9/11 CultWatch

More on Shayler/Delores Kane

David Shayler is to be found hamming it up in the Independent today, as the lovely Delores Kane gets another outing. Noticably he also returns to one of his old themes - 'Zionism', in this interview with Cahal Milmo.

Welcome To Our New Visitors

9/11 Cultwatch seems to be getting quite a few new visitors at the moment. 

If this is your first visit here, welcome - do stay and have a good look around, and feel free to add comments. Interestingly a few of the hits coming this way have come from people placing insulting comments about 9/11 Cultwatch on other sites, and at the same time linking to us. 

We appreciate this, as we feel our arguments more than stand up to analysis. Thanks very much for the hits guys! 

A Giant Leap ....... Sideways

To the British Film Institute and their Lunacy Weekender, devoted to the 40th anniversary of the moon landings. 

Saturday lunchtime saw a debate devoted to 'Was The Moon landing Faked'  with two academic heavyweights. Prof Simon Wessely is a Psychiatrist who heads Kings College London's Military Health Research Unit, whilst Dr Mark Miodownik is a Scientist who heads Kings College's Materials Research Group. 

The Case Against

In many ways this was an odd debate. The case against the moon landings being real was presented, not by a panel member, but by some video clips from a film called Stranger Than Fiction. This (very briefly) stated the case of Bill Kaysing, the father of theories rejecting the moon landing, before handing the floor to the two panel members. 

Mark Miodownik Steps Up

Dr Miodownik quickly got into debunking mode, arguing it is possible to debunk each part of the case put forward by Kaysing et al. For example he argued the US flag flutters on the footage as it had a stick inserted in it. With no atmosphere, it naturally swung as the astronauts forced it into the ground. There are no stars in most photographs because of the short exposure used to take the photographs. The footprints  shown are there because moon dust is different to other types of substance. In time the final part of the 'conspiracy theorists' case - that there is no wreckage left behind on the moon, will be debunked, as technology emerges that will allow pictures to be taken from ever greater distances.

Miodownik also went on the offensive, pointing out that the moon rocks returned cannot be faked - they are unique, and cannot have fallen to earth - they have been brought here. His position is that any theory or event can have its problems or contradictions (even Einstein's). What convinces him is patterns, a volume of information that you can fit knowledge around. All the evidence he concluded pointed one way - that man landed on the moon.

Simon Wessely States His Case

Although a psychiatrist, Wessely quickly (and correctly) rejected any view that conspiracy theories are a mental health issue. His was a humorous and hard hitting speech - typical was his point that a great crime had been committed in taping over vital recordings in the 1960s - not the moon landings, but Doctor Who! 

It is also entirely possible for people to build a strong case, often writers of considerable intellect, and be totally and utterly wrong. Ludovic Kennedy and Paul Foot both argued James Hanratty was innocent of the A6 murder for which he was hung - a position that was only dismantled by the development of DNA testing. 

A Hardy Perennial

Wessely took the trouble to list the development of alternative theories about the moon landings. Kaysing's book first appeared in 1974, yet sales only took off in 1978, after a film called Capricorn One. Life came to imitate art. Where Wessely was strong (and here he also gives us an insight into 9/11 'truth' activists) is he cites an interview with Kaysing where the latter argued he always felt the moon landings were 'wrong'. 

This of course contrasts with the perennial statement of 'truth' seekers that they are dispassionate seekers of truth, who by chance decide to look into an issue, and on the way just happen to discover that the facts, as stated by the establishment, don't add up. As Wessely puts it, normal people simply don't act like that. 

Intellectually Wessely cited Richard Hofstadter's The Paranoid Style In American Politics, and argued that unlike mental illness, which is experienced individually, conspiracy theories do bring people together. He argued several common factors are to be found - adherents look to the past to bolster their theories (e.g. by citing Operation Northwoods, or alleged fore knowledge of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour) Secondly there is always an expert - or someone pertaining to be an expert - taking on the establishment. Often these 'experts' are oddly lacking in the qualifications they pertain to use. David Ray Griffin, doyen of 9/11 experts has plenty to say on the scientific reasons for the collapse of the twin towers, but it should be stressed he is a Doctor of - divinity. 

Thirdly this crusader always brings the wrath of the state upon himself by fighting for truth. Here it is easy to recall David Shayler, who before finding he was God, claimed to have survived almost as many assassination attempts as President de Gaulle! 

These theories help to make their adherents feel more important - different from the herd (Look at the references to 'sheeple' on truth forums) although paradoxically the secret state is often seen as having omnipotent powers. Real life, Wessely concludes, is simply not like that - look at Watergate.

Q&A

There were 11 questions from the floor, the most significant of which was from an American visitor who raised the rather obvious point - this was not really a debate, as the view that the moon landings were faked was not represented. Miodownik countered this by pointing out that no scientist can be found who holds that view. 

He's probably right, although coherent advocates do exist (Marcus Allen of Nexus magazine, despite his considerable faults, is one example) This intervention allowed a couple of guys sitting behind me, who had mumbled and muttered throughout the presentations, to pipe up. 

Interestingly neither sought to directly reject the landings thesis, but instead presented the view that the photographs taken by NASA are a mystery - the company whose cameras where allegedly used, deny their equipment took those pictures. This, the questioner insisted was the elephant in the room (nudge, nudge) or as he preferred to term it, the elephant on the moon!

Of the other questions the most interesting pointed out that usually conspiracy theories are around unpleasant or horrific events - 9/11, 7/7, political assassinations etc - this is a theory, unusually, about something that was arguably a positive. 

Conclusions

Both speakers - and several questions from the floor - stressed the fact that it is hardly surprising people do not believe governments any more. That does not mean however, that we should believe anything - which is the point I had hoped to make, if I'd been able to speak from the floor!

We increasingly have trends within our society that believe anything that appears on the Internet, and for whom concepts of scientific or political research are alien. Its time to take such individuals on - and this meeting should have done so, by inviting an activist who believes no one landed on the moon, and having a proper, open debate. As such, this event was not a giant leap forward for mankind, but instead a small step sideways. 

2012: David Shayler Speaks Out In Drag

Here at 9/11 Cultwatch we have worked as hard as anyone to keep readers up to date with developments in the weird and wonderful world of 9/11 'truth'.

This leaves us perfectly placed to introduce readers to the latest developments from the UK Truth movement's former spokesman David Shayler, or as he now styles himself Delores Kane. David - who once lambasted Anarchists as a threat to public health during his nascent media career as a commentator on security matters - is currently squatting himself in Surrey with the Rainbow Movement. 

Since declaring himself the messiah David has clearly been busy gazing into his crystal ball. For all those looking forward to the 2012 Olympics the messiah has bad news - it seems the world will end in 2012.  So - don't go making any plans for 2013 if you know what's good for you (no wonder Manchester United only offered Michael Owen a two year contract!)

Better still David has forsaken the rather ghostly white that he used to wear for his religious pronouncements. Of all Shayler's poses since 1997 (security expert, civil libertarian, anti-war activist, 9/11 truther, no-planer, anti-semite) his messiah act was perhaps the least convincing. Video analysis of Shayler on the day he 'came out' shows a man frequently struggling with embarrassment and having to rev himself up between interviews - hardly the behaviour of someone genuinely ill - or indeed of someone who was genuinely the messiah!

David is now giving the world his wisdom from the pose of Delores Kane. A picture of the lovely Delores can be seen below. Fellow ex-spook Annie Machon has expressed her concern for her former partner in the paper they have worked with since leaving the service - the Daily Mail/Mail on Sunday. Annie, who does not seem to be able to make up her mind if she is till an 9/11 'truther' or not, comments from Germany, where she is now based. 

Worried as she may be, this particular role does appear to be good for David - he appears to have lost a lot of the timber he used to carry, perhaps anticipating the need for Delores to look slightly more convincing than her masters voice? 

Here's looking at you Delores!

We Know Blair Is Bad, But Please

This little gem comes courtesy of David Icke's e mail newsletter of 11 July. Coventry City's former reserve goalkeeper says of Tony Blair:

"... should he become EU President he will take Europe to war for his masters, the Rothschilds. They want a Third World War involving Europe, North America, Russia and China to bring in their world government dictatorship".

Of course they do David. 

On 'Conspiracy Theory' - A Debate With Tim Pendry

There are problems with the term 'conspiracy theory'. 

What better way for the state, media and politicians to dismiss anyone asking awkward questions than to dismiss someone as a conspiracy theorist? Apart from calling someone a racist, it has become the ultimate reflex term of abuse. 

Conspiracies certainly do exist. For one very simple reason - people do conspire against one another. How long did Gordon Brown plot and scheme against Tony Blair for? Travel back 20 years and Michael Heseltine was playing much the same game against Margaret Thatcher - leaking information to tame journalists, fighting proxy wars between his supporters and Thatcher's and even at times fighting mini-war's - such as that over Westland. 

As a broad peace settles in Northern Ireland, we come to learn more and more about the extent to which elements of the British state colluded with loyalist paramilitaries in order to murder rivals. But does that really mean, as Sinn Fein and some posters on Internet 'truth' forums would have it, that Ulster Loyalist terrorism was the creation and creature of the British state? That view hardly fits with the realities of the history of Loyalism, which has always used violence against its political opponents, nor does it equate with the sometimes complex relationship between Northern Ireland Protestants and the British state. 

The analyst Tim Pendry has provided us with a strong examination of some of the issues around Conspiracy Theory on the website As It Happens. He is probably correct to point to a small decline in conspiracy activism in recent years. Pendry argues that the increased focus on and examination of such theories wounds them, whilst the election of Obama and a recession that governments are clearly not in control of further weakens belief in the ability of all encompassing cabals who run absolutely everything to their advantage, at all times. 

Whilst Pendry notes the commercial and cultural base of conspiracy theory, he does not stress the rich tapestry nor range of theories that are out there. Black America for example, often has very different conspiracy theories to white America. Over 20 years ago I seemed to spend most of my time listening to Hip-Hop that 'explained' the conspiracy to destroy the black race, that all too often regurgitated some of the more crackpot views of Louis Farrakhan's Nation of Islam, over the best music I had ever heard. I was not convinced, but then again I was never part of the core target audience. 

Pendry also misses the fact that conspiracy theories, when widely adopted, can be dangerous. The BBC's recent Conspiracy Files programme on 7/7 presented an extremely worrying insight into a section of the British Muslim community, at Birmingham Central Mosque. What price ideas of Muslim rationality, and indeed our community relations, when conspiracy theories about 7/7 are widely held by British Muslims? It is one thing to believe the government and police may not have given a clear account of 7/7, another entirely to believe the sort of rubbish propagated in DVD's such as Ripple Effect.

Pendry concludes that conspiracy theory will always be with us until we have real reform, replacing the elites of Brussels, London and Washington. Well, reform or revolution suits us at 9/11 Cultwatch. Although revolution sounds considerably more fun!

It is hard to move towards either if irrational ideas, anti-semitism or fantasy dominates progressive movements. We should not be afraid to burst the bubble of theories or movements that make progressive change harder - and the more we see of the 9/11 and 7/7 'truth' movements, the more they fit that description. 

Gary McKinnon Campaign Getting Weighty Support

9/11 Cultwatch would probably find little to agree with Gary McKinnon about should we meet him.

That does not mean we should not support his campaign against extradition to the USA. Just recently support for Gary has sky-rocketed with even the Daily Mail(!) and Sarah Brown weighing in behind him. There article is being eagerly disseminated across Facebook - view it here.   

7/7 Conspiracy Files Reviewed

A little later than I had hoped, some comments on last nights TV programme.

Firstly it was interesting that 7/7 Ripple Effect was chosen as the target, and described as being "at the extreme end of the spectrum". I am not sure how easily you can necessarily separate Ripple Effect from other 'truth' DVD's - activists don't tend to be very discerning in their approach, and the BBC could just as easily have chosen Mind the Gap or even Ludicrous Diversions to gut point by point had they been so inclined. Indeed Larry O'Hara and myself did just that in Issue 8 of Notes From the Borderland!

Depressing

One staple point 9/11 Cultwatch has made concerning the dangers of 'truth' theories was sadly borne out by the Conspiracy Files. 'Truth' activists have long seen the British Muslim community as the natural constituency for their beliefs, and have targeted them accordingly. Whilst it is not difficult to portray many truth activists as rather isolated keyboard warriors, the show of hands in support of Ripple Effect at Birmingham Central mosque was one of the most depressing things I have seen for a long time. It is sadly, an image that may come to haunt representatives of the GB Muslim community for some time - what does it say for concepts of Muslim rationality, or the chances of turning future generations away from Jihadi violence? The words ostrich, head and sand need to be pinned onto Dr Mohammed Naseem's syrup and fig, very publicly. 

Suspicious Foreknowledge?

Moving onto the Bristol 'truthers', lets use their logic to consider one issue. Tony Gosling, the BBC told us, has been "looking into the attacks for four years". Given the fourth anniversary of 7/7 is not until next week - how can this be so? Did you know something before everyone else Tony? Have the BBC let the big one slip out here?!!!! 

More seriously, the ability to put forward straw men is clearly an art form in Bristol. To be told the 7/7 bombers have not been convicted in a court of law is a masterly statement of the bleeding obvious - suicide bombers never are, and never can be. Such points can be made until the end of time  - and possibly will be. 

One disappointment with the Conspiracy Files format is it does not allow for hard questioning. Gosling in particular was allowed to tell two very large porkies. Firstly his suggestion that "you have to go into these things with an open mind". Take a look at his Internet postings on any 'truth' forum - can you think of anyone less likely to approach an alleged terrorist attack with an open mind than TG? 

Nor was Gosling being honest when he said it was 'entirely possible' the four named 7/7 suicide bombers were innocent. He believes they are innocent, and has campaigned on that basis continuously. And he said the same sort of things about the failed 21/7 bombings or the Glasgow Airport attack in 2007. Identical lines will be presented when future attacks occur. 

That is the 'truth' template - criminal convictions following a jury trial, guilty pleas or suicide videos make no difference. 

Insult To Injury

One of the most unpleasant aspects of the  flakier fringe of 'truth' activism is a tendency to stalk or harass. In the case of 7/7 survivors such as Rachel North or Richard Jones, such behaviour, following what they have gone through, must be a truly hideous experience. 

In the case of those with businesses that have been targeted by the rusty sword of 'truth', another issue looms on the horizon. Whilst part of the objective of this programme appeared to be to aid any legal case against alleged Ripple Effect producer John Hill, it surely cannot be too long before Britain's antiquated libel laws (regularly mis-used as they are) become the setting for a fight between 'truth' and authority. There has been at least one precedent.  

Oh - and if Hill really did send copies of a DVD to a Judge and Jury during a criminal trial, he is so stupid he deserves to be in prison. 

Nasty Nick

Speculation that the main focus of this conspiracy file would be Nick Kollerstrom proved unfounded. Whilst the old jew-baiter is usually happy to expand on his theories about how "those lads" have been set up for 7/7, he was reduced to gibbering incoherence when shown footage of the 7/7 attackers in London - on the day of the attacks. There's one theory demolished - NK has always stated they were never there. Whilst it would be nice to think that is the last we will hear of him that is sadly unlikely - the chance to earn big bucks expounding on his theories at holocaust denial events in the Nazi milieu or Arab world beckons. 

Wherever he is, lets keep giving this bastard some stick. 

Another Messiah?

Still, the programme did save the best until (nearly) last. An old style TV door-stepping of John Hill in Ireland looked imminent, until we spotted his beard fluttering in the breeze of Kells high street. I always think the best response to anyone doing a Roger Cook is to do what the best Roger Cook villains did - try to thump him one. Sadly Hill kept his mouth shut and his hands down - perhaps in keeping with his belief that he is ......the Messiah! 

By any definition the truth movement is now overstaffed with messiahs - we have had David Icke, David Shayler and now John Hill. They can't all be right - can they? Tony Gosling, by now used to having to deal with the media fall out from discovering a comrade is the chosen one, played this all with a straight bat. It should not, we were told, distract us from some of the questions raised in the video. Of course not...... 

Concluding Comments

One good thing that may come out of this programme is a possible recognition that conspiracy theories can be dangerous. Whilst it is easy to laugh at stories that no one landed on the moon or that the Iranians had Michael Jackson murdered to distract attention from the uprising in Tehran, if a quarter of British Muslims really believe that no Jihadists were involved in 7/7, the joke is not funny anymore.