News of NXIVM: the ‘Vanguard’ and His Loyal Followers
by Paul Serran
As ‘The Vow – Part 2’ continues to refresh the mind of the mainstream public about this story, many news sites are keeping a close watch over the different aspects of this ongoing saga.
The ‘Style Caster’ site, for one, published, this last few days, a series of articles on NXIVM, and I’ve gathered here two of the most interesting ones. And YES, they use the same photo in all articles.
MK10ART's painting of Keith Alan Raniere where he presently resides.
MK10ART’s painting of Keith Alan Raniere where he presently resides.
The first is: Where is Keith Raniere now?, by Sophie Hanson.
‘Keith Raniere, the founder of the self-help organization NXIVM, spent over a decade using his power and influence to manipulate women and groom underage girls under the guise of female empowerment.’
Hanson notes that the jury convicted Raniere after deliberating for less than five hours.
‘The disgraced former leader of NXIVM is serving a 120-year prison sentence at a high-security facility in Tucson, he is prisoner 57005-177. His release date is listed as June 27, 2120.’
The Vow series is showing how the trial went, so the mainstream readers can – many for the first time – have a real idea of the crimes committed by Raniere and his accomplices.
Acting United States Attorney Seth DuCharme.
‘“The 120-year sentence imposed on Keith Raniere today is a measure of his appalling crimes committed over a decade,” stated Acting United States Attorney DuCharme at the time. “Raniere exploited and abused his victims emotionally, physically and sexually for his personal gratification. It is my hope that today’s sentence brings closure to the victims and their families.”’
Other aspect of the post-trial is that Raniere has not apologized or admitted his crimes, and is ready to fight his conviction with a stellar group of lawyers.
‘To this day, Raniere denies any wrongdoing. “He is not sorry for his conduct or his choices,” his lawyers wrote in a court filing, per the New York Times, adding that he “intends to fight this case with all of his might, confident that he will one day be vindicated.”’
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Another one of the ‘Style Caster’ pieces is Is NXIVM still active in 2022?
‘After Keith Raniere’s sex trafficking conviction in 2019, many fans of HBO Max’s series The Vow will be wondering if NXIVM is still active in 2022.’
The answer, as FR readers well know, is no – but yes.
The followers dance for their 'Vanguard',
The followers dance for their ‘Vanguard’,
‘[…] While Raniere awaited sentencing, the US federal government seized a Delaware company that owned the rights to NXIVM’s ideologies, often referred to as “tech”. Prosecutors argued this “tech”, developed by NXIVM co-founder Nancy Salzman who was a former practitioner of a pseudoscientific therapy called neurolinguistic programming, enabled the company to manipulate and mentally condition its members.’
The company has been shut down, indeed, but the poisonous ideas are still out there.
‘[…] Some former members of DOS believe there has been a “mischaracterization” of the secret group’s activities. The Dossier Project, which is made up of former NXIVM members including Battlestar Galactica actor Nicki Clyne and others interviewed in HBO’s The Vow, defines DOS as “Master, Allegiance, Sisterhood,” rather than a translation that suggests subservience. They’re also committed to carrying on the “spirit” of the group. “DOS no longer exists, but the spirit of compassionate, strong women working together lives on!”’
Eight DOS women from the website DOSsierproject.com.
So there we have it, for all the mainstream readers to see, the usual rationalizations that the Raniere followers use to justify their ongoing work:
‘The group acknowledged the allegations against Raniere but stands by NXIVM’s 12-Point Mission Statement, written by the group’s founder, the second of which includes a philosophy where “there are no ultimate victims; therefore, I will choose not to be a victim”. This aligns with Raniere’s defense at trial, which argued that the women in DOS weren’t coerced but in fact, gave consent to be branded and dominated over.’
Dr. Janja Lalich brought some sanity.
Unlike ‘The Vow’, where the claims and assertions remain largely unchecked, Style Caster felt it needed some sanity to counterbalance their ‘ESPian’ point of view.
“They’re what we call true believers,” said Janja Lalich, a sociologist and cult expert who has worked with Nxivm defectors, per the New York Times. “It shows the depth of their indoctrination and the extent to which they have internalized his rhetoric.”
EXPERTS SUPPORT AMBER HEARD
An Open Letter in Support of Amber Heard
Five months ago, the verdict in the defamation trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard deeply concerned many professionals in the fields of intimate partner and sexual violence.
As many, including A.O. Scott for The New York Times have noted, the vilification of Ms. Heard and ongoing online harassment of her and those who have voiced support for her have been unprecedented in both vitriol and scale.
Much of this harassment was fueled by disinformation, misogyny, biphobia, and a monetized social media environment where a woman’s allegations of domestic violence and sexual assault were mocked for entertainment. The same disinformation and victim-blaming tropes are now being used against others who have alleged abuse.
In our opinion, the Depp v. Heard verdict and continued discourse around it indicate a fundamental misunderstanding of intimate partner and sexual violence and how survivors respond to it. The damaging consequences of the spread of this misinformation are incalculable. We have grave concerns about the rising misuse of defamation suits to threaten and silence survivors.
We condemn the public shaming of Amber Heard and join in support of her. We support the ability of all to report intimate partner and sexual violence free of harassment and intimidation.
[ … ]
https://amberopenletter.com/letter
[https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/02/arts/depp-heard-trial-malice.html]