Andy Thomas discusses his book The New Heretics: Understanding the Conspiracy Theories Polarizing the World.
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Through their part in some huge controversies, conspiracy theorists are being branded the number one enemies of our times – the new heretics. They are seen to threaten the very fabric of modern society, spreading doubts and fears that result in Washington Capitol invasions, transmission mast burnings, or the spread of anti-vaccine material. Yet the theorists prefer to call themselves ‘truth seekers’ and see the mainstream establishment as the real disruptor, treating its increasingly harsh censorship as direct validation of their views.
In truth, the new heretics, whose numbers are swelling, are symptoms of a wider polarization splitting apart much of the world in ideological divisions. Many have lost trust in politicians and the media, while nuanced debate is crushed and information overload and manipulation breeds uncertainty, civil unrest, and mental health issues. How does the age old strategy of divide-and-rule play out in such an environment? Along the way we examine the links between 9/11 and the Covid Crisis, the role of technology in making matters even worse, and the potential outcomes if governments and media simply refuse to engage with those they view as dangerous fringe elements
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6 comments
Thanks to you both for such a considered discussion on the nature of our polarised world.
It seem to take increasing amounts of personal strength to just pull away from the “black vs. white”, “yes/no” culture we are being forced into, before being able to get down to any vaguely neutral thought or debate. Congratulation on achieving that.
I dimly see a day not far off, when the concept of neutrality or objectivity might be seen as the greatest threat of all. These states might be seen as empty headed. I can also hear some folk claiming this kind of discussion as wasteful, particularly as for some people “The Enemy” is at last coming into view, it’s shape, it’s origin and direction of travel are at least confirmed in outline. Even if that were so, to mentally dig-in is to do the opponents work for them. Open and free discussion is what any tyranny is most vulnerable to.
The idea that an open mind is empty headed is partner to Greg’s conversation in which the younger correspondent could not understand the concept of the greater freedoms experienced decades ago. I have had similar conversations and can also see a time when people who experienced life before 2020 will be viewed as anarchic, chaotic, under developed people. To live before this cut off point will be to have existed before the time of salvation, being put on spiritual terms. Those who lived before will be seen as primitives, naïve savages and finally as barbarians.
Human society will be declared to have begun properly from the clarion call of Covid, the resurrection of humanity from the grave. All human achievement before this time will be neatly parcelled up to be intellectually abandoned. (See the Renaissance and Enlightenment for previous examples of the same).
Hi Michael. Thanks for your comments. Sadly I think you’re right, for the time being anyway. The direction of travel is towards more division and disunity, stoked mainly by the media, but also by individuals struggling to process world events and feeling the need to apportion blame and lash out at ‘the other’. Being ‘moderate’ has always run the risk of looking weak and indecisive. The ‘enemy’ you mention in this context is in fact ourselves, but few can face that.
We mentioned the idea that certain young people increasingly see ‘free speech’ as an alien and negative concept. If it allows people to be ‘offended’ (purely a subjective idea) then it must not be allowed.
“To live before this cut off point will be to have existed before the time of salvation, being put on spiritual terms. Those who lived before will be seen as primitives, naïve savages and finally as barbarians.” – exactly. Unfortunately, history is replete with ‘cultural revolutions’ and year-zero resets all of which ended very, very badly.
Excellent, timely conversation. I think the parallels between 9/11 and the current pandemic can be, and have been, over-egged, which is not to say that I don’t think it’s possible that some degree of concious deception is at play in the current situation… the need to “pull back” and “come back to the centre” is really important right now — for our collective sanity and to put a halt on out of control polarization… weactualky get closer to the truth as a result as well… we need to get out of echo chambers and talk to those we disagree with… it’s going to be a long, hard process but without trying the game is up…. I’m currently in the process of healing the wounds in family caused by the vaccine divide (I’m the only member of my family who has chosen not to get vaccinated — something that until recently was a fairly intense cause of anxiety for my parents especially… but we’re talking about it now — it’s hard, but we’re making headway… all the best Greg and thanks Andy for sharing your work here…
Thanks for your comment and glad you enjoyed the talk. If you haven’t already seen my video ‘COVID-9/11: A Warning From History’, check it out. I’d be interested to know what you think. Aside from the obvious parallels in terms of problem-reaction-solution, the main commonalities I have observed are in terms of a shift in consciousness and awareness. I know people who have gone through what you have regarding family feuds, so good luck with that for a better future.
What a rational discussion that was.
I appreciated the subtle RAW influence in saying that every perception is a gamble.
It’s true that the ¨mainstream narrative¨ is very forgiving of insults or threats geared towards people who choose to think different about the covid situation. A lot of the things I hear could not be said about different groups in society.
A point I’d like to make is the concept of how fast the information is spread in 2021. I would argue that it’s an illusion.
I have been thinking a lot about this, especially about music. Think about how the music changed from the 50’s to the 70’s. It’s world apart. How about the music from 2000’s to 2020’s . Yes, we have quicker access to music, but culturally nothing really changed significantly . This applies to anything I think. I seems culture morphed faster before. Besides social media and new apps, nothing really evolved in the last few years. Information might spread faster, but not the information that matters….
Hi there. Thanks for your comment and glad you enjoyed the talk. I don’t think the RAW influence was conscious but of course it’s there! And yes, the MSM happily demonize dissenters today in a way that would be utterly reprehensible applied to certain groups and / or minorities who have suffered such in the past. I think information transfer and cultural evolution are two different things. Information certainly moves faster then ever now but yes, much culture has been in a quagmire since the turn of the millennium.
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