“Remember, remember the 5th November. Gunpowder,
treason and plot”
Okay, it’s not the most original way to start a piece of
writing, but I do like its ominous-sounding dramatic emphasis. The day the
British changed a part of the Halloween celebration to celebrate the downfall
of a Catholic terrorist attack against a Protestant King and his establishment
has long since lost most of its significance. The oldest living generations in
Britain have lived under the shadow of terrorism for a long time now. Many of
us were alive when there was another attempt to blow up the head of our
country. More of us were alive when various far larger scale terrorist attacks
occurred, which rocked the global community in so many ways as to define post
2001 cultural ideas. This has led us to look at the broader view of terrorism
and its many complexities. History also tells us that although the Catholics in
question were fanatical, James I and his regime were far from a magnanimous example
of religious tolerance.
According to comedian Robin Williams, "If you remember the '60s, you weren't there". However, it seems that the majority of people who were old enough to remember can tell you where they were when the news came in that John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the current president of the USA, had been shot in Dallas, Texas. Whether or not this fact is always true is just one of the controversial points that is now part of the JFK legacy. This incident seems to have crystallized the dark cynical twist that much of the '60s optimism brought. Heroes of the civil rights movement, Martin Luther King and JFK's brother, Robert, would both also meet their ends by the bullet of lone lunatics. The appearance of more freedom for a youth that had seen their parents fight a bloody war would find themselves being conscripted into a 10 year war that would end in defeat. The '68 Summer of Love and the peaceful hippy movement that drove it would yield an ugly child in the form of the Manson Murders. The Beatles' psychedelic melodies were somehow checked by the dark foreboding of The Doors. However, like a prophesy of what was to come - the dream and the apparent destruction of that dream.
Pseudoscience, conspiracy theories and superstition hits the general public at many different levels. However, despite a growing amount of excellent books used to argue the case for rationalism, logic and freethinking, they are easily outnumbered in the populist section of any bookstore or newsagent. So although the Michael Shermers, James Randis and David Aaronovitches of this world might be just about holding their own with middlebrow readerships and above, it is unlikely that your average reader of “Nuts” or “Heat” is going to be interested in their work. Even “Counterknowledge” by Damien Thompson and “How Mumbo Jumbo Conquered the World” by Francis Wheen seems more like short intellectual distraction than books intended for a typical undemanding readership. It is here where Richard Roeper truly triumphs with “Debunked”.
Can a person remain happy and be productive through an examination of his pet peeves? I think so. By identifying annoyances that find you all-too-often you can find a type of release in writing down your reasons for becoming irritated. It also prompts a bit of meditation on how to deal with said annoyances and, most importantly, move on. In fact, I have actually put forward some advice I have found was useful to me in dealing with them. Below is a list of the “little” things that tend to get on my wick from day to day. It’s been an enjoyable exercise for me. Don't worry if you disagree with me. Many of these annoyances are readily brought on by many people who are quite close to me, including several family members. If anything upsets you, too bad. However, as a consolation I have just provided you with a few buttons that, when pressed, will surely get my gander up. I hope you will find it interesting or even mildly amusing.
Voodoo Histories is a long overdue scholarly yet entertaining rational study on the history of the 20th and 21st century's rising interest in conspiracy theory. He looks at its uses in propaganda and its emergence as pop history phenomenon. A common myth among conspiricists is that conspiracy theories are often anti-right wing, but as David Aaronovitch points out, they have no political preference. There have been very popular left and right wing conspiracy theories propagated over time.
Beginning with the fictional Protocols of the Elders of Zion, Aaronovitch shows how a proven piece of 19th century anti-Semitic propaganda, undeniably plagiarized from a French satire on Napoleon III, wove its way into global consciousness. It was endorsed by people such as Henry Ford, then used by Adolph Hitler and finally found its way into the 9/11 conspiracy theories and the Middle East. Even when it was satisfactorily debunked a type of post-modernist argument began that its authenticity was irrelevant, what it revealed was the reality of today. This time of irrational disregard for evidence and truth became closely associated with many conspiracy theories that followed. As real government-level conspiracies were revealed with the Freedom of Information Act, matters only got worse as paranoia and mistrust grew. For example, the discovery that a suggestion was made to the US government by their agents to hijack and crash planes in order to blame the Cubans and justify a war gathered little press before 21st century, despite being in the public domain and commented on in various media. After 9/11, of course, it became a type of proof that this is what had actually happened with the TwinTowers.
After the Protocols there was Stalin’s use of conspiracy theory to back up the infamous show trials that saw the extermination of his last rival for power in Soviet Russia. Aaronovitch carefully argues the model of paranoia found in totalitarian despots like Stalin and his Chinese counterpart Mao or Cambodian one, Pol Pot, would be replicated by many individuals who bought into conspiracy theory then and buy into it today.
Next there was the persistent belief that PearlHarbour was not a surprise attack at all, but yet another set-up by Roosevelt to wage the war he was arguing for prior to the event. The ‘50s saw matters go back to right wing conspiracy theories with Senator McCarthy’s anti-communist witch hunts whilst pop interest grew around the death of Marilyn Monroe. It was back to the left during the liberal ‘60s with the JFK assassination and the moon landings. Nixon’s very real conspiracy really fired paranoia up in the 1970s and the cult of interest grew to ridiculous proportions taking us through the next three decades with the growth of a whole pseudohistory business, which was best illustrated by the huge success of Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code” and the “factual” book that inspired it. Interestingly “The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail”, The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, can also be easily traced back to a single hoax.
Aaronovitch is a thorough author who has far from a pro-establishment background and acknowledges its equally destructive other extreme, contingency theory. His work here not shows us that although often thought as fun as other forms of urban legend, there are real dangers in unfounded conspiracy theory. This danger is indicated in the growing trust in unsupported claims and ideas by many people in the media eye, including prominent politicians. He nicely defines what is meant by a conspiracy theory, as a type of reverse Occam’s Razor. Rather than opting for the solution that requires the least number of assumptions, the conspiricist goes for the solution that has the least amount of probability and requires faith over evidence.
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Geoff Thompson has a theory regarding laws of attraction. He says that we should always be aware of our circle of influence i.e. millionaires hang out with millionaires. My concern is that somehow I have attracted conspiricists. By publically showing my general sceptical approach and love of history, I have somehow given off the wrong signal. Within the past two weeks I have had a martial arts instructor trying to get me to watch Zeitgeist: The Movie (from reading the synopsis it sounds like the Da Vinci Code on steroids sold as fact with a bit of 9/11 paranoia thrown in as well), a relation of mine preaching the “cancer is literally a fungus, all scientists who say otherwise are being paid to cover it up” plus “oil companies are killing people who have figured out how to make cars more efficient” and another New World Order believer (I really thought I’d heard the last of them when they said the driver killed Kennedy!) The strange thing is these people are not talking to me in response to my scepticism of con-theos they are doing because they think I will be sympathetic to their cause! There is clearly something in my personality that seems to attract them. Strangely enough this used to happen with religious fundamentalists (there's a thought, are conspiricists the religious fundamentalists of secularism. Shermer said something about them exhibiting a similar psychology). Being a self protection coach who teaches the importance of promoting the right attitude that does not attract trouble, this does have a degree of concern. Perhaps I could develop a conspiracy theory of my own. I was programmed by the Illuminati to use ration, reason and my own instinctive questioning nature to assume the position of doubt when someone starts saying "This is all information suppressed by the powers that be and anyone who comes up with arguments doubting these minority claims are clearly being paid". I have to re-learn that obscure medical claims do not need to be peer-tested and double blind tested in order to prove they have some credibility. I have to learn that any alternative history viewpoint is the equal or superior of any established historical facts, and not ask for indepedent convergeant data. The truth is I am probably getting paranoid about con-theos... but I don't care because they are all out to get me and all evidence to the contrary is provided by people paid suppress this information!
The following are three articles I posted on my main blog. They very well-suited here. My intention initially was to interview a respected friend and historian, Dr Heather Vallance regarding reasoned historical research versus the pulp non-fictionconspiracy theory type that litter our airports and clutter many a dinner/pub conversation. I then wrote up some follow up information regarding the psychology of the conspiracist and the alarming popularity of pseudo-history.
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