9/11 CultWatch

The Conspiracies of the US Democrats

John Gray has written a marvelous overview of the defeat of Hillary Clinton, and victory of Donald Trump, for the current issue of the New Statesman. It contains this analysis of those attempting to convince the world, and perhaps even themselves, that the Russians somehow fiddled the election for Trump.

"The function of conspiracy theories, however, is not to understand the world but to give sense to the lives of those who believe them. Paranoia is often a protest against powerlessness and a sense of insignificance. These symptoms are visible today in the liberal elites, which, against all their expectations, have been brusquely dismissed from power. In a post-election interview with Dutch television, Sidney Blumenthal, a long-term Clinton ally, described Trump's victory as 'a coup d'etat' orchestrated by 'right wing agents of the FBI.' Paranoid thinking of this kind shows a refusal to learn from experience."

The Conspiracist Beliefs of Larossi Abballa?

There will be much more to come on the religious and political affiliations of French jihadist Larossi Abballa, killed by the French police in Magnanville on Monday. Abballa had seemingly murdered two French police officers and held their three year old child hostage.

The use of live social media during terrorist attacks is an emerging phenomenon - during the December 2014 Sydney coffee shop siege, Islamic State supporter Man Haron Monis uploaded onto You Tube videos of his hostages, and also allowed those held in the store to update their Facebook accounts. The videos were quickly taken down by You Tube, although I have one screenshot
Download Joel Herat - YouTube at 1220 uk time 15 12 2014(pdf).
In Toulouse in 2012, Islamist gunman Mohammed Merah filmed his own attacks, sending a memory stick to Al-Jazeera shortly before he was killed.

Abballa appears to have built on this trend, live streaming a statement from the murder scene on Facebook. This was then turned into a slightly shorter video by Islamic State's media department. Also in his Facebook update was the very odd image below, where he appears to be expressing concern about Freemasons, and occult imagery being used to promote the European Football championships.

Such concerns represent an interesting area where Islamist, jihadist and western conspiracist beliefs appear to overlap. Earlier this year in the US we saw a police investigation into an alleged jihadist plot to carry out a terrorist attack on a Masonic hall in Milwaukee. Sadly masons now need to be added to the long list of potential victims of jihadist actors in the west.

9/11 'Truth' Activists Declare Michael Meacher MP's Death May Be Suspicious

This evening Reinvestigate 9/11, the 'truth' organisation headed by Ian Henshall, has circulated supporters with a press release concerning Michael Meacher, the late MP for Oldham West and Royton.

This mostly focuses on parts of Meacher's back catalogue most in the Labour Party politely ignored (his views on 9/11, his giddiness about the Bilderbergs) and makes the very sweeping claim that Meacher, a buy to let landlord before it became fashionable, was "in many ways the intellectual powerhouse behind the insurrection that saw Jeremy Corbyn elected leader of the Labour Party this summer."
We are also reminded that John McDonnell is not the only Labour MP to entertain 9/11 conspiracists in the House of Commons - Michael Meacher had been doing so for many years, right up until his recent death.

The really odd stuff comes towards the end though, and serves as a neat example as to how the conspiracist mindset operates. R911 write:

"News reports have given no details of the cause of Michael's unexpected death beyond a statement from Peter Dean, his constituency office manager, who said: "We are extremely sad and it has been quite a short illness he has had and we just don't know the details at present. Ian Henshall an organiser of Reinvestigate 9/11 said: "I hope that, to put to rest any lingering doubts, his aides will take a close look and divulge full details of what happened."

Whose lingering doubts? What doubts? We are not told, but the impression, that Meacher'a death may be suspicious, is ever so subtly placed in the readers lap. From there, the story can run and run.

The full text of the R911 press release, plus an article asking "Was British MP Michael Meacher Murdered to Cover Up 9/11?" may be viewed here, courtesy of the ever excitable Veterans Today website.

Litvinenko and Conspiracy Theory

The February issue of Fortean Times has a four page article by Matthew Dentith on conspiracy theory entitled "I'm not a conspiracy theorist but......"

The first page of this is taken up with the death in London in 2006 of the Russian emigre and former FSB agent Alexander Litvinenko. Rather unsatisfactorily Dentith describes him as "living in exile in London promoting various conspiracy theories about President Vladimir Putin's rise to power in Russian". That is one interpretation.
Certainly Litvinenko had been employed by the Russian billionaire Boris Berezovsky, who had long been in dispute with President Putin. Since 2003 the former FSB spy had switched sides, and had become an informant for the British security services, as reports from the inquiry have detailed. He had also begun assisting the Spanish security services. That was surely important enough for Dentith to mention?

After covering two possible explanations for Litvinenko's murder, and also discussing the murder weapon - Polonium 210 - Dentith concludes "Whatever the case, you cannot help but be a conspiracy theorist when it comes to the death of Alexander Litvinenko; there is no sensible alternative". 

Is that correct? If someone accepts the Scotland Yard version of events does that make you a conspiracy theorist? The police view is broadly that Alexander Litvinenko was murdered by two Russians - Andrei Lugovoi and Dmitry Kovtun - who administered poison to him at the Millennium Hotel in London on 1 November 2006. If the police establish that version, to the satisfaction of the public inquiry, is that still a conspiracy theory? And does it remain a conspiracy theory if that version of events is accepted by most members of the public? With the exception of the presence of Polonium 210, the murder of a perceived traitor by a security service whose secrets he was giving up, cannot be that unusual or perverse, can it? We do seem to have motive, method and opportunity here. 

After a lot of messing about, the public inquiry into the Litvinenko death began  in London on 31 July 2014. It is expected to report to the Home Secretary at the end of the year. The inquiry website may be viewed here.  Perhaps this is one 'conspiracy theory' - as opposed to conspiracy - which may be put to bed?

Don't Panic, Say The Humanists

Whilst not entirely related to the content of this blog, tomorrow's event organised by the Centre for Inquiry UK, the British Humanist Association, and the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit deserves a mention. 

Searching for Satan: Miscarriages of Memory, Fractured Families and Satanic Panics is a one day conference on Saturday 6th June held at the Stuart Hall building at Goldsmiths University in south London. There are three different sessions planned, with a range of speakers mostly focusing on the concept of false memory.

I am sure Beatrix Campbell's ears will be burning!

 

Flight M3570 Conspiracy Theories: The Rothschilds Again!

I have somewhat lacked the will and energy to battle through all the conspiracy sites and claims about the fate of the missing Malaysian airliner. 

I do note that one particular claim unites several recurrent conspiracy themes - anti-Semitism, a powerful dynasty - in this case the Rothschilds, the scramble for new technology and a core player in contemporary conspiracism - the news channel Russia Today.
This particular gem centres on the idea that Jacob Rothschild has now become the sole-holder of a semi-conductor patent, following the death of four colleagues on the tragic flight. The Spanish language version of Russia Today apparently presented this as news, and it has now been taken in a million different directions by online researchers.  

For the original Spanish article go here. If you can bear to do so, you can read an example of some of the whackier Rothschild claims, which also brings together energy weapons, the US-Russia stand-off over Ukraine, the UK, US, Israel and a Malaysian war crimes tribunal, here. 

A Brief History of the Zapruder Film

Yesterday's Guardian magazine had a two page history of Abraham Zapruder, whose famous film of the Kennedy assassination remains one of the most important pieces of evidence in the case.

Entitled "The Man Who Shot JFK" in the hard copy, for some reason the online version has a different title "Abraham Zapruder the man behind history's most infamous home movie". Journalist Steve Rose gives a good history of the film, what happened to it, and how it has been used and abused over the years. Amongst those quoted are academic Dr Clare Birchall, Alex Cox and Peter Landesman. He is behind a new JFK movie, Parkland, with a particular focus on events in the Dallas Parkland hospital after the shooting.  . 

Rose's article makes one slight stumble when discussing perhaps the best known Kennedy movie - Oliver Stone's JFK. He states the film "pieces together a vast conspiracy involving Lyndon Johnson, the CIA, the military-industrial complex, the gay community, possibly the Dallas Cowboys - it gets confusing".  There is plenty of critical points that could be made of a film based on the work of Jim Marrs, a long time US conspiracist who has waxed lyrical on everything from UFOs to 9/11.
But only The Guardian though could make the mocking accusation that the 'gay community' is seen as part of the conspiracy to assassinate Kennedy. Firstly because it is hard to imagine too many people in Texas in the late 1950s and early 1960s talked about, or saw themselves as part of, a distinct gay community. Secondly that is not what Stone was actually focusing on at all - his concern (rightly or wrongly) was about a group of right wing Texans who were obsessed with Cuba. Several of whom, such as David Ferrie were gay. 

Am I reading too much into Rose's slip, or is he critiquing Oliver Stone's film through Guardian tinted spectacles?

Different Cultures, Different Conspiracy Theories?

Whilst research into what is dubbed 'conspiracy theory' is now developing, I am not aware of any comparative studies comparing, for example, conspiracy theorists in the West and those in Muslim majority countries, or those in say Russia and the United States. 

From my own reading Western conspiracy theories appear far more eclectic. In the US or UK you can wade through everything from shape shifting aliens to men in black. In the Muslim world, and amongst elements in Muslim communities in the West, conspiracy theories (for want of a better term) appear to centre on Israel, the Jews, the USA and bizarrely, freemasonry. 

The December 2013 Fortean Times (the somewhat disappointing fourtieth anniversary issue) has two whole pages on one manifestation of this - the series of 'arrests' of birds in Egypt, Sudan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon on suspicion of spying for Israel. In each instance the birds appear to have been fitted with some form of tag or monitoring equipment as part of scientific surveys. These tags usually contain the details of the Israeli universities involved in these projects. 

The widespread nature of these concerns - Fortean Times lists incidents in five different countries since 2010, is surely indicative. If such panics have occurred elsewhere, 9/11 Cultwatch is unaware of them. Or did the USA regularly arrest migrating geese in the Cold War, for fear they had been holidaying in the Soviet Union?

As ever, 9/11 Cultwatch is happy to be corrected by its readers.............

Getting Ready For JFK +50

The November issue of Fortean Times is a special issue on Conspiracy theory, timed no doubt to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President Kennedy on 22 November 1963. 

This begins with Robin Ramsay on what he sees as the 'Ghettoisation of JFK Studies'. Ramsay has always been a Lyndon Johnson man when it comes to the Kennedy killing, although he qualifies this by stating that the shooting was carried out in aid of LBJ's careeer, by the big Texan money that stood behind Johnson. Ramsay is broadly correct when he states that three elements in what he calls the 'knowledge industry' are disinterested in the case - the major media, the political system and academia. He is however over generous in stating that "Something very similar is happening to the 9/11 research effort, and for similar reasons" - the quality of most 9/11 'research' falls well short of that produced by assassination researchers in the 1970s and 1980s. 

One backward step for Fortean Times is an 'Advertorial' on 28-29, "The Conspiracy to Create a New World Order" is designed to look like part of the magazine, and apparently advertising a forthcoming DVD called The Conspiracy. I am sure they took a lot of the money for the advert, but at the price of confusing readers? Tom Heywood is on much safer ground examining five decades of literature on JFK's assassination, and its evolution through distinct phases. Richard Leon's "The Tin Foil Hat Machine" struggles to stay on the correct side of flippant, but is at its best when considering some of the long forgotten theorists who were arguably conspiracy theorists before the term was widely used - Peter Beter to take one example. 

Perhaps the strongest article is David Ray Carter on 'Conspiracy Cinema'. It would be comparatively easier to have written a piece on the all the 'truth' movies knocked out in the post 9/11 era, but Carter correctly locates such film in its correct historical context, beginning with the 1937 (yes 1937) "The Man in the Barn" which considers the fate of John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of Abraham Lincoln.  "The Man in the Barn" even implies that the Lincoln assassination was an inside job and that Booth was recieving hush money from his co-conspirators in the US government!

Browsing through the magazines in my local Tesco today, I came across a publication that was new to me, but is apparently on its fifth issue - All About History. Its front cover, naturally - JFK 50 Years On. Getting ready for plenty more over the next month. 

Mutologists As Precursors To 9/11 Truth Activists?

The June Fortean Times (issue 302) has a very strong piece of de-bunking about animal mutilations in the United States.

This phenomena appears to have begun in 1967 and to have petered out by 1980, with some 'researchers' blaming UFOs and extra terrestrials for perceived attacks on cattle and horses on the American prairies. The whole issue appears to have been put to bed by an investigation by Kevin Rommel for the State of New Mexico, but here at 9/11 Cultwatch we noted with interest the references to 'mutologists' - those who believed in an alien explanation for cattle mutilations.

The mutologists eventually earned their own study, a book called Mute Evidence by Daniel Kagan and Ian Summers (Bantam, 1984). Fortean Times reproduce this description of mutologists from p.175 of that book:

"The whole thing was ......a closed system, self-referential, solipsistic, which allowed no fresh information to enter unless it was properly polarized to support the prevailing attitude of mystery, conspiracy, weirdness and/or UFOs and space aliens".

And that, to a tee, could be used to describe 9/11 truthers a generation later. 

 

Alex Jones Caption Competition

All at 9/11 Cultwatch were delighted to see that fearless investigator Alex Jones has used some of his time in England in the past week productively, seeing some of our green and pleasant land.

Captions please for this picture of the man himself at Stonehenge:

The winning entry will be selected by Lord Rothschild, with the lucky person guaranteed free admission to the Bilderberg conference in 2014. Or something else. 

Boston Conspiracy Theories: Apprentice Bites Sorcerer

It seems Webster Griffin Tarporley really has outgrown Lyndon LaRouche, as this tweet on the alleged perpetrators of the Boston bombings illustrates: 

 

#Boston: Even the chickens know #CIA sponsors #Chechen terrorism vs #Russia-but not #LaRouche, who blames #UK & #Saudi, whitewashes #Langley

— WebsterGTarpley (@WebsterGTarpley) April 24, 2013

Still you have to give Lyndon LaRouche full marks for consistency - as per usual it is all the Brits fault!

Boston, Infowars, and Skulls

The Boston terrorist attacks and their dramatic aftermath has demonstrated that truth activists, when in situ, are still capable of taking the ball and running with it. In this case, in ever decreasing circles. 

This brief article will focus on one example of this - the linking of private security company Craft International to the attacks, most prominently on the Info Wars website run by arch American conspiracist Alex Jones. This appears to be conducted solely on one tenuous strand - that two men were seen in the crowd at the Boston Marathon carrying rucksacks and one is wearing a logo on his clothing of Craft International. 

Alex Gucciardi, who wrote the 18 April 2013 Infowars piece, produces within it pictures of two men carrying rucksacks in this notorious article. A plain white skull on a black background is apparently seen on one of the men's caps:

The first problem with this approach is that it is not exactly the same logo as that of Craft International. Here is their logo:

The wording which appears in the Craft logo is absent from that of the man in Boston. 

Perhaps anticipating this, Gucciardi also informs us that Craft International's Chris Kyle sports the exact same logo in this picture from the Craft International website:

It is not exactly the same, but even if he does. So what? 

Just to show that Twitter can be used for countering, as well as spreading nonsense, I am grateful to @tanith for informing me that the logo on the man's cap is that of The Punisher comic book hero. Here is The Punisher logo:

Something very similar is also used by several figures in the music business. Consider Underground Resistance or Metalheadz:

We might even add video game Resistance 3:

Of course Infowars does not state that Craft International carried out the Boston bombings. They do not need to - the inference is enough, in conspiracist circles, to set that particular hare running. And all the evidence needed to do this? 

One man, carrying a large backpack, wearing a logo that is similar to Craft International's. And Resistance 3. And Metalheadz. And Underground Resistance. But that is actually the logo of The Punisher. 

Conspiracy Theory: The Times Gets It

The Times today ran a front page, editorial and page 4 article on Labour peer Baron Ahmed of Rotherham.

In an interview with a Pakistani TV station, Lord Ahmed has allegedly blamed his prison sentence for dangerous driving in 2009 on a Jewish conspiracy, brought about because of his work in support of the Palestinians. He appears to have believed a Judge was sent from London to sentence him as a result of pressure from Jews.

As so often with such arguments, the facts are somewhat different. The judge who sentenced Ahmed, Mr Justice Wilkie, was the Presiding Judge of the North East Circuit. Encouragingly, in its editorial The Times demonstrates that it actually grasps that what often appears to be merely conspiracist nonsense actually has a political impact :

"There will not be lasting peace in the Middle East with a just settlement between a sovereign Palestine and a secure Israel while conspiracy theories about the Jews are disseminated. Inoculating young and impressionable British Muslims from the theocratic hatreds of al-Qaeda requires the confronting of hoary anti-semitic myths. How shameful, how scandalous that a British parliamentarian should be promoting them."

 

 

 

It's The End of the World As We Know It

............and I feel fine.

Come on all you Mayan conspiracy buffs, do you worst!

 

Health Conspiracies In Africa

If it were just people talking about UFO's, it would not really matter. But conspiracy theories can be a serious business, especially when they effect the take up of immunisation programmes, or medical treatment.  

On Tuesday 13 November the London School of Economics hosts a discussion "Conspiracies, Distrust and Suspicions of Health Programmes in Africa". The event is free, and is scheduled from 6.30 - 8pm in the Hong Kong Theatre, Clement House. The suggested twitter hashtag for the evening is #LSEAfrica.

The Fatal Flaw In Conspiracy Road Trip

Can anyone spot what is wrong in the following sentence, from the Sunday Times Culture magazine?

In a preview of Monday evening's Conspiracy Road Trip: UFO's on BBC3 at 9pm, we are told about a Swindon man storing food in case of alien invasion: 
"He is one of five Brits here who believe in extra-terrestorial encounters, conspiracy theories or official cover-ups about monsters. Will a journey to America and reasoned argument change their minds?"

With the probable exception of Pakistan, no country in the world is as receptive to conspiracy theories as the United States. What I don't get about conspiracy road trip is that in this series they look to challenge and/or debate the beliefs of those who accept creationism, 9/11 conspiracy theories or UFO's. And they do that by taking adherents to ................ the home of those belief systems, where they are more likely to be reinforced than critically discussed.

Still, it's a nice trip for the BBC staff involved. 

London 2012: The False Flag That Did Not Fly

The email below was posted to my University of East Anglia account on the 31 July 2012, from the email address [email protected]

You can find out more about the ostensibly useful work of the Freeanons website here.

Needless to say, the predicted false flag attack during the Olympics did not happen, although the amount of times the word 'may' appears at key stages below indicates this individual was rather hedging their bets. Some may be relieved that the alleged G4S plans to evacuate London did not need to be enacted!

Hopefully, 9/11 Cultwatch's publication of this email will give 'anonymous' the posterity their work deserves:

Multiple indicators suggest that the 2012 London Olympics may be used as a stage for false flag operations: the environment is primed for insider attacks, the security plans are flawed, and the threat indicators match other false flag attacks.

Large amounts of troops, contractors, and weapons may provide cover for insider agents to carry out attacks at the 2012 London Olympics. Excessive amounts of force and materiel combined with the last minute changes provide a chaotic environment in which equipment may be staged to carry out terrorist attacks. Such a chaotic environment is also ideal for subversive agents that have security credentials to operate in, because it provides them with cover stories for their activities and possible inconsistencies in their behavior.

Security plans for the 2012 London Olympics are flawed. An independent investigation of the G4S security contractor by Ben Fellows has revealed that the company is implementing measures that are inconsistent with their stated security objectives. G4S is reported to have 200000 casket linings on standby - a measure that indicates a plan to fail at security. G4S is reported to have plans for evacuating London - another indicator of planned failure. G4S is well documented as failing to provide adequate security staff. The combination of these factors suggests that instead of providing qualified security staff to prevent attacks, G4S has been focusing on controlling the effects of an attack. Mitigating large scale disasters is usually handled by the government. It is suspicious that a company that fails at its direct responsibilities expends its limited resources on measures that are outside of its competence and stated objectives. These indicators are especially alarming, since!
  security contractors have privileged access and are therefore well placed to carry out large scale terrorist operations, to plant false evidence, and to destroy real evidence.

The threat indicators present at the 2012 London Olympics are consistent with the false flag terrorism operations carried out in the past. The film "7/7 Ripple Effect 2" provides a thorough analysis of a recent false flag operation in London and provides a publically available primer of some of the tradecraft that may be used for other false flag operations. Some examples of documented tradecraft include using security credentials to manage subversive agents, using security operations to stage equipment for attacks, using security credentials to place false evidence, using security credentials to destroy real evidence, and fabricating public reports. These examples of tradecraft match the threat indicators present at the 2012 London Olympics and support the concerns for the safety of the public.

False flag operations are typically conducted to manipulate public opinion. False flag operations are frequently used as pretext for war. It might be too late to provide an effective deterrent for the possible attacks at the London Olympics at this point. Even if it is too late to prevent such attacks, vigilance is needed to mitigate the risk of false flag operations being used as pretext for even greater bloodshed and to bring the responsible parties to justice if such attacks take place.

Assange Cultism?

Writing about 9/11 truth, and its offshoots, has always produced a consistent response from 'truth' activists.

Larry O'Hara, Heidi Svenson and myself have all at some stage encountered 'truthers' who have drawn a whole series of conclusions about our politics from the fact we disagree with their interpretation of 9/11. The most common of these is to assume that we are pro-war - my email exchange with David Rose of Goldsmiths University, reproduced in the current Notes From the Borderland, is a recent example of this phenomenon. To hold the position that attacking Iraq and Afganistan was a poor idea, but that Al Qaeda carried out 9/11, appears to be inconceivable.

There are some signs that a similar absolutism has begun to infect some of those who support Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. Owen Jones' article in The Independent that Assange should go back to Sweden and face the music produced a whole series of over the top responses from the Australian's supporters, including accusations Jones might be working for the security services. Is it not possible for Jones to innocently dissent from their position? The Blog That Peter Wrote has travelled similar ground to Jones, where comment on Wikileaks has been followed by an avalanche of bizarre claims and unfounded assertions. The term 'Assange Cultism' is used to describe the response.

These are worrying developments, and a sign of the 'truth' approach to politics beginning to infect not just issues around terrorism and counter-terrorism, but questions such as extradition law and the prosecution of sexual offences. This blog has always taken a consistent approach to the dangers posed by the truth movement - if unchallenged, its method and its ideas will spread. Don't say you were not warned...........

Does Anyone Here Speak Keiser?

Russia Today's financial 'expert' Max Keiser is rapidly turning into my favourite conspiracist.

Like all good conspiracy theorists, Max is an all-rounder. Whilst mostly concerned with trashing the western financial system (whilst saying nothing too critical about Russian gangster-capitalism, he who pays this piper buys his tune) Max does like to swerve into other areas, especially when he is on Twitter. This week this has included being possibly the first person to describe the Burgas attack on Israeli tourists as a false flag attack, plus suggesting HSBC 'funded' the 9/11 attacks. Sometimes Keiser appears to try to disguise his points as humour, although as we all know, many a true word is said in jest. How many in his audience think he is joking?

Discussing the cinema shooting in Colorado, Max today posted this gem:

"American libertarian race-based crypto-fascism encourages mass shootings at movie theaters if it helps media conglomerates make money"

I have read it. I have re-read it. I have carried on re-reading it. The meaning still escapes me. Is there anyone out there who speaks Keiser? If so - help!

 

Conspiracy Theory In International Politics

CALL FOR PAPERS: Conspiracy theories in international politics

Panels for the ISA's annual convention, San Fransisco 2013

Theme: The Politics of International Diffusion: Regional and Global Dimensions
April 3-6, 2013, at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square; San Francisco, California, USA

http://www.isanet.org/annual_convention/call-for-papers.html/

Co-convenors: Stefanie Ortmann (University of Sussex) and John Heathershaw (University of Exeter)

Conspiracy theories have been identified as an increasingly prevalent mode of social and political discourse which seem to have important transnational and international dimensions. Research has shown that they have proliferated in American society and politics through the twentieth century, and can be found in all regions of world politics, perhaps especially in the Middle East and the former Soviet Union. Early analyses suggested that conspiracy theories were pathologies, evidence of a 'paranoid style' of politics or dysfunctions of pubic discourse found particularly in totaliterian societies, subject to social psychological explanations. However, the emergence of Conspiracy Theory Studies since about 2000 has been dominated from scholars in History, Humanities and Cultural Studies. This research embarks from the premise that CTs can be understood in sociological terms as the expression of an increasing lack of autonomy in the face of uncontrollable forces, such as globalization, narratives of terrorist threats etc. In spite of this obvious link to themes of international politics, conspiracy theories have recevied little or no attention from scholars in Political Science and International Relations.

We intend to submit up to two panels on conspiracy theories to address the conference theme of international diffusion, focusing particularly on a comparative study of conspiracy theories in different regions of world politics and considering their transational forms and international diffusions. On the other hand we are interested in the workings of conspiracy theories in Europe and the US, relating to globalization, terrorism, the fall-out from the global economic crisis and similar themes. These are preliminary suggestions: We would like to here from potential presenters interested in submitting a paper on any aspect of conspiracy theories in international politics.

Please contact:

John Heathershaw ([email protected])

Stefanie Ortmann ([email protected])

Deadline for expressions of interest: Friday 25 May, 2012

Deadline for full abstracts: Tuesday 29 May, 2012

A Variation on 2012 Apocalypse

Yesterday's Sun newspaper had a different variation on the Mayan 2012 end of the world claims.

Two whole pages were devoted to Michael Carroll's feature on Cornish computer repair man Larry Peters, who is stockpiling food and attempting to live self-sufficiently in readiness for a giant solar flare striking the earth. The term sometimes used for survivalists like Mr Peters is preppers. Here is an insight into his thinking:

"By the end of 2012 a huge flare is predicted that will wipe all this out. It will be a total breakdown of society, complete anarchy. Lots of people are going to die. The government and the super-rich know this is going to happen and they are prepared. That leaves the rest of us to fend for ourselves".

Several problems emerge. Firstly no evidence is offered that the British government and the rich actually do know that the world is going to end this year, and no insights into changes in their behaviour or practices are offered. No scientific evidence is presented as to the likelihood of such a strike on earth. Rather like many 9/11 'truthers' it does emerge where Peters is getting his information from:

"Once he opens his computer repair shop, Larry spends three hours checking for solar flare updates, looks on You Tube for new conspiracy theory videos and catches up with preppers from across the world"

Clearly business is far from booming in the computer repairs world! Interestingly we also gain an insight into how Larry Peters reached the views he has - from reading a web posting on solar flares by US conspiracist Jessie Ventura. Then

"I watched his documentary and conducted my own research online"

And that sums up so much. No need to read a book, journal or speak to an expert in the field of solar flares, we can all do it ourselves on line. We are all experts. They only problem is, a lot of people aren't.

 

2012 and The Maya Calendar - Do Not Despair

As lovers of all things conspiratorial and apocalyptic should be aware, 2012 may be the biggie.

Certain interpretations of the Mayan calendar appear to suggest there is no ‘time’ after 21 December 2012. Good news if you have a bank loan you don’t want to pay back, or you want to wriggle out of buying lots of Christmas presents, bad news if you rather like life and want to make the most of it in 2013.  So, in excitement not known since the millennium bug failed to interfere with the working of one single computer, this is the year the Mayan calendar allegedly predicts will be our last. For those looking to battle through the various conspiracy theories, scam artists and genuine believers of this, I recommend the March 2012 issue of Fortean Times, which devotes its front cover and no less than 14 pages to doomsday 2012.

Former BBC Religious Affairs correspondent Ted Harrison gives us a good summary of how the Maya calculation was apparently reached, whilst also looking at some of the other attempts made to predict the end of the world. Special mention here must go to US evangelist Harold Camping who made a fool of himself not once but twice in 2011 by predicting the end of the world. Rather unsatisfactorily Harrison tells us Camping’s supporters have made a further prediction for 2012, but then ruins things by not telling us the date they have suggested. What a tease! For the record, it seems on-line sources are placing this third date as 21 October 2012. Perhaps Camping and his supporters are work on the old 'bullseye' approach - throw enough darts, and you will hit the bullseye eventually!

Joseph Gelfer takes a more political stance by considering the manner in which 2012 prophecies may hijack elements from indigenous cultures in a way new age activists have been doing for some time (often at considerable financial benefit to themselves) Jose Arguelles and his ‘Dreamspell Calendar' and Drunvalo Melchizedek’s use of Maori culture are both critiqued. Much to my delight John W Hoopes “The Hidden History of 2012” suggests that the big day may not be 21 December at all but the 23^rd, before he takes us through some of the variations 2012 theorists have adopted. It is worth quoting one sentence from his article in full:

“2012 has become a vehicle for new mythologies, from the liberation of information to the Occupy movement. There are serious problems in the world, from global warming to revolution, but the idea that the ancient Maya prophesised change in our time is ludicrous.”

Kevin Whitesides is possibly being a tad wordy when he takes on Terence McKenna’s concept of a “balkanisation of epistemology” taking place,  but he is probably on the right lines. We increasingly have a world where ‘experts’ attempt to use their theories to prove virtually anything – and in the process prove nothing. This tactic can even be adapted to  suggest the exact opposite of a particular discourse – Whiteside’s article is illustrated by an apocalyptic drawing marked “The Beginning Is Near”. Ever the salesman David Icke has talked of 2012 as not the end of the world, but the beginning…… (provided of course you adopt his approach to life!

For some reason placed many pages back in the magazine, Richard Stanley relates how the small French village of Bugarach, lying below Mount Bugarach, is the reluctant home to scores of new age visitors who believe the mountain is a UFO base. Fortean Times illustrates this article with a picture of a new age group meeting in the shadow of the mountain, with most the delegates dressed in white – how long until our very own David Shayler pops up in south west France?
Jokers like Shayler aside, there can be a serious angle to such developments. As the end of 1999 approached, Israeli police in particular were on edge concerning US Christians entering the holy land who it was feared may be involved in either mass suicides or acts of terrorism. A French civil servant from its anti-cult body, one Georges Fenech, is reportedly prepared to take preventative measures should similar issues arise in Bugarach in the run up to 21 December 2012.

The Winter Solstice has rarely been as exciting – or as profitable. Whether it is actually dangerous or not is another matter entirely.

 

Teaching About Terrorism and 'Conspiracy' Theory

I have just completed a one hour lecture on Terrorism and Conspiracy Theory, and followed it up with three seminars to undergraduates on the same subject.

The main things I wanted to get across to students were the historical scale of conspiracy theories, that they can be accelerated by secrecy, government dishonesty and incompetence and that the Internet has allowed them to go in a thousand and one different directions. I then focused on the 9/11 Truth Movement, looking at some of its core beliefs, MIHOP (that the US government made the attacks happen on purpose) and LIHOP (let it happen on purpose) and the uses that are made of the following quote from the neo-Cons Project For A New American Century:

"Further, the process of transformation, even if it brings revolutionary change, is likely to be a long one, absent some catastrophic and catalyzing event – like a new Pearl Harbour" (2000, 51).

This of course 'proves' that the Bush administration either allowed 9/11 to happen or arranged it! I also covered some issues around race, religion and conspiracy theory, and that whilst black American groups such as the Nation of Islam may be paranoid, that has not always meant that in the past that no one was out to 'get' black Americans!

In the closing part of the lecture I covered some of the responses to 'truth' activism - the papers of groups such as Demos, writers like Jon Ronson, David Aaronovitch and Damian Thompson, and the belated responses by the US government. Concluding comments centred on whether there is a 'template' of conspiracist ideals - core elements that can be found in all arguments, and whether we can see in this, glimpses of future conspiracy theories. Most of all I hope students took away the impression that the Internet, as well as being a tool for good, can also retard debate. Look around some workplaces at lunch or break times, and instead of talking to workmates, many people are sat there playing with their I-Phones and Blackberrys. What happens when most people, get most of their news, most of time, from the Internet?

In the seminars, I asked students to consider two things. What  questions did they have outstanding with regards to 9/11, and to what extent should opinion formers, polticians and government seek to respond to 'truth' theories. To stimulate some debate I distributed photocopies of an A5 'truth' leaflet from 2006 "It's 5 Years Since the Attacks on 9/11" - this largely focused on the argument controlled demolition brought down WTC 1, 2 and 7, plus provided suggestions witnesses heard explosions before the towers came down.

Some of the 'celebrity' supporters of 9/11 truth that were listed - Charlie Sheen and David Shayler - had not stood the test of time very well, all three groups roared with laughter at the mention of Mr Sheen. Answers on the first question were few and far between (most student's were clearly sheeple, as they seemed to broadly agree Bin Laden did it) whilst the second brought more mixed answers.
The difficulty of 'responding' to truth arguments was stressed, as was the lack of any named sources for the 'scientific' evidence presented. On one level I was left feeling slightly more optimistic than I had expected to be - students appear to want to discuss evidence and to see named sources for claims that are made - freeze framed pictures of 'premature' explosions did not seem to impress them.

This may be a protest generation. But on this evidence at least, it is unlikely to go up the blind alley of 'truth' activism.

Jon Ronson At Uncon 2011

I spent this morning at the annual Fortean Times covention - Uncon 2011, held at the Camden Centre in London.

The last time I was at the Camden Centre was in the days the London Anarchist Bookfair was held there. I have to say that event probably rather spoiled me - Uncon has considerably less going on, and at £32.35 including booking fee for a one day ticket, the pricing structure is also somewhat different. Todays session had a room with a coffee bar and six stalls, and then in the main arena six one hour talks on the big stage. Of these the only one that really floated my boat was Jon Ronson, discussing his book The Psychopath Test.

I have apparently met Ronson before (he wrote a sarcastic report for Time Out on a Class War public meeting in Brixton in 1993) but was pleasantly surprised by just how funny he was and how capably he dealt with a thirty minute Q&A session. Ronson's talk took in the Scientologists, a Broadmoor inmate who says he faked mental illness to avoid a long prison sentence, and his experience meeting some of the leading figures in mental health such as Robert Hare. Ronson attended Hare's classes so as to be able to use his psychopath checklist. From Hare, Ronson took the idea that many corporate CEO's display psychopathic tendencies, and indeed that these ideals are actually a boon for business careers. A lack of empathy, remorselessness and a superficial charm are benefits in corporate life. Hare estimates that whilst only 1 person in 100 is a psychopath, 4 in 100 CEOs are. More recently both George Monbiot and Horizon have adapted these arguments.

Before we all rush to work and ask our boss if he minds sitting through the PCL-R test before his first meeting of the morning, Ronson did offer a clear warning of the dangers of untrained amateurs rushing about in the this field, plus secondly the obvious problems with labelling people. Throwing the floor open for questions, this point was again re-emphasised, with Ronson arguing he hopes the first half of the book may allow the reader to become power crazed, the second half to realise the error of their ways.

Ronson expressed relief that his work on conspiracy theorists was conducted before 9/11. He takes the view that he was the first person outside of the 'conspiratorial left or right' to look at the Bilderberg meetings, and that these events now get serious press coverage. Ronson was scathing about the 9/11 'truth' movement, arguing its humourless nature meant it was impossible to empathise with them (and presumeably to make good television out of them!)

Those expecting Jon Ronson to use his platform to criticise the pharmaceutical industry, or the health industry may have been disappointed. His position here is, he insists, evidence based. The only trend he is aware of that lacks any evidence for it is childhood bi-polar disorder. Here children 2-3 years old are being labelled as bi-polar because of what are in effect temper tantrums - with the pharmaceutical lobby and pushy parents happy to revel in 'treatments' for this condition.

More generally in the questions Ronson praised The Guardian for its high moral stance, something that suggests he is unaware of the more critical literature about The Guardian/Observer to emerge in recent years, or the treatment of certain Guardian journalists such as Michael Gillard and Laurie Flynn. He ended by pointing out pyschopathic tendencies are ideal for some of the business practices that have proved so damaging to the economy in recent years - the sub-prime market and asset stripping need a short term, get rich quick and never mind the consequences mentality. The long term businessman behaves in exactly the opposite way.

Uncon 2011 continues today and tomorrow. If the prices are held, or come down, I may well attend next year, but the organisers should throw the event open to Fortean Times subscribers a lot more. Until they do, Uncon won't achieve what it could.

Fortean Times - Uncon 2011

This weekend, I will be one of many punters attending the 2011 Fortean Times gathering in central London.

Held on Saturday and Sunday, with tickets at £30 a pop (plus booking fee) I can only afford to go to Uncon 2011 on the Saturday, which does have Jon Ronson speaking at 1000 on the Psycopath Test. No I have not tried it yet.

If you are a reader of 9/11 Cultwatch or Notes From the Borderland and you see me wondering about - do stop me and say hello.

Occupied With Conspiracy Theories?

Spencer Sunshine has written an interesting summary of the occupy movement and some of the less savoury characters which have appeared in its slipstream.

Focusing on events in the United States, and placing them in an historical context, occupied with conspiracy theories appears courtesy of the ever informative Shift magazine.

Joanna Yeates: The Conspiracy Theorists Were Wrong Again

The conviction today of Vincent Tabak for the murder of his neighbour, Joanna Yeates, brings to some closure a very sorry affair.

Back at Christmas 2010, when Ms Yeates went missing, one of the leading 9/11 truth activists, Tony Gosling, found he had the UK's biggest news story on his doorstep. He reacted by posting on the Internet a series of ever more lurid explanations for her murder. These included speculations about black magic, the involvement of freemasons, the full moon, corrupt police officers, and links to unsolved killings in the area.

Whilst Gosling and his associates were ensuring the Internet was full of mindless rubbish, the tabloids took on a similar role with regards to the newspaper industry. Here speculation was almost as wild, but considerably more cruel, focusing on Ms Yeates entirely innocent landlord, Chris Jeffries. He has since received substantial compensation for his treatment at the hands of the press.

Tony Gosling, for all his radical pretensions, is no better than The Sun, Daily Express or The Scotsman, waffling idly about matters he knows nothing about, for his own titillation, profit and influence. Instead of selling newspapers and impressing advertisers, Gosling hoped to find evidence for his own curious theories, and improve his standing in the 'alternative' media. It is to be hoped that his corner of the Internet is so obscure, that those who held Joanna Yeates dear did not come across any of this nonsense.

One final point to close on: If Mr Gosling is so wrong on this case, why should anyone listen to him when he is pontificating about 9/11, 7/7 or the Bilderberg's?

CIA's Fake Immunisation Programme: A Victory For Conspiracy Theorists

Recent reports suggest that the CIA set up a fake immunisation programme in Pakistan, in order to get the DNA of Bin Laden family members from his Abbottabad compound.

Of all the CIA's actions in Pakistan, this may prove to be the most stupid, and in terms of its effect on Pakistanis, the most damaging. Pakistan's many Islamists have frequently attempted to convince people that immunisation programmes against polio are in fact American plots to sterilise expanding Muslim populations. Similar campaigns have been found in Afghanistan and Muslim areas of Nigeria. The work of those striving to undermine such attitudes has been undermined, perhaps for a generation, by this ill-considered approach.

In the West it is now fashionable, in liberal circles, to rediscover the past contribution of Arabs to science and medicine. This is often, although not always, cast as demonstrating evidence of the advanced nature of Islam at a time of Western stagnation. Such commentators however are less comfortable with discussing contemporary reality, where certain Islamists are attempting to re-position knowledge in a manner which will be familiar to anyone who has dipped into the debate surrounding creationism in American eduction. With Saudi money on their side, opposing voices face a struggle to be heard.
Here, all knowledge originally comes from the Qu'ran - what need is there for medical or scientific developments from outside the Muslim world? Indeed as such trends are outside of Islam, how can they not be an attempt to damage Islam, and Muslims?

Whatever the CIA gained by getting a sample of DNA in Abbottabad, they have boosted the type of attitudes set out above. And that could lead to many more deaths, and much more suffering, than Bin Laden himself could have dreamed of.

Tony Gosling: Definitely, Maybe

A court hearing has today set a provisional trial date of October 4, for Vincent Tabak, who is accused of murdering the Bristol architect, Joanna Yeates.

The disappearence of Ms Yeates was the dominant news story in the UK last Christmas. It also proved to be, rather sadly given the circumstances, another example of how conspiracy theorists can always find something to focus their 'expertise' on, even in a story that ostensibly has nothing of interest to the likes of 9/11 truth seekers.

Bristol's Tony Gosling, for example, was unable to contain himself when he had the hottest news story of the holiday season on his doorstep. The solution to this 'whodunnit' had of course, to be a conspiracy, this time involving Satanists and Freemasons. Robin Ramsay's Konspiracy Korner in the May issue of Fortean Times relays this Gosling classic, although Ramsay incorrectly sources it to The People's United Community forum. Instead it was the 9/11 Truth Forum Gosling edits where the great Bristol 'journalist' wrote:

If Joanna died on the night of (correction Tuesday 21st *) December it may have been a ritual killing. That night was the nearest full moon to the winter solstice and arguably the big satanic night of the year.
There is strong evidence that occultists believe the taking of life to be necessary at their black masses and that the most valuable life to take would be that of an innocent woman or man. In their sick minds, preferably someone of faith.

The use of may here, as Robin Ramsay points out, tells us nothing. Except of course, that those with the conspriracy mindset see the world very differently, and make connections in a manner most do not.

No doubt by the time of Karnak's trial, Gosling and his small band of followers will have moved on to another issue, and will be constructing further 'maybe's'. If so, it is important those of us with slightly longer memories do attempt to mitigate the influence of such characters. After all, if they can cut so loose and free on an issue such as this, why should anyone listen to them when they discuss substantial political issues such as 9/11 or the Bilderberg conferences?

For All The 'Birthers' Out There

This is the link to Barack Obama's birth certificate, which has today been published on the White House website.

Now that's over, is it possible you can either:

A. Shut up
B. Criticise the guy from his politics, not his race?

 

Nexus, The Chinese and Little Green Men

From the editorial in the Feb-March 2011 issue of Nexus:

"Meanwhile, rumours are on the rise that the Chinese have entered into a relationship with an alien race and that this involves game-changing technology. One thing that's not clear is whether this means conquest or cooperation by and with China. I also hope to have more information about this next time. The signs are there for all to see that the geopolitical landscape has changed dramatically, with China emerging on top. Many insiders say that war with China is coming soon, but is likely to be piggybacked on a major Earth-changing event."

It is noticeable that Nexus editor Duncan M Roads gives us no source for these 'rumours', nor any indication of who the 'insiders' are predicting war. Encouragingly - or perhaps not - he hopes to have more next time.
Astonishingly Nexus is now available nationally at WH Smiths, and I have even spotted it in small local newsagents in Manchester and Norwich. This appears to be the result of the efforts of its distributor, Seymour, based in Smithfield Market in London. When I tried to interest Seymour in taking parapolitical magazine Notes From the Borderland, I never even got a reply. It is a common lament of 'conspiracy' currents that they do not get a hearing, and that the 'mainstream' works to keep them out. In this instance at least, the opposite seems to be the case.

Freemen? Or Berks In Birkenhead? The British Constitution Group

Amongst the political currents to emerge over the past decade, the 9/11 truth movement is not alone in taking a conspiracist approach to politics.

On 8th March several hundred supporters of Roger Hayes of the British Constitution Group (BCG)demonstrated at Birkenhead County Court. Mr Hayes was facing bankruptcy proceedings for non-payment of council tax. In the ensuing disturbances an attempt was made to arrest the judge considering the case, and several arrests were actually made in clashes with the police and court security guards. These included the North West organiser of the fascist British National Party.

Hayes argument is that he is exempt from council tax (and indeed that we all are) as no contract exists between him and the council. This is accompanied by a rather lengthy critique that the UK constitution has been usurped and that we need to return to the Magna Carta. Until we do, all rebellion in the UK is lawful. Similar arguments have appeared before - go back 15 years and they were to be found, in an American context, in the rhetoric of the US militia groups, and bodies such as the Posse Comitatus. More recently the Britain and Ireland 9/11 Truth Campaign officially dissolved, in part to promote the Make Wars History group, who argue all war has been illegal since the Kellog-Briand pact of 1928. Sadly Mr Hitler, and many subsequent politicians, appear to have disagreed. For all the effort that has been put into it, legal sophistry appears to butter few parsnips.

The 'freeman on the land' concept has been pushed for some time in right wing and conspirarcist circles, most notably in the US, on the David Icke forum and by the BCG over here. Blackpool's Exhbition of the Universe has long promoted the BCG's UK Column newspaper, which combines a virulent hatred of the EU and support for personal freedom with focus on a long term concern of certain conspiracists - 'Common Purpose'. Incidentally Blackpool is not the only place to have seen a crossover between 9/11 truth circles and the British Constitution Group - as this 2009 report from Leeds shows.

As for further reports on events in Birkenhead, here is Lancaster UAF, and this is how UK Column reports it. The BNP's North West organiser, Mike Whitby, has been jailed having been arrested at the court. The BNP's perspective on this is here.

Where Do Obama Conspiracy Theories Originate?

Thanks to the March 2011 issue of Fortean Times for this little gem:

"Ed Dames, a former member of the military remote viewing unit who is now a fixture on late-night panormal orientated talk radio, claimed recently, on the basis of his remote vieweing data, that President Obama was born in Kenya, not Hawaii; that the Antichrist - a male politician - is alive today; and that Israel will attack Iran by ....October 2009." 

Oh well - 0 out of 3 is not so bad.

The 9/11 Truthers Out-Gunning Al Qaeda

The Screw Loose Change bloggers have been doing their sums. 

They have added up the amount of gun attacks mounted by those influenced by 'truth' theories since 9/11, and compared them to successful Al Qaeda attacks in the United States.

The 'truthers' win hands down......... 

The Shooting of Gabrielle Giffords: Some Initial Comments

As well as noting the danger from the forces Sarah Palin has been stirring up in the United States, we also need to consider some of the broader political currents the alleged Tuscon gunman Jared Loughner may have been influenced by. 

Early indications are Ms Giffords shooter was concerned with currency issues, the loss of the gold standard, poor grammar and America having 'lost' its first constitution. Much of this is standard conspiracy theory belief, and the US has now seen several incidents where gunmen, seemingly influenced by on-line conspiracy theorists, have carried out attacks. Other reports have suggested the possibility of a fascist link, via the American Renaissance group. 

Spend 5 minutes on the David Icke forums today, and you will see the usual response to a terrorist attack of this type - it is an 'inside job', the attack has been carried out by Zionists, it all a put up job etc etc. Perhaps the sickest comments focus on the death of a 9 year old girl in the attack, Christina Taylor Green, - the fact she was born on the day of the September 11th attacks leads to the inference this whole incident has been staged. 

Leading 'Truth' activists such as David Icke and Alex Jones appear incapable of recognising the effects that their world views can have - particularly on damaged or isolated individuals. The view that all answers to virtually all political problems can be found on the Internet, and that society, rather than being a complex series of class and economic relations, is instead manipulated by a handful of hidden figures, is sadly getting stronger, not weaker.

Until these ideas are not only challenged but refuted, there is every indication that we will see more Jared Loughner's. And that can only end badly. 

 

The Vultures Are Circling............

Over at Sky News, Foreign Correspondent Tim Marshall brings us news of the disturbing use of vultures by Zionist Israel against peace loving Saudi Arabia. 

Worse, this is part of a series of similar crimes involving squirrels, pigeons and perhaps appropriately rats. As yet I am aware of no 'truth' theories concerning the use of animals on 9/11 - but there must be some, surely? 

9/11 Truth For The Obama Generation

This blog has covered before one of America's fastest growing 'truth' movements - the birthers. 

Put simply the birthers do not believe Barack Obama should be American President, claiming he is not eligible on the bizarre grounds that they do not believe he was born in the United States. The right wing nature of this movement is perhaps self-evident - oddly whenever America has had a white President no such movement has emerged.....

Such a pattern continues with US Army Doctor Lt Col Terrence Lakin. There are many grounds by which a soldier may decide to refuse service in Afghanistan - invading other nations is generally a questionable act, the government of Hamid Karzai is both corrupt and disreputable, and US soldiers have been involved in scores of unsavory incidents in the country. Lt Col Lakin has however found a novel reason not to travel to Afghanistan - that Barack Obama has no right to be Commander in Chief on the grounds he is not a natural born US citizen. 

Just as the birthers usually fail to convince anyone outside of the rabid right, so Lt Col Lakin failed to impress his court martial - he now faces a military prison and dismissal from the US Army. Here he is in action on You Tube:

 

Sadly we have probably not heard the last of Terrence Lakin. 

Larouche Death Case Remains Open

One of the first 9/11 truthers was the long term US right winger Lyndon Larouche, and amongst the most prominent of truth 'heavyweights' has been a former follower of Larouche, Webster Griffin Tarpley. 

One case you won't find too many 'truth' activists digging into is the 2003 death of a young Londoner from Golders Green, Jeremiah Duggan, who was killed in extremely suspicious circumstances following his attendance at a Larouche event in Germany. The current Jewish Chronicle covers, both in an article and an editorial, the inability of both German and UK police to make progress on this case. 

We await similar coverage from Larouche and WGT disciples in the UK and Germany..........

In the meantime, the Justice for Jeremiah website can be viewed here. 

Royal Wedding Dirty Tricks

Despite 9/11 Cultwatch's impeccable Republican credentials, we were delighted to see the date set for the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton - Friday 29th April 2011. 

By a strange stroke of coincidence - or not - that date is David Icke's birthday. What is going on here? A deliberate provocation by the shape shifting royals, mocking their greatest opponent? Mr Icke - the gauntlet is in your corner - pick it up!

Have Truth Activists Been Defeated In The Anarchist Movement?

Touring the stalls at the Anarchist Bookfair in London on Saturday, several thoughts emerged. 

Firstly, that for all its faults, the Anarchist movement remains vibrant, and in far ruder health than the last century left. As new struggles and debates emerge during the Con-Dem years, Anarchist ideas and agitation will present an alternative, both here and abroad. 

For nearly a decade now this blog, Notes from the Borderland magazine and a small group of supporters, has worked to reduce, and where possible eliminate the influence and presence of 9/11 and 7/7 'truth' activists in progressive politics. Conspiracy theory weakens the alternatives we are trying to build to the existing system, and worse encourages a world view based not around the reality of the domination of the class system, corporations, political elites or global capital, but instead a world view that is irrational, illogical and all too often racist. 

The anti-war, Green and Anarchist movements have all been targeted by truth activists in the UK in recent years. Walking around the Anarchist Bookfair on Saturday the scale of their defeat, in the Anarchist movement at least, became apparent. There ideas have no resonance, no presence and no influence. 

This blog is proud to have played a small part in bringing that about. Thank you to everyone who has helped us, especially our informants in both the 9/11 and 7/7 'truth' movements. Don't you just love it when a plan comes together? 

Conspiracy As Distractor

This week I have been reading Imtiaz Gul's excellent "The Most Dangerous Place: Pakistan's Lawless Frontier".

Gul has this to say about those In Pakistan who believe in an Indo-Israeli-American conspiracy against all Muslim countries:

"This conspiracy theory appeals to millions of disgruntled Pakistanis, those who buy into what the ruling elite - politicians, landlords, generals and industrialists - tell them to deflect their attention from pressing issues of governance, corruption and service delivery, conveniently passing the buck and blaming external factors for the miseries of Pakistan. Scapegoatism has a long history in Pakistan and sadly fits into an insensitive ruling elite's scheme of things"

Imtiaz Gul "The Most Dangerous Place: Pakistan's Lawless Frontier". (London: Penguin, 2010) p.174.

More Pictures From The Exhibition of the Universe

I have added a few more snapshots of the unintentionally hilarious Exhibition of the Universe/Alien Base on Blackpool's Golden Mile. 

If you have not already checked out the photographs, you can do so here. 

No Surrender To The Shape Shifting Reptiles!

Once the Shankhill Road in Belfast was known as the heartland of working class Ulster Unionism, Protestantism and everything that put a very large no, into No Surrender!

What are we to make then of the news that on Saturday 25th September the Spectrum Centre on the Shankhill plays host to 'Belfast Wake Up Call'. This is a whole day of 9/11 'truth' activism, 2012 prophesies, analysis of state mind control and exposure of 'global elite paedophilia'. With speakers including Jim Corr and music from Gareth Icke (yes the son of the turquoise one) this promises to be something different from the narrow minded, right wing, conspiracy based view of the world that so often used to pass for politics on the Shankhill? 

Welcome to the politics of change. 

But what of the balance and cross border initiatives that we have come to expect in the new Northern Ireland?  

I am pleased to announce that next week Belfast Wake Up Call will relocate to the Falls Road, with the following speakers booked: 

Annie Machon "The Need for a Modernised and Fit For Purpose MI5"
David Shayler "Were The Jews behind The Northern Ireland Troubles?"
Chris Bovey alias Dr Hemp "Why Republicans have nothing to fear from drugs in their communities"
Reinvestigate 9/11 (Speaker tbc) "The Path To Truth: Lobbying MP's at Westminster" 

All talks will be simultaneously translated into Gaelic, with Ulster-Scots also available upon written request. 

 

Richard Dawkins Goes Into Battle

Turn to More 4 at 9pm this evening, for the ever combative Richard Dawkins examining The Enemies of Reason. 

I have not seen anything more than the reviews of this, but Dawkins apparently gets his teeth stuck into alternative therapies on the NHS, online conspiracy theories and psychic forecasting. 

A Letter To Fortean Times Discussing Alternative View 4

The September 2010 issue of Fortean Times has a real hagiography of AV4 by Nick Cirkovic.

You can read his rather generous take on events here. Lets see if Fortean Times print my reply, which features below:

Dear FT

 

I fear that the rarified atmosphere at AV4 may have gone to the head of your correspondent, Nick Cirkovic (Alternative View 4, FT266:38-9)

 

Cirkovic is at least correct when he stresses the importance of the mission statement of AV4 "To advance awareness and facilitate discussion of Political, Scientific and Spiritual alternatives without constraint by Consensus Reality and/or Received Wisdom". That really is this alternative view approach in a nutshell - anything that can be styled as 'different' or 'against' is promoted, with no concept of direction or quality control whatsoever. If received wisdom was that there is no such thing as climate change, Ian R Crane's 'community' would be filling the conference with speakers articulating the scientific evidence of that very change!

 

Secondly it is worth stressing the astonishing cost of this 'alternative view'. £60 to access the 'market' and lecturers on the Saturday, whilst if you simply wished to listen to Daniel Estulin's already well known take on the Bilderbergers, the cost was a whopping £15. Some 'alternative' - especially during the worst recession for a generation! Clearly ageing celebrities such as David Bellamy and Johnny Ball don't come cheap. Most laughable of all Cirkovic compares attendees at AV4 to those attending a G8 or G20 protest. Has he ever been near such an action? If so he clearly failed to notice that those organising such protests (in London and elsewhere) would never dream of charging anyone - never mind asking them for as much as 60 pounds!

 

The sad thing about what master of ceremonies Andy Thomas touches upon as 'the conspiracy view' is that it offers little or no real challenge to the status quo. The damage done to our communities is all too often done face on, by bankers, politicians and business people living and working amongst us, not behind closed doors at Bilderberg meetings.  Sadly, as the pricing structure, obsession with technology, celebrity and big names at AV4 illustrates, such 'alternatives' all too readily mirror the very world that we are supposed to be critiquing. The revolution will not be televised - but I can't help feeling that under this alternative, it may soon be on pay per view.

 

We can, and will have to, do better.

 

Paul Stott

9/11 Cultwatch

http://paulstott.typepad.com/911cultwatch/

A Depressing Read

The extent to which 9/11 'truth' theories have infested discourse on Jihadist terrorism becomes ever more apparent. 

Consider the responses to this article (from Monday's Independent) on the Taiba mosque in Germany, attended by many of the 9/11 hi-jackers before they moved to Germany. Just take a read at the comments below the piece - a depressing combination of bigotry, paranoia and conspiracy theory, with the odd Islamist ostrich also taking part. 

Such currents reinforce the need for this blog, and others like it. 

What Are You Scared of Webster?

American truther Webster Griffin Tarpley has carved himself a profitable little niche on Russia Today, where he is a regular talking head. 

Whilst keen to have a platform there, visitors to Webster's website will find that once he has given us one of his pearls of wisdom, he tends to pull up his drawbridge - all comments are closed. 

What are you scared of Webster? 

Gary McKinnon: Some Good News?

It is encouraging to hear that David Cameron has raised the issue of Gary McKinnon's extradition with President Obama. 

McKinnon may well be a rather damaged individual, a conspiracy theorist with odd beliefs on 9/11, UFO's and extra terrestrials. That is up to him. He certainly does not deserve to face the rough end of American justice. He should be allowed to stay in the UK.