The Order

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Photo credit, fair use

The Order (2024) spoilers contained herein

The above image was featured on lyricist Apathy’s 2018 album The Widow’s Son and depicts an unrealistic scene of a skeleton mounted upon a white horse while accompanied by another skeleton that walks while caressing a severed skull.

I imagine that witnessing such an event would be somewhat discomforting. Still, imagination is precisely what would be required in order to observe the impractical sight – that or perhaps hallucination. Either way, it’s highly unlikely that you or I will ever witness such an event.

In any case, The Widow’s Son featured the track “The Order,” produced by the legendary DJ Premier, and contains an introduction purportedly from Manly P. Hall that states:

In the meantime, the deities gave warnings and sent prophets and told these people they were destroying themselves. But they were proud and they gave no mind or no thought… and finally, they rebelled against the gods… and the gods reacted accordingly.

When contemplating the introduction, I consider it an unlikely prospect that there are “gods” governing the universe and to which fallible human beings remain subject. Of course, it would be a matter of self-assured hubris to declare that there’s absolutely no such actual occurrence.

Still, I suspect that I’m as likely to witness a skeleton riding a horse as I am to observe a pantheon of deities who issue warnings to humankind about this or that matter. Although these events are highly improbable, I suppose they aren’t entirely impossible. I concede this point.

Thinking more about this matter while setting aside unfalsifiable claims to the proposition I’ve outlined thus far, I consider how in the absence of verifiable deities it appears as though some flawed humans have taken it upon themselves to assume godlike authority and reverence.

As an example, and keeping with the namesake of the current blogpost, I recently watched the 2024 film The Order. Describing the plot, one source states:

In 1983, a series of increasingly violent bank robberies, counterfeiting operations and armored car heists frightened communities throughout the Pacific Northwest. As baffled law enforcement agents scrambled for answers, a lone FBI [Federal Bureau of Investigation] agent (Law), stationed in the sleepy, picturesque town of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, came to believe the crimes were not the work of traditional, financially motivated criminals but a group of dangerous domestic terrorists, inspired by a radical, charismatic leader (Hoult), plotting a devastating war against the federal government of the United States [U.S.].

Personally, the movie was enjoyable despite its tired tropes which are typical of Hollywood flicks that glorify federal law enforcement organizations. For instance, a strong woman of color leads an FBI team, the lead character (white male) has many fatal character flaws, and so forth.

Thanks to diligent practice of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), I’m able to suspend critical thinking enough to consume the tripe released by Hollywood (and adjacent studios) without disturbing myself by use of irrational beliefs about unrealistic depictions in film.

Instead, I remain skeptically amused, as though I’ve witnessed a skeleton riding a horse or as if I’ve observed a selection of deities who reign from upon high. It’s as realistic to me as Jussie Smollett’s reported hate crime hoax, given that The Order character Joanne Carney is played by Jussie’s sister Jurnee Smollett.

Who actually believed there were two white men in downtown Chicago yelling “this is MAGA [Make America Great Again] country” during the alleged crime? That nonsense was highly improbable, like watching a skeleton mounted upon a white horse. Yet, I digress.

The Order focuses heavily upon the white national propaganda book The Turner Diaries. A number of other films focusing on white supremacy have drawn from the text, as well.

Having been entertained despite suspension of belief, I noticed blatant mis- or disinformation at the end of the film. Misinformation is merely a mistake or factual error. Disinformation is a deliberate deception or an outright lie. I’m uncertain as to which applies to The Order.

Prior to the ending credits, a message from the creators of the film reads, “The Turner Diaries has been used as a blueprint for domestic terrorism for over forty years influencing events from the Oklahoma City Bombing to the insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6th, 2021.”

This is incredibly false information—meaning it’s literally incredible (too extraordinary and improbable to be believed) for those individuals who actually think critically about the propaganda contained in that parting message. I’m one such person.

First, one of the men primarily responsible for the Oklahoma City Bombing, Timothy McVeigh, didn’t merely read a white supremacist fantasy book and then decide to commit an act of domestic terror. Rather, his terroristic actions had more to do with how Randy Weaver was treated.

According to one source, “McVeigh viewed Ruby Ridge as clear evidence that the U.S. government aimed to disarm the public and take away people’s Second Amendment rights.” Here, I’m not condoning McVeigh’s actions. Rather, I’m merely providing context.

Second, there was no “insurrection” at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. If this phrase is worth saying once, it’s worth repeating for those individuals who’ve been misled by the legacy media since the event. There was no “insurrection” at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021! According to one source:

Webster’s 1828 Dictionary online defines “rebellion” as being “An open and avowed renunciation of the government to which one owes allegiance; or the taking of arms traitorously to resist the authority of lawful government; revolt.” The word “insurrection” draws its meaning in Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment from the word “rebellion”, with which it is associated.

Far from it being a rebellion, the January 6th riot was a two and one-half hour event in the Capitol City of the third most populous country in the world. No one came to the riot with guns even though guns are widely available in this country. When former President Trump asked them to leave, they left. No-one from then on raised so much as a question over whether President would leave office peacefully, which he did by flying to Florida on the morning of January 20, 2021.

There simple wasn’t an “insurrection” that occurred on January 6, 2021, no matter how much those who apparently remain convinced that they have godlike perfect knowledge regarding the matter. In Hall-esque fashion, people “rebelled against the gods” of government, though there was no armed rebellion on that day.

Last, the pipe dream that is The Order appears to function in a similar manner as Leave the World Behind (2023) and Civil War (2024), in that these divisive films ostensibly support the message of the Democratic National Committee. It’s apparently an us-against-them perspective.

Villainization of people who don’t support the Democratic Party is as a boring a trope as the strong, empowered woman of color character who boldly asserts dominance over her white male subordinates. Who still thirsts for this nonsensical content? I, for one, don’t.

Note: In The Order, Jurnee Smollett’s character outright states to Jude Law’s character:

What a fuckin’ shit show that was! Don’t ever fuckin’ do that shit to me again! You’re not in lead anymore, Terry. You don’t get to run off on your own without fuckin’ tellin’ me first!

How do you know the woman is in charge? The Order uses the thematic technique of exposition—a moment in the narrative during which background information about the characters is revealed. The empowered female FBI agent tells the lowly male agent that she’s in charge.

Likewise, her character overuses profanity. She’s the boss, not him! Moreover, on the movie poster, Jurnee Smollett is depicted in the center of the image. This position primarily draws the eye to the female character before examining male characters.

This sort of tokenized representation, which is presumably influenced by diversity, equity, inclusivity, and accessibility (DEIA), is hopefully not long for this world. In the meantime, the audience is persuaded to conclude that women can be just as oppressive as men through service in federal agencies.

I’m convinced. It was federal agents who were reportedly responsible for killing Randy Weaver’s wife Vicki as she held her baby in her arms and shot his 14-year-old son Samuel in the back. Such oppressive behavior could presumably be exhibited by a female as well as a male.

Subsequent to Ruby Ridge, it was federal agents who were reportedly responsible for the deaths of 76 adults and approximately 20 children during the Waco siege. Women, as capable as men, could’ve oppressively executed those U.S. citizens without due process.

It was after Ruby Ridge and the Branch Davidian massacre in Waco that McVeigh carried out his terroristic plot which killed 168 people. Of course, it isn’t as though federal agent oppression stopped once cooler heads prevailed and the aforementioned people stopped killing one another.

According to one source, “More than two dozen FBI informants were in Washington DC ahead of the riot at the US Capitol on 6 January 2021.” The “insurrection” that never occurred, and which was comprised more of riotous enclaves among a mostly peaceful gathering, was tainted by federal informants.

There was no clear nexus between The Turner Diaries, though there appears to have been a direct line between glowies and oppressive action. In the interest of equality, one surmises that both men and women federal agents are capable of violating the rights of U.S. citizens.

Thus, perhaps Jurnee Smollett’s character in The Order accurately portrays just how imperfect humans so evidently are – regardless of whether or not they have innies or outies. On this imperfect DEIA point, I’ll concede.

At any rate, I’ve never witnessed a skeleton riding a horse or a cluster of deities which are said to rule humanity. However, I have observed what appear to be flawed humans taking it upon themselves to assume godlike authority and reverence.

In The Order, I watched as mis- or disinformation maligned participants of the Jan. 6th event being referenced in association with white supremacists. While I don’t support terroristic actions of McVeigh and others of like mind, I also don’t advocate federal agent oppressive behavior.

Herein, I’ve provided what I consider to be a logical and reasonable argument in rejection of mischaracterizations such as that made in The Order. Jan 6th wasn’t about white power. Perhaps you disagree with my assessment. If so, I ask upon what grounds does your support for oppression rest?

Derived from the Manly P. Hall quote herein, the deities in the form of government gave warnings and sent prophets from Hollywood, but rational thinkers gave no mind or thought to the propaganda, so perhaps the gods of federal agencies will react. Or perhaps they already have.

In any instance, I use my voice while I still can. This I do in the interest of justice. As I stated in a blogpost entitled Never in My Life Done Seen Before:

With hope, all unjustifiably detained or incarcerated Jan 6th political prisoners will be freed and pardoned. Although I have no control or influence in this matter, I remain rationally concerned with the gross abuse of power exerted by the U.S. government regarding the Jan. 6th cohort.

If you’re looking for a provider who tries to work to help you understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life, and who advocates justice rather than oppression, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.

As the world’s foremost hip hop-influenced REBT psychotherapist, I’m pleased to try to help people with an assortment of issues from anger (hostility, rage, and aggression) to relational issues, adjustment matters, trauma experience, justice involvement, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, and other mood or personality-related matters.

At Hollings Therapy, LLC, serving all of Texas, I aim to treat clients with dignity and respect while offering a multi-lensed approach to the practice of psychotherapy and life coaching. My mission includes: Prioritizing the cognitive and emotive needs of clients, an overall reduction in client suffering, and supporting sustainable growth for the clients I serve. Rather than simply trying to help you to feel better, I want to try to help you get better!

Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW

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