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The Hate Conspiracy: The Rise and Fall of

The Hate Conspiracy: The Rise and Fall of "The Order" 2000

Highly Recommended

Distributed by Films for the Humanities & Sciences, P.O. Box 2053, Princeton, N.J. 08543-2053; 800-257-5126
Produced by ABC Television for 20/20
Director n/a
VHS, color, 45 min.



College - Adult
Religion, Psychology, Popular Culture

Date Entered: 11/09/2018

Reviewed by Brad Eden, Ph.D., Head, Web and Digitization Services, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

This video is a copy of a 20/20 episode on ABC television devoted to a specific cult in the white supremacist organization Aryan Nations named "The Order." The Order was centered around the person of Bob Matthews, a charismatic member of Aryan Nations who believed that Jews were the spawn of Satan and the mortal enemies of white Christians. Bob Matthews and a group of nine individuals were responsible for a number of murders, bank robberies, and armored car robberies from 1983-84 that bankrolled over $4 million for their cause and other white supremacist organizations. 20/20 compiled extensive research and held interviews with jailed members of The Order for this documentary.

The Turner Diaries, a book written about the overthrow of the U.S. government, was read and followed by Matthews as a blueprint for The Order, and the documentary shows how the book influenced the directions and decisions of Matthews throughout the 1980's. Matthews' death in December 1984, after an extensive gunbattle with FBI agents, resulted in the subsequent capture of most Order members. When this documentary was filmed, only one quarter of the $4 million had ever been recovered, and it is speculated that Matthews distributed most of it to other white supremacist groups before his death. A comment that Timothy McVeigh was also influenced by the Turner Diaries is mentioned at the end.

This documentary is highly recommended for classes on religion, American culture, cults, law enforcement, and psychology in secondary and higher education. It illustrates the history and development of a specific cult in today's white supremacist society, its rise and fall, and the power of one individual to influence normal people towards criminal acts. An interesting and thought-provoking film.