Ion White Poetry: What Makes a Cult?
By Ion White Poetry
What makes a cult? These are the definitions and, yes, Keith Raniere’s enterprises are “A Cult.”
• Absolute authoritarianism without meaningful accountability.
• No tolerance for questions or critical inquiry.
• No meaningful financial disclosure regarding budget or expenses, such as an independently audited financial statement.
• Unreasonable fear about the outside world, such as impending catastrophe, evil conspiracies and persecutions.
• There is no legitimate reason to leave, former followers are always wrong in leaving, negative or even evil.
• Former members often relate the same stories of abuse and reflect a similar pattern of grievances.
• There are records, books, news articles, or broadcast reports that document the abuses of the group/leader.
• Followers feel they can never be “good enough”.
• The group/leader is always right.
• The group/leader is the exclusive means of knowing “truth” or receiving validation; no other process of discovery is really acceptable or credible.
Charles Manson saw Melcher as ticket to stardom.
Charles Manson.
Jim Hones led 900 followers to a hasty death.
Jim Jones
Vanguard
David Koresh
