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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
The ReAwaken America Tour unites conservative Christians2 and conspiracy3 theorists
Since early last year, some of the most prolific5 spreaders of conspiracy theories have been barnstorming across the country alongside a stacked cast of pro-Trump6 speakers, preachers and self-proclaimed prophets.
Each stop of the ReAwaken America Tour is part conservative Christian1 revival7, part QAnon expo and part political rally. It features big name stars in the MAGA galaxy8, including MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, Trump adviser9 Roger Stone and former President Donald Trump's son, Eric. There are meet and greets, a buffet10 and, lately, baptisms and the casting out of demons11.
The show was conceived in the months after former national security adviser Michael Flynn received a pardon from Trump. Flynn connected with Clay Clark, an Oklahoma man who had been hosting local, anti-lockdown gatherings12 during the pandemic. The two put on their first event in Tulsa in April 2021. The most recent stop in Pennsylvania Amish country was their 16th show together.
"Here, we go through two days of probably the best education you're ever going to get," Flynn told the audience.
Between stage calls, "America's General," as he's known in these circles, paced through the sports complex in a suit and red, white and blue sneakers. His partner, Clark, raced on and off stage with a clipboard and the unshakeable cheerfulness of his former career as a wedding DJ, to coordinate13 the speaking slots of the more than 70 presenters14 over two days. Clark is also a podcaster who is being sued for defamation15 by a former executive of Dominion16 Voting Systems over claims that aired on his show.
"I don't take any income or salary from these events and I do that because I'm not trying to get rich, I'm not trying to make it as a firebrand. I'm trying to save this nation," Clark told the crowd between acts.
$500 handbags and $3,300 exercise equipment
Plenty of money does change hands though. Dietary supplements, fluoride-free toothpaste, patriotic17 coffee and children's books like "The Cat In The Maga Hat" are all on sale. Bedazzled purses in the shape of a gun or the Titanic18 (a metaphor19 for the country) cost $500.
Carson Massie was selling vibrating platforms you can stand on instead of exercising. "Ten minutes on this is equal to an hour at the gym," said Massie. The units go for $3,300 each, a steal compared to other models on the market, he said. Their stand sells about 150 on an average ReAwaken day.
After his speech, Roger Stone remained near the stage to pose for pictures with attendees. On either side of him were two people holding open large, clear garbage bags who collected cash donations toward Stone's legal and medical bills.
But not everyone was there to sell a product. Attendees get free books, including a 2-pound tome about the nation's top infectious disease doctor and presidential adviser, Anthony Fauci, and a war led by "globalists" against Trump and freedom using facemasks and COVID-19.
"I sell nothing. I refuse donations. I know what I know could save a lot of lives because there's a scripture20 that says, my people perish for lack of knowledge," said Everett Triplett in a crisp, white cowboy hat and bolo tie.
His booth is covered in enlarged copies of Bible pages bearing his hand-scrawled notes and colorful highlights. Triplett believes God has shown him that a massive nuclear attack on the United States is imminent21, all of which is explained in a free, glossy22 booklet. He said he wondered about some of the working-class attendees he sees stocking up on T-shirts and precious metals.
"Passionate23 people are easily talked out of their money when it comes to the things they're passionate about. They're generous. And so all these T-shirts, political stuff that has on it, the content that makes them go, whoop24, whoop, whoop, they like it. They spend money," said Triplett, who admits he's bought a thing or two.
COVID, Satan, pedophiles
In the very back of Triplett's free handout25 were his research recommendations. The list included Alex Jones' InfoWars, a John Birch Society speech and the Protocols26 of the Elders of Zion, a notorious, century-old antisemitic hoax27. Its themes of a secret, Jewish plot for "global domination" and specifically, preying28 on children, all echo in the conspiracy theories of today.
This is Mark Abrahams' second time at a ReAwaken tour stop. He says he's a big fan of one of the speakers, a British QAnon personality whose videos feature fictions about COVID-19, global currency upheaval29 and Satanic pedophiles.
"When you come to these places. You feel at home. You really do feel like you're in and amongst good people and that's a big difference," said Abrahams.
Outside of events like the tour, Abrahams complained that there are no civil conversations anymore, just accusations30 of racism31 and homophobia. With his next breath he started to describe the need for vigilance on a hypothetical family trip with his grandchildren and his fears that his granddaughter would be assaulted by a transgender person.
"My granddaughter goes in and I see a masculine looking woman going into that bathroom. I'm stopping them. And if that person has not completed their transformation32, I will physically33 finish it for them," said Abrahams.
Minutes later, he invoked34 the Golden Rule of treating others as you'd want to be treated. Asked how he squared that with his own violent threats, Abrahams said, "I square that with the Golden Rule because, if you know right from wrong, you're not a lady. You're not a woman. You're a man," and continued sharing his thoughts on transgender people.
In reality, transgender people have been murdered at record numbers in the last two years and face disproportionally high rates of assault and other forms of abuse.
In an interview later, Clay Clark, the organizer, said he doesn't agree with anyone who "endorses35 violence as a means to end disagreement." But pressed about the weekend's prominent strain of anti-trans and homophobic rhetoric36, and what responsibility he assumes for any messages about evil, demons and pedophiles his audience may leave with, Clark finally offered this:
"I agree with what you just said. Yeah, I think you saw it in Nazi37 Germany. You put a star on people and you dehumanize them," said Clark. "I also think putting a mask on someone is dehumanizing."
Last year, Georgia U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene had to publicly apologize for repeatedly making the same comparison, and said the remark was "offensive." But at the ReAwaken tour, the analogy was commonplace.
God "doesn't need an election"
Despite repeated false claims from the speakers onstage that the 2020 election was stolen, most attendees said they plan to vote in next week's midterm elections. Speakers like Flynn urged them to add poll watching and continued political organizing to their schedules. "Local action equals national impact," Flynn has said throughout the tour.
From the same stage, earlier that day, Julie Green, an ally of Pennsylvania Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano, told the audience God had spoken to her and sent a prophecy.
"These are the days for you to control the governments of this earth," said Green to huge applause.
She continued, "God said he can take this country back in unconventional ways. He doesn't need an election to do it."
Events like ReAwaken serve as a kind of worship service, said Anthea Butler, chair of the University of Pennsylvania's religious studies department,
"There are all the elements of Christian churches, except it's not in the church. Right? So all of those things that people get sociologically from church connection, validation38, affirmation, all of those things are happening in these sorts of places," said Butler.
She traced the prophecies and charismatic preaching to a movement from the 1990s called the New Apostolic Reformation. Its leaders believe there are present-day apostles and prophets fighting evil forces. Add in election denial, vaccine39 and anti-government conspiracism and it's a very potent40 mix that Butler says the Republican Party has largely embraced.
"You've always had conspiracy theories in American religion," says Butler. "There's always been people who have thought about, 'what is going to happen in the end times' or 'when is the world going to come to an end.' The real question you want to ask is, why aren't they talking about that anymore?"
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Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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Christians
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| n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 ) | |
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conspiracy
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| n.阴谋，密谋，共谋 | |
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transcript
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| n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书 | |
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prolific
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| adj.丰富的，大量的；多产的，富有创造力的 | |
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trump
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| n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭 | |
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revival
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| n.复兴，复苏，（精力、活力等的）重振 | |
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galaxy
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| n.星系；银河系；一群(杰出或著名的人物) | |
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adviser
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| n.劝告者，顾问 | |
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buffet
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| n.自助餐；饮食柜台；餐台 | |
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demons
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| n.恶人( demon的名词复数 )；恶魔；精力过人的人；邪念 | |
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gatherings
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| 聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集 | |
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coordinate
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| adj.同等的，协调的；n.同等者；vt.协作，协调 | |
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presenters
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| n.节目主持人，演播员( presenter的名词复数 ) | |
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defamation
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| n.诽谤；中伤 | |
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dominion
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| n.统治，管辖，支配权；领土，版图 | |
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patriotic
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| adj.爱国的，有爱国心的 | |
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titanic
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| adj.巨人的，庞大的，强大的 | |
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metaphor
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| n.隐喻，暗喻 | |
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scripture
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| n.经文，圣书，手稿；Scripture:(常用复数)《圣经》，《圣经》中的一段 | |
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imminent
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| adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的 | |
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glossy
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| adj.平滑的；有光泽的 | |
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passionate
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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whoop
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| n.大叫，呐喊，喘息声；v.叫喊，喘息 | |
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handout
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| n.散发的文字材料；救济品 | |
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protocols
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| n.礼仪( protocol的名词复数 )；（外交条约的）草案；（数据传递的）协议；科学实验报告（或计划） | |
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hoax
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| v.欺骗，哄骗，愚弄；n.愚弄人，恶作剧 | |
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preying
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| v.掠食( prey的现在分词 )；掠食；折磨；（人）靠欺诈为生 | |
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upheaval
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| n.胀起，(地壳)的隆起；剧变，动乱 | |
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accusations
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| n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名 | |
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racism
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| n.民族主义；种族歧视(意识) | |
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transformation
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| n.变化；改造；转变 | |
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physically
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| adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律 | |
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invoked
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| v.援引( invoke的过去式和过去分词 )；行使（权利等）；祈求救助；恳求 | |
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endorses
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| v.赞同( endorse的第三人称单数 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品 | |
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rhetoric
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| n.修辞学，浮夸之言语 | |
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Nazi
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| n.纳粹分子，adj.纳粹党的，纳粹的 | |
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validation
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| n.确认 | |
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vaccine
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| n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的 | |
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potent
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| adj.强有力的，有权势的；有效力的 | |
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