Why the director of America's largest Confederate monument is NRA President
A year ago, when the NRA worried news of its Russian connections might harm the organization, it installed Oliver North as its figurehead, hoping for some cover from North's history of illegally running weapons to rightwingers in Central America thirty-some years ago
But as the sentencing date for the NRA's very own Russian agent, Maria Butina, approached, her reappearance in the news apparently triggered an internal power struggle, which could potentially have affected Russia's influence within the organization
US President Trump hurried to the NRA convention to support his friends
He scolded the group for allowing the public to see its divisions. And he sent a clear message to gun manufacturers and international arms traffickers, by promising to withdraw the US signature from the arms trade treaty, which aims to withhold weapons from countries that attack civilians or commit genocide or war crimes
The NRA listened. A few days later, Oliver North's anti-Russian history seemed no longer convenient, and instead the organization elected Confederate enthusiast Carolyn Meadows as leader
This move sends a reassuring signal to the manufacturers and international traffickers, that the NRA does not oppose armed conflict and civil war; and it is entirely in keeping with President Trump's opposition to withholding to weapons just because war crimes and genocide seem likely
The move also suggests that the Russians have been able to reestablish some dominance in the organization, despite the loss of Butina: the Russian technique has been to promote schismatic movements, such as Brexit or Calexit, and the neo-Confederates seem sufficiently analogous that we should suspect a continuing Russian hand there
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