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Aug. 31, 2005 Daniel Pipes, a strident Jewish Zionist and Arab-hater, wrote a book entitled, “Conspiracy: How It Flourishes and Where It Comes From,” in which he traces in detail the genesis and evolution of conspiracy theories over the centuries. I read this book twice very carefully, trying to grasp the salient points of Pipes’ arguments in order to compose a review I was planning to submit to a magazine, but I dropped the project. So let me dash off a quick article now instead, just touching upon the important topics. Pipes has a Ph.D. from Harvard in history, and has taught at a number of universities. He also speaks Arabic and studied in Tunisia and Egypt for several years. He directs the Middle East Forum, a think tank. In his book, Pipes dissects dozens of little known and highly unimportant conspiracy theories of the last 700 or 800 years, like those attached to the Knights Templar and the Knights Hospitaler. For me, it’s an absolute bore to read about most of these. He also treats some better known and more recent groups brokering in conspiracy theories or about whom conspiracy theories have been formed by others, as, for example, the Jesuits, the Illuminati, the Freemasons, the Rosicrucians, the John Birch Society and the Council on Foreign Relations. The book also devotes quite a bit of verbiage to so-called anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, and he stresses the prevalency of such theories in Islamic countries. When Pipes says ‘conspiracy theories’, he means, according to his own statements, false theories on supposed conspiracies, rather than theories on conspiracies whether true or false, as the phrase suggests, so to call something a ‘conspiracy theory’, in his lexicon, is to call it false. This leads subtly to the notion that if something sounds like a conspiracy theory, it must be false. If that were the case, there would be no FBI or CIA, for they begin with probable cause, however tenuous it may seem to outsiders, and try to investigate the leads to form a theory to act upon. John F. Kennedy’s assassination is given special attention. I personally have never entertained any theory about Kennedy’s assassination whatsoever. Frankly, I couldn’t have cared less, one way or the other. The man died prematurely, unfortunately for him, but he lived a life of wealth and ease, attaining to distinction. Requiescat in pace. After all, he was just one man; the US has millions. Apparently, however, his assassination has been a hotbed of conspiracy theories, according to Pipes; I’ve never paid any mind, so I don’t know. But his conclusion is that it could not have been a conspiracy, for, in that case, hundreds would have had to be involved. I simply cannot understand why it had to be either one or hundreds. Why not two or six or ten? But this part of his book is just a filler, like soybeans in hamburger. I have heard some of the conspiracy theories surrounding the Jesuits, the Masons and the Illuminati, and perhaps in bygone times, these groups wielded a measure of power, but it’s hard to imagine an insightful modern observer who divines the unseen hand of these and similar groups at the helm of the world. This would be like trying to interpret today’s headlines by consulting the Book of Revelations. The Council on Foreign Relations is perhaps more influential, but I don’t pay it much mind either. The impartial reader cannot avoid thinking, however, that all the talk about these groups is just the backdrop for the enactment of the real denouement of Daniel Pipes’ tale. Pipes tries to lump all conspiracy theories together as a kind of paranoia of the semi-literate, so that when he gets to the subject of Jews, the reader will say to himself, “Oh, Jews are just another victim of these crazy delusions that have been going on for centuries all over the world, especially in Islamic countries.” Pipes recites some tales of human sacrifices and well-poisonings that were used in Medieval Europe to slander Jews, arguing that these are the true roots of today’s anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. I can’t speak for anyone else, but as for me, I never even heard of these human sacrifices and well-poisonings until I began to read Pipes and a few others of his ilk. Now that I do know of them, I am indifferent. I don’t know whether the tales are true or false, and I don’t care. A lot of people did a lot of things in bygone centuries. It all matters little today. Even if twelfth-century Jews sacrificed a couple of Christian girls, so what? That’s not the reason for the war in Iraq, for example. These sacrifices are not what put people like Perle, Feith, Wolfowitz, Wurmser, Shulsky, Abrams, Grossman and Libby in a position to engineer the invasion. These well-poisonings did not put journalists like Safire, Krauthammer, Pollack, Mylroie, Miller, Podhoretz, Kristol, May, Ledeen, Frum, Goldberg and Friedman on the mastheads. They did not engender the Levins, Eisners, Sulzbergers, Meyers, Perlstines, Zuckermans, Pulitzers and Kanns who dominate the media. One cannot open to the editorial page of any American newspaper without being bowled over by the Jewish names. Jews, making up 2.5% of the population, probably make up 25% or more of the most influential newsmen and manipulators. But show me all the Jesuits and Rosicrucians who are on the mastheads! There are none. Nor is the spotlight of the media upon the doings of the Masons or Illuminati. But look at all the coverage—almost 100% favorable—that the American mainstream media focus on Israel. Is this because Jesuits run the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal? Is it because Masons edit Time and US News and World Report? Pipes knows he’s lying. He too intelligent to adopt an approach so at odds with objectivity and statistics out of sheer stupidity. He cannot believe what he has written. He just expects others to believe him, as he subtly deflects criticism from the Jews. If I say I think that Jews instigated the Iraqi War, Pipes would answer sarcastically, “Yes, I know, and the Rosicrucians started World War II.” Pipes may sell shares in his bunk manufacturing facility to others, but I surely won’t buy any. I have to conclude that his book is nothing more than an exercise in word processing, devoid of all meaningful content. ------------ About the author Thomas Keyes: I have written two books: A SOJOURN IN ASIA (non-fiction) and A TALE OF UNG (fiction), neither published so far. I have studied languages for years and traveled extensively on five continents. Email: udikeyes@yahoo.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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