The Middle Class Is Collateral Damage in Biden’s War on Wealth

The Middle Class Is Collateral Damage in Biden’s War on Wealth 

Jun 25, 2024 3 min read

Key Takeaways

What is being sold as a way to soak the rich will severely damage the average American’s ability to save for retirement.

By disincentivizing saving and investing among those with the most resources, Biden’s war on wealth will reduce the nation’s total investment in the economy.

Biden is promising to give a handout to major political donors at the expense of the middle class. Such is the difference between rhetoric and reality.

  Copied 

The Biden administration’s hackneyed talking point of “the rich paying their fair share” sounds appealing at first. Who could be against fairness?

But there is nothing fair about a political agenda that punishes the middle class and lowers everyone’s standard of living—rich and poor alike.

In his proposed budget for 2025, President Joe Biden plans to not only increase income tax rates across the board, but also radically change the rules governing retirement accounts with large balances. What is being sold as a way to soak the rich will severely damage the average American’s ability to save for retirement.

Wealthy individuals with large retirement accounts will be forced to withdraw any savings over the government’s predetermined limits. To add insult to injury, those withdrawals will be taxed at a penalty rate.

>>> Biden Is Turning the American Dream of Retirement Into a Nightmare

This disincentivizes putting savings in financial assets like stocks. The result will be less money flowing into these traditional investments—vehicles which are ubiquitous among middle-class retirement accounts.

But Biden’s proposed changes would effectively force those with large savings accounts to liquidate their holdings and forbid those savers from rebuilding their drained balances. That represents a significant drop in demand for stocks and other financial instruments.

With that decline in demand comes lower prices. Thus, middle-class Americans will not see their retirement savings grow as quickly. But it gets worse for these folks.

Instead of owning things like stocks held in a retirement account, the wealthy will have to use other vehicles for investment, like housing. The essential mechanics work the same whether a person invests in equities or real estate: you buy an asset today with the anticipation of selling it in the future at a higher price.

The problem for the middle class is that the increased demand for real estate on the part of the wealthy will drive up demand for housing and put upward pressure on prices. That will exacerbate the homeownership affordability crisis already afflicting millions of Americans.

Furthermore, as wealthy investors gain additional incentives to purchase real estate, homes for sale will be taken off the market, replaced by homes for rent. This will force many Americans to rent forever and to miss out on what is often a middle-class family’s largest component of their wealth: owning a home.

Another deleterious effect of Biden’s proposed retirement change will be slower economic growth. When you tax or otherwise penalize something, you get less of it. By disincentivizing saving and investing among those with the most resources, Biden’s war on wealth will reduce the nation’s total investment in the economy.

Since private investment is the source of factories, machines, A.I. and other productivity gains, less investment means less growth, and that results in a lower standard of living for all Americans, regardless of income level.

>>> Biden’s Giveaway to His Donors Is SALT in the Wound

The middle class are simply collateral damage in Biden’s war on wealth. His assault on high-income earners, innovators, and other targets of political demagoguery will cause far more financial casualties among average Americans—the very group Biden claims to defend.

His insistence on killing the Trump tax reform is a perfect example of this phenomenon. By allowing the tax reform of his predecessor to expire, Biden will be increasing taxes on virtually all Americans, including the middle class. However, one notable group will pay much less in taxes.

Ultra-high-income earners in high tax states—which are exclusively run by Democrats—will be able to take advantage of special deductions which the Trump tax reform has limited for the last six years. Millionaires in New York City will see their federal income tax liability decrease about 9%, despite their tax rate going up on paper.

By committing to ending the Trump tax reform, Biden is promising to give a handout to major political donors at the expense of the middle class. Such is the difference between rhetoric and reality.

This piece is a part of The Heritage Foundation’s Wealth and Innovation project which stands to defend and promote the freedom to innovate, create and use wealth. These are essential to the delicate process by which innovators and entrepreneurs work to build a prosperous and purposeful society. 

This piece originally appeared in the Daily Caller

https://www.heritage.org/taxes/commentary/the-middle-class-collateral-damage-bidens-war-wealth

SECTION 4:

POVERTY CERTAIN GENERAL PRINCIPLES

157 Voluntary religious poverty is the attempt of fallen human beings, in the radical following of the humble and poor Christ, to achieve that freedom from every inordinate attachment which is the condition for a great and ready love of God and neighbor.[39]

158 The principle and foundation of our poverty is found in a love of the Word of God made flesh and crucified.[40] Therefore in the Society that way of life is to be maintained which is as far as possible removed from all infection of avarice and as like as possible to evangelical poverty, which our first fathers experienced as more gratifying, more undefiled, and more suitable for the edification of the neighbor.[41]

159 §1. Our poverty in the Society is apostolic: our Lord has sent us to preach in poverty. [42] Therefore our poverty is measured by our apostolic purpose, so that our entire apostolate is informed with the spirit of poverty.[43] §2. Efficiency in the apostolate and the witness of apostolic poverty are two values that are closely united and must be held in an ongoing tension; this is a rule for apostolic institutes as well as for individuals.[44]

160 Our poverty is the condition of our apostolic credibility,[45] as the total expression of our trust in God and our freely given service to others,[46] when we are made witnesses of the freely bestowed love of God, who gave his Son for us in the total emptying of the incarnation and the cross.[47]

161 The forms of our poverty must truly suit the mentality, life, and apostolate of our times and give a visible witness to the Gospel. Therefore, our contemporary poverty must be especially characterized by these qualities: sincerity, by which our lives are really poor; devotion to work, by which we resemble workers in the world; and charity, by which we freely devote ourselves and all we have for the service of the neighbor.[48]

162 Let our poverty, sincerely and profoundly renewed,

be simple in community expression and joyous in the following of Christ,

happy in sharing all goods among ourselves and with others,

apostolic in its active indifference and readiness for any service,

inspiring our selection of ministries and turning us to those most in need,

spiritually effective, proclaiming Jesus Christ in our way of life and in all we do.[49]

163 The preferential option for the poor, as proposed by the Church, which the Society wishes to make its own, should find some concrete expression directly or indirectly in the life of every companion of Jesus, as well as in the orientations of our existing apostolic works and in our choice of new ministries.[50]

The Constitutions of The Society of Jesus and Their Complimentary Norms

A Complete English Translation of the Official Latin Texts

THE INSTITUTE OF JESUIT SOURCES

SAINT LOUIS, 1996

https://web.archive.org/web/20200211182223/https://jesuitas.lat/uploads/the-constitutions-of-the-society-of-jesus-and-their-complementary-norms/Constitutions%20and%20Norms%20SJ%20ingls.pdf

The Union Générale.

Meanwhile the Nationalist and Reactionary parties in France desired to counterbalance the "Semitic" influence of the Rothschilds by establishing a banking concern which should be essentially Catholic. Accordingly in 1876 the Union Générale was founded with a capital of 4,000,000 francs, increased to 25,000, 000 fraces in 1878 under the direction of a certain Bontoux. After various vicissitudes, graphically described by Zola in his novel "L'Argent," the Union failed, and brought many of the Catholic nobility of France to ruin, leaving the Rothschilds still more absolutely the undisputed leaders of French finance, but leaving also a legacy of hatred which had much influence on the growth of the anti-Semitic movement in France. Something analogous occurred in England when the century-long competition of the Barings and the Rothschilds culminated in the failure of the former in 1893; but in this case the Rothschilds came to the rescue of their rivals and prevented a universal financial catastrophe. It is a somewhat curious sequel to the attempt to set up a Catholic competitor to the Roths-childs that at the present time the latter are the guardians of the papal treasure.

Of recent years the Rothschilds have consistently refused to have anything to do with loans to Russia, owing to the anti-Jewish legislation of that empire, though on one occasion the members of the Paris house joined in a loan to demonstrate their patriotism as Frenchmen."

ROTHSCHILD - JewishEncyclopedia.com

https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/12909

Crest: The shield is surmounted by a baronial crown, wound round with small pearls and decorated with five large pearls, topped with three crowns which are surrounded with, on the right, black and gold and on the left blue and silver covering, on top of noble "tournament-style" helmets; from the crown positioned above the visor of the helmet in the centre stands the eagle as described above, the helmets on the right and left are turned towards one another, from the crown on the right helmet floats a golden star between two alternately coloured gold and black buffalo horns, from the crown on the left helmet come three ostrich feathers, viz. two blue and one silver."

The Family ‹ Rothschild Name & Arms :: The Rothschild Archive

https://www.rothschildarchive.org/family/the_rothschild_name_and_arms/the_rothschild_coat_of_arms

The family of Donald Trump, the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021 and owner of The Trump Organization, is a prominent American family active in real estate, entertainment, business, and politics. Trump, his wife Melania, and son BARRON were the first family of the United States for the duration of his presidency. Trump's paternal grandparents, Frederick Trump and Elizabeth Christ Trump, had immigrated to the United States from Germany. Donald Trump's mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, came from the Hebridean Isle of Lewis, off the west coast of Scotland.[1] Trump has five children from three wives, and 10 grandchildren."

Family of Donald Trump - Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_of_Donald_Trump#Barron_Trump

Baron Rothschild, of Tring in the County of Hertfordshire, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.[1] It was created in 1885 for Sir Nathan Rothschild, 2nd Baronet, a member of the Rothschild banking family.[2] He was the first Jewish member of the House of Lords not to have previously converted to Christianity. The current holder of the title is Jacob Rothschild, 4th Baron Rothschild, who inherited the barony in 1990."

In 1822, the hereditary title of Freiherr (baron) of the Austrian Empire was granted in the Austrian nobility by Emperor Francis I of Austria to the five sons of Mayer Amschel Rothschild.[5] In 1838, Queen Victoria authorized the use of this Austrian baronial title in the United Kingdom by Lionel de Rothschild and certain other members of the Rothschild family.[6][7] However, the use of such foreign titles in the United Kingdom was subsequently limited by a warrant of 27 April 1932.[8]"

Baron Rothschild - Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baron_Rothschild

I began by attending Fordham University in the Bronx, mostly because I wanted to be close to home. I got along very well with the Jesuits who ran the school, but after two years, I decided that as long as I had to be in college, I might as well test myself against the best. I applied to the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania and I got in. At the time, if you were going to make a career in business, Wharton was the place to go. Harvard Business School may produce a lot of CEOs—guys who manage public companies— but the real entrepreneurs all seemed to go to Wharton: Saul Steinberg, Leonard Lauder, Ron Perelman—the list goes on and on."

Donald Trump The Art of the Deal

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DLcbnLrl6moQT7nGj1JitG6AiQ6qgK0y/view?usp=sharing

University of Scranton welcomes President Biden

The university has illuminated its Class of 2020 Gateway in red and blue lights.

Author: WNEP Web Staff

Published: 10:52 PM EDT October 19, 2021

Updated: 10:52 PM EDT October 19, 2021

SCRANTON, Pa. — In preparation for President Joe Biden's visit, a university lit up their lights in his honor.

The University of Scranton has illuminated its Class of 2020 Gateway in blue and red with the number 46 prominently displayed to welcome the 46th president."

University of Scranton welcomes President Biden | wnep.com

https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/university-of-scranton-welcomes-president-biden-gateway-lights/523-cdba68b1-822b-4747-94be-4cd7e4de9d67

"His son, Hunter Biden, 38, is a longtime federal lobbyist for the Jesuit university located in his father's hometown, Scranton PA. According to federal disclosures, Hunter Biden has been earning about $80,000 a year since 2006 to lobby for this university. Senator Biden himself has lectured at the Jesuit University of Scranton, and received an honorary degree from the same university, in 1976."

Codeword Barbelon

by P.D. Stuart

Trump Says Tariffs Will Stay Until Trade Deficit Disappears

The president said he would not quickly reverse last week’s steep tariffs, which have sparked pushback and roiled markets.

Share full article

President Trump, wearing a dark overcoat and blue tie, walks across a wet pathway.

President Trump at the White House on Sunday. He wrote on social media that the only way to cure “massive Financial Deficits” with China, Europe and many others was with tariffs. Credit...Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times

Tony Romm Ana Swanson

By Tony Romm and Ana Swanson

Reporting from Washington

April 6, 2025

Updated 9:29 p.m. ET

President Trump said on Sunday that he would not reverse tariffs on other nations unless the trade deficits that the United States runs with China, the European Union and other nations disappeared.

His comments indicated that the steep import taxes that have panicked global businesses and investors would be in place for the long run.

“Hundreds of billions of dollars a year we lose with China,” Mr. Trump told reporters on Air Force One. “And unless we solve that problem, I’m not going to make a deal.” He added that he was “willing to deal with China, but they have to solve their surplus.”

Mr. Trump’s comments came just hours after his top aides raced to defend the president’s expansive global tariffs, which sent global markets into a tailspin last week. As Mr. Trump departed his Mar-a-Lago estate for another day of golfing at his club in Jupiter, Fla., his leading economic advisers dismissed the turmoil the tariffs have unleashed in financial markets around the world, insisting that the president’s trade war would ultimately improve the nation’s economic fortunes.

But they also sent mixed signals over the extent to which Mr. Trump sees tariffs as a negotiating tool, even as many of his aides said on Sunday that they had heard from more than 50 nations looking to find a way out of the tariffs.

“The tariffs are coming. Of course they are,” Howard Lutnick, the commerce secretary, said on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”

Mr. Trump said that he had spoken to officials in Europe and Asia and that they were “dying to make a deal.” He reiterated that Europe had treated the United States badly and added that “there’s no talk unless they pay us a lot of money on a yearly basis.”

The president wrote on social media on Sunday evening that the only way to cure “massive Financial Deficits” with China, Europe and many others was with tariffs, saying that they were now bringing tens of billions of dollars into the United States.

“Some day people will realize that Tariffs, for the United States of America, are a very beautiful thing!” he wrote.

Mr. Trump’s 10 percent baseline tariff on nearly every trading partner went into effect on Saturday morning. A second round of tariffs will snap into place on Wednesday morning. Those levies, when added with tariffs the president recently imposed on foreign metals, cars and exports from Canada, Mexico and China, increase the tariffs the United States puts on imports by nearly tenfold.

Mr. Trump has long seen tariffs as a cudgel to punish other countries that he believes treat America unfairly and to push companies to make their products in the United States. But his efforts have triggered pushback from countries like China, which said it would match Mr. Trump’s plans to impose 34 percent tariffs with the same level of duties.

Beijing also appears to have pulled out of an agreement with the White House to separate TikTok, the popular app, from its Chinese owner, ByteDance.

The president told reporters on Air Force One that China “changed the deal because of tariffs.”

“If I gave a little cut in tariffs, they’d approve that deal in 15 minutes, which shows you the power of tariffs,” he said. Mr. Trump announced on Friday that he would extend the deadline for TikTok to comply with a federal law that requires it to change its structure to resolve national security concerns.

Mr. Trump’s top advisers spent much of Sunday trying to reassure the public that the president’s plans would ultimately benefit Americans.

Kevin Hassett, the head of the White House National Economic Council, said in an appearance on ABC’s “This Week” that he did not expect to “see a big effect on the consumer in the U.S.,” even as he acknowledged that prices “might go up some” as a result of the tariffs.

Image

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, wearing a blue suit and blue striped tie, stands outside in front of a row of flags.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent at the White House last week. On Sunday he emphasized the need for an economic “adjustment process.” Credit...Doug Mills/The New York Times

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent dismissed the steep declines in global markets last week as short-term, while emphasizing the need for an economic “adjustment process” in the United States. He added on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that there “doesn’t have to be a recession,” as the administration works toward “building the long-term economic fundamentals for prosperity.”

“We’re going to hold the course,” he said.

The reassurances come after Mr. Trump struck a defiant tone over his tariffs in recent days. On Saturday, as the 10 percent levy went into effect, the president told his followers on Truth Social: “HANG TOUGH, it won’t be easy, but the end result will be historic.”

Mr. Trump has maintained that his tariffs can reset trade relationships that he sees as unfair and detrimental to American jobs and industries by reviving domestic manufacturing. He also wants the levies to raise new revenue to help pay for the costs of his economic agenda, including a package to cut corporate and individual taxes.

But his trade policies have provoked substantial, widespread blowback, leading even U.S. allies to condemn Washington.

Last week, China announced a slate of aggressive retaliatory measures that raised the odds of a persistent and economically damaging trade war. Other nations have sought to negotiate lower rates: Vietnam, facing a 46 percent tariff rate that would be among the highest faced by any U.S. trading partner, is seeking a 45-day delay and proposed dropping its own tariffs to zero.

Fanning out on the Sunday news show circuit, the president’s top aides responded to the fallout by boasting that they had already heard from dozens of countries that wanted to discuss trade.

“Listen, we’ve got 50 countries that are burning the phone lines into the White House,” Brooke Rollins, the agriculture secretary, said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” She said Mr. Trump’s tariffs had left some countries “desperate and willing” to cut a deal.

But the White House has sent conflicting messages about its true appetite for negotiation. Mr. Trump suggested last week that he could cut a deal in exchange for a “phenomenal” return, but then posted on Saturday that the tariffs were “here to stay.”

Mr. Bessent, asked whether Mr. Trump would be willing to cut a deal, suggested that there was room to negotiate but that nothing would happen quickly. “They’ve been bad actors for a long time,” he said. “And it’s not the kind of thing you can negotiate away in days or weeks.”

The confusion is unlikely to salve investors’ fears as markets prepare to open Monday, fresh off a weeklong rout during which major indexes fell precipitously. It was the worst weekly decline for the S&P 500 since the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.

At one point, Mr. Trump even appeared to suggest that the market chaos was part of his strategy: He circulated a video from another user on Truth Social that argued the president was “purposely CRASHING” the markets in part to force the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates.

Pressed on the matter, Mr. Hassett on Sunday initially responded by saying the Fed was independent, before adding, “He’s not trying to tank the market.”

The market gyrations in recent days have spooked even some Republicans on Capitol Hill. Representative Don Bacon, Republican of Nebraska, predicted that deeper losses could convince members of his party to support a bill that would help Congress reclaim some of its authority over tariffs.

“It’s time that Congress restores its authorities here,” he said on “Face the Nation.”

Alan Rappeport, Minho Kim and Michael Gold contributed to this story.

Tony Romm is a reporter covering economic policy and the Trump administration for The Times, based in Washington. More about Tony Romm

Ana Swanson covers trade and international economics for The Times and is based in Washington. She has been a journalist for more than a decade. More about Ana Swanson

A version of this article appears in print on April 7, 2025, Section A, Page 8 of the New York edition with the headline: Trump Team Dismisses Turmoil Over Tariffs, Minimizing the Dangers. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/06/us/politics/trump-tariffs-aides-recession.html

Administration/administrators of temporal goods: 1. Of the Society in general: those who are administrators [326, 327, 419-21, 740-745, 759, 815]; the powers they have [743-745]; in what spirit and with what care and dedication the temporal goods of the Society are to be administered [305], 216 §§1, 2-4; social justice is to be safeguarded and fostered in the investment of money, 217; nothing is to be changed in or derogated from norms and instructions without permission, 216 §3; an account of one s administration is to be rendered [326, 741, 759], 167; especially so at the end of the t e rm s o f o f f i c e o f l o c a l superiors and treasurers, 222; negligent or wasteful superiors are to be corrected, 216 §4 2. Of one s own goods: is to be yielded from the beginning of novitiate and after first vows, 57 3. Of the goods of others: not to be undertaken without permission of the general, 166; administration of deposits of money from externs, whether in cash or in negotiable paper, should not be undertaken, 219. See also Buildings; Contracts in general, and in particular: Alienation of goods; Debts; Deposits; Gifts; Investment of money; Legacy; Rentals; Revenues"

The Constitutions of The Society of Jesus and Their Complimentary Norms

https://jesuitas.lat/uploads/the-constitutions-of-the-society-of-jesus-and-their-complementary-norms/Constitutions%20and%20Norms%20SJ%20ingls.pdf

Pearl Harbor and our declaration of war put a temporary end to the political organization that Clerical Fascism was in the process of forging. Coughlin was just about to take over majority control of America First and form it into a political party, when war was declared.

He had already given hints, which were seconded by Philip LaFollette and the N. Y. Daily News. He was about to replace Catholic John T. Flynn of the strategic New York chapter with a more obedient lackey.

AMERICA FIRST, started by fascist minded business magnates, had at first been independent of Coughlin. But by infiltration the Coughlinites became the dominant element. Catholic church prelates gave it their enthusiastic approval.

At one of its mass meetings in Madison Square Garden in New York City, under the chairmanship of John T. Flynn, Cardinal O’Connell, dean of the American Catholic hierarchy and Bishop Shaughnessy of Seattle, formerly of the Apostolic Delegation in Washington, D.C., sent telegrams of congratulation which were publicly read.

Carlson (p. 260) quotes an official of America First to the effect that its membership was 80 per cent Coughlinite and would eventually be under Coughlin’s complete control. General Wood had at first objected to Coughlinite dominance but later ‘‘humbled himself before the reverend-dictator of Royal Oak?’ in a letter published in SOCIAL JUSTICE.

In addition to the Coughlinite majority, America First included large

numbers of the Ku Klux Klan element who in recent years have allied themselves with Catholic Fascists in a war on Jewry and ‘Communist’ unions. Louis B. Ward, one of Coughlin’s chief assistants, addressed the Pontiac chapter of America First four different times. This chapter was made up almost exclusively of Klan members. Garland Alderman, secretary of the National Workers League, a fascist organization of KKK members, said that he was nurtured in Fascism by Father Coughlin’s Social Justice and had also attended a series of ““special lectures’’ by Coughlin one winter. ( Under Cover, p, 305)

He named Coughlin as one of the Americans who in the opinion of his organization would negotiate with Hitler after the hoped-for world triumph of Nazism. pages 6-7

....

"Under the camouflaged name of ‘“Midtown Sporting Club’’ the Manhattan ‘Iron Guard Unit’ of the Christian Front drilled in Donovan’s Hall near the Paulist Catholic church mentioned above. Like Franco’s revolutionaries they took a secret oath that said, ‘‘I will look to God for guidance.’’ They were exhorted previous to the drill:

“You are soldiers of Christ. Men like you fought in Spain. Men like you will fight in America ... You are defenders of the Faith. Your duty is to fight for Christ and Country.”

On January 13, 1940, the FBI raided a Brooklyn ‘‘Sporting Club’’ of the Christian Front. A Federal court suit ensued. The Jesuit publication America, leading Catholic weekly in its issue of January 27, 1940, ridiculed the case, and called it a Jewish plot. Public masses were said for the ‘‘heroes on trial.’’ Carlson sums up the case and its foredoomed failure when he says that “‘the ‘big boys’ behind the scenes were never made public.’’ The verdict of the Catholic jury was a foregone conclusion. Father Curran, Coughlin’s

lieutenant in the East, slyly hinted at an acquittal celebration that a close relative of his was the jury foreman.

In 1926, in Germany, Hitler revolutionaries were similarly arrested and acquitted. As late as 1930 Thomas Mann said of the Nazis: ‘‘I regard the National Socialist Party as a flash-in-the which will soon be over,’’

The Christian Front is only temporarily under cover. Coughlin is biding his time. Father Edward Brophy of Brooklyn, a Christian Front leader at one of their meetings in June 1942 paid :

“‘The days are coming when this country will need a Coughlin and need him badly. We must get strong and keep organized

for that day.’’

In Social Justice of Sept. 1, 1939 Coughlin predicted that it would take seven to ten years to win control. He added :

“We predict that .. . the National-Socialists in America—organized under that or some other name—eventually will take control of the government on this continent. We predict, lastly, the end of democracy in America.”’

Even when he was put off the radio he confidently threatened:

"I have been retired temporarily . . .

Not until there is an opportunity for the pendulum of reaction to swing to the right will I resume my place before a microphone . . . I extend to them (‘men powerful in the field of radio and other activities’) my heartiest congratulations for all that the future holds in store for them." pages 8-9

....

"Clerical Fascism, driven underground during the war, is certain to rise again with a cry to ‘SAVE AMERICA for the Americans.’ Those who fail to realize this threat to our future should ponder well the following facts:

America First controlled by Coughlinites boasted of 15,000,000 members.

In one meeting in the Hollywood Bowl in California it drew a crowd of 100,000 ‘patriots.’ Gerald L. K. Smith, Fascist, polled 100,000 votes in Michigan last year. The Hearst-Gannett and the Mc-Cormick-Patterson newspaper chains have over 15,000,000 readers. Mrs. Finley J. Sheppard, daughter of the late Jay Gould, gave millions to American Fascists. Robert O’Callaghan, Irish- Catholic friend of Joe McWilliams and Ku Kluxer Edward Smythe, is doing confidential government work in the Chicago office of the Alien Property Custodian, Leo Crowley.

If America waits too long to wake up to its danger, it may ironically fulfill the words of Jesuit-trained Goebbels, spokesman for Catholic Hitler:

“IT WILL ALWAYS REMAIN THE BEST' JOKE MADE BY THE DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM THAT IT PROVIDED ITS DEADLY ENEMIES WITH THE MEANS TO DESTROY IT.” page 11

Clerical Fascism in America by J.J. Murphy

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1glXjGioabYyJL0LN_Cr1u8d9JewFRP3J/view?usp=sharing

MAGA Make America Great Again: a presidential campaign slogan used by Donald J. Trump.'

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/maga

These are the individuals who act as spokespersons for the philosophy of the Church of Satan, which include the titles of “Priest”/“Priestess,” “Magister”/“Magistra,” “Magus”/“MAGA.” Members of the Priesthood make up the Council of Nine, which is the ruling body of the organization, appointed by and responsible to the High Priest/Priestess. The Order of the Trapezoid consists of the individuals who assist in the administration of the Church of Satan. Members of our Priesthood are people of accomplishment in the real world—they have mastered skills and have won peer recognition, which is how they have attained their position—“as above, so below.” They are “movers and shakers” who are the core of our movement. While expected to be experts in communicating our philosophy, they are not required to speak on our behalf and they may even choose to keep their affiliation and rank secret, in order to better serve their personal goals, as well as those of our organization. Thus, you may (even as a member), encounter members of our Priesthood and never know it." Hierarchy in the Church of Satan

Hierarchy in the Church of Satan - Church of Satan

https://www.churchofsatan.com/hierarchy/

On March 17, 1970, a curious article appeared in the Oakland Tribune. It was a report of an interview with Anton Szandor LaVey, Founder and "High PRIEST" of the "Church of Satan" in San Francisco, and the author of the Satanic Bible. Members of the Church of Satan wear an inverted pentagram, or pentacle (a well-known 'Satanic' symbol) with a a goathead on the inside of the circle. The cover of The Satanic Bible also bears an inverted pentagram, or satanic pentacle.

The Oakland Tribune article reported that LaVey had become " a favorite speaker at the University of San Francisco." When asked about his engagements at that university, LaVey proudly replied, "the Jesuits are my greatest audience." In case the reader was not already aware, the University of San Francisco is a renowned Jesuit institution of higher learning.

The statement by Satanist Anton LaVey about his work at this Jesuit University is no mystery. We invite the reader to give attention to this most audacious passage found in the writings of the Jesuit scholar Anthony Escobar. In his Secret Instructions, Escobar treats to what is perhaps the most innovative principle of Jesuitism (Roma Catholicism): "IT IS LAWFUL... TO MAKE USE OF THE SCIENCE ACQUIRED THROUGH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE DEVIL., PROVIDED THE PRESERVATION AND USE OF THAT KNOWLEDGE DO NOT DEPEND UPON THE DEVIL, FOR THE KNOWLEDGE IS GOOD IN ITSELF, AND THE SIN BY WHICH IT WAS ACQUIRED HAS GONE BY." Such is the effrontery of the Jesuits; such are their nostrums-my, my, what intriguing doctrines these Jesuits have-these men will sell their souls on eBay."

pages 73-74

"SCIENCE ACQUIRED THROUGH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE DEVIL"

Codeword Barbelon book One

by P.D. Stuart

https://www.facebook.com/billy.dunn.50767/posts/730632681220167

The Great Awakening 

QAnon’s Mobilization to Disinformation 

Jean R. Oliveras 

CG 15 

Command and Staff College 

Dr. Metelits 

Dr. Hayden 

Introduction to the Great Awakening 

In 2017, a movement called QAnon launched a call to other conspiracists. The movement 

began through a series of anonymous posts on the messaging board 4chan by an individual called 

“Q” who claimed to have access to secret government information. In spite of the movement’s 

obscure beginning, QAnon’s conspiracy campaign convinced 39% of Americans that a “deep 

state” colluded against then-President Donald Trump’s administration.1 When separated by 

political party, the 2020 Ipsos poll estimated this figure as high as 71% among self-reported 

Republicans.2 Through a unique repertoire of posing questions, offering “breadcrumbs” as clues, 

and suggesting “Anons” fact check for themselves, QAnon effectively spread a narrative to 

question “truth.”3 How did the movement attract such a large, politically diverse base during a 

notably politically divided era?4 The message alone does not explain how QAnon gained such a 

popular following in a short period of time, nor does its strategy and repertoires. I argue that 

QAnon aggregated the support from existing movements while amassing millions more in a 

collage of disparate followers by taking advantage of a divisive political environment and 

quickly attracting attention through the exploitive use of social media technology. 

An analysis of QAnon’s mobilization process requires a dissection of the movement and 

its environment. Not unlike the movement itself, this requires going down a few paths. As 

Charles Tilly and Sidney Tarrow state, “no complex outcome ever results from the operation of a 

single causal mechanism.”5 This paper relies on social movement theory terminology and on 

conspiracy theory research to determine where scholarship may offer insight for analyzing the 

efficacy with which QAnon members mobilized. In comparing the literature, the analysis shows 

that QAnon found a fertile political environment. The group chose a strategic repertoire of 

collection actions, specifically the diffusion of conspiracy theories, to engage a receptive 

1

American population. Analysis of the political climate details how a broad section of the US 

public was ripe for the movement. In addition to a willing audience, the analysis identifies how 

technology quickly amplified the message. The advantage of social media technology not only 

legitimized the movement, but also exploited inaccurate information. Understanding the 

components that catalyzed the QAnon movement may, likewise, shed light on how vulnerable 

the US is to this type of disinformation campaign going forward.   

Literature Review 

At the heart of social movement literature is the concept of political opportunities and 

political opportunity structures. Political opportunity encompasses the changing environment that 

might facilitate community grievances to become collective action in addition to the static 

mobilizing structures that already exist.6 Political opportunity structures help explain what 

enables actors to take action or signals enough threat to catalyze communities into risky counter 

actions. For QAnon, the movement is most remarkable because it reached across the political 

spectrum. Also, political opportunity structures often promote or repress a movement’s 

communication, which for QAnon involved a repertoire of conspiracy theories.7 Conspiracy 

theory literature, which is rarely addressed within social movement discussions, explains how 

conspiracists and movement actors intersect and how the conspiracies themselves became a 

mobilizing mechanism, particularly in the unregulated social media environment.  

Political Opportunity Structures in Social Movement Theory 

Political opportunities and political opportunity structures (POS) describe the general 

setting, or the institutional context, that should affect social movements in a specific 

environment.8 For example, a country with laws against any kind of political protest hinders the 

ability for people to collectively organize. Although a cornerstone in social movement theory, 

2

academic analysis varies on the definition and use of political opportunity concepts. The earliest 

academic reference to POS in 1973 was based on a study of riots across American cities which 

noted the effects of institutional access.9 Renowned social movement scholar Charles Tilly 

recognized that the relationship between the population’s interests and its environment depended 

on factors such as power, repression, and opportunity or threats.10 These factors affect what 

strategies or tactics are used by the movement’s actors to gain attention, recruit new members, or 

produce change. For instance, historically if the politically contentious claims of one population 

group have gone unheard, the group might finally feel empowered to publicly speak out when a 

sympathetic government official comes to power. Along the same lines, Sidney Tarrow describes 

political opportunities as “consistent but not necessarily formal, permanent, or national signals to 

social or political actors which either encourage or discourage them to use their internal 

resources to form social movements.”11 Where Tilly emphasized the relationship, Tarrow’s 

literature refers to the opportunities as signals.  

The literature offers many examples of POS that emboldened or suppressed social 

movements. To conceptualize QAnon’s environment, a comparison with McAdam’s four broad 

categories of POS is useful. The author offers the following typology:  (1) the openness or 

closure for movement actors; (2) the stability or instability of the political environment; (3) 

influence of elite allies; and (4) the state’s ability to repress or facilitate the movement.12 

Arguably, QAnon faced favorable POS under each group. Explaining the political process of 

social movements as part of a system, Marco Giugni simply wrote POS are systemic factors that 

“affect the possibilities that challenging groups have to mobilize effectively.”13 Overall, these 

scholars recognize that political opportunities involve power relationships, institutional systems, 

societal acceptance, and sometimes, for example, good timing caused by a global pandemic.  

3

Particularly applicable to QAnon, Gamson and Meyer offer a relevant explanation that 

opportunities are “framed” and “a movement is a field of actors, not a unified entity.”14 This 

scholarship highlights that movements often allow for different actors to choose aspects of the 

movement that they support, which can subsequently result in mobilization differences.15 This 

assessment is especially relevant for QAnon, since the movement has an unknown number of 

actors involved. By having flexibility, it can reach a broader audience, recruit more members, 

accept multiple contentious claims, and aggregate other existing movements within the emerging 

movement. In summary, the attribution of opportunities or threats serve as an “activating 

mechanism” for social movements.16 These definitions and dimensions of political opportunities 

are useful for deconstructing the QAnon mobilization process. Certainly, the country faced 

political changes when QAnon emerged, just by way of a new president, but this does not tell the 

full story. Tilly’s emphasis on the relationship with the public interest would presume that 

QAnon understood or perceived correctly the public’s interest, which is not obvious since the 

movement started on a message board that was not part of mainstream social media. Overall, 

each of these perspectives adds to the broader question and analysis of how QAnon mobilized.  

Criticism of the classic social movement definitions of political opportunities adds value 

to the QAnon analysis as well. In general, the literature on political opportunities evolved over 

the last two decades to accept that the environment may not affect all movements the same.17 As 

an example, the Black Lives Matter protesters may not receive the same police attention as a Tea 

Party Movement protest, or more importantly, one movement might anticipate a different 

environment and then self-repress or encourage mobilization. This theoretical expansion most 

notably recognizes that there are discursive opportunities, specific opportunities, and perceived 

opportunities.18 Discursive opportunities encompasses the cultural component which includes 

4

both institutional accesses afforded to movements and the prevailing societal discourse that may 

provide openness or closure in the public domain.19  The idea of prevailing societal discourse is 

particularly interesting as it relates to conspiracy theories because typically the term would 

discredit a movement’s conspiratorial claim. Specific opportunities recognize that the timing of 

certain events or support from a specific elite actor offers more opportunities or threats to some 

movements as compared to others.20 The coronavirus pandemic certainly exemplifies a specific 

threat on a global level. The scholarship on discursive and specific opportunities adds to the 

analysis of QAnon’s perception of the public’s distrust in government, specifically during the 

pandemic. Finally, the current literature notes that opportunities exist if the actors accurately 

perceive the opportunity or threats to the movement.21 Typically, American culture views 

conspiracy theories in a negative light.22 As mentioned, discrediting an accusation or grievance 

reduces its legitimacy. In addition, QAnon’s claims were provocative, vague, and sometimes 

even inconsistent. Despite this, the political opportunities were favorable, and the movement 

exploded in popularity across multiple ideologies. 

Conspiracy Theories Reviewed 

QAnon’s narrative centered around the notion that conspiratorial suspicions are true – 

powerful and nefarious actors are running the country and possibly the world, while other actors 

are trying to protect the US and fight against the evil corruption.23 The movement captured fears 

that are usually kept isolated at an individual level and elevated them across a community – a 

theoretical requirement for collective action. Demonstrated as a brilliant mechanism for 

mobilization, the conspiracy theories shaped the story the movement wanted told. Academia can 

help explain how this worked, or at least offer some insight as to why QAnon’s version of 

information found salience within the political opportunity structures. 

5

Conspiracy theories are “attempts to explain the ultimate causes of significant social and 

political events and circumstances with claims of secret plots by two or more powerful actors.”24 

QAnon actors not only recognized that the opportunity to diffuse their narrative existed, they 

also recognized the considerable demand for answers based on conspiratorial ideations. The 

literature on conspiracy theorizing covers many disciplines from political science and 

psychology to history and humanities. A few common themes exist in the literature as well as 

gaps. The most notable gap is the absence of recognizing that conspiracy theories spread through 

the internet can be mechanisms for activating social movements.  

Scholarship emphasizes the importance of realizing that conspiracies actually do occur, 

and that conspiracy theories can be true or false.25 In other words, despite the general American 

cynicism towards conspiracies, history provides plenty of real examples. Conspiracy theorizing 

can be found across the political spectrum from the extreme left to the extreme right and even in 

the middle. Although decades of research fail to determine a definitive motivation for the 

conspiracy beliefs, four common threads surface within the literature as an explanation. The 

literature points to (1) an emotional need for answers; (2) personal experience; (3) conspiratorial 

mindsets; and (4) a connection to ideology.26 Based on this literature, conspiracies have 

mobilizing benefits, such as an ability to transcend partisanship and develop new connections. 

The scholarship supports how the QAnon movement used a repertoire of connecting conspiracy 

theories to influence their “great awakening” master frame. 

The academic literature identifies several reasons for conspiracy theories, which at a 

cursory glance can be reasonably connected to specific QAnon conspiracies. The allure of a 

conspiratorial version of history fulfills some relevant emotional needs for the believer.27 This 

common explanation argues that emotional conditions, such as a feeling of powerlessness in 

6

one’s environment, feed the need for conspiracy theories.28 Empirical research shows that 

conspiracies speak to certain people who feel politically alienated or have a higher sense of 

political cynicism.29 This explanation aligns with the key tenet of QAnon that a “deep state” 

exists and was working against President Trump. Another study showed that people, when 

placed under considerable stressful situations, can see non-existent patterns.30 This could be 

exemplified by parents believing in anti-vaccination conspiracies when their child has been 

diagnosed with autism soon after receiving a round of immunizations. The scholars explain that 

conspiracy theories provide a sense of control for those feeling powerless or provide a sense of 

community when feeling alienated.31 The author Uscinski supports this argument further by 

showing that people most affected or impacted by the potential conspiracy or theorized event are 

more likely to believe in the conspiracy.32  

Based on the conspiracy theory scholarship, QAnon’s ability to align with existing 

political opportunities is not surprising. For example, the movement’s conspiracies include a 

number of accusations related to pedophiles and child trafficking.33 According to a study of 

QAnon members arrested, 83% of the female offenders experienced the physical and/or sexual 

abuse of their children by a romantic partner or family member.34 The literature confirms these 

experiences may increase relevancy of the movement’s distrustful narrative. Although the 

literature does not connect this research directly to the use of social media, one can extrapolate 

how a population would likely reach out to the internet for answers to these needs and quite 

possibly find and believe inaccurate, exploitive, or radicalizing information in response. 

The conspiracy theory scholar Goertzel describes two belief systems, which he refers to 

as “monological” and “dialogical.”35 In his research, a person with a dialogical belief system is 

open to context and uses dialogue to confirm or dispel beliefs.36 A monological belief system is a 

7

network of ideas that serve as evidence to expand and support existing conspiracist ideation.37 

The monological belief system concept is not supported by all scholars because sometimes 

people believe conflicting conspiracies, but it offers one explanation for why some people might 

have a conspiracist worldview and believe in multiple conspiracies.38  This literature, written 

well before social media, has relevant application to how social media algorithms cause a type of 

closed feedback loop for the users. The echo chamber of social media, the way people receive 

similar-minded information and feedback, effectively causes a monological belief system.  

Uscinski recognizes the connection to ideology as another common thread in the 

conspiracy theory literature.39 Ideology, whether religious, political, economic, or otherwise, acts 

as the mind’s framework for making sense of the world.40 Ideology sets up an order to process 

and interpret new information.41 Ironically, the social media algorithm may parallel this filtering 

function for people who solely receive their news from their social media account feed. 

Scholarship holds that a conspiracy theory will likely confirm or fit into one's ideology, referred 

to as motivated biases.42 In other words, certain people have underlying tendencies for which the 

conspiracy theory provides the preferable explanation of events.43 As an example, right-wing 

supporters are more likely to believe conspiratorial behavior perpetrated by a Democratic (rather 

than a Republican) politician and vice versa. Barlet describes what he refers to as a symbiotic 

interplay between ideology and conspiracies.44 He points to right-wing conspiracist subcultures 

and the conservative media as an example.45 This scholarship is particularly salient to the 

method with which QAnon actors successfully targeted certain communities, such as health and 

wellness influencers or the yoga community for conspiracies related to the “plandemic.”46 

Uscinski concludes that the predisposition to conspiracy theories predicts social and 

political behaviors.47 He suggests, along with other authors, that this predisposition occurs with 

8

socialization early in one’s life in a variety of ways.48 For example, African American 

communities harmed by a legacy of institutional discrimination, including actual conspiracies, 

may purposely or inadvertently socialize the next generation toward conspiracies. The literature 

also links certain demographics and socio-economic positions as factors for predisposition to 

conspiracy beliefs.49 These factors together point to how QAnon’s use of conspiracy theories 

was able to broker connections between communities and reach a politically diverse audience.   

QAnon: The History 

Described as a “big tent” conspiracy theory movement, QAnon was not the first 

conspiracy theory posted on 4chan.50 In fact, well before QAnon’s first posting in October 2017, 

a rather meager “Anon” movement had begun on the image board. The “Anon” genre, short for 

anonymous, were posters touting special government access information, such as – CIAAnon, 

HLIAnon (high level insider), FBIAnon.51 Early, in November 2016, FBIAnon claimed to have 

inside information on the Clinton Foundation investigation and developed a following of 20,000 

subscribers within the first 15 days.52 FBIAnon provided actionable details about a child 

trafficking ring involving Hillary Clinton run out of a popular pizza restaurant in Washington, 

DC. This conspiracy was known as “Pizzagate”.53 A well-intended man from North Carolina, 

armed with an AR-15 and two other weapons, decided to embark on a solo rescue mission for 

these children.54 However, soon after arriving and shooting open a closet door, he realized that 

no children were being held hostage, nor did the building have a basement.55 The arrest of the 

man in Pizzagate led to the debunking of the conspiracy theory and FBIAnon.56 Following this 

important lesson, the QAnon repertoire adapts toward more strategically vague or incomplete 

information, which is harder to debunk.57  

9

On October 28, 2017, for the first time, an anonymous Q posted a message, referred to as 

a “drop”, on 4chan and quickly followed with 16 additional drops primarily using recycled 

conspiracies related to Hillary Clinton, establishing Donald Trump’s key role, introducing a 

conspiracy about the news media called Operation Mockingbird, and posing provocative 

questions.58 This was unremarkable until two 4chan moderators decided to “increase the 

following” and contacted a YouTube influencer.59 On November 3, 2017, the YouTuber posted a 

video entitled “/POL/-Q Clearance Anon- Is it #happening???,” which was watched over 

250,000 times.60 The actors in this episode created a sense of urgency, a hashtag, and amplified 

their message many times over. The movement began gaining attention. Over the next three 

years, there would be almost 5,000 “Q drops.”61 Below is the first drop: 

Throughout November and December 2017, Q increased activities to 442 drops while the 

YouTuber produced several more Q-themed videos calling for viewers to donate money through 

links in her post.62 These original actors soon concluded they should broaden their audience to a 

more user-friendly and widely used platform.63 They created the Reddit community called 

1

 0 

r/CBTS_Stream (calm before the storm) where approximately 20,000 subscribers met to discuss 

anything Q related.64 The phrase used comes from a comment made by President Trump on 

October 6, 2017 prior to any QAnon posts. He made this statement after hosting several U.S. 

military generals at the White House for dinner.65 The first month of drops connected QAnon to 

new members that may have been energized by the new president. By March 2018, Reddit shut 

down the r/CBTS community links for inciting violence and sharing personal information 

without proper consent (“doxing”). However, a larger community called r/TheGreatAwakening 

had already become the home to 70,000 subscribers.66  Over the summer of 2018, Trump rally 

attendees wearing Q t-shirts, selling merchandise, and waving Q flags captured the attention of 

national media.67 By August 2018, the original YouTube channel had more than 90,000 

subscribers, the Twitter account had 97,000 followers, and the videos had in excess of 8 million 

views.68 QAnon called for followers to be “sheep no more.”69 More significantly, an almost 

untraceable number of Facebook groups spreading QAnon conspiracy theories amassed millions 

of members, and on Instagram, QAnon theories evolved into seemingly benign information 

shared by wellness and lifestyle influencers.70 In September 2018, Reddit shut down the 

r/TheGreatAwakening community and all connected links, while Facebook, Instagram, and 

Twitter struggled to manage the bounding social movement.71 

QAnon: The Main Conspiracies 

To better understand the process that triggered QAnon’s mobilization across America, it 

is helpful to divide the movement in two ways: first, through the initial steps the actors took to 

gain public attention, and second, to delve into the most influential of QAnon’s conspiracies.  

This method of organization does not encompass a complete timeline, nor does it include the full 

array of actions by QAnon. Rather, this typology reflects notable actions and references to 

1

 1 

specific conspiracies that brokered connections, diffused their messages, and effectively 

promoted coordinated actions based on political opportunity structures. There are too many 

conspiracies to review them all. However, there are four overarching conspiracy themes: the 

deep state, Operation Mockingbird, pedophilia and child trafficking, and the “plandemic”. 

Understanding the repertoire of conspiracy theories will lay the groundwork for the political 

opportunity analysis.  

The deep state conspiracy is considered one of QAnon’s master frames because it 

encompasses all corruption by government and non-government elites. This conspiracy is one of 

the most useful because it can easily be adapted for current events. The first impeachment trial 

demonstrated this. In response to the upcoming trial, Q posted:  

Get the popcorn, Friday & Saturday will deliver on the MAGA promise. POTUS knows 

he must clean house (gov't) in order to 'free up' and demonstrate who has authority in order 

to pass important legislation. This was always the priority. Remember, AG Sessions cannot 

look like an impartial player that is out to get all former Obama team members as we need 

him for other important work. All will come into focus and for anyone to think POTUS is 

not in control is kidding themselves. Also, he's 100% insulated with zero risk of 

impeachment (fact) [sic].72 

The Clintons, especially Hillary Clinton, plays a significant role in QAnon’s deep state 

conspiracy genre. For example, Q drop #33 asks, “Why did Soros’ son have several meetings 

with Canadian PM and how is that related to Clinton’s?” [sic].73 The cast of characters expanded 

to include former President Obama, written in the drops as Hussein, as well as John McCain.74 

The intelligence community is also considered deep state. For example, QAnon refers to the CIA 

as a “tool in a corrupt cabal.”75 However, the military is excluded from the deep state. For 

example, one Q drop states “Military Intelligence v FBI CIA NSA [sic].”76 This alignment with 

the military may be an important allegiance for the movement to continue receiving support from 

the militia groups, such as the OathKeepers and the Patriots.  

1

 2 

The completion of the Mueller report was a challenging episode for QAnon and its 

survival through this time demonstrated the movement’s effectiveness and longevity. Until the 

report was published in April 2019, QAnon conspiracies suggested the real story was that Trump 

was working with Robert Mueller on an investigation aimed at the Clintons.77 The movement’s 

legitimacy could have been challenged when the published report contradicted Q’s posts, but 

QAnon adjusted its repertoire. To explain contradicting or disproven conspiracies, the QAnon 

narrative referred to the contradiction as a “false flag” or suggested that the contradicting event 

was indeed part of a larger plan.78 The deep state conspiracy also led QAnon to make a strategic 

appeal to the African American community through posts stating that Black communities are 

enslaved by the Democratic Party.79 The deep state related conspiracies could be constantly 

tweaked to serve the movement’s needs. 

The deep state conspiracy tied into the election fraud conspiracies. In the fall of 2018, the 

US midterm elections coincided with a number of QAnon posts related to electoral fraud.80 

Examples of election fraud in the conspiracies include blank ballots filled out by the Democratic 

Party, the destruction of ballots, and the organized inclusion of non-eligible voters.81 The QAnon 

voter fraud conspiracies during the midterm were similar, almost foreshadowing President 

Trump’s accusations in 2020. QAnon posted one final challenge in October 2020 stating, “are 

you ready to take back control of this Country?[sic]” 

Operation Mockingbird is a QAnon conspiracy theory that dates back to the early Cold 

War years and is meant to explain why the mainstream media (MSM) is fake news. According to 

the conspiracy, the CIA engaged in a project that paid journalists to produce fake news. Because 

the conspiracy is a recycled one, QAnons can do their own research to find references to the 

operation which lends credence to the theory. Along these lines, Q posted a “hit list” of 101 

1

 3 

reporters who they believe worked with the Democratic National Committee during the 2016 

election and urged their followers to awaken from the “fake news media.”82 This conspiracy 

theory is also strategic as it allows for contradicting information to exist in other media sources 

that can debunk any of the theories. In other words, QAnon followers that are challenged for 

their beliefs can manage the counterarguments by discrediting any evidence from the mainstream 

media, or anyone not producing facts that already align with the conspiracy. 

QAnon’s child trafficking conspiracy theories seemed to be the most outlandish until 

Jeffrey Epstein was arrested again in July 2018 and subsequently commited suicide.83 Jeffrey 

Epstein, who was a convicted sex offender and also a financier and millionaire philanthropist, 

was publicly accused of sexually abusing children while also hosting the world’s elite at his 

private island.84 Once again, this conspiracy connects to other ones. For example, the QAnon 

conspiracies connect Bill and Hillary Clinton to Jeffrey Epstein. Q drops related to this 

conspiracy begin with a list of questions. For example, “Epstein island. What occurs in a temple? 

Why is the temple on top of a mountain? How many levels might exist below? Have the puppet 

masters traveled to this island?[sic]”85 These posts strategically let the reader fill in the blanks 

with their own discourse, bias, or experience as a convincing method to sell the narrative. This 

format also makes the conspiracy more difficult to disprove because it is only a list of questions. 

An additional facilitating factor for QAnon came as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

When the president publicly offered advice on hydroxychloroquine as an effective prevention or 

treatment for the new virus, QAnon provocatively asked “what if a cure already exists?”86 The Q 

conspiracies claimed that governors forced infected patients into nursing homes as a deliberate 

means to spreading the virus.87 This realm of conspiracies launched public debate and likely 

contributed to the politically contentious nature of wearing a face mask. At this point, scientists 

1

 4 

were still working to understand the virus, which provided ample room for conspiracies to 

emerge where official information was lacking. These conspiracies aligned with the mainstream 

confusion over causes and fault-finding which were also legitimized when the US left the World 

Health Organization.  

Overall, QAnon’s strategic use of conspiracies taps into a zeitgeist of cynicism and 

concern alive in the US public, such as reasonable concern for children’s safety or an expedited 

vaccination clearance process. During the height of QAnon, there was conjecture over who the Q 

poster was. However, the answer to this question is fairly anticlimactic and arguably not 

important because the truth is that it does not matter. What matters is that this movement took the 

grievances and doubt existing in society and connected them to political opportunities as they 

arose. As the movement’s energy grew so did the attention from politicians, which in turn 

translated to more political opportunities. 

Political Opportunities that Mobilized a Movement for “Truth” 

QAnon’s path to the Great Awakening mobilization depends on the ease with which the 

group’s conspiracies can find legitimacy and saliency within the political environment. The 

political environment has the power to facilitate or repress the actions of its society. If QAnon’s 

use of conspiracies were its mechanism toward the process of mobilization, the political 

opportunities and their structures are the key to activating those mechanisms into process. 

Political opportunities may appear fairly clear-cut, but consider the challenges presented when 

the movement’s narrative is based on disinformation, misinformation, or partial information. The 

political environment may be less open if the movement’s narrative – Q’s prophecies and 

conspiracies - are debunked and the movement delegitimatized. QAnon’s rise to popularity is 

1

 5 

clear evidence of favorable political opportunities to their Great Awakening narrative. This 

recycled phrase spoke to QAnon followers and found acceptance in the political environment.  

An analysis of the political opportunity structures helps explain QAnon’s ability to 

mobilize across such a diverse base. My analysis proposes that QAnon had a wealth of political 

opportunity structures available for its conspiratorial theories. I approach the analysis by 

organizing the political opportunities into five categories (1) the openness of long-term political 

institutions, (2) the media’s openness and inability to manage conspiracies, (3) support from elite 

actors, (4) the specific opportunity caused by the global pandemic, and (5) the existing societal 

discourse. I provide QAnon conspiracy theories and catch phrases as evidence to the existence of 

the political opportunity structures. Because the role of technology within the QAnon conspiracy 

movement was so unique and so critical, it is afforded its own section. 

The 2016 election cycle reflected a noticeable shift in the country toward further divide 

between political ideologies and demonstrated that US political institutions do not always result 

in predictable elections. During the primaries, this shift was evident in the populist rhetoric 

gaining attention at rallies by then candidate Donald Trump. The US political process, including 

the presidential primaries and the electoral college, affected the political environment and 

contributed to the election of a populist president that surprised many, especially within the polls 

and mainstream media. The 2016 primary elections offered a range of conservative candidates 

competing for the Republican nomination. Presidential candidate Donald Trump, framed as the 

outsider and underdog, ran a populist campaign that was the precursor to much of QAnon’s 

rhetoric. Following the 2008 financial crisis, prior mobilization of the Tea Party movement, and 

the 2010 historically successful midterm elections, many Republican politicians adjusted to their 

constituents’ demands.88 Further support for the populist candidate was inherent in the two-party 

1

 6 

political system, which funnels all support into one nomination for each party. Likewise, the 

electoral college process, set up as a balance of power, elected the president despite his losing the 

popular vote. The political structure provided access to the highest elected position in the country 

to someone with zero previous political or federal experience. Effectively, the election of 

President Trump signaled that a significant portion of the population wanted change and that it 

could occur within the political process. 

QAnon’s realization of this political opportunity is reflected in its repertoire of terms and 

conspiracy theories. As President Trump promised to “drain the swamp,” QAnon cites a “deep 

state” of bad actors in the US government. The movement also uses the President’s exact phrase, 

“the calm before the storm,” to capitalize and legitimize its narrative. The movement’s narrative 

aligned with a patriotic image of protecting the US with the President at the helm of the military 

and set a contrast to an alleged Antifa movement. In the movement’s patriotic theme, the military 

was not part of the deep state, though the CIA was, which aligned with the president’s criticism 

of the intelligence community. Overall, QAnon’s original conspiratorial drops nested nicely into 

the existing political system, using the president’s language as a tactic to appear connected. 

The support from President Trump, the Commander-in-Chief, must not be 

underestimated in itself as a political opportunity structure. The President’s perceived support 

offered legitimacy, importance, and urgency to the movement. QAnon repeatedly used his 

phrases, such as “the calm before the storm” to create a certain mobilizing mood. The group also 

found other support, real or perceived, within the government. For example, in December 2017, 

a government press release titled “United States Sanctions Human Rights Abusers and Bad 

Actors Across the Globe” was claimed to be written by Q.89 Also notable was the absence of any 

opposition to the QAnon conspiracies from other members of Republican party, particularly 

1

 7 

related to the election fraud claims. QAnon actors used the president’s rhetoric as a strategic 

tactic and repertoire, which signaled legitimacy of the insider information. The strategy had a 

multiplying effect for the movement. First, it signaled the legitimacy in the movement and 

plausibility for conspiracies. Second, for some followers, the conspiracies aligned with their 

political or religious ideology, such as the conspiracies related to Democrats or Planned 

Parenthood.90 

On the other hand, the President’s antagonistic relationship with the free press, 

particularly the mainstream media, acted as another political opportunity. This contention was 

particularly advantageous for a movement using conspiracy theories as a repertoire. QAnon 

simply integrated the media’s contradictions as supporting proof for their conspiracy and the 

media’s corruption. The movement’s contentious engagement with the media was further 

legitimized and strengthened when the President also took issue with fake news. QAnon 

additionally leveraged a growing disagreement over “facts” or “alternative facts” as the White 

House press secretary infamously called them.91 QAnon cultivated this political opportunity with 

the media to urge Americans to rethink their beliefs and not act as “sheeple.” In 2019, a Pew 

Research survey showed that 73% of the public believed most Republicans and Democratic 

voters disagreed not just over political plans and policies but over “basic facts.”92 Dubbed MSM 

for mainstream media, QAnon posts referenced a pre-existing conspiracy theory called Operation 

Mockingbird related to the CIA manipulation of the media against the US public.93 The 

movement easily pointed to the contentious and negative relationship and reporting of the 

President as proof of the conspiracy. Advantageously, the effect of this perceived repression by 

the MSM presumably led the movement followers to other sources for information, especially 

sources online such as YouTube, Breitbart, or Fox News, that also likely supported QAnon’s 

1

 8 

message. After the 1987 repeal of the fairness doctrine, which required fair and balanced 

reporting, opinion “news” grew into its own media industry. The opinion news industry became 

fertile ground for the proliferation of conspiracies and support for the QAnon movement as 

exemplified by the Fox News article on Antifa.94 In addition to its mobilizing effects, the 

movement’s frame of distrusting news sources further supported its conspiracies when they 

contradicted other information available because it could be discredited as fake news. For 

example, when conspiracy predictions failed to materialize, the movement simply waved off 

these contradictions as a part of a deception campaign in the overall plan.95 Another catch phrase 

among a group of health and wellness supporters was “believe in the plan.”96 For the QAnon 

movement, a crucial POS was the lack of structure for verifying accurate information within the 

media industry.  

In January 2020, a global pandemic hit the world sending more uncertainty, suspicion, 

and fear into many Americans’ psyche. The pandemic deserves credit as a specific political 

opportunity for QAnon mobilization. The coronavirus, believed to have originated in China, 

became catalyst for additional conspiracy theories, including the origins and intent behind the 

virus’s spread. A Pew Research poll showed 47% of American people believe the virus 

originated from a lab in Wuhan, a fact that has never been scientifically proven.97 This political 

opportunity structure was destabilizing and opened the movement to wellness and lifestyle social 

media influencers as well as vaccine hesitant crowds because the mandated mask laws signaled 

potential mandated vaccinations. With one conspiracy theory came many others, Americans 

were isolated at home where they might have more time to research online and less able to 

recognize their own budding conspiratorial ideas. Theories emerged, such as the notion that 

government agencies may collude to hide the real origins or prevent a cure because of 

1

 9 

vaccination profits. While many people failed to recognize the source of their information 

originated from the movement, QAnon’s conspiracy theories mobilized thousands. 

A divided political discourse in America was another political opportunity for the 

movement. QAnon’s wide reach depicts that the societal discourse contains an underlying 

trauma and distrust that conspiracy theories answered. For example, Jeffrey Epstein made the 

news as another elite player in the world of business, with a connection to politicians. Personal 

interviews from victims of Mr. Epstein’s abuse claimed a connection with former President 

Clinton.98 The accused, Mr. Epstein, faced charges that included a scheme to traffic young girls 

for his abuse and pleasure.99 The reality of these events were catalysts for the believability of 

other similar conspiracies. The President’s language was yet another symptom of prevalent 

distrust and openness to conspiracies in the public discourse. The President used a number of 

“common-place” lies, such as the amount of rainy weather during his inauguration, to 

conveniently explain certain events. Similarly, he was also recognized as using swear words as 

part of his appeal.100 Although lying and swearing may seem disgraceful for a president, the 

acceptance of these tactics reflected a segment of the population’s desire for authenticity against 

the establishment.101 The President’s non-normative behavior signaled a hostility toward the 

politically correct norm and willingness to accept ideas previously shunned by the mainstream.  

Arguably, political opportunities were the most critical component for QAnon’s 

successful mobilization process. The political environment provided legitimacy, attention, and 

energy among other resources. Yet, other movements faced similar opportunities without 

enjoying such widespread, beyond-partisan success. While political opportunity structures were 

the rocket needed to launch the movement, technology was the fuel. 

https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/trecms/pdf/AD1178139.pdf

What was the First Great Awakening? What was the Second Great Awakening?

Answer

The First Great Awakening (c. 1735-1743) and the Second Great Awakening (c.1795-1830) were theologically significant in that they helped to shape Christian thinking by the intense revivalism they created. Each had leaders who were noteworthy in history, with Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield being two of the prominent names in the First Great Awakening (which was characterized by Calvinists), and Nathaniel Taylor and Charles Finney in the Second Great Awakening (far less Calvinistic and more closely attuned to the Arminian beliefs of many in the newly-formed United States).

Whitefield and Edwards believed churches should be organized to be entirely distinct from New England governments. They preached that salvation was only of God and that humans did not possess any ability whatever toward salvation; it came only as a result of God’s saving call. In other words, man’s “righteousness” would not save him no matter how many good deeds he has done. Furthermore, the doctrines of predestination and election (Romans 8:28-30) were regularly espoused, which upset many as well as drew in many, for God’s decreeing from eternity past who would be saved and who would not was an electrifying concept to them. Edwards’ propounding of these biblical truths as he saw them was the longest-lived theological result of the First Great Awakening.

The Second Great Awakening gained much interest by its support of important theological themes such as salvation and the church’s role in society. Nathaniel Taylor moved away from the beliefs of Whitefield and Edwards, maintaining that man possessed a “power to the contrary” when faced with moral choices, which strengthened the belief that man had a free will and therefore did play a part in his own salvation.

At the same time, “voluntary societies” sprang up, which were separate from church denominations; they were formed to help Christianize and reform America. Their successes moved many people to great feats of Christian service. In turn, this overall atmosphere caused many to believe that the end of the age was approaching, which generated even more good works and seemed to validate the concept of these societies even more.

In summary, the First Great Awakening stimulated a revival in Calvinism, due in no small part to the preaching and teaching of Jonathan Edwards. The Second Great Awakening is characterized by its stressing Arminianism rather than Calvinism, and its encouragement of revivalistic and democratic theology, which were seen to be essential ingredients in the shaping of American Protestantism. Ever since those days, both Awakenings have provided an enduring legacy for modern evangelicalism.

https://www.gotquestions.org/First-Second-Great-Awakening.html

Fourteenth Rule. Although there is much truth in the assertion that no one can save himself without being predestined and without having faith and grace; we must be very cautious in the manner of speaking and communicating with others about all these things.

The Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YC_luOfFWl0Bm0BWkbANKZGC1kkmdHQf/view?usp=sharing

666 1 Samuel 26:15-16. And David said to Abner, Art not thou a valiant man? and who is like to thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept thy lord the king? for there came one of the people in to destroy the king thy lord. This thing is not good that thou hast done. As the LORD liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not kept your master, the LORD'S anointed. And now see where the king's spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his bolster. 2 Samuel 18:3. But the people answered, Thou shalt not go forth: for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us: but now thou art worth ten thousand of us: therefore now it is better that thou succour us out of the city. Esther 6:2. And it was found written, that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's chamberlains, the keepers of the door, who sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus

THE

WESTMINSTER

LARGER

CATECHISM

https://www.freepresbyterian.org/uploads/Larger_Catechism.pdf

Can. 666 In the use of means of social communication, necessary discretion is to be observed and those things are to be avoided which are harmful to one’s vocation and dangerous to the chastity of a consecrated person." 

TITLE II. RELIGIOUS INSTITUTES (Cann. 607 - 709) 

CODE OF CANON LAW

https://www.vatican.va/.../cic_lib2-cann607-709_en.html

[666] 6. 1On the side of the superior general, what will aid toward this union of hearts are the qualities of his person [G], to be treated in Part IX [723-25], with which he will perform his office, 2which is to be for all the members a head from which the influence required for the end sought by the Society ought to descend to them all. 3It is thus from the general as head that all authority of the provincials should flow, from the provincials that of the local superiors, and from the local superiors that of the individual members. 4And from this same head, or at least by his commission and approval, should likewise come the appointing of missions. And the same should apply to communicating the graces of the Society. 5For the more the subjects are dependent upon their superiors, the better will the love, obedience, and union among them be preserved."

The Constitutions of the Society of Jesus and Their Complementary Norms

https://jesuitas.lat/uploads/the-constitutions-of-the-society-of-jesus-and-their-complementary-norms/Constitutions%20and%20Norms%20SJ%20ingls.pdf

Head:

1. See Illness, mental

2. The superior general, head of the Society [666]"

page 463

The CONstitutions of the Society of Jesus and Their Complimentary Norms

https://jesuitas.lat/uploads/the-constitutions-of-the-society-of-jesus-and-their-complementary-norms/Constitutions%20and%20Norms%20SJ%20ingls.pdf

18 This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.[a] That number is 666."

Revelation 13:16-18

Revelation 13:16-18

New International Version

16 It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.

18 This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.[a] That number is 666.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

Revelation 13:18 Or is humanity’s number

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%2013%3A16-18&version=NIV

Romans 8

1599 Geneva Bible

8 1 He concludeth that there is no condemnation to them, who are grafted in Christ through his Spirit, 3 howsoever they be as yet burdened with sins: 9 For they live through that Spirit, 14 Whose testimony, 15 driveth away all fear, 28 and relieveth our present miseries.

1 Now [a]then there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, which [b]walk not after the [c]flesh, but after the Spirit.

2 [d]For the [e]Law of the Spirit of [f]life which is in [g]Christ Jesus, hath [h]freed me from the Law of sin and of death.

3 [i]For (that that was [j]impossible to the Law, inasmuch as it was weak, because of the [k]flesh) God sending his own Son, in the similitude of [l]sinful flesh, and for [m]sin, [n]condemned sin in the flesh,

4 That that [o]righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled [p]in us, which walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

5 [q]For they that are after the [r]flesh, savor the things of the flesh: but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.

6 [s]For the wisdom of the flesh is death: but the wisdom of the Spirit is life and peace,

7 [t]Because the wisdom of the flesh is enmity against God: [u]for it is not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be.

8 [v]So then they that are in the flesh, cannot please God.

9 [w]Now ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, because the spirit of God dwelleth in you: but if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, the same is not his.

10 [x]And if Christ be in you, the [y]body is dead, because of sin: but the Spirit is life for righteousness sake.

11 [z]But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead, dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead, shall also quicken your mortal bodies, by his Spirit that [aa]dwelleth in you.

12 [ab]Therefore brethren, we are debtors not to the flesh, to live after the flesh:

13 [ac]For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye mortify the deeds of the body by the Spirit, ye shall live.

14 [ad]For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

15 [ae]For ye have not received the [af]Spirit of bondage, to [ag]fear again: but ye have received the Spirit of [ah]adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

16 The same Spirit beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.

17 [ai]If we be children, we are also [aj]heirs, even the heirs of God, and heirs annexed with Christ: [ak]if so be that we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified with him.

18 [al]For I [am]count that the afflictions of this present time are not worthy of the glory, which shall be showed unto us.

19 [an]For the fervent desire of the [ao]creature waiteth when the sons of God shall be revealed,

20 Because the creature is subject to [ap]vanity, not of its [aq]own will, but by reason [ar]of him, which hath subdued it under [as]hope,

21 Because the creature also shall be delivered from the [at]bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the sons of God.

22 For we know that every creature groaneth with us also, and [au]travaileth in pain together unto this present.

23 [av]And not only the creature, but we also which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we do sigh in [aw]ourselves, waiting for the adoption, even [ax]the redemption of our body.

24 [ay]For we are saved by hope: but [az]hope that is seen, is not hope: for how can a man hope for that which he seeth?

25 But if we hope for that we see not, we do with patience abide for it.

26 [ba]Likewise the Spirit also [bb]helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what to pray as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh [bc]request for us with sighs, which cannot be expressed.

27 But he that searcheth the hearts, knoweth what is the [bd]meaning of the Spirit: for he maketh request for the Saints, [be]according to the will of God.

28 [bf]Also we know that [bg]all things work together for the best unto them that love God, even to them that are called of his [bh]purpose.

29 For those which he knew before, he also predestinated to be made like to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

30 Moreover, whom he [bi]predestinated, them also he called, and whom he called, them also he justified, and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

31 [bj]What shall we then say to these things? If God be on our side, who can be against us?

32 Who spared not his own Son, but gave him for us all to death, how shall he not with him [bk]give us all things also?

33 [bl]Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s chosen? it is [bm]God that justifieth.

34 Who shall condemn? it is Christ which is dead: yea, or rather, which is risen again, who is also at the right hand of God, and maketh request also for us.

35 Who shall separate us from the love of [bn]Christ? shall tribulation or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

36 As it is written, For thy sake are we killed all day long: we are counted as sheep for the slaughter:

37 [bo]Nevertheless, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

38 For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Footnotes

Romans 8:1 A conclusion of all the former disputation from Rom 1:16 even to this place: Seeing that we being justified by faith in Christ, do obtain remission of sins and imputation of righteousness, and are also sanctified, it followeth hereof, that they that are grafted into Christ by faith, are out of all fear of condemnation.

Romans 8:1 The fruits of the Spirit, or effects of sanctification, which is begun in us, do not ingraft us into Christ, but do declare that we are grafted into him.

Romans 8:1 Follow not the flesh for their guide: for he is not said to live after the flesh, that hath the holy Ghost for his guide, though sometimes he step away.

Romans 8:2 A preventing of an objection: seeing that the virtue of the spirit which is in us, is so weak, how may we gather thereby, that there is no condemnation to them that have that virtue? because saith he, that virtue of the quickening spirit which is so weak in us, is most perfect and most mighty in Christ, and being imputed unto us which believe, causeth us to be so accounted of, as though there were no relics of corruption, and death in us. Therefore hitherto Paul disputed of remission of sins, and imputation of fulfilling the Law, and also of sanctification which is begun in us: but now he speaketh of the perfect imputation of Christ’s manhood, which part was necessarily required to the full appeasing of our consciences: for our sins are defaced by the blood of Christ, and the guiltiness of our corruption is covered with the imputation of Christ’s obedience: and the corruption itself (which the Apostle calleth sinful sin) is healed in us by little and little, by the gift of sanctification, but yet it lacketh besides that another remedy, to wit, the perfect sanctification of Christ’s own flesh, which also is to us imputed.

Romans 8:2 The power and authority of the spirit, against which is set the tyranny of sin.

Romans 8:2 Which mortifieth the old man, and quickeneth the new man.

Romans 8:2 To wit, absolutely and perfectly.

Romans 8:2 For Christ’s sanctification being imputed unto us, perfecteth our sanctification which is begun in us.

Romans 8:3 He useth no argument here, but expoundeth the mystery of sanctification, which is imputed unto us: for because, that the virtue of the law was not such (and that by reason of the corruption of our nature) that it could make man pure and perfect: and for that it rather kindled the disease of sin, than did put it out and extinguish it, therefore God clothed his Son with flesh like unto our sinful flesh, wherein he utterly abolished our corruption, that being accounted thoroughly pure and without fault in him apprehended and laid hold on by faith, we might be found to have fully that singular perfection which the Law requireth, and therefore that there might be no condemnation in us.

Romans 8:3 Which is not proper to the Law, but cometh by our fault.

Romans 8:3 In man not born anew, whose disease the law could not heal it.

Romans 8:3 Of man’s nature which was corrupt through sin, until he sanctified it.

Romans 8:3 To abolish sin in our flesh.

Romans 8:3 Showed that sin hath no right in us.

Romans 8:4 The very substance of the law of God might be fulfilled, or that same which the law requireth, that we may be found just before God: for if with our justification there be joined that sanctification which is imputed to us, we are just, according to the perfect form which the Lord requireth.

Romans 8:4 He returneth to that which he said, that the sanctification which is begun in us, is a sure testimony of our ingrafting into Christ, which is a most plentiful fruit of a godly and honest life.

Romans 8:5 A reason why to walk after the flesh, agreeth not to them which are grafted in Christ, but to walk after the spirit agreeth and is meet for them: because, saith he, that they which are after the flesh, savor the things of the flesh, but they that are after the spirit, the things of the spirit.

Romans 8:5 They that live as the flesh leadeth them.

Romans 8:6 He proveth the consequent: because that whatsoever the flesh savoreth, that engendereth death: and whatsoever the spirit savoreth, that tendeth to joy and life everlasting.

Romans 8:7 A reason and proof, why the wisdom of the flesh is death: because, saith he, it is the enemy of God.

Romans 8:7 A reason why the wisdom of the flesh is enemy to God: because it neither will neither can be subject to him. And by flesh he meaneth a man not regenerate.

Romans 8:8 The conclusion: therefore they that walk after the flesh, cannot please God: whereby it followeth, that they are not ingrafted into Christ.

Romans 8:9 He cometh to the others, to wit, to them which walk after the spirit, of whom we have to understand contrary things to the former: and first of all he defineth what it is to be in the spirit, or to be sanctified: to wit, to have the spirit of God dwelling in us; then he declareth, that sanctification is so joined and knit to our grafting in Christ, that it can by no means be separated.

Romans 8:10 He confirmeth the faithful against the relics of flesh and sin, granting that they are yet (as appeareth by the corruption which is in them) touching one of their parts (which he calleth the body, that is to say, a lump) which is not yet purged from the earthly filthiness in death: but therewithall willing them to doubt nothing of the happy success of their combat, because that even the little spark of the Spirit, (that is, of the grace of regeneration) which appeareth to be in them by the fruits of righteousness, is the seed of life.

Romans 8:10 The flesh, or all that which as yet sticketh fast in the clefts of sin, and death.

Romans 8:11 A confirmation of the former sentence. You have the selfsame Spirit, which Christ hath: Therefore at length it shall die the same in you, that it did in Christ, to wit, when all infirmities being utterly laid aside, and death overcome, it shall clothe you with heavenly glory.

Romans 8:11 By the virtue and power of it, which showed the same might first in our head, and daily worketh in his members.

Romans 8:12 An exhortation to oppress the flesh daily more and more by the virtue of the Spirit of regeneration, because (saith he) you are debtors unto God, forsomuch as you have received so many benefits of him.

Romans 8:13 Another reason of the profit that ensueth: for such as strive and fight valiantly, shall have everlasting life.

Romans 8:14 A confirmation of this reason: they be the children of God, which are governed by his Spirit, therefore shall they have life everlasting.

Romans 8:15 He declareth and expoundeth by the way, in these two verses, by what right this name, to be called the children of God, is given to the believers: because saith he, they have received the grace of the Gospel, wherein God showeth himself, not (as before in the publishing of the Law) terrible and fearful, but a most benign and loving father in Christ, so that with great boldness we call him Father, that holy Ghost sealing this adoption in our hearts by faith.

Romans 8:15 By the Spirit is meant the holy Ghost, whom we are said to receive, when he worketh in our minds.

Romans 8:15 Which fear is stirred up in our minds, by the preaching of the Law.

Romans 8:15 Which sealeth our adoption in our minds, and therefore openeth our mouths.

Romans 8:17 A proof of the consequent of the confirmation: because that he which is the Son of God, doth enjoy God with Christ.

Romans 8:17 Partakers of our father’s goods, and that freely, because we are children by adoption.

Romans 8:17 Now Paul teacheth by what way the sons of God do come to that felicity, to wit, by the cross, as Christ himself did: and therewithall openeth unto them fountains of comfort: as first, that we have Christ a companion and fellow of our afflictions: secondly, that we shall be also his followers in that everlasting glory.

Romans 8:18 Thirdly that this glory which we look for, doth a thousand parts surmount the misery of our afflictions.

Romans 8:18 All being well considered, I gather.

Romans 8:19 Fourthly, he plainly teacheth us that we shall certainly be renewed from that confusion and horrible deformation of the whole world, which cannot be continual, as it was not at the beginning: But as it had a beginning by the sin of man, for whom it was made by the ordinance of God, so shall it at length be restored with the elect.

Romans 8:19 All this world.

Romans 8:20 Is subject to a vanishing and flitting state.

Romans 8:20 Not by their natural inclination.

Romans 8:20 That they should obey the Creator’s commandment, whom it pleased to show by their fickle estate, how greatly he was displeased with man.

Romans 8:20 God would not make the world subject to everlasting curse, for the sin of man, but gave it hope that it should be restored.

Romans 8:21 From the corruption which they are now subject to, they shall be delivered and changed into that blessed state of incorruption, which shall be revealed when the sons of God shall be advanced to glory.

Romans 8:22 By this word is meant, not only exceeding sorrow, but also the fruit that followeth of it.

Romans 8:23 Fifthly, if the rest of the world looks for a restoring, groaning as it were for it, and that not in vain, let it not grieve us also to sigh, yea, let us be more certainly persuaded of our redemption to come, forasmuch as we have the firstfruits of the Spirit.

Romans 8:23 Even from the bottom of our hearts.

Romans 8:23 That last restoring, which shall be the accomplishment of our adoption.

Romans 8:24 Sixthly, hope is necessarily joined with faith: seeing then that we believe those things, which we are not yet in possession of, and hope respected not the thing that is present, we must therefore hope and patiently wait for that which we believe shall come to pass.

Romans 8:24 This is spoken by the figure Metonymy: Hope, for that which is hoped for.

Romans 8:26 Seventhly, There is no cause why we should faint under the burden of afflictions, seeing that prayers minister unto us a most sure help, which cannot be frustrated, seeing they proceed from the spirit of God which dwelleth in us.

Romans 8:26 Beareth our burden, as it were that we faint not under it.

Romans 8:26 Provoketh us to prayers, and telleth us as it were within, what we shall say, and how we shall groan.

Romans 8:27 What sobs and sighs proceed from the instinct of his Spirit.

Romans 8:27 Because he teacheth the godly to pray according to God’s will.

Romans 8:28 Eighthly, we are not afflicted, either by chance or to our harm, but by God’s providence for our great profit, who as he chose us from the beginning, so hath he predestined us to be made like to the image of his Son: and therefore will bring us in his time, being called and justified, to glory, by the cross.

Romans 8:28 Not only afflictions, but whatsoever else.

Romans 8:28 He calleth that, Purpose, which God hath from everlasting appointed with himself according to his good will and pleasure.

Romans 8:30 He useth the time past, for the time present, as the Hebrews use, who sometimes set down the thing that is to come, by the time that is past, to signify the certainty of it: and he hath also regard to God’s continual working.

Romans 8:31 Ninethly, we have no cause to fear that the Lord will not give us whatsoever is profitable for us, seeing that he hath not spared his own Son to save us.

Romans 8:32 Give us freely.

Romans 8:33 A most glorious and comfortable conclusion of the whole second part of this Epistle, that is, of the treatise of justification. There are no accusers that we have need to be afraid of before God, seeing that God himself absolveth us as just: and therefore much less need we to fear damnation, seeing that we rest upon the death and resurrection, the almighty power and defense of Jesus Christ. Therefore what can there be so weighty in this life, or of so great force and power, that might seize us, as though we might fall from the love of God, wherewith he loveth us in Christ: Surely nothing. Seeing that it is in itself most constant and sure, and also in us being confirmed by steadfast faith.

Romans 8:33 Who pronounceth us not only guiltless, but also perfectly just in his Son.

Romans 8:35 Wherewith Christ loveth us.

Romans 8:37 We are not only not overcome with so great and many miseries and calamities, but also more than conquerors in all of them.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%208&version=GNV