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More about Jared Loughner's politics, plus some conspiracy debunking resources
Part 3 of Zeitgeist (debunked here by Edward L Winston, November 29th, 2007) features a collection of standard right wing conspiracy claims involving the Federal Reserve and income tax, as commonly advocated by nearly everyone in the so-called "Patriot" movement. The claims about the Federal Reserve (also debunked here by economist Edward Flaherty) are derived, in part, from the "Jewish banker" conspiracy allegations of various extreme anti-Jewish bigots, but presented in sanitized form, minus any overt animus against Jews. But Zeitgeist differs from most of the right wing in its attitude toward religion. These days, most American conservatives - and most "Patriots" too, as far as I can tell - promote Christian supremacy to one degree or another, whereas the first section of Zeitgeist denounces Christianity, and theistic religion in general, as mere tools of social control. Zeitgeist also ends with love-and-peace platitudes that one does not normally expect to hear from right wingers of any kind. Zeitgeist's blend of superficial hippyishness and right wing conspiracy claims is neither new nor unique. Another example that has gotten quite a following is the writings of David Icke. (See David Icke And The Politics Of Madness: Where The New Age Meets The Third Reich by Will Offley, Public Eye, February 29, 2000.) Extreme right wing conspiracy claims have also gotten popularized to very large, politically mixed audiences on late-night radio shows such as Coast to Coast AM. (See Conspiracy theories propel AM radio show into Top 10, San Francisco Chronicle, Sunday, November 12, 2006.) Right wing grand conspiracy claims have long been a magnet for some left-leaning folks too. On the Guardian (U.K.) website, Amanda Marcotte has written, in Austin, Texas: paranoid politics central, Friday 19 February 2010:
Austin and the surrounding areas of Texas are the cultural centre for a certain brand of paranoid politics that stretches far beyond partisanship and sees enemies and conspiracies around every corner. They hated Bill Clinton, but they hated George Bush, too. They're mostly very conservative, but they attract left-leaning paranoids, who share their affection for conspiracy theories. Actually, 9/11 inside job theories have always attracted some libertarians and extreme right wingers as well as some leftists. 9/11 inside job theories appeal to people of all stripes who are anti-government for whatever reason. (As for debunking sites, the one I would recommend most highly, on most of the alleged evidence, is 9/11 Myths.) Amanda Marcotte goes on to say:
And then there are unclassifiable ones, such as the belief that gatherings of elitist power players at the Bohemian Grove are actually Satanic rituals. Actually, that last one is NOT politically "unclassifiable"; it is Christian supremacist. Only a Christian who is paranoid about seeing demons, demons everywhere would (without prompting from someone like Alex Jones) see the Bohemian Grove's "Cremation of Care" ceremony as "Satanic." To anyone not predisposed to see it that way, the "Cremation of Care" ceremony is just a goofy poetic skit about temporarily killing off one's own boring, everyday self ("Dull Care") so that one can focus on enjoying a two-week vacation. (See Edward L Winston's debunking of Alex Jones's video Dark Secrets: Inside Bohemian Grove. A transcript of the alleged "Satanic ritual" itself, interspersed with notes by by Edward L. Winston, begins on page 17.) The idea that the world is controlled by an elite conspiracy of Satanists, occultists, and Pagans has become -- as far as I can tell -- the unifying grand conspiracy narrative of most of the "Patriot" movement. Essentially it's the Protocols of the Elders of Zion with Satanists, occultists, and Pagans substituted for Jews. Not everyone who advocates this claim is a Christian supremacist, but it clearly is of Christian supremacist origin and serves a Christian supremacist agenda.
Here is a large list of resources for debunking grand conspiracy claims.
More about Jared Loughner's politics, plus some conspiracy debunking resources | 6 comments (6 topical, 0 hidden)
More about Jared Loughner's politics, plus some conspiracy debunking resources | 6 comments (6 topical, 0 hidden)
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