shortcuts in thinking.”\u00a0 Listen to him speak for just 5 minutes and he’ll quote three different people and four different clich\u00e9s (and the same analogies he always does: gravity, Starbucks, Hitler’s percentage, etc., etc.).\u00a0 Similarly, when he runs into opposition, it is far easier to call people\u00a0“bigots” than actually defend or explain his positions.<\/p>\n

i. Assumption of moral superiority over others
\n<\/strong>The most obvious assumptions are claims…[of] membership in a special or elite class and a kind of aloof high-minded snobbishness that accrues because of the weightiness of their preoccupations, their altruism, and their willingness to sacrifice themselves (and others) to their cause<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Weinstein’s claims of martyrdom know no end, as he advertises his hate-mail like a badge of honor.\u00a0 His\u00a0melodramatic claims of self-sacrifice are also the basis for much of his fundraising.\u00a0 In his world, this grants him “legitimacy” to speak with authority and superiority.\u00a0 That’s probably why Weinstein — who left the Air Force as a Captain — addresses US Generals by their first names.\u00a0 It’s his way of demonstrating his own “superior rank.”<\/p>\n

j. Doomsday thinking
\n<\/strong>Extremists often predict dire or catastrophic consequences from a situation or from a failure to follow a specific course, and they tend to exhibit a kind of crisis-mindedness…Whatever it is, it is just around the corner unless we follow their program and listen to their special insight and wisdom..<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Weinstein doesn’t think too much of this, actually.\u00a0 He just thinks Christians are trying to take over America<\/a> to kill Jews<\/a>\u00a0by starting a global nuclear war<\/a>. And they’re trying to execute that plan right now<\/em>.\u00a0 That’s all.\u00a0 No biggie. And its simple to stop:\u00a0 Just do exactly what he says.<\/p>\n

k. Belief that it\u2019s okay to do bad things in the service of a \u201cgood\u201d cause<\/strong>
\nExtremists may deliberately lie or otherwise distort, misquote, slander, defame, or libel their opponents and\/or critics…Defeating an enemy becomes an all-encompassing goal to which other values are subordinate…<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

There is little other way to explain Weinstein’s\u00a0viscious attacks on his critics, from US troops<\/a> to Jewish soccer moms<\/a>.\u00a0 He said long ago he intended to leave “sucking chest wounds<\/a>,” and he has never seemed to care who his victims were.<\/p>\n

l. Tendency to personalize hostility<\/strong>
\nExtremists often wish for the personal bad fortune of their enemies and celebrate when it occurs…Their hatred was not only directed against ideas, but also against individual human beings.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Weinstein “rejoiced” over the death of Jerry Falwell<\/a>, but such celebration is not a one time event.\u00a0 He most recently celebrated the apparent demise<\/a> of the career of LtCol Dooley. It is one thing to celebrate a victory of principle; quite another to celebrate the personal adversity of one’s adversaries.<\/p>\n

m. Emphasis on emotional responses, less so on reasoning and logical analysis<\/strong>
\nExtremists have an unspoken reverence for propaganda, which they may call education or consciousness-raising…Effective extremists tend to be effective propagandists…<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Propaganda is an art for Weinstein, and one in which he generally excels — when he has an editor.\u00a0 He can paint an effective picture of treasonous Christians bent on evil, and he has successfully convinced many who either don’t know the truth or do not care to learn.\u00a0 The most common case in point: A veteran who shockingly declares “I was in for 10 years and never saw these Christians bent on world domination…”\u00a0 Rather than be skeptical about Weinstein’s claims based on their own experiences, the vet will say “I can’t believe what’s happened to my military…”<\/p>\n

n. Hypersensitivity and vigilance<\/strong>
\nExtremists perceive hostile innuendo in even casual and innocuous comments…and see latent subversion…and so on in innocent gestures and ambiguous behaviors. Although few extremists are actually clinically paranoid, many of them adopt a paranoid style with its attendant projective mechanisms, hostility, and distrust.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

A military officer says “God,” Weinstein sees treason<\/a>\u00a0and a plan to start World War III.\u00a0 Clear enough?<\/p>\n

o. Use of supernatural rationales for beliefs and actions<\/strong>
\nSome extremists…claim some kind of supernatural rationale for their beliefs and actions; their movement or cause, they believe, is ordained or looked upon favorably by God.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Rather than religion, Weinstein acts as if he has had a special “revelation” on US governance and the US Constitution.\u00a0 He rules by fiat (or fatwa), declaring what is and is not “right” in America, and woe to those who oppose him.<\/p>\n

p. Advocacy of double standards
\n<\/strong>Extremists generally tend to judge themselves or their interest group in terms of their intentions, which they tend to view generously, and their critics and opponents by their acts, which they tend to view very critically. They would like you to accept their assertions on faith, but they demand proof for yours.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Classic Weinstein: He holds others to standards he cannot uphold himself<\/a>, and his “clients” demand “freedoms” he seeks to deny Christians<\/a>.<\/p>\n

While that is the substance of that EO course section, the list is obviously not exhaustive.\u00a0 Still,\u00a0many who have followed these conversations over the years will recognize the list isn’t even necessary<\/em>.\u00a0 Michael Weinstein has demonstrated by his speech and his actions that he\u00a0“wars” against those whom he<\/em> considers to be the “wrong kind” of Christians in the US military.<\/p>\n

Michael Weinstein would have the\u00a0US government\u00a0take action against American citizens\u00a0who hold religious beliefs\u00a0he dislikes<\/em>.<\/p>\n

You don’t need an EO course to see the character flaws in that kind of crusader.<\/p>\n

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