Paranoia as Prelude: Conspiracism and the Cost of Political Rage

[homasse]

Paranoia as Prelude: Conspiracism and the Cost of Political RageUnlike some, I will not attempt to make murderer and would-be political assassin Jared Loughner, a poster-boy for the Tea Party. As it turns out, such a feat would do Mr. Loughner an injustice, ascribing to him a level of sane, if yet disturbing philosophical coherence that he

Comments

[erunamiryene]

I ... yeah, I pretty much agree.

IDK what the fuck happened to America, or if I just didn't notice because I didn't pay much attention until about 2008, but goddamn, this country looks fucking psychotic. And because any attempt to NOT act psychotic is seen as "weakness," I fail to see how it will change anytime soon.

(Dear Canada, I promise, my family is awesome, please let us come up there before it gets worse here.)

[romp]

I would guess not, esp for public and academic librarians--you need to fill a job that can't be filled by a Canadian. But maybe some archive or corporate work. I kinda doubt it tho' since I know people in Canada looking for those jobs. And the MLIS grads keep coming every year...

That said, don't give up! Maybe you can visit, meet, and marry a Canadian?

[azetburcaptain]

Interesting points. I also notice that increasingly, people do not wish to distinguish between reality and fiction/stage/tv/books.

I started noticing little things, like people wearing outfits which one sees a performer wear, but out on the street. So that's a little inappropriate but hey it's just clothes. And then, I noticed the quest for stardom, and slowly, the conspiracy theories. And these theories are spreading too, it's not just the USA anymore. Scary.

Dehumanizing and terrifying.

I know that celebrity worship doesn't seem to have anything to do with conspiracy theories, but I believe it does: Illuminati theories, conspiracy theories of murders, etc.

[celtic_thistle]

I completely agree with this.

In a culture where political rallies attended by thousands of people feature prominent speakers who suggest the President might well be Satan in the flesh, and marchers who carry signs suggesting “Taxpayers are the Jews for Obama’s Ovens,” or that the President intends to put whites into slavery, nothing should surprise us anymore.

EXACTLY. And I'm really sick of the ~false equivalence~ the fucking media spews out, pretending "oh, the left does it too!" NO WE DON'T. We're not the ones making death threats and toting guns.

[moonshaz]

EXACTLY. And I'm really sick of the ~false equivalence~ the fucking media spews out, pretending "oh, the left does it too!" NO WE DON'T. We're not the ones making death threats and toting guns.

THIS. SFFFM.

[kseda]

We're not the ones making death threats and toting guns.

And typically if anyone on the left does this kind of thing, they're instantly called on it and told to gtfo our side.

[ladypolitik]

Wish more people would zero-in on this exact point.

The GOP OPENLY and PROUDLY clings to even the ideologically batshit elements of their base.

But when it comes to the established 'liberal' Democratic party? They will go out of their way to throw anyone, anything, or any cause that SEEM remotely left of CENTRE, under the bus in order to remain mainstream.

Look at the Dem's general attitude toward groups like Code Pink. Or groups like ACORN when they come under unfair/FABRICATED fire. Or the thing that went down with SHIRLEY SHERROD. Dems would risk committing embarrassing 'mea culpas' before they would risk being seen as having any affiliation with supposedly non-mainstream views and/or controversies.

...And people are suppose to believe that this same politically-neurotic Democratic party has gone head-to-head in gun-toting screaming matches against these Obama-era right-wing reactionaries?

PFFFFFT -- HAH!!! Riiiiiight.

[cure_my_tragety]

Well my first impression of Jared Loughner was that he came off as more Alex Jones than Fox News (to which yes, at times both are paranoid about the same things but not always), especially with the whole brainwash/mind control comment (which reminds me of the "Vigilant Citizen

[bord_du_rasoir]

"more Alex Jones than Fox News"

From what I've read about him, that's the perfect summation.

[blackjedii]

I am creathing my own rethoric. Any politicians that disagree with me will be PIED!

WITH STRAWZBERRY FILLING.