I don’t believe this email has ever been published. It may not be, at this juncture, very important. But for those of us who study the Nxivm cult and its leaders, it has a little more than just historical significance.
It helps us understand the man who could lead hundreds of women into destructive lifestyles, all the while convincing them they were part of something superior and inordinately helpful to themselves.
It is worthy of study on a broader basis, as a means of understanding the human condition – and what makes some of us follow others as opposed to leading ourselves.
The email was read aloud by Lauren Salzman, a classic follower, right to the point of being a criminal in his name, as part of her testimony in the trial of Keith Alan Raniere.
It was Keith’s statement on DOS, the secret master-slave group he created. The occasion for the email, sent to his eight First Line Slaves, was in response to the New York Times story Inside a Secretive Group Where Women Are Branded.
It was, in effect, a directive for Allison Mack and the others of his first line slaves to support his denial of his role in DOS and for them to be proud to take responsibility for DOS as brave and free women.
It was as much a pep talk and rallying cry as it was a directive for them to take the fall for his grotesque brainchild which was now getting worldwide attention.
Raniere is desperately denying he had anything to do with DOS – but speaking out, he says, to defend a woman’s right to live a life she thinks is best. This is supposed to be heartfelt and inspiring.
Here is the complete email.
*****
Wednesday, October 18, 2017.
From Keith Raniere
To Allison Mack, Lauren Salzman, Nicki Clyne, Rosa Laura Junco, Camilia Fernandez, Monica Duran, Loreta Garza. and Daniela Padilla
The shaming of these women, especially when men doing similar more drastic activities (see the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity) are upheld — is a primitive, covertly misogynistic strike against the rights of women and women generally.
If women choose to brand, pierce, mark, tattoo or otherwise physically adorn themselves for any reason, they should be allowed to do so without shame or scorn. It is the nature of a free society.
This campaign is not only a campaign against the rights of women and alternative lifestyles, it is a campaign against freedom itself.
Any society that upholds shaming people to comply with the norm will likely not advance and fall into despotism. As important as freedom of speech, is freedom of expression. This campaign seeks to destroy that freedom.
The women of the sorority chose to mark themselves as a stand of solidarity and a symbol to each other of mutual commitment. Should that be punished or scorned?
Whether NXIVM, Keith Raniere, or anyone else associated with them likes or dislikes it, these women should have the freedom to express themselves.
NXIVM, Keith Raniere and associates uphold this right beyond personal opinions.
Although this group has nothing at all to do with NXIVM or related company trainings, or corporate activities and many of the individuals involved have never been associated with NXIVM, Keith Raniere, or related companies at all, NXIVM, Keith Raniere and associates strongly support their right to these consensual activities without shame.
To be clear, this sorority is autonomous, separate and distinct from NXIVM, Keith Raniere and associates.
NXIVM, Keith Raniere and associates, although having little knowledge or authority in the issue, applaud the courage of these women who stand in opposition to primitive social norms and stand in solidarity with them in their right to freedom. The few women who undergo the rigorous consensual screening and invitation process making multiple promises and assertions in several stages, taking a life vow of secrecy and pledging like the founders of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, “their lives’ fortunes and their sacred honor,” to be a member of this group and then breaking such a vow is shameful.
[He is referring to Sarah Edmondson who showed her brand to the New York Times]
It ultimately reveals the character of the person, the vow breaker, as a liar. Any story based on the few liars who seek to shame their sisters because of their own dishonor is regretful. Imagine if our forefathers had done the same the moment times got difficult.
***************
World’s smartest man.
Here are a few comments I have about the content of the email.
He asserts the New York Times shamed women and that the story was a primitive, covertly misogynistic strike against the rights of women and women generally.
Yes, the right of women to be branded slaves, after being recruited dishonestly, was attacked.
If women choose to brand, pierce, mark, tattoo, or adorn themselves – that’s what he calls the brand with his initials on it – adornment – It is the nature of a free society – to let women abrogate their freedom and be slaves.
This campaign” – he calls it a campaign – is a campaign against the rights of women, alternative lifestyles and freedom itself.
But it is not a campaign against lying – which is what Keith is actually doing.
He waxes poetic when he says, The women of the sorority chose to mark themselves [i.e., brand themselves near their vaginas with his initials – most of them not knowing it was his initials] as a stand of solidarity and a symbol to each other of mutual commitment. Should that be punished or scorned?”
Keith was punished. So were Allison and Lauren. The others got off with basically being scorned.
Whether NXIVM, Keith Raniere, or anyone else associated with them likes or dislikes it – and Keith loved it – these women should have the freedom to express themselves.
That freedom is called by him slavery.
Although this group [DOS] has nothing at all to do with NXIVM or related company trainings, or corporate activities and many of the individuals involved have never been associated with NXIVM, Keith Raniere, or related companies at all – [who? – all the slaves, as far as I know, were students of Nxivm. Many did not know Keith was involved in DOS. Allison, Lauren and the others lied to women about that.
In that respect Keith is telling the truth, most of the deceived slaves did not know they were associated with Keith in DOS or that he was their Grand Master or had access to their collateral.
NXIVM, Keith Raniere and associates strongly support their right to these consensual activities without shame.
But was it consensual when blackmail/collateral material was collected under false pretenses? This is what a big part of his criminal trial was about.
To be clear, this sorority is autonomous, separate and distinct from NXIVM, Keith Raniere and associates.
This is, of course, is the signal lie and the real purpose of the email – to deny he was part of DOS.
It was not autonomous, separate and distinct from Keith Raniere.
It was all Keith Raniere.
NXIVM, Keith Raniere and associates, although having little knowledge or authority in the issue – Keith had little knowledge of DOS? He had little authority? He was the Grand Master of DOS! He had women paddled, locked in cages, put on extreme diets, sleep-deprived, made to follow 24/7 readiness drills, stand barefoot in the snow, do exercises in the middle of the night, seduce him, order other women to seduce him, etc.
He nevertheless applaud[s] the courage of these women who stand in opposition to primitive social norms
But isn’t it a bit primitive to have slaves and brand them like cattle?
Keith stands in solidarity with them in their right to freedom [to be slaves]
The few women – there were more than 100 at one time – although many quit by the time the New York Times story came out because of Frank Report stories – they underwent the rigorous consensual screening and invitation process they were recruiting like mad dogs making multiple promises and assertions in several stages, taking a life vow of secrecy and pledging, like the founders of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, “their lives’ fortunes and their sacred honor.”
Yes, the DOS women were much like Jefferson, John and Samuel Adams, Franklin, Hancock, etc. They wanted freedom. The DOS woman wanted to be slaves.
It ultimately reveals the character of the person, the vow breaker, as a liar.
As Keith himself was revealed as a liar.
Any story based on the few liars who seek to shame their sisters because of their own dishonor is regretful. Imagine if our forefathers had done the same the moment times got difficult.
Yes, had they done that, we might still be under British Rule – and had Sarah and a few others not done what they did, Lauren and Allison and the others would still be under Raniere’s rule.
****
I think the importance of this email is nothing more than to show that Raniere was far from the smartest man in the world. A smart man would have known this scheme could never work. And known enough that lying is never the way to success, executive or otherwise, but always the way to true failure.
What Raniere had was a talent for lying – which means he was always self-destructive – and a talent for seeking weak women and men who he could control. He succeeded for a time, but the lesson to be learned from this is that in the end, lies fail.
Keith failed in the end because he was a liar.
