Alltimejim: Thanks for the expose, a worthy read and well outlined.
The only thing that I wonder about though is this, do you believe that they (GB) actually intentionally manipulate people to this degree? The reason I ask is it’s very hard to fathom that they are this intelligent and shrewd to influence people too this level.
I’m sure you understand that your suggesting they consciously and intentionally manipulate emotions to keep and grow their ranks. We have to be honest here, can they be that wicked and ill-intentioned? If so we have to give them credit for the extreme creativity in wording things just right to pressure followers into believing they are the light so to speak. If this be the case, one has to wonder why? You yourself say they “are small time” and will most likely stay this way. Seems to me they are using a lot of mental resources and energy to develop something that in the end won’t amount to much.
I am going to assume that these men are actually sincere and do believe what they preach and they themselves are so brainwashed with delusions of grandeur that they are no longer able to distinguish truth and reality. Psychologically speaking this is pretty scary stuff.