OneNewsNow promotes “Ethnic Tensions” Conspiracy Theory

OneNewsNow has a book to puff:

Dr. Michael Coffman, author of Rescuing a Broken America: Why America is Deeply Divided and How to Heal it Constitutionally, says ethnic tensions are a “hallmark” of the last days, because ethnic groups are said to rise against other ethnic groups in division and contention.

“We’re seeing that beginning to happen now, where there is this bitter hatred that’s being developed between the different ethnicities, as well as the whole concept of poor against the rich,” he notes. “And all the rest is that we’re being divided and re-divided so that this nation cannot stand.”

How can one “rescue” America if what’s happening is a sign of the “last days”? It’s nonsensical, although apocalyptic forms of Christian fundamentalism have often managed to accommodate a this-worldly vision of the future without provoking cognitive dissonance. Coffman explains the reason for ethnic tensions – and it of course has nothing to do with nativist Tea Partiers or misleadingly edited videos being used to whip up white resentment. He explains:

“One of the purposes I believe that we are seeing such a massive influx of illegal immigration that’s being encouraged by some of the elites here in this country is to totally demonize or to bring down the understanding of our historical roots so that they can convert this nation into a socialist nation that’s very easily controlled by the elites,” the author speculates.

The book is published by Morgan James Publishers, which specialises in books for entrepreneurs; the founder, David L. Hancock, claims to be “recognized by NASDAQ as one of the world’s most prestigious business leaders”. The book also comes with endorsements from Phyllis Schlafly and Alan Quist, as well as from a certain Valerie McDougal, described as a “Concerned Citizen”.

Coffman exists at that strange juncture where economic libertarianism and Christian fundamentalism come together, bonded through conspiracy theories; according to a blurb on his “Environmental Perspectives” organisation:

Environmental Perspectives, Inc. is an educational-research organization that since 1992 has been helping citizens across America to understand the dangers of the environmental movement and how false environmental catastrophes like global warming are being used to justify the need for world government and a pantheistic-based (nature is god) religion. Dr. Coffman, the founder of Environmental Perspectives, has written four books: Environmentalism, The Dawn of Aquarius or the Twilight of a New Dark Age; Saviors of the Earth, the Politics and Religion of the Environmental Movement; The Birth of World Government; and the most recent, Dreamkillers, Abuse of Regulatory Eminent Domain.

…Saviors of the Earth has not only helped America understand the dangers of the environmental movement, but has been instrumental in helping many conservatives in Congress to understand ongoing global events. The information in Saviors of the Earth even provided the basis for stopping the ratification of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity.

Yes, immigrants entering the USA is a sign of the “last days”, but evidence for global warming is a conspiracy.

Coffman runs several websites alongside “Environmental Perspectives”: these include “Global Warming or Global Governance?” and “Discerning the Times“, where he boasts that he is “one of a very few people in the United States who have an in-depth knowledge of current events that relate to Biblical prophecy.” In particular, he tells us that he “correctly predicted in 1999 that a major terrorist attack would occur in the United States led by Osama bin Laden and that bin Laden would not be caught or killed”, although the evidence he gives us is underwhelming: his 1999 piece merely cites other reports about Bin Laden, links this to Y2K fearmongering, and warns that an attack would allow Bill Clinton “to impose the Martial Law for which he has carefully been preparing since taking office.”

He is also part of an outfit called Sovereignty International, Inc; the advisory council includes Tom DeWeese of the American Policy Center; Alan Caruba of the wonderfully-named National Anxiety Center; Cliff Kincaid (here listed in his capacity as running America’s Survival, Inc.), and David Rothard of the Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow. Other people at Sovereignty International include Henry Lamb of Freedom 21 (whose speakers have included Coffman alongside the likes of Chuck Baldwin and Jerome Corsi, whom I blogged on here) and Floy Lilley of the Mises Institute.

Coffman has also been promoting himself on  Alex Jones’s radio show; according to a blurb on Jones’s site:

Over the past 100 years global forces have actively worked to change the world view of Americans and create what they now call global governance. Unknowingly indoctrinated Americans have moved from a liberty and constitutionally focused world view based on the writings of Englishman John Locke, to that of government control of the individual based on the writings of Frenchman Jean Jacque Rousseau. After failing in the early 20th century, Rousseau’s progressive model of state control once again dominates government policy and America’s world view.

This is a typical pseudo-intellectual approach to understanding historical change and the history of ideas: instead of complex processes, there’s one figure – preferably a well-known philosopher – who provides the key which explains everything. In turn, Coffman promotes a Jones DVD entitled Endgame: Blueprint for Global Enslavement (“Watch as Jones and his team track the elusive Bilderberg Group to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world’s agenda and instigating World War III”). Coffman has also recently been interviewed by Jan Markell:

Dr. Michael Coffman and Jan discuss Michael’s new book, “Rescuing a Broken America.” They take a closer look at the movers and shakers that are bringing America down: Cloward and Piven, Saul Alinsky, Jean Rousseau [! – RB], and more. There is a worldview war going on and it affects both liberals and conservatives; both Democrats and Republicans. In the 1960s, Cloward and Piven came up with a plan to overwhelm the American system and cause the nation to collapse. That is the primary road map being utilized today by the socialists in high places in America. They emphasize the importance of the “lame duck” session after the November election and into January 2011. The planned mayhem coming from the Left for those few months is staggering. Repealing some of the current and planned destruction is possible. Learn how.