Re: [CTRL] When Conspiracy Theories Induce Paralysis
-Caveat Lector- Conspiracies occur every day in every place. A conspiracy is merely two or more people working towards a common goal. Where it crosses the line from a merely a joint effort to a 'conspiracy' - entails an effort to achieve (supposedly) nefarious or illegal ends. The US govt is the worlds greatest conspiracy theorist. Thousands of US citizens are accused by the govt every year of committing 'conspiracies' - whether it be selling drugs (i.e. govt unapproved substances), not paying taxes, or the latest - "terrorism." When govt officials engage in 'conspiracy' - it generally involves secret election campaign strategies, secretive 'NationalSecurity' effortsfor 'black' operations, or behind-the-scenes efforts to enrich corporate political sponsors by manipulating governmental policy. Those thatclaim there are no conspiracies - or that important events never come about through 'conspiracies' - are just plain foolish or victims of semantic manipulation. When citizens work together to expose establishment behind the scenes manipulation of governmental power to furthersecret goals - this becomes a threat to the power structure. The reason the goals aresecret is simply that the goals areunpopular and expose the conspirators to political orlegaldamage. Using the establishment's pervasive influence over the corporate media (and their journalist minions) those who attempt to expose such secretive manipulations are quickly branded 'conspiracy theorists.' I found it fascinating thatBEFORE the public release of Stone's JFK - dozens of high profile establishment columnists, 'pundits' and other corporate shills began attacking Stone -calling Stone a'conspiracy theorist' and a danger to the public.Why such an orchestrated effort to attack whatwas merely Hollywood entertainment? The 'facts' revealed in the movie were unimportant. What was apparently disturbing was a mass market popular entertainmentsuggestingthosein controlmight actually have secret agendasto manipulate events. 'Conspiracy Theorist' - a very useful label to instantly destroy the credibility of those who attempt to expose establishment manipulations. flw www.ctrl.org DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substanceânot soap-boxingâplease! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'âwith its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright fraudsâis used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://www.mail-archive.com/ctrl@listserv.aol.com/ A HREF=""ctrl/A To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
Re: [CTRL] When Conspiracy Theories Induce Paralysis
-Caveat Lector- conspiracy- a secret agreement to do an unlawful or wrongful acttheory- the analysis of a set of facts in their relation to one anothersIt's time that we stand up and take pride in being conspiracy theorists!www.ConspiracyTheoristClothing.comOn Aug 5, 2006, at 4:48 AM, flw2 wrote:-Caveat Lector-Conspiracies occur every day in every place. A conspiracy is merely two or more people working towards a common goal. Where it crosses the line from a merely a joint effort to a 'conspiracy' - entails an effort to achieve (supposedly) nefarious or illegal ends. The US govt is the worlds greatest conspiracy theorist. Thousands of US citizens are accused by the govt every year of committing 'conspiracies' - whether it be selling drugs (i.e. govt unapproved substances), not paying taxes, or the latest - "terrorism." When govt officials engage in 'conspiracy' - it generally involves secret election campaign strategies, secretive 'National Security' efforts for 'black' operations, or behind-the-scenes efforts to enrich corporate political sponsors by manipulating governmental policy. Those that claim there are no conspiracies - or that important events never come about through 'conspiracies' - are just plain foolish or victims of semantic manipulation. When citizens work together to expose establishment behind the scenes manipulation of governmental power to further secret goals - this becomes a threat to the power structure. The reason the goals are secret is simply that the goals are unpopular and expose the conspirators to political or legal damage. Using the establishment's pervasive influence over the corporate media (and their journalist minions) those who attempt to expose such secretive manipulations are quickly branded 'conspiracy theorists.' I found it fascinating that BEFORE the public release of Stone's JFK - dozens of high profile establishment columnists, 'pundits' and other corporate shills began attacking Stone - calling Stone a 'conspiracy theorist' and a danger to the public. Why such an orchestrated effort to attack what was merely Hollywood entertainment? The 'facts' revealed in the movie were unimportant. What was apparently disturbing was a mass market popular entertainment suggesting those in control might actually have secret agendas to manipulate events. 'Conspiracy Theorist' - a very useful label to instantly destroy the credibility of those who attempt to expose establishment manipulations.fl.ctrl.org DECLARATION DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply.Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at:http://www.mail-archive.com/ctrl@listserv.aol.com/ A HREF=""http://www.mail-archive.com/ctrl@listserv.aol.com/">http://www.mail-archive.com/ctrl@listserv.aol.com/"ctrl/A To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED]To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED]Omwww.ctrl.org DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://www.mail-archive.com/ctrl@listserv.aol.com/ A HREF=""ctrl/A To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] When Conspiracy Theories Induce Paralysis
-Caveat Lector- When Conspiracy Theories Induce Paralysis by Gary North The Christian Right has a problem that afflicts every activist movement: a proliferation of conspiracy theories and theorists. Some of them have better footnotes or videos than others. But they all risk self-destruction. My father-in-law, R. J. Rushdoony, warned me over 40 years ago about conspiracy theorists not actual conspiracy theories, some of which he accepted, but theorists. They see the affairs of mankind as one long story of one successful conspiracy. They attribute to the conspiracy what the Bible attributes to God: omniscience and omnipotence. The result is a form of emotional paralysis, a retreat into one's shell. People think they are up against near-supernatural power. He called these people gravediggers. He avoided them. Conspiracies are not a new phenomenon. The prophet Isaiah issued a warning regarding the interpreting the history of man as the work of conspirators. For Jehovah spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me not to walk in the way of this people, saying, Say ye not, A conspiracy, concerning all whereof this people shall say, A conspiracy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be in dread thereof. Jehovah of hosts, him shall ye sanctify; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread (Isaiah 8:1113, ASV). Rushdoony took this warning seriously. It was not that he believed that impersonal forces of history or impersonal anything else govern history. He was a cosmic personalist who saw the world in terms of rival beings: God vs. Satan. He would quote Psalm 2 in defense of this view. But he was careful always to present the issues of the past and the present in terms of multiple special-interest groups that operate in a world that is the product of competing religious worldviews. He wrote a 1965 essay on this issue, The Conspiracy View of History. He warned that it is a mistake to see any group as the group that operates behind the scenes. He said that the conspiracies at any given moment of history are many, and, the more crucial the issues, the more extensive the conspiracies. ( The Nature of the American System, 1965, p. 141.) There is another factor to consider. The commonly admitted conspiracies are those of the opposition (p. 143). This blinds historians and contemporary commentators to the fact of similar activities, with similar tactics, inside the camp of the saints. He saw the issue of conspiracies in terms of an illegitimate quest for power. The more a conspiracy is concerned with power in priority to a faith, the more unscrupulous will its activities and alliances become. It will join forces with anyone and sacrifice both friend and foe without any moral restraint in order to attain its goals (p. 147). This was an application of Chapter 10 of Hayek's Road to Serfdom, Why the Worst Get on Top. Rushdoony understood that central banking and fractional reserve banking are essentially conspiracies against the public (pp. 15052). Yet he warned against too great a concern with such matters. The fundamental issues of life are not the non-conspiratorial good guys vs. the conspiratorial bad guys. The fundamental issues are theological and moral. How shall we evaluate these things? It is possible, and many have done it, to begin naming the international money-lenders, some known and the others unknown, who are involved at the heart of these things, but this is an exercise in futility. Knowledge is important, but it is not knowledge which saves men, and the public announcement of all the relevant names would in no wise alter the situation in any basic respect. The issue is theological (p. 153). Rushdoony held to a revisionist view of the United States' entry into World War I and World War II. He understood the influence of central banking in political affairs. But he left to professional historians the detailed study of these events. As far as I can recall, he never in 35 years devoted an issue of his newsletter, Chalcedon Report, to a discussion of some alleged contemporary conspiracy and its machinations. He believed that such publishing efforts are essentially rabbit trails. They lead good people down dead end roads . . . or over steep cliffs. In the April 2, 1969, issue of the Chalcedon Report, Rushdoony framed the question of the importance of conspiracies as well as anyone ever has. The fundamental issue is not the political power of conspiracies; rather, it is the underlying faith of a society. The important question to ask is this: What makes a conspiracy work? Let us suppose that a number of us conspired together to turn the United States into a monarchy, and ourselves into its nobility; let us further suppose that we could command millions from our own to achieve this goal. Or, let us suppose that, with equal numbers and money we conspired to enforce Hindu vegetarianism on the country. In either case, we would have then, not a conspiracy, but a joke. A successful
