Conspiracy theories, an actual threat

It is not difficult for someone to understand why conspiracy theories are invading the media. Conspiracy theorists are systematically promoted by the mass media in order to drive the people’s reactions not against the power-structures of the capitalist system, which is the root of the problem, but against an imaginary enemy, a scapegoat. “The rapid increase in right-wing extremist groups in the USA is partly down to government conspiracy theories in the mass media.” (Guardian). The phenomenon is getting serious with more and more dangerous demagogues appearing day by day. But in order to understand the problem better I find it useful to check some historical concepts to see how the conspiracy theories were used in different periods:

Peter Knight (p. 36) investigating the influence of the conspiracy theories in American history states: “The U.S Civil War and the end of chattel slavery brought increased interaction among African Americans and whites, and with it an increasing number of conspiracy theories among both groups”. From the white side, many conspiracy theorists believed that black people were ready to conquer the South, an argument that was used mainly as an incentive to start racist persecution or to justify violent attacks and killings. On the other side, many Africans adopted the idea that Whites are ready to start massive purges of black population. Knight considers this as a conspiracy theory from the perspective of African Americans but in fact it is the truth infused with great exaggeration. There was, however, a fear that whatever the whites did on Indians a few years ago would do to the black population of that time.

Taguieff in his voluminous book “Conspiracy Theories, Esoterism, Extremism” reports that in Europe many conspiracy theories were first used by counter-revolutionaries during the French Revolution.

The “Illuminati”: Perhaps the most famous conspiracy theory today. The Order of Illuminati was treated with deep hostility by many conservative Christians. Even today, several conspiracy theorists argue that this Order is acting secretly either to destroy traditions and customs or to enslave the masses in misery. They ignore, of course, that the life of the Order of Illuminati did not exceed ten years (1776-1785). (In fact, most of the conspiracy theorists believe that the “Illuminati” did not disappear. They survived during the centuries in the underground by organizing secret societies in order to enslave humanity to Satan!)

“Nowadays, religion is declining and there is the political scepticism, the need for faith, the desire to escape from reality leads to conspiracy theories, the Esoteric and the invention of a crazed ideology and mythology, which won a huge audience “wrote the French newspaper, Le Point.

Jewish and Masonic conspiracies: Most of the conspiracy theories blame Jews for almost everything. More or less, all of us have heard this extremely popular argument: “The Jews knew about the Twin Towers attack and were absent from work that day”. The oppressive policies of Israel and its repressive tactics towards the fighting people of Palestine together with the military invasion in Lebanon that took place in 2006 continue to give an alibi to many conspiracy theories to launch their propaganda of hatred for anything non-Christian. However, the Israeli brutality should not become the reason to accept these digest conspiracy theories that are flooding the Internet and the media, full of nationalism and anti-Semitism. One of the most widely prevalent conspiracy theory is “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion” which “became both the climax and the synthesis of these conspiracy theories. They were forged in France in the midst of the Dreyfus Affair, with the assistance of the Russian secret police, probably between 1894 and 1899. The French right wanted a document in order to link Dreyfus to the supposed conspiracy of his race, and the Russian secret police needed it to justify Czarist anti-Jewish policy. This time the “learned elders of Zion” again meeting in the Jewish cemetery of Prague, reflected every aspect of the modern world which the reactionaries in France and Russia, but also in the rest of Europe, feared so much”. (Back and Solomos, p.198)

The Nazis also supported their propaganda behind numerous conspiracy theories. Their world-view was based on the idea that the communists and the Jews were planning to conquer the world. Members of the Nazi party in 1933 destroyed the German parliament accusing the communists. This provocation was the start of a massive pogrom against everyone who was suspected to be an “enemy of the nationalist state” (political opponents and activists, artists, minorities etc).

Taguieff criticizes also the ridiculous (in my opinion) Dan Brown’s novel «The Da-Vinci Code” arguing that the scenario of the plot is inspired by many conspiracy theories of 1980. Extensive references are also in relation to the Nazi doctrine of the occult. Many supporters of the Nazi ideology see Christianity as “a religion that has been imposed to us by the Jews” and that “the roots of the white European culture are in paganism.” However, the majority of the conspiracy theories today want the “massive immigration” and influx of Muslims in the Western world as motivated by the Zionists, the Illuminati, or as a result of communist conspiracies with older decision-makers who intend the”destruction of the European traditions” or “to ensure cheap labor.”

In the Soviet Union the situation was not better. Conspiracy theories similar to those used by the western right wing propaganda were not absent. The need for spy agencies was enough to send any dissident in prison or firing squad. Millions of anarchist and libertarian communists were executed as the dictatorial Soviet regime constantly was preaching that “our socialist homeland is under threat of the attacking the bourgeoisie.” From the first years of the October insurrection that brought the Bolsheviks to power, the troika of Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin constantly were patronizing that every anti-party activity was a “threat against the Soviet power” despite the fact that most of the voices that were criticizing the iron discipline of the Bolshevik Party were coming from libertarian communist circles. The attacks of the imperialist forces the Entente have aimed essentially the restoration of the Czarist regime justifies the repressive actions of the party that called any anti-establishment opinion as “anti-Soviet” just like the example of the Kronstadt rebellion (Mary of 1921) which was denounced as an “anti-Soviet conspiracy of anarchists and Czarist Generals”, which is impossible since the anarchists took the lead in the fight against both Czarists and the imperialist West. Hundreds of thousands were executed after the suppression of rebellion or died in prison!

Conspiracy theorists, who are they? Often with strong nationalistic character, sometimes under the vale of paleo-conservatism, crafty merchants, radio announcers or TV show presenters, retailers with a hypocritical nature impose their opinion to the public using an easily acceptable but misleading propaganda. How many times have we witnessed emissions extensive reference on the “New World Order,” the “hollow Earth”, the “chem-trails” or even opinions that want Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley to be alive, living in a forest somewhere in Hungary away from the publicity or beliefs about “cloned Hitler”? How many times have we come to debate with people who openly support such views?

Alex Jones, is maybe one of the most famous conspiracy theorist today and perhaps one the main representative of the American extreme hard-core paleo-conservative organizations such as the “Birch Society” and similar groups that belong to the survivalist movement. However, opinions are divided regarding the political direction of Alex Jones. He calls himself as a right wing libertarian but the truth is that due to his increasing popularity, he is forced to adopt a more “political correct” profile, hiding thus his ultra-nationalist real face. Sources: (The rag blog, Conspiracism, Right Wing Populism and Alex Jones, Alex Jones Exposed). Unfortunately, even many progressive thinkers and activists fall into the trap of offering analysis based on hypothetical arguments. Even Chomsky or the Zeitgest Movement (for which I have published a very positive review) keep on supporting some conspiracy theories-style arguments. I will not say more on Chomsky however because at least he has done a lot to inform us about the way the media affect negatively our way of thinking.

It would be good to mention some more reasons of rejecting the well known conspiracy theories. In fact there are not clear evidences of what exactly is the “New World Order.” As we can see in John Perkin’s book “Confessions of an Economic Hit Man” and in Michael Moore’s film “Capitalism a Love Story” which somehow proves that the real U.S government is not in the White House but in the Wall street, the “New World Order” could be regarded as the expansion of the capitalist system worldwide with the ultimate goal to increase the exploitation of one man from another. (Also read Noam Chomsky, World orders, Old and New ).


Both rationalism and conspiracism are used to defend the capitalist system. The first in order to convince us that the only value of human life is work and production (“the more I work the better for me”). The second in order to serve the interests of those who are in power despite that many conspiracy theorists most of the time speak negatively about “the plans of the elites”. They encourage the population of a country to condemn the bankers, politicians, judges and various other governmental authorities that are “controlled by evil secret societies” but they say nothing about the exploiting nature of capitalism, neither they propose alternatives. Instead of trying to create a mass people’s movement they suggest the masses to remain united only under the flag of a nation, under a religion, (divide and rule), in a summary, based on trivial understandings of who we are and not on the values of humanism / internationalism. Thus we have the rise of neo-fascism.

Let’s take an example: Greek conspiracy theorists call the Greeks to put the “idea of the homeland” as the highest ideal, saying that “there is a threat from Turkey, a country that is helped by the globalists”. At the same time Turkish conspiracy theorists do the same, “potential Greek threat motivated by organizations that assist globalization.” Thus, we have two populations divided.

A parenthesis: Propaganda is not the only way of manipulation. In this case of capitalism “the system does not collapse because it manages to create participation in this situation. It manages to create for the majority of the people and their life the participation in the practical lifestyle of this society “(Cornelius Castoriadis, From Ecology to Autonomy, p. 20)

Those propagandists promote that capitalism did not collapse but it is suffering temporarily due to an abuse of the banking system by a “malicious international conspiracy”. This is an attempt to curb any popular resistance in the West similar to those occurring in Greece and France these days.

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From: http://freevoicenetwork.org/articles/conspiracy-theories-an-actual-threat/

that global warming is a conspiracy? Must be a lot because if it were real something would be being done about it.