Gary North

[[File:Gary North speaking at Ron Paul's annual BBQ (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|165px|North at Ron Paul's BBQ]]
{{Christianity}}
'''Gary Kilgore North''' {{lived|1942|2022}}<ref>Sam Roberts, [https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/04/us/gary-north-dead.html Gary North, Apostle of Bible-Based Economics, Dies at 80]. ''The New York Times'', 4 March 2022.</ref> was an [[United States of America|American]] [[Christian]] [[Dominionism|Dominionist]] writer best known for 
killing [[Al Gore|Gore]]
 being crazier than a bag full of hammers, and for two other not-entirely-unrelated things:
#Being one of the leading lights behind the Christian Reconstructionist movement; he is the son-in-law of the late [[R.J. Rushdoony]].
#Being one of the most prominent promoters of [[Y2K]] hysteria during the late 1990s.<ref>[http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2000/01/33445 Y2K Alarmist], ''Wired''</ref> He was nicknamed "Scary Gary" in tech circles due to his [[fear-mongering]].

He also co-wrote the book ''Fighting Chance'' (promoting a return to U.S. government-funded [[Duck and Cover]] silliness during the waning years of the [[Cold War]]), with [[Arthur B. Robinson]], who is otherwise known for initiating the [[Oregon Petition]].<ref group=note>If you really want to, you can download a free copy from the Robinson-affiliated site [http://www.homelandcivildefense.org/view/homelandcivildefense/s141p1461.htm homelandcivildefense.org]</ref>

He was theologically a [[Calvinism|Calvinist]], economically a [[gold standard (economics)|gold bug]] and [[Austrian school]]er, and did we mention one of the most prominent promoters of [[Y2K]] hysteria? Much of the writing he churned out was an attempt at fusing Rushdoony's brand of theology with Austrian theory, of which he was a very hard-line adherent. Fiat currency, the [[Federal Reserve]], [[fractional-reserve banking]], the name [[John Maynard Keynes|Keynes]], and anything to do with the government caused him to foam at the mouth. Interestingly, unlike Rushdoony and many other Dominionists, North did not try to claim that the [[United States Constitution|Constitution]] justifies [[theocracy]], but argued that the adoption of the Constitution was, in fact, when [[good old days|things started going really downhill]] for America.<ref group=note>His most famous work on this topic is his book ''[http://www.garynorth.com/freebooks/docs/21f2_47e.htm Political Polytheism: The Myth of Pluralism]''.</ref> He advocated that the Constitution be scrapped in favor of a new, theocratic form of government.

North has also been a prominent figure within the [[Paleolibertarianism|paleolibertarian]] movement. Early in his career, he wrote for ''[[Foundation for Economic Education|The Freeman]]'' and had a gig as a writer for [[Lew Rockwell]]'s site. He was a research assistant for [[Ron Paul]] for a brief time in 1976.<ref>[http://www.garynorth.com/public/2928.cfm Phase 2 of Ron Paul's political strategy], Gary North</ref> This past association with Paul is probably one of the reasons that Paul's attempt at developing a homeschooling curriculum had North acting as Director of Curriculum Development,<ref>[http://freethoughtblogs.com/dispatches/2013/04/08/the-theocratic-ron-paul-curriculum/ The Theocratic 'Ron Paul Curriculum',] Dispatches from the Culture Wars</ref> a decision that reads about as "libertarian" as the naughty bits from [[Deuteronomy]].

Furthermore, he was the author of the "''Sinai Strategy''",<ref>[http://www.entrewave.com/freebooks/docs/2102_47e.htm Sinai Strategy, review and complete PDF - make your own Dominionist]</ref> a book filled with zillions of typos which explains his view of how the [[United States]] should be governed by the [[Ten Commandments]]. North, who in true hyper-[[Calvinism|Calvinist]] fashion {{wpl|Legalism (theology)|ignored the New Testament}} and its teachings of mercy and forgiveness as much as possible, was a big fan of bringing back capital punishment in the form of stoning ([[marijuana|no, not that kind]]):
{{quotebox|Why stoning? There are many reasons. First, the implements of execution are available to everyone at virtually no cost...executions are community projects--not with spectators who watch a professional executioner do `his' duty, but rather with actual participants...That modern Christians never consider the possibility of the reintroduction of stoning for capital crimes indicates how thoroughly humanistic concepts of punishment have influenced the thinking of Christians.<ref>[http://reason.com/archives/1998/11/01/invitation-to-a-stoning Invitation to a Stoning], [[Reason (magazine)|Reason]]</ref>}}

One of the [[conspiracy theories]] that North promoted is that [[tax-exempt]] organizations in the United States are promoting [[one world government]].<ref name=reece>[https://www.garynorth.com/products/item9.cfm The Reece Committee Hearings Exposed America's Major Tax-Exempt Foundations as Moving Toward a One-World State] ''Gary North''.</ref> This conspiracy theory is based on the [[Red Scare]]-era Reece Congressional Committee hearing,<ref name=reece/> which was largely overshadowed by the downfall of [[Joe McCarthy]].<ref>{{wpa|United States House Select Committee to Investigate Tax-Exempt Foundations and Comparable Organizations}}</ref>

Just as his father-in-law did, North endorsed [[Holocaust denial]]. When old issues of ''Reason'' were unearthed by journalist Mark Ames, he found that North had contributed a supportive article to an issue dedicated to denial of the Holocaust.<ref>Mark Ames. [http://pando.com/2014/07/24/as-reasons-editor-defends-its-racist-history-heres-a-copy-of-its-holocaust-denial-special-issue/ As ''Reason'''s Editor Defends Its Racist History, Here's a Copy of Its Holocaust Denial "Special Issue."] ''Pando Daily'', Jul. 24, 2014</ref>

[[Stopped clock|On a good note]], he once debunked the concept of "[[Cultural Marxism]]".<ref>[http://www.garynorth.com/public/12623.cfm Cultural Marxism Is an Oxymoron], garynorth.com</ref>

==See also==
*[[Christian economics]]
*[[Ludwig von Mises Institute]]

==External links==
*[http://www.garynorth.com/ His website]
*[http://www.lewrockwell.com/north/north-arch.html His columns at Rockwell's site]
*[http://people.smu.edu/acambre/garynorth/ The Gary North is a big fat idiot page]
*[http://scienceblogs.com/dispatches/2010/08/27/crazy-christian-reconstruction-1/ Crazy Christian Reconstructionist Quote of the Day], [[Ed Brayton]]
*[http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/30/us/30beliefs.html Christian Economics Meets the Anti-Union Movement], ''[[New York Times]]''

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

{{DEFAULTSORT: North, Gary}}
{{apolbox}}
__NOTOC__
[[Category:Authors]]
[[Category:Bloggers]]
[[Category:Christian apologists]]
[[Category:Conspiracy theorists]]
[[Category:Crank magnetism]]
[[Category:Creationists]]
[[Category:Denialists]]
[[Category:Economists]]
[[Category:Fundamentalists]]
[[Category:Holocaust denialists]]
[[Category:Homophobes]]
[[Category:Internet kooks]]
[[Category:Libertarians]]
[[Category:Paleoconservatives]]
[[Category:Racists]]
[[Category:Right-wing activists]]
[[Category:Sexists]]
[[Category:Survivalism]]
[[Category:Theocracy]]
[[Category:Austrian school]]

Categories: Authors, Bloggers, Christian apologists, Conspiracy theorists, Crank magnetism, Creationists, Denialists, Economists, Fundamentalists, Holocaust denialists, Homophobes, Internet kooks, Libertarians, Paleoconservatives, Racists, Right-wing activists, Sexists, Survivalism, Theocracy, Austrian school