Conspirituality – Episode 299: “American Jihad”
Release Date: March 12, 2026
Hosts: Derek Beres, Matthew Remski, Julian Walker
Overview
In “American Jihad,” the Conspirituality hosts dissect the disturbing convergence of New Age spiritual movements, authoritarian Christianity, alt-right politics, and the machinery of modern warfare. They focus on the American and Israeli military action in Iran, the rise of open Christian nationalism in the highest levels of government, and the normalization of apocalyptic rhetoric in both public policy and military command. The episode also explores the growing influence of prediction markets—crypto-fueled platforms enabling insider betting on world events—and considers the broader extraction of meaning from political and economic language in times of crisis.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Apocalypse Now: The Merging of Christian Nationalism and Warfare
(02:06–07:49)
- Julian introduces the episode by referencing the ongoing US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran, noting how “black rain from bombed oil facilities falls from the smoke-choked skies of Tehran.”
- Military officials, led by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, are delivering “apocalyptic pep talks,” framing the military campaign as a fulfillment of biblical prophecy, with Trump as a divinely anointed figure.
- Julian cites reports from the Military Religious Freedom Foundation—200+ formal complaints logged by military personnel of commanders telling troops “Donald Trump had been anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon” and directly quoting from Revelation.
Julian Walker (07:24):
“Commanding officers are framing it…as the biblical Armageddon. Troops were told this is all part of God’s plan, with scriptural quotes from Revelation thrown in.”
- Matthew and Derek discuss how the rhetoric and attitude of Hegseth mirror the trash talk of first-person-shooter videogames, Call of Duty, and Helldivers:
Matthew Remski (04:16):
“If you’ve heard commentators say Hegseth sounds like he’s quoting Call of Duty…that shit-talking is exactly like gameplay dialogue…He just doesn’t really have a soul, so that’s not surprising.”
2. The Rise of Christian Nationalist Influence
(09:53–14:47)
- Christian nationalist preacher Ralph Drollinger leads high-level White House Bible studies. He teaches violent eschatology—insisting events in Israel are necessary for the return of the Messiah.
- Drollinger, Hegseth, Speaker Mike Johnson, and others form the power core of Project 2025—a far-right governance agenda.
- Weekly Pentagon worship led by Hegseth, blurring church-state separation:
Julian Walker (12:03):
“Since May last year, Hegseth has himself led a weekly prayer and worship service in the Pentagon auditorium…raising concern about the First Amendment’s establishment clause.”
- Hegseth’s books and public talks openly advocate for “internal holy war,” the dismantling of secular education, and suspending constraints on soldiers in warfare.
- Affiliation with Doug Wilson and Christ Church, which explicitly calls for theocracy, restrictions on women’s and non-Christian rights, and criminalizing LGBTQ identities.
Julian Walker (13:28):
“Christchurch advocates for theocracy, restricting women’s voting rights, barring non-Christians from holding office, and criminalizing gay and trans people.”
- The absence of “cohesion” among diverse troops when such religious messaging is top-down:
Matthew Remski (09:01):
“Group cohesion—what’s it based on if trust is in divine prophecy, not each other?”
3. Religious & Political Mystification: The Double-Speak of Power
(15:58–40:53)
A. Eschatology at the Pentagon
- “Bringing the war home”—the Christian nationalist rhetoric becomes literal in calls for a “categorical defeat and utter annihilation of the left” (Hegseth), expanding the logic of spiritual battle to every social sector.
- The show highlights the self-reinforcing, messianic “meta-narrative” being imposed on real world violence.
B. Blurred Boundaries in Canadian Politics
(17:07–40:53)
- Matthew analyzes Canadian PM Mark Carney’s rhetoric following his Davos speech:
Mark Carney (quoted at 18:02):
“We are no longer just relying on the strength of our values, but also the value of our strength.”
- Hosts agree this is “Orwellian,” “double-speak,” and “chiasmus”—a rhetorical trick repeating themes with roles reversed, giving a mystical veneer to raw power.
- Carney’s speech: Ostensibly an indictment of American unipolarity and an aspiration for Canadian independence, but followed by a laundry list of neoliberal, pro-military, and extractive economic policies.
Matthew Remski (33:27):
“He’s advocating for independence…of capital flows. Not people—not human rights. His signals to the Davos crowd that the country is open for business…”
- Deregulation, austerity, environmental rollbacks, and public sector cuts all couched in high-minded language—power justified with the language of virtue and vision.
- Chiasmus and Metaphysical Oratory:
Borrowing both from Catholic liturgy and cultic influence, Carney's language both confuses and soothes:
Matthew Remski (36:38):
“Chiasmus works best if the terms are abstract and lofty. Strength, value, power…when doubled up, abstraction goes squared…It tranquilizes the brain with ‘deepity’ feels.”
4. Prediction Markets & the Gamification of Catastrophe
(41:22–56:31)
- As the bombs fell on Iran, nearly $530 million was wagered on the timing and outcomes via the blockchain-based prediction market PolyMarket. Suspicious new accounts earned millions with bets apparently made with insider knowledge of military plans.
Derek Beres (41:56):
“Roughly $529 million was bet across PolyMarket linked to the timing of those strikes. Some…made a financial killing, mostly from suspiciously timed wagers…just hours before the attack.”
- The prediction market phenomenon:
- Originates in centuries-old betting on political events.
- Has been “steroided” by crypto, deregulation, and Trump’s regulatory rollbacks.
- Now, companies like Robinhood, DraftKings, and the New York Stock Exchange’s parent are moving to integrate prediction data and bets into the mainstream.
- Trump family directly tied to these ventures (Trump Jr. as a strategic advisor; Trump media partners with crypto betting firms).
- Zero consumer protection: only CEOs and industry players are represented on the regulatory advisory panel.
Julian Walker (54:19):
“They are doing fine. Woke. They’re absolutely woke.”
- The episode explores how poorly defined terms on bets (e.g., “Will Jesus return before 2027?” or “Was Khomeini out of power?”) allow companies to keep winnings through hair-splitting.
Derek Beres (54:42):
“He was killed, and the market said, ‘that’s different, we’re not going to honor that he’s out of power because he was killed.’”
- Dystopian Implications:
- Politicians, insiders, and the ultra-wealthy now have a direct incentive to shape, or manipulate, real-world events for profit, through legally protected, virtually untraceable crypto markets.
- The gamification of catastrophes further mystifies and detaches people from direct experience or responsibility.
5. Marx, Mystification, and the Spiritualization of Economics
(56:31–72:35)
- Matthew explains Marxist “mystification” as the process whereby real power dynamics and the suffering involved in production are obscured through the abstraction of commodities and speculation.
Matthew Remski (57:17):
“Mystification…it’s based on commodity fetish…the farther the object gets from its material production, the less you see the human factors that flow into it.”
- The debate intensifies between Matthew and Derek.
- Derek pushes back, describing practical business needs, uses, and innovation as driving forces.
- Matthew counters that at scale, incentives (greed, capital, profit) will always tend to corrupt and detach production/consumption from actual needs, and push toward exploitation.
Matthew Remski (67:27):
“If you have a mathematics based on the greed principle, appropriating all profit into ownership and capital to expand operations, you have…jet fuel behind that human process.”
- Ultimately, the group agrees mixed economies and robust regulation are “the dream,” but Matthew warns of the inevitable pressure of capital undermining social ideals, even in admired places like Scandinavia.
Matthew Remski (70:45):
“Capital exerts incredible downward pressure on people’s best instincts…I know you guys both look to Scandinavia, but I assure you, it’s temporary.”
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On military religious rhetoric:
“You really have to be saying some crazy shit to get this sort of coverage. Claiming you’re helping usher in biblical Armageddon definitely warrants that.”
– Derek Barris (08:26) -
On Carney’s doublespeak as ritualized mystification:
“Values beget value, which reinforces values. …It creates cognitive closure, feelings of resolution…It tranquilizes the brain with ‘deepity’ feels.”
– Matthew Remski (36:38–36:53) -
On prediction markets and dystopian finance:
“The entire industry is trying to get as much regulatory momentum as possible while [Trump] is in office. …There’s zero representation from consumer advocates or public interest groups. It’s all CEOs.”
– Derek Barris (51:51–52:26) -
On the arc of power and corruption:
“As people gain more power, it is human nature to then exploit that power… It is a human feature, not a bug.”
– Derek Barris (67:02) -
On the limitations of progressive models:
“I know you guys both look to Scandinavia and you go, wow, it would be so nice to live there. But I assure you… it’s temporary.”
– Matthew Remski (70:45)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 02:06 – Intro to episode theme, Iran war, Christian nationalist influence in the military
- 07:24 – Military complaints and MRFF reports
- 09:53 – Ralph Drollinger, Bible study in White House, theocratic policy creep
- 13:28 – Christ Church, Doug Wilson, holy war rhetoric
- 17:07–23:06 – Mark Carney’s speech, “strength of our values, value of our strength”
- 33:27–36:53 – Mystificatory language, chiasmus, neoliberal policies in religious guise
- 41:22 – PolyMarket, insider betting on war
- 49:08 – History of prediction markets
- 54:19 – Definition loopholes and company profits
- 56:31–62:43 – Marx, mystification, commodity fetish, and alienation in capitalism
- 67:02–71:56 – Debate on human nature, power, mixed economies, and the fate of social democracies
Tone & Style
- Analytical, irreverent, and skeptical—hosts mix sharp critique, sarcasm, and deep research.
- Frequent pop-culture and gaming references (“Call of Duty,” “deepity feels”), grounding the critique in contemporary touchstones.
- Conversational and combative; hosts push each other for clarity and remain committed to teasing apart complexity, never flattening their assessments.
Summary
“American Jihad” unpacks how American power—military, political, and economic—has congealed around intertwining narratives of fundamentalist religion, speculative finance, and managed doublespeak. The end result is a landscape in which spiritual ideas are co-opted as fuel for militarism, public discourse is fogged by mystical rhetoric, and catastrophic real-world decisions are reduced to bets in a global casino. The episode is a call to critical vigilance, urging listeners to recognize mystification and remain grounded in the real, the communal, and the humane in an era haunted by apocalyptic visions and turbo-charged markets.