The Manufactured Crusade
How Narcissists Hijack Morality to Evade Accountability
Introduction: The Moral Shield of the Manipulator
There’s a predictable pattern among those exposed for manipulation, deceit, or corruption. They never defend themselves with facts. Instead, they manufacture a moral crusade—not because they care about justice, but because it shields them from accountability.
This isn’t just a story about one person. It’s a blueprint for how narcissists weaponize moral outrage to regain control when they feel exposed.
In this case, a man named Joel Johnson has launched a performative defense of individuals who never asked for it. The irony? Among the names on his so-called “list of victims” is Raistlin Martin—a convicted murderer—who is the only one actually cooperating with his documentation.
That alone shatters the entire premise of Joel’s crusade. And yet, like all narcissists, he continues to double down, reframe, and play the hero of his own narrative.
This isn’t an anomaly. This is a playbook. And once you see it, you can never unsee it.
1. The Anatomy of a Manufactured Crusade
Whenever a manipulator is confronted with their own behavior, they follow a predictable sequence:
🔹 Reframe the exposure as an attack.
🔹 Play the victim or the hero.
🔹 Hijack the pain of others to make themselves look noble.
🔹 Rally third parties to create an illusion of credibility.
🔹 Gaslight the audience by twisting the narrative.
Joel’s performative outrage isn’t about the people he’s claiming to protect—it’s about reclaiming control.
But there’s one critical problem with his strategy…
2. The Case That Exposes the Lie: Raistlin Martin
Of all the names in the case study, Raistlin Martin has the most to lose. He’s a convicted murderer, and yet—unlike the others—he’s fully aware of the documentation and chooses to cooperate.
Why? Because the documentation isn’t abuse. It’s an honest study of behaviors, patterns, and accountability.
So if the one person with the highest stakes doesn’t object, why is Joel acting as if this is some great injustice?
Simple: Because he needs it to be.
Without a moral outrage campaign, Joel has nothing.
Without a crusade, he has no power.
Without victims to champion, he has no relevance.
This is where the whole charade crumbles.
3. When “Moral Outrage” is a Control Tactic
This isn’t just about Joel. This is a widespread behavioral pattern.
When manipulators lose control of a narrative, they don’t defend themselves. Instead, they:
🔹 Reframe documentation as an “attack.”
🔹 Make the conversation about their suffering instead of their actions.
🔹 Position themselves as defenders of a cause they invented.
The reality? The people they claim to protect never asked for their help.
This is why Joel’s strategy isn’t new. We’ve seen it play out in politics, in media, and in activism. It’s why narcissists hijack social justice movements to silence critics. It’s why corrupt leaders frame accountability as persecution.
And it’s exactly why Joel isn’t actually defending anyone—he’s just leveraging their names to protect himself.
4. The Weaponization of Victimhood
Joel’s biggest move is claiming that the case study is harming those involved. But let’s take a closer look:
🔹 No one (except Raistlin Martin) was ever contacted.
🔹 No one asked Joel to intervene on their behalf.
🔹 None of them made it a public crusade—until Joel decided they should.
So why does he insist on making this his fight?
Because narcissists love to use other people’s pain as a tool for manipulation.
Real advocacy involves listening to victims and giving them agency.
Fake advocacy involves stealing other people’s pain for personal gain.
Joel is not a defender of anyone. He is using people as human shields to avoid accountability for his own behavior.
5. What This Means for the Bigger Picture
Joel is just one example of a much larger problem.
We are living in an era where false narratives can be weaponized with ease. When narcissists lose control, they don’t just discredit the truth—they manufacture an entirely new reality.
This is why documentation matters.
This is why case studies exist.
Because manipulators rely on people forgetting.
They rely on people losing track of the details.
They rely on outrage overpowering facts.
But the receipts don’t disappear.
And the truth doesn’t need a crusade.
Conclusion: When the Hero Mask Slips
Joel wants to be seen as a warrior against injustice.
But the real injustice here is the lie he’s telling.
The people he claims to defend didn’t ask for him.
The truth he claims to fight against isn’t harming anyone.
And the real reason for his outrage isn’t justice—it’s self-preservation.
This is why narcissists fail in the long run.
Because manufactured crusades always collapse under the weight of reality.
Final Thought
Joel’s tactics aren’t unique.
They are textbook.
And now, they are documented.
Because when manipulators rewrite history, the best defense is the truth.
And the truth is always on record.