A really good example of this is tiktok. They banned it figuring that they'd buy it or everyone would go back to Meta. Neither happened because everyone flooded the Redbook app and went full on Chinese. They were met with delighted cordiality and more swarmed over... End result? US is desperately trying to back out of the tiktok ban and Trump says if they don't reverse the ban he'll issue a decree reinstating it as soon as he's sworn in. No power huh?
Similarly, many countries have banned many APPS and WEBSITES. This is - unfortunately - the NEW reality of geopolitics and rising tensions.
This is not unique to the United States - this phenomenon of BANNING/BLOCKING has gone global. The reason such behavior is egregious in the United States is because the US proclaims itself to be a "democracy" and extolls the virtues of "freedom" and "free press".
The US is neither a democracy, nor does it have adequate levels of "freedom" or a "free press" (as evidenced by all the suppression of pro-Palestine voices and people).
maybe that is a good sign. i personally banned most of the corporate social media apps for myself, but the banning-rage indicates tptb kinda worry (legit or not) about kinda unchecked connectivity.
Martin, "good sign"/"bad sign" is a subjective evaluation (often based on individual opinions) as there are too many factors at play and under consideration.
Banning ANY medium of communication is done for MULTIPLE reasons (and is too complex to simplify/reduce into good/bad explanations). (i.e. it will be good for some, bad for others).
Well, Silvana, as for TikTok,....... perhaps they also thought that with a population of 1.4 billion Chinese, should China react in a similar fashion to the empty-minded decision by the world's #1 criminal, Biden, the economic effect on Meta and the other Stars and Stripes social twaddlers, as they continue on their mind control practices, could be substantial indeed.
For a true understanding of that statement, one would also need to know the shareholding that Trump and his rightwing cabinet members have in Meta and the rest of the US very profitable mind benders. (social media for want of a better name)
Or even TikTok as well.
That information COULD make a difference to really understanding Trump's intention to issue a decree to reinstate TikTok.....or not.
It is not too classy, I must admit. Let me work on something less offensive (to cats).
Being older, I do like to use phrases familiar to me that force younger age groups (those below 90 years of age) to look them up, understand their history, to be aware of the different values in existence over time and how in most cases they have fortunately changed.
It was a different world in past years, with the use of words in children's poems like "nigger"..."catch a nigger by the toe". as an example.
The hardest thing to realize for many people is that we can not change the world by ourselves, but we can change it together. No man is an island sort of thing. We can't do eveverything, but we can do something. Each of us can, and it adds up, like rain during a storm. We live in a world where we are taught that we have to possess a lot to make a difference. This is what the empire wants us to think. You mentioned you lost a hero last year, a gentleman involved in dealings during water gate I believe. It was an article talking about the loss of a giant in our fight. You mentioned how you felt...I remember making a comment stating you are to us as he was to you. It might not be about power, but how we work together towards a common goal. We don't have the power to stop the flow of a river individually, together however, we could build a damn. Perspective. We can never dismantle the empire in one strike, it is decentralized, we can however make solutions that serve as morale boosts, we can work together in areas together to help where we can. We can't be heroes, perhaps, but we can make a difference, you do.
Like this heartfelt discussion by two veteran high level firefighters talking about what they have learned about t9/11! GREAT deep discussion. Please take some time to view and share:
That isn't a conspiracy site. It's Architects and Engineers for 9\11 Truth. These people are SERIOUS, EDUCATED, and thinking persons, NOT conspiracists. When even the scientists and mathematicians are saying it didn't happen -- it didn't happen. Fire has never collapsed a skyscraper. It isn't hot enough.
If you think 9\11 was done by... what the government tells you? God help ya.....
Chang just revealed himself as a hopelessly uninformed person who refuses to look at and understand conclusive evidence. As cited by Prof. of structural engineering Leroy Hulsey, the probability of the government's narrative about Bldg. 7 being correct is exactly ZERO. He did the scientific peer-reviewd formal study.
(1) The conspiracy of CAPITALISM -> how people have been brainwashed, indoctrinated, gaslighted, lied-to, made-fools-of (and more) over the last several centuries. How the Global Capitalist class (1%) has convinced the 99% that "capitalism" is good for them. People have been propagandized, managed/controlled using narratives, and more on the CONSPIRACY of capitalism. "THIS" is the REAL conspiracy worth spending one's time/energy/focus on.
Sorry, but it IS a CONSPIRACY website. ANYONE can believe (and invest their time and energy) in conspiracy theories.
Conspiracy theories are NOT something specific to people with inadequate education/intelligence/whatever. Some of the most intelligent people on the planet believe in Conspiracy Theories.
Please learn about Conspiratorial Thinking. Here are some suggestions :
(1) The Nature of Conspiracy Theories (Michael Butter)
(2) The Skeptic's Guide to Conspiracies: From the Knights Templar to the JFK Assassination: Uncovering the [Real] Truth Behind the World's Most Controversial Conspiracy Theories (Monte Cook)
(3) (Seth C. Kalichman) -> "Denying AIDS: Conspiracy Theories, Pseudoscience, and Human Tragedy"
(4) (Michael W. Austin & Gregory L. Bock) -> "QAnon, Chaos, and the Cross: Christianity and Conspiracy Theories"
(5) (Kurtis Hagen) -> Conspiracy Theories and the Failure of Intellectual Critique
(6) (Michael Butter & Peter Knight) -> Covid Conspiracy Theories in Global Perspective
(7) (Anna Maria Johnson) ->Debunking Conspiracy Theories
(8) (George Johnson) -> Architects of Fear: Conspiracy Theories and Paranoia in American Politics
(9) "Conspiracy Theories: Real, Imagined and Manufactured"
(10) (Christian Fuchs) -> "Communicating COVID-19: Everyday Life, Digital Capitalism, and Conspiracy Theories in Pandemic Times"
(11) (Kathryn S. Olmsted) -> "Real Enemies: Conspiracy Theories and American Democracy, World War I to 9/11"
(12) (Sara E. Gorman) -> "The Anatomy of Deception: Conspiracy Theories, Distrust, and Public Health in America"
(13) (Jeffrey B. Webb) -> Conspiracy Theories: A Reference Handbook
(14) (Daniel C. Hellinger) -> Conspiracies and Conspiracy Theories in the Age of Trump
(15) (Stephen Davis) -> "Truthteller: An Investigative Reporter's Journey Through the World of Truth Prevention, Fake News and Conspiracy Theories"
(16) (David G. Robertson) -> "UFOs, Conspiracy Theories and the New Age: Millennial Conspiracism"
(17) (Matthew Rhodes-Purdy & Rachel Navarre & Stephen Utych) -> "The Age of Discontent: Populism, Extremism, and Conspiracy Theories in Contemporary Democracies"
(18) (Pauline W. Hoffmann) -> "Fake News, Witch Hunts, and Conspiracy Theories: An Infodemiologist's Guide to the Truth"
(19) (Matthew R. X. Dentith) -> The Philosophy of Conspiracy Theories
(20) (Robert Alan Goldberg) -> Enemies Within: The Culture of Conspiracy in Modern America
(21) (Timothy Melley) -> Empire of Conspiracy: The Culture of Paranoia in Postwar America
(22) (Peter Knight) -> Conspiracy Culture: From Kennedy to the X Files
NOTE: The above list is just a small sprinkling of over 200 excellent books on conspiracy thinking, conspiracy culture, conspiracy psychology, AND most importantly, HOW TO DEBUNK THEM.
Respectfully to all in this discussion, I will tell you what is NOT a conspiracy theory about 911. How do I know? Because in 2002/03, a colleague and I were preparing a book specifically about first responders and we initially interviewed around 10 of them. I personally spoke with two NYC cops and three NYC firefighters, and these guys had real pulmonary and immunological damage (recall that I have creds in these areas) -- and were largely blown off by the city and state medical establishment. Book never got written because my co-author bailed (someone got to her, I suppose), but I'll never forget what I heard from those folks.
>>"Awww, c’mon Chang. Since when has our guvvmint NOT lied to us?"
Gypsy, there is a difference between lying and "believing the opposite".
There is a difference between "skeptical thinking using logic, etc. (critical thinking)" and "being skeptical and falling for conspiracy theories as explanations".
The OPPOSITE of "Govt. lying" is NOT "believing the opposite" or "believing conspiracy theories".
"THAT" is one of the biggest problems with conspiracy theorists". They think that JUST because the Govt. lies, it must mean there is a conspiracy somewhere - and they often start believing the OPPOSITE of whatever the Govt. says. That mode of thinking is NOT rational (or critical).
One needs to use concrete, evidence-based reasoning (including using statistics and probability theory) and hypothesis testing of theories using formal (and informal) logic.
9/11 obviously required a conspiracy (prior planning by more than one person). Just as the assassination of JFK required conspiracy. The Warren & 9/11 Commissions posited conspiracy theories that are demonstrably ludicrous. No one here is positing “the opposite.” There are no clear cut “opposites” to those fairy tales, but there are well-founded, evidence-based explanations for what brought about those seminal events.
~~~
From a review of Lance deHaven’s Smith’s book “Conspiracy Theory in America” :
In 1976, in the wake of the Church Committee hearings (which had coincided with the first public broadcast of the Zapruder film on March 6th 1975), The New York Times made a Freedom Of Information Request to the Central Intelligence Agency which resulted in the agency's release of CIA document 1035-960 entitled 'Concerning Criticism of the Warren Report'. This memorandum had been sent to hundreds of print and broadcast outlets throughout the United States and suggested various arguments and strategies for dealing with the increasing number of people (Mark Lane, Sylvia Meagher and Jim Garrison being among the early pioneers of JFK assassination research) raising issues concerning the reliability of the Warren Commission report's conclusions and the methods that were employed to reach those conclusions. As well as revealing that the CIA had thousands of assets working in both state and corporate media throughout the country the document is notable for introducing the expression 'Conspiracy theories' which had not had widespread currency prior to this time. It was in the wake of this memorandum that the term came to be used as a method of marginalizing and delegitimizing factual information which contradicted official narratives. However, the use of this term - as well as the corresponding term 'conspiracy theorist' - really took off in a big way in the wake of the 9/11 event. Today, barely a day goes by without some mainstream source decrying 'conspiracy theories'.
(1) When people talk of 9/11 conspiracies, they usually mean "conspiracies by the Govt." (not conspiracies by the actual perpetrators of the event - i.e. Al Queda terrorists)
(2) Similarly, when people talk of JFK conspiracies, they usually mean "CIA, etc. conspiracies" instead of the conspiracy of an unhinged lone-ranger.
There are many sites devoted to BOTH proving AND debunking such conspiracy theories, so I don't think this substack is the appropriate place for getting into the nitty-gritty of the conspiracies.
Thank you, Catlin, for continually encouraging and inspiring us. I am so grateful to be an alarm in the Great Awakening, a light in the Age of Ascension, but it’s so damn dark right now, the dawn must be near☮️❤️🩹
When I was first a lowly ass prof., I did some experiments with large student classes based on the morphic resonance theories of British parapsychologist Rupert Sheldrake. Interesting results. I still want to believe that there's something to it, something powerful, beyond words -- to combining our creative energies in the direction of peace.
We could hardly publish anything, given that myself, a biologist and a colleague/friend, a physical chemist, did them in stealth (we could've gotten fired but we were crazy effers). It was our desperate grasp for radical sanity, as all around us the academic institution was beginning its transition to corporatization. We had six or seven great years teaching integrated life/physical science and radical ideas about the brain and quantum theory. I bailed when the corporate environment became too stultifying. My friend somehow lasted there another 15 years after I left, but his worklife was never the same after those golden years of psychospiritual experimentation.
The morphic resonance stuff was 1985 or thereabouts. Way too long ago and notes are long gone. I could do a retrospective on the 911 stuff, but it seems kind of passé, since it's finally been largely acknowledged that first responders got royally screwed: cancers, lung disease, autoimmunity -- and plenty of PTSD to go around. One of the firemen, around 28 at the time, in 2004, was this gentle guy who just seemed perpetually stunned by the entire experience he'd endured; with good reason. You could feel a vibe from the man that made you regret his ordeal.
Understood. Maybe about the politics around the events as it pertained to you and your colleagues then?
As even if similar in the outcome (the suppression of activity), details might be unique in particular circumstances. And certainly add to the whole picture of how many other people got affected in negative ways by certain events/happenings.
That is, if something still feels like a burden then maybe unload it. The platform is here.
People have numerous ways of perceiving what other people are thinking and doing. Not all of these are well understood at present. However, when they resonate with ongoing material conditions the results are sometimes astonishing and a certainly worth at least a try.
Hi gypsy, it just feels that way the first couple years because you want to do great things as a teacher, but that involves risk, and you know/feel the scrutiny on your every move, so you walk a tightrope. Which is why we took such a risk in doing the radical stuff we did with integrating science (did get published) and doing the morphic resonance stuff stealthily. But when you're working in an environment where a lot of folks preach academic freedom but behave otherwise (hypocrisy 101), you either take risks or you waste away.
"Drop a thousand tons of sand on your enemy, and it’s an entirely different story."
I'd like to do that exactly--drop a thousand tons of sand on each person who supported funding and arming Israel's genocide of Gaza... But I can't do it alone. Caitlin is right--we need to work together on this, folks!
I like the idea of sand better--it's much more stealthy. You can see a boulder a mile away but grain by grain by grain... We pile up higher and higher on top of those who need to be buried under.
As I've written in the past I'm living proof of the awakening you describe, Caitlin. You're right about our vastly superior numbers but it means nothing if we're unorganized and divided. The oligarchs and plutarchs do everything in their power using their vast resources to keep us that way. Millions of us at a time must take to the streets.
I heard this line somewhere, that the enemy of capitalism is community. Community is a force that assists in people’s awakening. Truth spreads like the passing of a flame from one person to another at a vigil. 🕯️
FYI, you can have community within capitalism - as evidenced all over the world (religions, social groups, organizations of all sorts, etc.)
And, "communities" (on their own) are not necessarily neutral. i.e. there can be bad communities like "The Proud Boys", "Oathkeepers", Nazis, Zionists, etc. or good ones (too many to list).
What really matters (IMHO) is kindness, compassion, "moral" critical thinking, and "real caring" about the planet, all species on it, and all our souls.
Yes, but my point is that whatever communities we form (to fight capitalism), they should (must?) have those characteristics (kindness, compassion, critical thinking) to be effective against the "forces of Capitalism".
Chang, much as I admire you, it seems as though you have been unconsciously affected by those elements which influence public discourse, those elements which criticize "communal effort" as being a dreadful outcome of (gasp!) Communism.
No Susan, you misunderstand. Communal effort is GOOD (in every way). But there is a difference between "communal effort" and "community" since NOT ALL "communities" are necessarily good (eg. the proud boys, oath keepers, KKK, etc.). And, you should know by now that I would NEVER be against true Communism (not the fake Stalin or Mao kind).
In order for there to be real change ie. a shift in consciousness, kind, moral, caring people need to unite more. Groups gathered for the purposes of oppression and hate ultimately carry the seeds of their own destruction. Love wins.
Agree, I am FOR uniting and community. My comment was more about the "community being an enemy of capitalism" part - as there are many healthy communities within Capitalism too - and so just "community" by itself is does not automatically become an enemy of Capitalism. There have been communities in human civilizations throughout history (capitalism or not).
It’s a generalisation of course, that ‘the enemy of capitalism is community’, but the determined way in which neoliberal “centre-right” lobbyists and governments are attacking indigenous peoples everywhere, supports its essential truth, I think. I live in Aotearoa/NZ, and there are too many examples to list here of the systemic way that any law that protects ‘communities’ is currently being repealed or rewritten to insist on the property rights of ‘the individual’. And of course, a corporation can be ‘an individual’ and ‘property’ can include just about anything ‘an individual’ thinks is, or should be theirs - even future profits.
Caitlin, Thanks for an encouraging post, sort of! It feels better to be ever so slightly almost powerless than flat out powerless. Really! I'll keep reading. And protesting for the freedom of the Palestinian people. Had no idea before this that Israel was what it is.
It's a world of pure nutism. Been that way since Adam and Eve. This planet and dimension is under some kind of curse. A dark pit of the Universe. Individually, we can make our own happy place. But worldwide, the shocking horrors continue. Hopefully, it's all a bad dream of some mad Energy Source and we wake up with relief on some other side.
Ceasefire or no ceasefire; scam or no, we cannot allow Israel to escape the legal consequences of their war crimes. The Hind Rajab Foundation has, among other things, filed a case with the ICC against 1,000 Israeli soldiers for war crimes in Gaza.
They have taken further steps in recent days, and vacations are becoming a lot more difficult for IDF soldiers, worldwide. The Foundation can use our help. Please join me in making a contribution. https://buy.stripe.com/cN228hbY5g7jaM84gg
You might find the recent interview that Glenn Greenwald did with the head of this organisation very informative.
Hello Caitlin! My mum used to say everything you have mentioned above in a different language mind you but tue essence was the same. People have the power, we ARE the people, therefore we, the people ARE THE POWER! They have managed to divide and conquer us many times before but as long we know WHO we are, we will never lose our power. Power to the people 💪 I miss my mum and her socialist empowerement every day 🥰
A really good example of this is tiktok. They banned it figuring that they'd buy it or everyone would go back to Meta. Neither happened because everyone flooded the Redbook app and went full on Chinese. They were met with delighted cordiality and more swarmed over... End result? US is desperately trying to back out of the tiktok ban and Trump says if they don't reverse the ban he'll issue a decree reinstating it as soon as he's sworn in. No power huh?
Here are some counter-examples:
(1) China has banned Whatsapp, Facebook, Twitter (X), and more. Here is a more exhaustive list (https://thehelpfulpanda.com/apps-banned-in-china/)
(2) India has banned Tiktok, WeChat, and more (https://studysmartindia.com/list-of-apps-banned-in-india-and-the-reasons-behind-the-ban/)
(3) Here is a list of some of the services/apps/websites banned in Russia (https://www.purevpn.com/list-of-blocked-websites-in-russia)
Similarly, many countries have banned many APPS and WEBSITES. This is - unfortunately - the NEW reality of geopolitics and rising tensions.
This is not unique to the United States - this phenomenon of BANNING/BLOCKING has gone global. The reason such behavior is egregious in the United States is because the US proclaims itself to be a "democracy" and extolls the virtues of "freedom" and "free press".
The US is neither a democracy, nor does it have adequate levels of "freedom" or a "free press" (as evidenced by all the suppression of pro-Palestine voices and people).
maybe that is a good sign. i personally banned most of the corporate social media apps for myself, but the banning-rage indicates tptb kinda worry (legit or not) about kinda unchecked connectivity.
>>"maybe that is a good sign"
Martin, "good sign"/"bad sign" is a subjective evaluation (often based on individual opinions) as there are too many factors at play and under consideration.
Banning ANY medium of communication is done for MULTIPLE reasons (and is too complex to simplify/reduce into good/bad explanations). (i.e. it will be good for some, bad for others).
I'm cheering for Redbook.
Well, Silvana, as for TikTok,....... perhaps they also thought that with a population of 1.4 billion Chinese, should China react in a similar fashion to the empty-minded decision by the world's #1 criminal, Biden, the economic effect on Meta and the other Stars and Stripes social twaddlers, as they continue on their mind control practices, could be substantial indeed.
For a true understanding of that statement, one would also need to know the shareholding that Trump and his rightwing cabinet members have in Meta and the rest of the US very profitable mind benders. (social media for want of a better name)
Or even TikTok as well.
That information COULD make a difference to really understanding Trump's intention to issue a decree to reinstate TikTok.....or not.
There is more than one way to skin a cat.
Hi Contrarian
Feral Finster hates that phrase!
Thanks Gypsy
Sorry Feral.
It is not too classy, I must admit. Let me work on something less offensive (to cats).
Being older, I do like to use phrases familiar to me that force younger age groups (those below 90 years of age) to look them up, understand their history, to be aware of the different values in existence over time and how in most cases they have fortunately changed.
It was a different world in past years, with the use of words in children's poems like "nigger"..."catch a nigger by the toe". as an example.
Thankfully, those days have gone.
My apologies to all cats and again to Feral.
I have been working on stopping calling people like Netanyahu or Trump or Starmer pigs. It is an insult to pigs.
True Susan. Pigs are among the most intelligent other-than-humans. I prefer “monsters” or “vampires”.
Hi Contrarian
I accept your apology on Feral’s behalf because he clearly didn’t see it; we would have heard a very loud MMMRRRROOOOOOW!
😉
The hardest thing to realize for many people is that we can not change the world by ourselves, but we can change it together. No man is an island sort of thing. We can't do eveverything, but we can do something. Each of us can, and it adds up, like rain during a storm. We live in a world where we are taught that we have to possess a lot to make a difference. This is what the empire wants us to think. You mentioned you lost a hero last year, a gentleman involved in dealings during water gate I believe. It was an article talking about the loss of a giant in our fight. You mentioned how you felt...I remember making a comment stating you are to us as he was to you. It might not be about power, but how we work together towards a common goal. We don't have the power to stop the flow of a river individually, together however, we could build a damn. Perspective. We can never dismantle the empire in one strike, it is decentralized, we can however make solutions that serve as morale boosts, we can work together in areas together to help where we can. We can't be heroes, perhaps, but we can make a difference, you do.
Like this heartfelt discussion by two veteran high level firefighters talking about what they have learned about t9/11! GREAT deep discussion. Please take some time to view and share:
https://www.ae911truth.org/news/1040-justice-for-the-343
There we go with the conspiracy theories again. I guess that's to be expected on Substack.
That isn't a conspiracy site. It's Architects and Engineers for 9\11 Truth. These people are SERIOUS, EDUCATED, and thinking persons, NOT conspiracists. When even the scientists and mathematicians are saying it didn't happen -- it didn't happen. Fire has never collapsed a skyscraper. It isn't hot enough.
If you think 9\11 was done by... what the government tells you? God help ya.....
Chang just revealed himself as a hopelessly uninformed person who refuses to look at and understand conclusive evidence. As cited by Prof. of structural engineering Leroy Hulsey, the probability of the government's narrative about Bldg. 7 being correct is exactly ZERO. He did the scientific peer-reviewd formal study.
Read my comment here -> https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/you-are-not-powerless-because-you/comment/86872137 (though I doubt it'll make ANY difference on you due to your thought processes).
Here is a conspiracy worth pursuing:
(1) The conspiracy of CAPITALISM -> how people have been brainwashed, indoctrinated, gaslighted, lied-to, made-fools-of (and more) over the last several centuries. How the Global Capitalist class (1%) has convinced the 99% that "capitalism" is good for them. People have been propagandized, managed/controlled using narratives, and more on the CONSPIRACY of capitalism. "THIS" is the REAL conspiracy worth spending one's time/energy/focus on.
Capitalism isn’t a conspiracy. It’s an economic system.
Hi Elle
And JFK was killed by Lee Harvey Oswald 😉
Someday the real truth on these two events will come to light.
Sorry, but it IS a CONSPIRACY website. ANYONE can believe (and invest their time and energy) in conspiracy theories.
Conspiracy theories are NOT something specific to people with inadequate education/intelligence/whatever. Some of the most intelligent people on the planet believe in Conspiracy Theories.
Please learn about Conspiratorial Thinking. Here are some suggestions :
(1) The Nature of Conspiracy Theories (Michael Butter)
(2) The Skeptic's Guide to Conspiracies: From the Knights Templar to the JFK Assassination: Uncovering the [Real] Truth Behind the World's Most Controversial Conspiracy Theories (Monte Cook)
(3) (Seth C. Kalichman) -> "Denying AIDS: Conspiracy Theories, Pseudoscience, and Human Tragedy"
(4) (Michael W. Austin & Gregory L. Bock) -> "QAnon, Chaos, and the Cross: Christianity and Conspiracy Theories"
(5) (Kurtis Hagen) -> Conspiracy Theories and the Failure of Intellectual Critique
(6) (Michael Butter & Peter Knight) -> Covid Conspiracy Theories in Global Perspective
(7) (Anna Maria Johnson) ->Debunking Conspiracy Theories
(8) (George Johnson) -> Architects of Fear: Conspiracy Theories and Paranoia in American Politics
(9) "Conspiracy Theories: Real, Imagined and Manufactured"
(10) (Christian Fuchs) -> "Communicating COVID-19: Everyday Life, Digital Capitalism, and Conspiracy Theories in Pandemic Times"
(11) (Kathryn S. Olmsted) -> "Real Enemies: Conspiracy Theories and American Democracy, World War I to 9/11"
(12) (Sara E. Gorman) -> "The Anatomy of Deception: Conspiracy Theories, Distrust, and Public Health in America"
(13) (Jeffrey B. Webb) -> Conspiracy Theories: A Reference Handbook
(14) (Daniel C. Hellinger) -> Conspiracies and Conspiracy Theories in the Age of Trump
(15) (Stephen Davis) -> "Truthteller: An Investigative Reporter's Journey Through the World of Truth Prevention, Fake News and Conspiracy Theories"
(16) (David G. Robertson) -> "UFOs, Conspiracy Theories and the New Age: Millennial Conspiracism"
(17) (Matthew Rhodes-Purdy & Rachel Navarre & Stephen Utych) -> "The Age of Discontent: Populism, Extremism, and Conspiracy Theories in Contemporary Democracies"
(18) (Pauline W. Hoffmann) -> "Fake News, Witch Hunts, and Conspiracy Theories: An Infodemiologist's Guide to the Truth"
(19) (Matthew R. X. Dentith) -> The Philosophy of Conspiracy Theories
(20) (Robert Alan Goldberg) -> Enemies Within: The Culture of Conspiracy in Modern America
(21) (Timothy Melley) -> Empire of Conspiracy: The Culture of Paranoia in Postwar America
(22) (Peter Knight) -> Conspiracy Culture: From Kennedy to the X Files
NOTE: The above list is just a small sprinkling of over 200 excellent books on conspiracy thinking, conspiracy culture, conspiracy psychology, AND most importantly, HOW TO DEBUNK THEM.
Respectfully to all in this discussion, I will tell you what is NOT a conspiracy theory about 911. How do I know? Because in 2002/03, a colleague and I were preparing a book specifically about first responders and we initially interviewed around 10 of them. I personally spoke with two NYC cops and three NYC firefighters, and these guys had real pulmonary and immunological damage (recall that I have creds in these areas) -- and were largely blown off by the city and state medical establishment. Book never got written because my co-author bailed (someone got to her, I suppose), but I'll never forget what I heard from those folks.
Awww, c’mon Chang. Since when has our guvvmint NOT lied to us?
Those Saudi “passports” found unscathed beneath all that rubble? Really?
The “dancing Israelis”?
The fact that witnesses heard controlled ordnance?
Really, what more do you need?
>>"Awww, c’mon Chang. Since when has our guvvmint NOT lied to us?"
Gypsy, there is a difference between lying and "believing the opposite".
There is a difference between "skeptical thinking using logic, etc. (critical thinking)" and "being skeptical and falling for conspiracy theories as explanations".
The OPPOSITE of "Govt. lying" is NOT "believing the opposite" or "believing conspiracy theories".
"THAT" is one of the biggest problems with conspiracy theorists". They think that JUST because the Govt. lies, it must mean there is a conspiracy somewhere - and they often start believing the OPPOSITE of whatever the Govt. says. That mode of thinking is NOT rational (or critical).
One needs to use concrete, evidence-based reasoning (including using statistics and probability theory) and hypothesis testing of theories using formal (and informal) logic.
9/11 obviously required a conspiracy (prior planning by more than one person). Just as the assassination of JFK required conspiracy. The Warren & 9/11 Commissions posited conspiracy theories that are demonstrably ludicrous. No one here is positing “the opposite.” There are no clear cut “opposites” to those fairy tales, but there are well-founded, evidence-based explanations for what brought about those seminal events.
~~~
From a review of Lance deHaven’s Smith’s book “Conspiracy Theory in America” :
In 1976, in the wake of the Church Committee hearings (which had coincided with the first public broadcast of the Zapruder film on March 6th 1975), The New York Times made a Freedom Of Information Request to the Central Intelligence Agency which resulted in the agency's release of CIA document 1035-960 entitled 'Concerning Criticism of the Warren Report'. This memorandum had been sent to hundreds of print and broadcast outlets throughout the United States and suggested various arguments and strategies for dealing with the increasing number of people (Mark Lane, Sylvia Meagher and Jim Garrison being among the early pioneers of JFK assassination research) raising issues concerning the reliability of the Warren Commission report's conclusions and the methods that were employed to reach those conclusions. As well as revealing that the CIA had thousands of assets working in both state and corporate media throughout the country the document is notable for introducing the expression 'Conspiracy theories' which had not had widespread currency prior to this time. It was in the wake of this memorandum that the term came to be used as a method of marginalizing and delegitimizing factual information which contradicted official narratives. However, the use of this term - as well as the corresponding term 'conspiracy theorist' - really took off in a big way in the wake of the 9/11 event. Today, barely a day goes by without some mainstream source decrying 'conspiracy theories'.
(1) ‘Conspiracy theory’ coined long before JFK assassination [https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-conspiracy-theory-jfk-941578119864]
(2) https://www.snopes.com/news/2020/03/16/did-the-cia-invent-the-term-conspiracy-theory/
(3) https://theconversation.com/theres-a-conspiracy-theory-that-the-cia-invented-the-term-conspiracy-theory-heres-why-132117 (same content as the previous link)
(4) Conspiracy Theory: The Nineteenth-Century Prehistory of a Twentieth-Century Concept [https://academic.oup.com/book/25369/chapter-abstract/192453115] from the book: "Conspiracy Theories & the People Who Believe Them"
(5) A critical conceptualization of conspiracy theory [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1467-8675.12683] ->an interesting article around thinking about conspiracies and what exactly is a conspiracy theory.
(1) When people talk of 9/11 conspiracies, they usually mean "conspiracies by the Govt." (not conspiracies by the actual perpetrators of the event - i.e. Al Queda terrorists)
(2) Similarly, when people talk of JFK conspiracies, they usually mean "CIA, etc. conspiracies" instead of the conspiracy of an unhinged lone-ranger.
There are many sites devoted to BOTH proving AND debunking such conspiracy theories, so I don't think this substack is the appropriate place for getting into the nitty-gritty of the conspiracies.
Thank you, Catlin, for continually encouraging and inspiring us. I am so grateful to be an alarm in the Great Awakening, a light in the Age of Ascension, but it’s so damn dark right now, the dawn must be near☮️❤️🩹
I feel ya! One would sure hope...that it's near. Keep focused on the light, it illuminates the darkness.
This term for Trump will be Trump-on-steroids.
.
Why?
.
Imagine Trump squared.
Heavy.
.
During Trump's first term he was the 45th President.
.
"When would his second term begin?", everyone long wondered.
.
Trump squared
45 times 45 equals
2025
.
Fasten your seatbelts.
When I was first a lowly ass prof., I did some experiments with large student classes based on the morphic resonance theories of British parapsychologist Rupert Sheldrake. Interesting results. I still want to believe that there's something to it, something powerful, beyond words -- to combining our creative energies in the direction of peace.
I would like to hear about these experiments you did. Did you write them up anywhere?
We could hardly publish anything, given that myself, a biologist and a colleague/friend, a physical chemist, did them in stealth (we could've gotten fired but we were crazy effers). It was our desperate grasp for radical sanity, as all around us the academic institution was beginning its transition to corporatization. We had six or seven great years teaching integrated life/physical science and radical ideas about the brain and quantum theory. I bailed when the corporate environment became too stultifying. My friend somehow lasted there another 15 years after I left, but his worklife was never the same after those golden years of psychospiritual experimentation.
Could you write what you know in your substack? This and the 9/11 thing? Else it's as good as never happened.
The morphic resonance stuff was 1985 or thereabouts. Way too long ago and notes are long gone. I could do a retrospective on the 911 stuff, but it seems kind of passé, since it's finally been largely acknowledged that first responders got royally screwed: cancers, lung disease, autoimmunity -- and plenty of PTSD to go around. One of the firemen, around 28 at the time, in 2004, was this gentle guy who just seemed perpetually stunned by the entire experience he'd endured; with good reason. You could feel a vibe from the man that made you regret his ordeal.
Understood. Maybe about the politics around the events as it pertained to you and your colleagues then?
As even if similar in the outcome (the suppression of activity), details might be unique in particular circumstances. And certainly add to the whole picture of how many other people got affected in negative ways by certain events/happenings.
That is, if something still feels like a burden then maybe unload it. The platform is here.
People have numerous ways of perceiving what other people are thinking and doing. Not all of these are well understood at present. However, when they resonate with ongoing material conditions the results are sometimes astonishing and a certainly worth at least a try.
Well said!
Hi Vin
There’s nothing “lowly” about being an assistant professor!
Hi gypsy, it just feels that way the first couple years because you want to do great things as a teacher, but that involves risk, and you know/feel the scrutiny on your every move, so you walk a tightrope. Which is why we took such a risk in doing the radical stuff we did with integrating science (did get published) and doing the morphic resonance stuff stealthily. But when you're working in an environment where a lot of folks preach academic freedom but behave otherwise (hypocrisy 101), you either take risks or you waste away.
Note my reply to Marquis
"Drop a thousand tons of sand on your enemy, and it’s an entirely different story."
I'd like to do that exactly--drop a thousand tons of sand on each person who supported funding and arming Israel's genocide of Gaza... But I can't do it alone. Caitlin is right--we need to work together on this, folks!
The Revolution....
Be like the ants!
This is why I suggest to everyone who wants a radical change to read From Dictatorship to Democracy by Dr Gene Sharp
Great suggestion! I just found it through inter-library loan. Thanks!
Good point TRC!
Perhaps we could think of ourselves as boulders instead.
I like the idea of sand better--it's much more stealthy. You can see a boulder a mile away but grain by grain by grain... We pile up higher and higher on top of those who need to be buried under.
Good point, TRC! But boulders would cause damage much more quickly 😉
Catlin:
You you have a way with words much greater than a grain of sand. I'm the grain wanting to be in the pile.
No, I’m not powerless, I have a conscience, and I know when to speak out and I do.
Hi Pat! Note my reply to Marquis above
As I've written in the past I'm living proof of the awakening you describe, Caitlin. You're right about our vastly superior numbers but it means nothing if we're unorganized and divided. The oligarchs and plutarchs do everything in their power using their vast resources to keep us that way. Millions of us at a time must take to the streets.
If you want to take to the streets, please first read From Dictatorship to Democracy by Dr Gene Sharp.
He tells you how to do it successfully.
No. It's mind control, Programming, manufactirig concent and manufacturing mental disorders.
I heard this line somewhere, that the enemy of capitalism is community. Community is a force that assists in people’s awakening. Truth spreads like the passing of a flame from one person to another at a vigil. 🕯️
>>"....the enemy of capitalism is community"
FYI, you can have community within capitalism - as evidenced all over the world (religions, social groups, organizations of all sorts, etc.)
And, "communities" (on their own) are not necessarily neutral. i.e. there can be bad communities like "The Proud Boys", "Oathkeepers", Nazis, Zionists, etc. or good ones (too many to list).
What really matters (IMHO) is kindness, compassion, "moral" critical thinking, and "real caring" about the planet, all species on it, and all our souls.
Yes Chang, all those qualities you mentioned are important. But they won’t do a thing for the oppressed of the world.
For that, we need REVOLUTION against the Amerikkkan regime.
Yes, but my point is that whatever communities we form (to fight capitalism), they should (must?) have those characteristics (kindness, compassion, critical thinking) to be effective against the "forces of Capitalism".
Chang, much as I admire you, it seems as though you have been unconsciously affected by those elements which influence public discourse, those elements which criticize "communal effort" as being a dreadful outcome of (gasp!) Communism.
No Susan, you misunderstand. Communal effort is GOOD (in every way). But there is a difference between "communal effort" and "community" since NOT ALL "communities" are necessarily good (eg. the proud boys, oath keepers, KKK, etc.). And, you should know by now that I would NEVER be against true Communism (not the fake Stalin or Mao kind).
In order for there to be real change ie. a shift in consciousness, kind, moral, caring people need to unite more. Groups gathered for the purposes of oppression and hate ultimately carry the seeds of their own destruction. Love wins.
Agree, I am FOR uniting and community. My comment was more about the "community being an enemy of capitalism" part - as there are many healthy communities within Capitalism too - and so just "community" by itself is does not automatically become an enemy of Capitalism. There have been communities in human civilizations throughout history (capitalism or not).
It’s a generalisation of course, that ‘the enemy of capitalism is community’, but the determined way in which neoliberal “centre-right” lobbyists and governments are attacking indigenous peoples everywhere, supports its essential truth, I think. I live in Aotearoa/NZ, and there are too many examples to list here of the systemic way that any law that protects ‘communities’ is currently being repealed or rewritten to insist on the property rights of ‘the individual’. And of course, a corporation can be ‘an individual’ and ‘property’ can include just about anything ‘an individual’ thinks is, or should be theirs - even future profits.
Yes, completely agree.
Caitlin, Thanks for an encouraging post, sort of! It feels better to be ever so slightly almost powerless than flat out powerless. Really! I'll keep reading. And protesting for the freedom of the Palestinian people. Had no idea before this that Israel was what it is.
This one of the most realistically hopeful pieces I’ve ever read. Really appreciate it
Thank You Caitlin
It's a world of pure nutism. Been that way since Adam and Eve. This planet and dimension is under some kind of curse. A dark pit of the Universe. Individually, we can make our own happy place. But worldwide, the shocking horrors continue. Hopefully, it's all a bad dream of some mad Energy Source and we wake up with relief on some other side.
Ceasefire or no ceasefire; scam or no, we cannot allow Israel to escape the legal consequences of their war crimes. The Hind Rajab Foundation has, among other things, filed a case with the ICC against 1,000 Israeli soldiers for war crimes in Gaza.
https://www.hindrajabfoundation.org/perpetrators/hind-rajab-foundation-files-historic-icc-complaint-against-1000-israeli-soldiers-for-war-crimes-in-gaza
They have taken further steps in recent days, and vacations are becoming a lot more difficult for IDF soldiers, worldwide. The Foundation can use our help. Please join me in making a contribution. https://buy.stripe.com/cN228hbY5g7jaM84gg
You might find the recent interview that Glenn Greenwald did with the head of this organisation very informative.
Hello Caitlin! My mum used to say everything you have mentioned above in a different language mind you but tue essence was the same. People have the power, we ARE the people, therefore we, the people ARE THE POWER! They have managed to divide and conquer us many times before but as long we know WHO we are, we will never lose our power. Power to the people 💪 I miss my mum and her socialist empowerement every day 🥰
I agree and I'm with you!