Theistic Satanism: Home > Politics > Fascist > LaVey-based > Black Legion Party
The Black Legion Party and its fanciful "fascism"
by Diane Vera
Copyright © 2006 Diane Vera. All rights reserved.
- The Black Legion Party
- The fancifulness of BLP "fascism"
- The BLP "Party manifesto" - some common LaVeyan delusions about Christianity
- More from the "Party manifesto"
- "The Eternal Spirit of our Movement"
- Some "core values" of "The Black Legion Code"
- Race and multi-culturalism
- Gender and sexual orientation
- The Black Legion Party
I recently came across the Black Legion Party website on a list of Australian & New Zealand websites on a site devoted to Australian Satanists. (For some reason, the above-mentioned links page does not list the Society of the Onyx Star, which is now based in Australia, and whose Australian branch is now run by a very intelligent theistic Satanist for whom I have a lot of respect.)
The Black Legion Party is a LaVeyan atheistic symbolic Satanist group, judging by the BLP website's page on The Black Legion Code, which says:
The Black Legion Party defines itself as a “satanic” order as defined by the theories and tenets of the late Dr. Anton Szandor LaVey. Far from being “devil worshippers”, we instead recognize Satan as a symbolic metaphor that embodies the attributes we strive toward; fierce independence, dynamic creativity and self-empowerment. Our members reject ALL notions of a higher power, choosing instead to recognize themselves as the highest possible being in their personal universe. It is critical to note that, in the spirit of our Party’s encouragement of free thought, our membership is not forced to define themselves personally as “Satanists”. We allow members to approach this issue on their own terms – as long as they are in basic agreement with the general beliefs. (an attraction to the dark side of life, rejection of a belief in a higher power, etc.)
The BLP site is nevertheless worth commenting on because many theistic Satanists are influenced by LaVey's writings too, and some are influenced by LaVey-based "fascism."
The BLP Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page begins as follows:
WHAT IS THE BLP?
Part Political Party, part Secret Society, the Black Legion Party (BLP) is a modern group of focused individuals working toward the achievement of the highest ideas of humanity made reality. We are unified under the ancient ideals of knightly nobility and use the direction and aesthetic of Fascism and National Socialism, seperating the strong from the weak by virtue of one's ability to produce results.
As we'll see in the next section, The fancifulness of BLP "fascism", further down on this page, the Black Legion Party's "fascism" is at least partly tongue-in-cheek.
The BLP's Party Manifesto page defines "fascism" in general as follows:
Fascism is defined simply as a governmental system of politics that revolves around strong masses of citizens supporting a centralised, elite dictatorship. Beyond that, the individual ideologies and ethics of each fascist party or movement can be very different.
The above is preceded by the following disclaimer:
When most people hear the word "fascist", they immediately equate it with "racist". Nothing could be further from the truth. Historically, most fascist movements have been ultra-nationalist in nature, which breeds an environment of racism, however rasicsm is in no way a part of fascist ideals.
Okay, but why is fascism more desirable than a government with a system of checks and balances, such as we now have in most Western countries? The BLP website doesn't answer this question.
It seems to me that the best way to protect the freedom of individuals is to have a system of checks and balances, neither a pure democracy nor a pure dictatorship. (Note: I do not advocate pure democracy. As far as I am aware, the world's one and only pure democracy is in Switzerland, a place where I would not want to live, if what I've heard about it is at all accurate.) It seems to me that, if you are any kind of oddball - such as a Satanist - you need to live in a society in which individual freedom is protected by law and preferably in the constitution.
Back to the FAQ page:
WHEN WAS IT FOUNDED?
The BLP was started in the early 21st century CE by the founding Grand Master 'Arch Hierophant'. It incorporates many ideas from past great societies, but is not directly connected to any one of them. Rather it is a new movement in itself, born from a pragmatic approach providing realistic answers for the modern world.
As we'll see below, the BLP's approach is not pragmatic or realistic at all.
- The fancifulness of BLP "fascism"
The BLP folks apparently desire "fascism" on the basis of a belief that they themselves are destined to be the ruling elite. The BLP's home page begins as follows:
Lords! Ladies! Aspiring Dictators! Villains! Villainess! Knights! Sorcerers! Witches! Masters! Mistresses!
I welcome you to the Black Legion Party!
Welcome to the elite, the cream of the crop, and revel in the knowledge of your higher state ....
Sounds like we're in fantasyland here. I seriously doubt that any members of the BLP are actually "Lords," "Ladies" (in the sense of a title of nobility), or "Knights."
Perhaps some are "Masters" or "Mistresses" in a BDSM sense? If so, there's nothing wrong with that, as long as one's fantasy enactments are confined to consenting partners. Unfortunately, it appears that the BLP may be trying to impose a BDSM fantasy on the rest of society.
Of course, it's highly unlikely that the BLP will ever succeed. Their "fascist" posturing is more laughable than scary - and indeed it does not appear to be entirely serious.
The BLP sure does have (or claims to have) ambitious goals. According to The Black Legion Code:
The Will to Domination
Black Legion Party national and international conquest shall be hereby accomplish in the following manner:
1) Internal preparation and mobilization of all parts of the Party towards victorious struggle against our ideological foes.
2) Seizure of Power: Complete and total domination and occupation of target positions.
3) Purification: Internal purge of all undesirable elements within our sphere of influence.
4) Isolation: Formation of a strict security net that encompasses all areas of citizen activity. Creation of a self-motivated "fighting community" with strong morale, protected from outside influence and interference.
5) Externalization: The drive towards conquest - acquisition of new living space and the establishment of a powerful global empire.
However, as the BLP's founder admits on a page titled Never Lose Sight:
My dream was a little bit tongue-in-cheek at first, I must admit. I have always enjoyed playing "devil's advocate" and embracing the role of the "villian". I figured that for hundreds of years, "experts" within organized religion (and nowadays the wiccan movement!), conservatives and all manner of crackpot conspiracy theorists have put forth the notion of the existence of an ancient, ultimately evil, extremely organized secret elite force of international satanists (and Nazis!) that have been controlling the civilized world for generations. This organization has been called many things... The Illuminati, The New World Order, the Hands of Death - accusations and "expert testimony" have filled loads of books, but no firm evidence ever gathered. The satanic ritual abuse scare in the 1980's was another example of this phenomena popping up yet again. The simple fact is - this evil empire just doesn't exist, it's just another way of society to point the blame away from themselves and find an easy scapegoat to unload their social anxieties and insecurities on.
But wait... what if we were to give them exactly what they wanted? What if we built up the very monster they created in their delusional nightmares? What if suddenly, overnight - a seemingly powerful and monolithic "Evil Empire" of super villains and villainesses popped up in their own backyard! This would be no straw scarecrow, easily pushed over and jeered at - but real men and women in uniforms... with resolute goals and a black banner to march underneath!
The Black Legion Party! A collective of loners, aspiring villainsm satanists, dark-minded men and women, witches, warlocks, kings and queens! This motley assembly would rise up and challenge modern society, it would kick in the rotten door of democracy, it would play the villain and strike cold fear in the hearts of quavering pseudo-intellectual 'occult' experts and the mindless herds who have been brainwashed by the media and organized religions!
This is the dream we will stick to.
It may not come to pass in our lifetime... but the ideas, structure and philosophies of what we do today will live on, be imitated and followed by future generations! We are ALL writing the book as we go along - what we do NOW decides the future of this, our dark order!
Several comments on the above:
- Conspiracy theories involving Nazis are a relatively recent twist, and a very ironic one. More often, the alleged grand conspirators have been Jews. Indeed, conspiracy theories about Jews were one of the Nazis' justifications for their genocidal hatred of Jews. In yet another relatively recent twist, the alleged conspirators were Wiccans, who, of course, were alleged to "really" worship Satan. (See The Seven W.I.C.C.A. Letters and note their similarities to The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.)
- Since when does "democracy" have a "rotten door" that could be easily "kicked in"? By "democracy," I assume the author is referring to most Western governments, most of which aren't pure democracies, although they do have a strong democratic component. (The only pure democracy I'm aware of is Switzerland.) Be that as it may, most of the Western governments, including Switzerland, are among the most stable governments in the world. They're not about to come crashing down at the sight of a bunch of "villains" in black uniforms.
- "Playing the villain" is, in general, not a good way to rally very many people to a political cause of any kind.
- Scaring people can be harmless fun up to a point, at least if one has a sufficiently obvious sense of humor about it. However, if enough people take the perceived threat seriously, they're likely to retaliate. And that could get very nasty. Therefore, it is not in our best interests to try to fulfill the delusional nightmares of conspiracy theorists. We certainly do not need vast numbers of people believing in a Satanist grand conspiracy and getting panicked about it. Any Satanist who thinks that would be desirable is in desperate need of a few lessons in Jewish history. (See my separate articles Should we Satanists aim to rule the world? and A brief critique of anti-Jew racist ideology.)
In my opinion, if we Satanists are going to concern ourselves with politics at all, then we need to look seriously at the question of what kind of political movement would actually be in our best interests. To that end, we need to look seriously at the actual social and political realities out there, not just choose our politics based on "esthetics" or an enjoyment of scaring people.
Let us now look at various other statements on the BLP website and contrast them with a realistic appraisal of our sociopolitical situation.
- The BLP "Party manifesto" - some common LaVeyan delusions about Christianity
Looking again at the Party Manifesto:
The Party is essentially, a loosely knit group of highly unique individuals that share certain values, aesthetics and core beliefs. The Black Legion is the theatre in which these individuals can trade ideas, have discussions, and take action on the philosophies they commonly believe in.
The Black Legion Party therefore proclaims:
...
2) Organised religion is a plague that should be utterly torn down. This cancer has been infecting us long enough, and Party members commit themselves to aiding and setting into place any action that will diminish the power of these false organisations. There is absolutely no excuse for these outdated fantasies any longer. The insidious effects of Christianity prevail still in our judicial system, schools and daily lives. We resolve to strke a blow for a New Order to replace the moldy institutions of the Church.
Organized religion is not dying anytime soon. These past several decades, the more fanatical forms of organized religion have been growing. In many parts of the West other than the U.S.A., organized religion is indeed far less powerful than it once was, which is probably the reason why some people believe that Christianity is dying. Nevertheless, even in places like Britain, Australia, and New Zealand, the more fanatical forms of Christianity are growing. (See Evangelicals poised to take over the Church by Jonathan Petre, Daily Telegraph, UK, Aug. 25, 2003, about the increasing number of evangelical Christians active in the Church of England. See also Church Attendance in Australia, which cites some studies showing that the older, mainstream Christian denominations are declining, but that the fundamentalists, evangelicals, and Pentecostals are growing, and see also The rise of the religious right in Australia.) And they will most likely continue to grow. (For more about the worldwide growth of the more fanatical forms of Christianity in general, see The Next Christianity by Philip Jenkins.)
Most people desire a sense of community; and, it today's world, organized religion is the easiest way for most people to find a sense of community. I don't see any possible way that organized religion can be "utterly torn down." The best that can be hoped for is to encourage the more benign and more individualistic forms of organized religion at the expense of the more authoritarian and conformist kinds, and to encourage religious tolerance toward atheists too.
Back in the late 1960's, in the heyday of LaVey's Church of Satan, a lot of people thought that Christianity was dying. That's obviously not true anymore. But too many LaVeyans still believe that Christianity is on its deathbed. As a result, too many LaVeyans still don't take the Christian religious right wing seriously as a real enemy and as a worldwide threat. Instead, they imagine that the world needs to be rescued from the grip of "hippies" (!), Wiccans, and New Agers.
The BLP Party Manifesto goes on to say:
Anton LaVey instructed a new generation of Satanists to continue the hidden war on new enemies that will arise in the millenium. No longer is it enough for us to oppose the age-old institutions of the Church and organised religions. There are new enemies that we must raise our fist against. The Party member plays the part of the villain in society, taking the opposite stand on popular opinions and fads, deliberately playing the "devil's advocate", and exploring the forbidden and darker side of issues. By consciously siding against commonly held beliefs, we drive a stake through the heart of herd mentality, using shock value to hit society over the head, and make them think twice about why they believe in what they believe in.
In this modern age, Man has replaced his slavish need for God and religion with new gods, each as infallible and unquestionable as Christianity itself.
Some examples of these new gods would be:
(a) The media (television, celebrity icons, fashion trends, etc).
(b) The psychology industry.
(c) Mdern ideals such as feminism, multiculturalism, equality and love for all.
(d) Social awareness, political and environmental "activism".
(e) Health, diet and physical fitness obsessions.
(f) Society's push towards modernism and lust for high-tech gadgets.
(g) Pacifism, peace-mongering.
(h) New Age mysticism (yoga, Eastern philosophies, meditation, etc)To name a few.
Any member of today's society who does not mindlessly agree with, or conform with the above "new gods", is labelled an immediate danger to the rest of the Herd, and is subsequently isolated and punished.
Depends where you live.
Anton LaVey lived in San Francisco. San Francisco is not the world. There are plenty of places where more conservative views are the norm. Furthermore, it seems to me that the above complaints are a bit of an exaggeration even regarding San Francisco.
Most importantly, the above "new gods" have not replaced "organized religion" - not by a long shot. As I pointed out earlier, the more fanatical forms of Christianity are definitely making a comeback. So too are the more fanatical forms of Islam.
That being the case, it seems to me that any social nonconformist who sees "hippies" as a significant enemy is stuck in a time warp. We're not living in the 1960's anymore.
LaVey's Satanic Bible, written in 1969, was largely a reaction to the hippie movement, in some ways opposing it while in other ways carrying its ideals further. LaVey rejected such naive notions as "All you need is love," while at the same time upholding sexual freedom to a greater extent than the hippies did. (For example, LaVey was one of the very first well-known religious writers to advocate acceptance of homosexuality.) LaVey, who was then approximately 40 years old, also disliked 1960's fashions in clothing, music, and social interaction, preferring instead the fashions of his youth, like most older people from time immemorial.
Unfortunately, too much of Satanism has come to be defined in terms of Anton LaVey's personal situation and esthetic tastes. We need to move on and face today's worldwide realities.
3) Black Legion Party Members often share an interest in all things of a military nature. This is no coincidence. The superior, Higher Men and Women throughout history are often drawn into and attracted to the arts of war. The Party supports warfare of all kinds, and is often forceful in establishing its agenda. We believe the sickly message of peace-loving hippies is just as dangerous as the false prophet Nazarene who concocted it. Therefore we loudly declare, "MIGHT IS RIGHT!"
First off, the "false prophet Nazarene" was no pacifist: “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me." (Matthew 10:34-37, referring to Micah 7:6)
To this day, only a small minority of Christians are pacifists. The vast majority of Christians believe that war is justified under at least some circumstances.
Of course, Christianity does uphold an ideal of eventual world peace. But Jesus didn't invent that ideal. The ancient pagan Romans believed in a forthcoming "Saturnia Regna." The Iroquois, fierce warriors though they were, also upheld an ideal of eventual world peace.
The Christian ideal of "loving your enemies" isn't unique to Christianity either. In fact, it's an even more deeply ingrained tradition throughout much of East Asia than it ever was in the Christian West. Throughout much of East Asia, it is a millenia-old tradition to be very, very polite to one's enemies. Of course, this doesn't preclude the possibility of wiping out one's enemies if/when one has both the opportunity and sufficient justification to do so.
In most parts of the world today, absolute pacifism is not the prevailing ideology. We do live in a relatively pacifistic era, in the sense that many people today are more reluctant to go to war than they were in past eras. But this is only sensible, given that the stakes are now a lot higher, ever since the invention of nuclear weapons.
Does the BLP really "support warfare of all kinds" under all circumstances??? I myself am by no means an absolute pacifist. However, anyone who "supports warfare of all kinds" under all circumstances is clearly nuts. Perhaps the BLP folks could benefit from a summer vacation in Iraq?
- More from the "Party manifesto"
The Party Manifesto also says:
1) All Men are NOT Equals. We find it insulting and repulsive to be labelled into a common, sheeplike herd, where we are forced to look upon the most appalling idiots as our intellectual and philosophical equals. We reserve the right to make these judgements ourselves. The Black Legion Party stands for order of rank, and systems of elitism, and most importantly, the concept of a higher and lower order of Man.
What exactly is the author complaining about here? Where is anyone being "forced to look upon the most appalling idiots as our intellectual and philosophical equals"? Of course, it's generally considered rude to call someone an idiot - is that the alleged problem here? And, of course, you'll get a lot of people mad at you if you declare that an entire race of people is a bunch of "appalling idiots"; is that what you're trying to hint at here? There are, in fact, people of many different intelligence levels in every race.
Anyhow, in the U.S. Declaration of Independence, the statement that "all men are created equal" was most likely not intended as a claim that all people are equal in every respect. Rather, it was most likely just a rejection of the ideas of hereditary nobility and the "divine right of kings." The idea most likely was that nobility and royalty are human conventions, not ordained by God, and that humans should be free to discard them in favor of a system in which all people have legal rights.
4) Members share a common politicial viewpoint, which society might label "extreme", "fascist", even monarchist. There are many misconceptions around these terms. The Black Legion Party is fascist in nature, in that it is structured as a totalitarian organisation, with an ultimate leader with absolute power. We do not attempt to model or mimic fascist parties from history, nor their policies and beliefs. Our basic beliefs ight be labelled as ultra-conservative or right-wing, but we do not find ourselves to fit into any current political structures. We are attempting to harken back to a time when a powerful group of warriors and intellectuals were bound with honour to their king and high priest.
Warriors bound to a "high priest"??? That implies "organized religion," does it not?
5) We all choose to live in the past. This means to say, none of us feel we fit into this modern and confusing age of technology and greed. We reject the push towards the future and the "modern" instead looking back to distant shadows of the past for our inspiration, consciously surrounding ourselves with the imagery and customs that evoke the time periods we relate to. Our belief is that members should do everything in their power to shut themselves off from current trends and fads, instead isolating themselves in protected zones of their own aesthetic choosing. The Black Legion gives the individual the power and support of a collective group to make this possible.
If all you want to do is to create your own "protected zone," without imposing it on the rest of society, that would be fine with me. Alas, the BLP website comes across as wanting to impose a quasi-reactionary agenda on the rest of society.
I personally don't choose to live in the past. I do like some things from the past, such as most of what I've heard of medieval music. Also, I do isolate myself from much of popular culture; I don't own a TV set and don't want one. I live in my own world. But it's a world that could exist only in today's world. One of the characteristics of today's world is precisely that we do have an unprecedented degree of freedom to choose how we want to live. Therefore, I'm glad I wasn't born any earlier than I was. Also, although I eschew most popular forms of entertainment, I do keep an eye on larger social and political trends.
If others choose to set up an intentional community that re-creates medieval life to the greatest extent possible in today's world, that's fine with me.
I am sorry to hear that the BLP folks find the modern world "confusing." The modern world need not be confusing for those who have a strong sense of themselves and who are willing to learn a few new things now and then.
As for technology, well, there's no law that says you have to buy all the latest gadgets if you'd rather do without at least some of them. But it certainly would not be a good idea to try to impose technological backwardness on an entire nation. That would put the nation at an extreme military disadvantage, among other problems. On the other hand, imposing technological backwardness on the entire world could end the threat of nuclear war, at least temporarily; but there's no way you're likely to succeed in conquering even one entire country, let alone the entire world, anyway.
The BLP website's put-down of "greed" is uncharacteristic of LaVeyan Satanists. Most LaVeyans are staunchly pro-capitalist and advocate that we do everything we can to make money while remaining true to ourselves and our own desires.
8) The Black Legion differs from most right-wing extremist organisations in that we do not share the typical viewpoints one associates with the extreme Right (i.e. rabid Christianity, racism, paranoid conspiracy theorists, anti-abortionism, etc). In fact, many right-wingers will probably find the Legion's occult atmosphere and Left-hand Path ideals disturbing and offensive. We do not claim to align ourselves with any known political stance, Left or Right. Our belief system is anchored in long-forgotten times past, and probably has more in common with Feudalism and Monarchism than any "modern" political parties. The Party is basically autocratic, ruled by a supreme Commander, or King, with a rigid class-based order of rank descending downwards from the top of the pyramid. Like the Knights Templar, it is a secret society of warrior/magicians with a healthy dose of fascist-style police-state aesthetics thrown into the mix. However we may have adopted fascist ideals and disciplines to our Party, this does not mean that we model ourselves in any way after any historical fascist movements such as the Nazi Party, the Italian Fascists or Franco's Spanish regime.
One might ask how we can celebrate fierce independance/individualism and at the same time preach the dogma of order of rank and the veneration of the all-powerful Leader. The answer is simple, The Party is made-up of elite individuals who are being trained to be part of the Masters who will dominate the weaker sub-species of the Earth. Independance, creativity, and free-thinking are encouraged and protected within the confines of the membership of the Black Legion Party. These are emotions that should be cherished and held only by those worthy of them.
We live in a modern age where every freedom and independance has been offered to the masses. Instead of becoming smarter, stronger and more creative individuals, Man has proven through his voluntary enslavement to trendism and the media that he cannot exist without his Masters (The Church, media icons, etc). The Black Legion Party will now provide the Herd witht the Masters they apparently demand.
The world's future "Masters" are far more likely to be Christian televangelists than you guys. Wake up to today's realities, please!
Only in right wing Christian (and Muslim) conspiracy theories are Satanists the "Masters of the Earth." Of course, we should do what we can to better ourselves, and of course there's nothing wrong with seeking positions of power. But let's be realistic.
Let's take a few lessons from the history of another group of people who have been falsely reputed to be the "Masters of the Earth," namely Jews. I've discussed these lessons in detail my separate articles Should we Satanists aim to rule the world? and A brief critique of anti-Jew racist ideology. Briefly, I conclude that it's not in our best interests to try to conquer the world, which we aren't likely to succeed in doing anyway. Instead, we're better off opposing the Christian religious right wing and supporting the rights of unpopular minority religions.
Anyhow, the BLP's Party Manifesto also says:
6) Magic is as real as Science to us. We define magic as any act of Will that consciously attempts to alter one's reality or course of events. By powerfully imprinting our energy and force into the fabric of time/space, it is possible, and indeed scientifically proven, that the magician can change events in accordance with his desires. We are open about practicing Black Magic, which means that our critics will immediately assume the outlandish - i.e. blood drinking, human sacrifice and wild orgies. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Another thing we have in common with Jews: being the subject of a blood libel. That being the case, we really ought to learn a thing or two from Jewish history.
- "The Eternal Spirit of our Movement"
Let's turn now to a page titled The Eternal Spirit of our Movement, which features a romantic nostalgia for days of old. For example:
We dream of heroic ages past, where noble men and women held high convictions, where concepts such as loyalty, chivalry and honour still meant something. Social hierarchy was accepted - and all men were NOT born equal! Our inspiration lies in the CLASSICAL, stirring history, high Art and soaring castles - all protected by a united community of lords, ladies, knights, and kings!
Supposedly the BLP folks plan on being exceedingly militant about attaining their dream:
Survival of the Fittest - LEX TALONIS! Let this be your only gospel! Power must be attained, no matter what the cost, in the name of the great evolutionary struggle of mankind. The BLP movement does not compromise nor debate with its enemies or critics (the Christians, the communists, the parliamentarians, the activists)! One crushes them. One bends them to our Will! Struggle and war alone carry human energies to the pinnacle of tension and leave the imprint of nobility on the people that dare to face it!
"One crushes them" ... by purely legal means? Or is the BLP planning on literal guerrilla warfare?
It should be noted that a lot of anti-fascists use very similar rhetoric about crushing (or "smashing") their enemies and not debating with them. Unfortunately, this means that hardly anyone has bothered to respond to the neo-fascists, neo-Nazis, etc. with an intelligent yet easily readable refutation of their beliefs. As a result, there are hardly any really good anti-fascist, anti-Nazi, or anti-racist websites. No wonder the extreme right wing movements are not only growing but also attracting some reasonably intelligent people. It should be noted, though, that BLP-style "Satanic fascism" is not one of the bigger or faster-growing right wing movements. Nationalist/racist and Christian/Islamic religious right wing movements have a lot more potential popular appeal.
Anyhow, the next paragraph of The Eternal Spirit of our Movement says:
Our utopia is in the visions of the great herd masses, swept up in the torrent of unified spirit, hailing the strong and vital leader. BLP politics will be charged with the power of awesome spectacle and showmanship... drab democracy is thrown aside and replaced with splendid uniforms, waving flags and banners, stirring music and floodlights!
Agreed that parades can be a lot of fun. However, you don't need to be a fascist to have a good parade. In fact, you can have a much wider variety of parades under a modern U.S.A.-style "drab democracy" with its constitutional guarantee of freedom of assembly. If you love a parade, all you have to do is come to New York. We've got lots of them. Almost every ethnic group has an annual parade. (If I'm not mistaken, the oldest of these is the St. Patrick's Day parade for Irish people.) There's also the annual Gay Pride parade, the idea for which was first thought of by my late friend Brenda Howard. I seriously doubt that the Black Legion Party will ever succeed in organizing a parade that's anywhere nearly as big - or as much fun - as either the typical New York ethnic parade or the Gay Pride parade.
- Some "core values" of "The Black Legion Code"
Looking again at The Black Legion Code, the following are described as "Our core 'values'":
j) An inborn hatred of the institutions and adherents of organized religions.
That's an awful lot of people. Strategically speaking, it's not a good idea to target that many people as your enemies, at least not if you see them as an undifferentiated mass. It is far better to decide who your worst enemies are and then to form an alliance with other people whom you might not be entirely fond of, but who have the same enemies. The people you single out as your worst enemies should be those with both the power and the desire to cause you the most harm.
Clearly, our worst enemies are the Christian and Muslim religious right wings. Our potential allies include the atheist/humanist movement and various unpopular minority religions. (See "Satanism" scares and their debunking on my Against Satanic Panics site.)
k) Opposition of the followers of the New Age movement, Wicca and other “white light” doctrines.
Why, of all the many organized religions, do you single out Wicca and the New Age movement, rather than, say, the more intolerant forms of Christianity and Islam? It would make far more sense to see Wiccans as potential allies against the Christian and Muslim religious right wings. Admittedly a lot of Wiccans and New Agers now have pretty hostile attitudes toward Satanists. But we can probably change that if enough of us try. We just have to (1) hold them to their own ideals and (2) convince them that it's in their own best interests to debunk popular misconceptions about Satanism. (For an example of how to go about convincing them, see A budding new “Satanic” panic and the Pagan community on my Against Satanic Panics site.)
x) Aspiring to the higher things in life – desiring order/discipline over confused chaos, the classical aesthetic over “modern” and magnificence over slovenly/shabby. Demanding excellence in all things.. never settling for mediocre efforts.
Nothing wrong here. But, contrary to what the BLP folks seem to believe, "classical" culture was cosmopolitan and multi-cultural. More about this below.
- Race and multi-culturalism
The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page contains the following:
WHAT IS THE BLP's VIEWS ON ANCESTRY & RACE?
Ancestry and racial pride are valued ideals of the BLP. We see our ancestors as both physically and spiritually connected to ourselves, by knowing and connecting to our past we strengthen our future. For this reason we strongly oppose the modern trend toward 'multi-culturalism'. Loss of culture and traditional values, ideas of nobility, individual merit, etc. reflect to us the decline of the modern world.
Traditional values??? You don't want to hold on to all "traditional values," do you? After all, "traditional values" include a prejudice against Satanists. Which specific "traditional values" do you want to hold onto?
It doesn't seem to me that the modern world is in "decline" - unless by "decline" you mean the growing reversion toward fundamentalist-type religion. But the BLP doesn't even seem to be aware of the latter trend, so they must be referring to something else. Perhaps the latest downturn of the economy? But all economies have always had their ups and downs from time immemorial, so a bad economy does not necessarily signify a longterm decline.
As for "loss of culture," there's no law that says you have to lose your culture if you want to hold onto it. By all means feel free to immerse yourself in the Western classics, if that's what you want to do, and by all means feel free to encourage others to do likewise. I agree that it would be best for us not to forget the roots of the Western world. But that's no reason to bash multi-culturalism.
As for multi-culturalism, I agree that it can be taken too far, such as the desire of some folks to pretend that every pre-colonial non-white culture was a pristene paradise. But it seems to me that the basic idea of multi-culturalism is sound. All of the world's greatest civilizations and "high cultures" were influenced by other cultures from the very beginning.
Furthermore, if you value individuality, then it is in your best interests to live in a multi-cultural society, rather than a society in which there is just one all-encompassing cultural norm that everyone must conform to. Therefore, if you're a Satanist, it is not in your best interests to oppose multi-culturalism - at least not in its entirety, though you might still want to critique what you see as its excesses.
Anyhow, if preserving classical Western culture is so important to the BLP, why don't they do more to encourage people to immerse themselves in it? They could start by posting a page of links to some of the Western literary classics online.
The FAQ also says:
WHAT IS THE BLP's STANCE ON 'WHITE POWER'?
While the BLP is founded upon the Indo-European (Aryan) traditions and thought, we find racist-based ideologies too simplistic. It is more important to focus on the strengths of individuals who actually can and do produce results.
If you both favor "racial pride" and oppose multiculturalism, how does that combination manage not to add up to racism? Either one of those two positions alone could conceivably be nonracist, but I don't see how their combination can be nonracist.
The Black Legion Code page says:
Racism
The Black Legion does not officially condone discrimination based on racial criteria, however we leave this judgment up to the discretion of the individual member. We do however take an active stance against the popular propaganda of multiculturalism. We firmly believe that multiculturalism is single-handedly responsible for the undermining of uniquely important cultural heritage and national traditions, and the general loss of distinct national identities. History has proven over and over that a common melting pot of peoples and nations in an “international global village” leads to chaos, economic co-dependence and a complete loss of identification with the great history of bygone eras.
The greatest achievements of "high cultures" have been nurtured by just such "chaos." For example, Socrates and Plato lived at a pretty darned chaotic time in ancient Athens. Earlier Greek philosophers were clearly influenced by other cultures, e.g. Pythagoreanism had a lot in common with Hinduism.
Anyhow, the modern West is, in many ways, a lot more orderly than classical Greece, so stop whining.
- Gender and sexual orientation
On the Black Legion Code page is a section titled "Homosexuality," which says:
It is our official stance not to exclude persons from membership based on their sexual orientation. Consenting adults may engage in whatever activities they wish in the privacy of their own home, but it should be left there – not brought into the confines of the Party.
What exactly does that last sentence mean? Is there an equal standard of behavior for heterosexuals and homosexuals? Or are heterosexual couples allowed to hug and kiss at BLB gatherings, but gay couples aren't? Are heterosexuals allowed to mention their spouses or boyfriends/girlfriends, but gays aren't?
If there is not an equal standard of behavior for heterosexuals and homosexuals, then you're not truly respecting individuality. Moreover, you're alienating a key potential political ally against your real worst enemies, and for no good reason. The gay rights movement is a powerful and highly motivated part of the coalition against the Christian religious right wing.
Also on the Black Legion Code page is a section which reads as follows:
The Role of Women within the Party
Although our world view is aligned in opposition to modern feminism, this does not mean that we are an exclusively male order. Women share equal rights and privileges to men in our ranks.
If "women share equal rights and privileges to men," then in what sense are you "aligned in opposition to modern feminism"? Favoring equal rights for women and men is the very definition of "feminism" in most dictionaries. So it would seem that you agree with some aspects of modern feminism but disagree with others. It might be a good idea just to spell out which specific aspects of modern feminism you do and do not agree with, rather than rhetorically throwing out the baby with the bathwater by saying you are "aligned in opposition to modern feminism."
On a related note, the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page says:
DOES THE BLP VIEW WOMEN AS INFERIOR?
Not in the least. We view both women and men as equals, but each having their own unique qualities. The strength and beauty of being a man or woman is encouraged, without a confusion of the sexes, so that each individual is respected for their personal power.
If you're worried about "confusion of the sexes," then you're not really respecting individuality. Real respect for individuality means accepting people wherever they happen to fall along the gender spectrum. Stuffing people into two separate Procrustenn beds, one for each gender, is no better than stuffing people into just one "androgynous" Procrustean bed.
If you want to have a private social club in which everyone dresses in accordance with a specific gender-based esthetic, you have every right to do so. However, it is not a good idea to try to impose a strict gender dualism on society as a whole, or to endorse any prejudice in favor of same. After all, in a society where androgynous people aren't tolerated, why should any other kind of oddball be tolerated, such as Satanists?
Let's take a lesson from the history of gender in the lesbian community. Back in the 1950's and 1960's, lesbians were expected to be either "butch" (masculine) or "femme," but nothing in-between. In the 1970's, lesbian community fashion reversed to requiring all lesbians to be androgynous. "Butch" and "femme" were now derided as imitating heterosexuals. Finally, in the 1980's, it became acceptable to be butch, femme, or androgynous.
Similarly, if you're a heterosexual man who feels that society isn't letting you be as masculine as you like, or if you are a heteresexual women who feels that society isn't letting you be as feminine as you would like, then you might have a justified complaint, depending on where you live and work. But the solution isn't to bash androgyny. The solution is to be yourself as much as you can and to call for a more genuine acceptance of human diversity.
I have many other disagreements with the BLP site too, most of which I won't go into here. I've just focussed on the ways in which the BLP seems to be fundamentally out of touch with reality.
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