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| conspiracy theories and unpopular culture: Kubrick's Code Isaac Weishaupt, 2014-12-25 In this book, author and independent researcher Isaac Weishaupt presents hundreds of images and analysis from Stanley Kubrick's most popular films- 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, and Eyes Wide Shut. Learn all about the conspiracy theory of the secret message Kubrick tried to convey about the occult and the Illuminati before his untimely passing. This book lays out examples of scenes and covertly placed messages and themes within Kubrick's films that supports the idea he was privy to the Illuminati secret agenda. The full-color images taken directly from the films are explained with analysis that suggests Kubrick knew much more than many people believe. This book contains some adult themes, but some images (specifically the Eyes Wide Shut scenes) have been edited to ensure no full nudity. |
| conspiracy theories and unpopular culture: Unpopular Culture John Weeks, 2004 John R. Weeks based his study on long-term observations made at the British Armstrong Bank in the UK. Not one person, from the CEOs to the junior clerks had anything good to say about its corporate culture, yet the way things were done never seemed to alter. |
| conspiracy theories and unpopular culture: Knowledge Goes Pop Clare Birchall, 2006-09-05 A voice on late night radio tells you that a fast food restaurant injects its food with drugs that make men impotent. A colleague asks if you think the FBI was in on 9/11. An alien abductee on the Internet claims extra-terrestrials have planted a microchip in her body. Julia Roberts in Porn Scandal shouts the front page of a gossip mag. A spiritual healer claims he can cure chronic fatigue syndrome with the energizing power of crystals . . . What do you believe? Knowledge Goes Pop examines the popular knowledges that saturate our everyday experience. We make this information and then it shapes the way we see the world. How valid is it when compared to official knowledge and why does such (mis)information cause so much institutional anxiety? This book examines the range of knowledge, from conspiracy theory to plain gossip, and its role and impact in our culture. |
| conspiracy theories and unpopular culture: The Star Wars Conspiracy: Hidden Occult and Illuminati Symbolism of Aliens and the New Age Isaac Weishaupt, 2016-10-26 In this revealing analysis of the entire Star Wars film collection; conspiracy theorist Isaac Weishaupt explains the hidden occult messages that are the true agenda of the mysterious shadow group referred to as the Illuminati. Weishaupt uses examples from the Star Wars films to breakdown the future goals of the Illuminati and the world they are attempting to create for themselves as part of their evolution of consciousness. This is ultimately a ruse from the deceptive fallen angels and demons that we've been warned about...The Star Wars epic takes the audience through occult dogma with various lessons including duality and the battle between light and dark (explained through The Force), Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey, Aleister Crowley's beliefs in ritual magick through disembodied spirits (akin to the Jedi Masters), New Age founder Helena Blavatsky's & Adolf Hitler's belief in the Super-Man with latent internal powers, and the necessary destruction of Christianity as part of the future world religion.Transhumanism, Atlantis, global consciousness, destruction of the family unit, and many others lessons are wrapped up and hidden within the Star Wars tale; which are occult scripture being readily consumed by today's entertainment-obsessed masses. The planned deception of alien life forms and extraterrestrial depictions in Star Wars are paving the way for future rigged revelations of evolved alien entities that are truly demons in disguise...The veiled messages of Star Wars comes to the light as Isaac Weishaupt breaks down the truth behind balancing The Force. How does one balance two opposing principles by destroying one side- the dark side'... Weishaupt will reveal the true intentions of George Lucas & Gary Kurtz and the Luciferian doctrine that guided them.Disney's four billion dollar procurement of the Star Wars franchise places them right where they desire; programming the minds of the youth to accept this future world which is a deceptive lie in which the followers are led down the Kabbalah Tree of Life and through it's dark center: The Abyss of Da'ath, symbolized as Darth Vader in Star Wars.Don't let the religion of Star Wars infiltrate and possess your mind without first considering the true teachings insidiously hidden within this Promethean tale of occultism... |
| conspiracy theories and unpopular culture: Anticapitalism and Culture Jeremy Gilbert, 2008-10-15 What does 'anticapitalism' really mean for the politics and culture of the twenty-first century? Anticapitalism is an idea which, despite going global, remains rooted in the local, persisting as a loose collection of grassroots movements and actions. Anti-capitalism needs to develop a coherent and cohering philosophy, something which cultural theory and the intellectual legacy of the New Left can help to provide, notably through the work of key radical thinkers, such as Ernesto Laclau, Stuart Hall, Antonio Negri, Gilles Deleuze and Judith Butler. Anticapitalism and Culture argues that there is a strong relationship between the radical tradition of cultural studies and the new political movements which try to resist corporate globalization. Indeed, the two need each other: whilst theory can shape and direct the huge diversity of anticapitalist activism, the energy and sheer political engagement of the anticapitalist movement can breathe new life into cultural studies. |
| conspiracy theories and unpopular culture: Nerd Ecology: Defending the Earth with Unpopular Culture Anthony Lioi, 2016-10-20 This book is available as open access through the Bloomsbury Open Access programme and is available on www.bloomsburycollections.com. Drawing on a wide range of examples from literature, comics, film, television and digital media, Nerd Ecology is the first substantial ecocritical study of nerd culture's engagement with environmental issues. Exploring such works as Star Trek, Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, The Matrix, Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly, the fiction of Thomas Pynchon, The Hunger Games, and superhero comics such as Green Lantern and X-Men, Anthony Lioi maps out the development of nerd culture and its intersections with the most fundamental ecocritical themes. In this way Lioi finds in the narratives of unpopular culture - narratives in which marginalised individuals and communities unite to save the planet - the building blocks of a new environmental politics in tune with the concerns of contemporary ecocritical theory and practice. |
| conspiracy theories and unpopular culture: Conspiracy Theories & Unpopular Culture Isaac Weishaupt, 2020 Inspired by the most popular subjects on Isaac Weishaupt's podcast...this book explores familiar topics that have an insidious truth hidden from the masses. Using occult doctrine cited from Freemasonry, Kabbalah, and Gnosticism; Isaac guides the reader through the symbolism of the concepts most frequently discussed by the conspiracy theory community. --page [4] of cover |
| conspiracy theories and unpopular culture: Weird Stuff Jamie Hanshaw, 2016-01-04 From the Gates of Babylon to the Kodak Center, what does Hollywood have in common with the creation of civilization? Where there is royalty there are subjects and slaves. Learn how pop culture is a magickal spell leading humanity down the path of social Darwinian stratification and class warfare. See how the military uses the entertainment industry for propaganda and covert operations. Are celebrities victims of mind control? Who is the Scarlet Woman and how many times can she be incarnated at one awards ceremony? Learn about the revelation of the occult method, the Super Bowl-Grammy Ritual Spectacular, and much more! |
| conspiracy theories and unpopular culture: The Illuminati Jim Marrs, 2017-05-22 A deep dive into the origins, history, members, and workings of the Illuminati from a well-known and respected expert. Chilling initiations. Big banks and money manipulations. Possible links to the Rockefellers, Rothschilds, Adamses, and Bushes. Reviewing the evidence, documents, and connections, The Illuminati: The Secret Society That Hijacked the World by award-winning journalist and author Jim Marrs shines a light on the history, workings, continuing influence, and pernicious and hidden power of this secret order. Surveying experts—from those who dismiss the Illuminati as a short-lived group of little consequence to skeptics who dare question the government's accounts and pronouncements—Marrs cuts through the wild speculation and the attempts to silence critical thinkers to tell the true story of this secret cabal. Gnosticism, mystery schools, the Roshaniya, Knights Templar, assassins, Rosicrucians, Skull and Bones, Knights of Malta, whistle blowers, the revolutions in France, Russia, and America, and the structure, symbols, and theology of the Illuminati are all covered. Marrs takes a broad look at the group and their workings, investigating their origin as “The Ancient and Illuminated Seers of Bavaria,” the depiction on the United States one-dollar bill of an all-seeing eye and pyramid on the reverse of the Great Seal of the United States, and the Protocols—or procedures—for usurping national governments and gaining world domination, as well as the Illuminati symbolism found in today's international corporate logos. Wealth, power, and intrigue come together in this in-depth exposé on the Illuminati, their history, connections to influential people, and their place in modern America. The Illuminati lifts the cloaks of secrecy protecting the powerful. |
| conspiracy theories and unpopular culture: It's Just a Jump to the Left... Isaac Weishaupt, 2016-03-04 ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK!!Prepare to take a journey into the hidden realm of the occult as your host, Isaac Weishaupt, explores the vast conspiracy that is cleverly hidden in this beloved cult classic of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.The annual rituals on the pagan holiday of Samhain draw its viewers into a world of sex magick and Luciferian doctrine through the Time Warp dance and virgin sacrifices...Learn how Brad, Janet, Riff Raff, and Frank N Furter all play a part in this age old belief in the perfected form of mankind.The hidden secret teachings of Kabbalah, Alchemy, transhumanism and the satanic worship of the Prometheus are laid out for all to see in this revealing book...The author is the founder and owner of IlluminatiWatcher.com and he has authored several books on subjects surrounding the occult and the elusive Illuminati. Years of public speaking on radio shows and podcasts have led Isaac on a journey of self exploration and understanding of the occult from a unique perspective that seeks to understand the big agenda and help others along the way. |
| conspiracy theories and unpopular culture: The Death of Expertise Tom Nichols, 2017-02-01 Technology and increasing levels of education have exposed people to more information than ever before. These societal gains, however, have also helped fuel a surge in narcissistic and misguided intellectual egalitarianism that has crippled informed debates on any number of issues. Today, everyone knows everything: with only a quick trip through WebMD or Wikipedia, average citizens believe themselves to be on an equal intellectual footing with doctors and diplomats. All voices, even the most ridiculous, demand to be taken with equal seriousness, and any claim to the contrary is dismissed as undemocratic elitism. Tom Nichols' The Death of Expertise shows how this rejection of experts has occurred: the openness of the internet, the emergence of a customer satisfaction model in higher education, and the transformation of the news industry into a 24-hour entertainment machine, among other reasons. Paradoxically, the increasingly democratic dissemination of information, rather than producing an educated public, has instead created an army of ill-informed and angry citizens who denounce intellectual achievement. When ordinary citizens believe that no one knows more than anyone else, democratic institutions themselves are in danger of falling either to populism or to technocracy or, in the worst case, a combination of both. An update to the 2017breakout hit, the paperback edition of The Death of Expertise provides a new foreword to cover the alarming exacerbation of these trends in the aftermath of Donald Trump's election. Judging from events on the ground since it first published, The Death of Expertise issues a warning about the stability and survival of modern democracy in the Information Age that is even more important today. |
| conspiracy theories and unpopular culture: Conspiracy Theories Joseph E. Uscinski, 2020-01-15 Conspiracy theories are a part of the human condition. Everyone believes at least one, but given the number of conspiracy theories, it is more likely that everyone believes a few. Some people have a worldview defined by them. Conspiracy theories are just another reminder that people disagree about many things, including truth. These disagreements have always existed and always will. We have to live with conspiracy theories and with the people who believe them. The only way to do this is have compassion and tolerance for others, and to hold our own beliefs to high standards. This book introduces students to the research into conspiracy theories and the people who propagate and believe them. In doing so, it addresses the psychological, sociological, and political sources of conspiracy theorizing Uscinski rigorously analyzes the most current arguments and evidence while providing numerous real-world examples so students can contextualize the current debates. Each chapter addresses important current questions, provides conceptual tools, defines important terms, and introduces the appropriate methods of analysis. |
| conspiracy theories and unpopular culture: A Culture of Conspiracy Michael Barkun, 2013-08-15 American society has changed dramatically since A Culture of Conspiracy was first published in 2001. In this revised and expanded edition, Michael Barkun delves deeper into America's conspiracy sub-culture, exploring the rise of 9/11 conspiracy theories, the birther controversy surrounding Barack Obama's American citizenship, and how the conspiracy landscape has changed with the rise of the Internet and other new media. What do UFO believers, Christian millennialists, and right-wing conspiracy theorists have in common? According to Michael Barkun in this fascinating yet disturbing book, quite a lot. It is well known that some Americans are obsessed with conspiracies. The Kennedy assassination, the Oklahoma City bombing, and the 2001 terrorist attacks have all generated elaborate stories of hidden plots. What is far less known is the extent to which conspiracist worldviews have recently become linked in strange and unpredictable ways with other fringe notions such as a belief in UFOs, Nostradamus, and the Illuminati. Unraveling the extraordinary genealogies and permutations of these increasingly widespread ideas, Barkun shows how this web of urban legends has spread among subcultures on the Internet and through mass media, how a new style of conspiracy thinking has recently arisen, and how this phenomenon relates to larger changes in American culture. This book, written by a leading expert on the subject, is the most comprehensive and authoritative examination of contemporary American conspiracism to date. Barkun discusses a range of material-involving inner-earth caves, government black helicopters, alien abductions, secret New World Order cabals, and much more-that few realize exists in our culture. Looking closely at the manifestations of these ideas in a wide range of literature and source material from religious and political literature, to New Age and UFO publications, to popular culture phenomena such as The X-Files, and to websites, radio programs, and more, Barkun finds that America is in the throes of an unrivaled period of millenarian activity. His book underscores the importance of understanding why this phenomenon is now spreading into more mainstream segments of American culture. |
| conspiracy theories and unpopular culture: American Conspiracy Theories Joseph E. Uscinski, Joseph M. Parent, 2014 Conspiracies theories are some of the most striking features in the American political landscape: the Kennedy assassination, aliens at Roswell, subversion by Masons, Jews, Catholics, or communists, and modern movements like Birtherism and Trutherism. But what do we really know about conspiracy theories? Do they share general causes? Are they becoming more common? More dangerous? Who is targeted and why? Who are the conspiracy theorists? How has technology affected conspiracy theorising? This book offers the first century-long view of these issues. |
| conspiracy theories and unpopular culture: The Comfort Women C. Sarah Soh, 2020-05-15 In an era marked by atrocities perpetrated on a grand scale, the tragedy of the so-called comfort women—mostly Korean women forced into prostitution by the Japanese army—endures as one of the darkest events of World War II. These women have usually been labeled victims of a war crime, a simplistic view that makes it easy to pin blame on the policies of imperial Japan and therefore easier to consign the episode to a war-torn past. In this revelatory study, C. Sarah Soh provocatively disputes this master narrative. Soh reveals that the forces of Japanese colonialism and Korean patriarchy together shaped the fate of Korean comfort women—a double bind made strikingly apparent in the cases of women cast into sexual slavery after fleeing abuse at home. Other victims were press-ganged into prostitution, sometimes with the help of Korean procurers. Drawing on historical research and interviews with survivors, Soh tells the stories of these women from girlhood through their subjugation and beyond to their efforts to overcome the traumas of their past. Finally, Soh examines the array of factors— from South Korean nationalist politics to the aims of the international women’s human rights movement—that have contributed to the incomplete view of the tragedy that still dominates today. |
| conspiracy theories and unpopular culture: Culture of Conspiracy Michael Barkun, 2003-11-07 What do UFO believers, Christian millennialists, and right-wing conspiracy theorists have in common? According to Michael Barkun in this fascinating yet disturbing book, quite a lot. It is well known that some Americans are obsessed with conspiracies. The Kennedy assassination, the Oklahoma City bombing, and the 2001 terrorist attacks have all generated elaborate stories of hidden plots. What is far less known is the extent to which conspiracist worldviews have recently become linked in strange and unpredictable ways with other fringe notions such as a belief in UFOs, Nostradamus, and the Illuminati. Unraveling the extraordinary genealogies and permutations of these increasingly widespread ideas, Barkun shows how this web of urban legends has spread among subcultures on the Internet and through mass media, how a new style of conspiracy thinking has recently arisen, and how this phenomenon relates to larger changes in American culture. This book, written by a leading expert on the subject, is the most comprehensive and authoritative examination of contemporary American conspiracism to date. Barkun discusses a range of material—involving inner-earth caves, government black helicopters, alien abductions, secret New World Order cabals, and much more—that few realize exists in our culture. Looking closely at the manifestions of these ideas in a wide range of literature and source material from religious and political literature, to New Age and UFO publications, to popular culture phenomena such as The X-Files, and to websites, radio programs, and more, Barkun finds that America is in the throes of an unrivaled period of millennarian activity. His book underscores the importance of understanding why this phenomenon is now spreading into more mainstream segments of American culture. |
| conspiracy theories and unpopular culture: The End Is Always Near Dan Carlin, 2019-10-29 Now a New York Times Bestseller. The creator of the wildly popular award-winning podcast Hardcore History looks at some of the apocalyptic moments from the past as a way to frame the challenges of the future. Do tough times create tougher people? Can humanity handle the power of its weapons without destroying itself? Will human technology or capabilities ever peak or regress? No one knows the answers to such questions, but no one asks them in a more interesting way than Dan Carlin. In The End is Always Near, Dan Carlin looks at questions and historical events that force us to consider what sounds like fantasy; that we might suffer the same fate that all previous eras did. Will our world ever become a ruin for future archaeologists to dig up and explore? The questions themselves are both philosophical and like something out of The Twilight Zone. Combining his trademark mix of storytelling, history and weirdness Dan Carlin connects the past and future in fascinating and colorful ways. At the same time the questions he asks us to consider involve the most important issue imaginable: human survival. From the collapse of the Bronze Age to the challenges of the nuclear era the issue has hung over humanity like a persistent Sword of Damocles. Inspired by his podcast, The End is Always Near challenges the way we look at the past and ourselves. In this absorbing compendium, Carlin embarks on a whole new set of stories and major cliffhangers that will keep readers enthralled. Idiosyncratic and erudite, offbeat yet profound, The End is Always Near examines issues that are rarely presented, and makes the past immediately relevant to our very turbulent present. |
| conspiracy theories and unpopular culture: Fantasyland Kurt Andersen, 2017-09-05 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “The single most important explanation, and the fullest explanation, of how Donald Trump became president of the United States . . . nothing less than the most important book that I have read this year.”—Lawrence O’Donnell How did we get here? In this sweeping, eloquent history of America, Kurt Andersen shows that what’s happening in our country today—this post-factual, “fake news” moment we’re all living through—is not something new, but rather the ultimate expression of our national character. America was founded by wishful dreamers, magical thinkers, and true believers, by hucksters and their suckers. Fantasy is deeply embedded in our DNA. Over the course of five centuries—from the Salem witch trials to Scientology to the Satanic Panic of the 1980s, from P. T. Barnum to Hollywood and the anything-goes, wild-and-crazy sixties, from conspiracy theories to our fetish for guns and obsession with extraterrestrials—our love of the fantastic has made America exceptional in a way that we've never fully acknowledged. From the start, our ultra-individualism was attached to epic dreams and epic fantasies—every citizen was free to believe absolutely anything, or to pretend to be absolutely anybody. With the gleeful erudition and tell-it-like-it-is ferocity of a Christopher Hitchens, Andersen explores whether the great American experiment in liberty has gone off the rails. Fantasyland could not appear at a more perfect moment. If you want to understand Donald Trump and the culture of twenty-first-century America, if you want to know how the lines between reality and illusion have become dangerously blurred, you must read this book. NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE “This is a blockbuster of a book. Take a deep breath and dive in.”—Tom Brokaw “[An] absorbing, must-read polemic . . . a provocative new study of America’s cultural history.”—Newsday “Compelling and totally unnerving.”—The Village Voice “A frighteningly convincing and sometimes uproarious picture of a country in steep, perhaps terminal decline that would have the founding fathers weeping into their beards.”—The Guardian “This is an important book—the indispensable book—for understanding America in the age of Trump.”—Walter Isaacson, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Leonardo da Vinci |
| conspiracy theories and unpopular culture: Escaping the Rabbit Hole Mick West, 2023-06-20 Revised and updated for the first time in 2023—Now includes strategies for debunking conspiracies regarding the coronavirus pandemic, election fraud, QAnon, UFOs, and more. The Earth is flat, the World Trade Center collapse was a controlled demolition, planes are spraying poison to control the weather, and actors faked the Sandy Hook massacre. All these claims are bunk: falsehoods, mistakes, and in some cases, outright lies. But many people passionately believe one or more of these conspiracy theories. They consume countless books and videos, join like-minded online communities, try to convert those around them, and even, on occasion, alienate their own friends and family. Why is this, and how can you help people, especially those closest to you, break free from the downward spiral of conspiracy thinking? In Escaping the Rabbit Hole, author Mick West shares over a decade’s worth of knowledge and experience investigating and debunking false conspiracy theories through his forum, MetaBunk.org, and sets forth a practical guide to helping friends and loved ones recognize these theories for what they really are. Perhaps counter-intuitively, the most successful approaches to helping individuals escape a rabbit hole aren’t comprised of simply explaining why they are wrong; rather, West’s tried-and-tested approach emphasizes clear communication based on mutual respect, honesty, openness, and patience. West puts his debunking techniques and best practices to the test with the most popular false conspiracy theories today (Chemtrails, The Coronavirus Pandemic, 9/11 Controlled Demolition, Election Fraud, False Flags, Flat Earth, The Rising of QAnon, and UFOs)—providing road maps to help you to understand your friend and help them escape the rabbit hole. These are accompanied by real-life case studies of individuals who, with help, were able to break free from conspiracism. With sections on: the wide spectrum of conspiracy theories avoiding the “shill” label psychological factors and other complications (and concluding with) a look at the future of debunking Mick West has put forth a conclusive, well-researched, practical reference on why people fall down the conspiracy theory rabbit hole and how you can help them escape. |
| conspiracy theories and unpopular culture: Culture and Imperialism Edward W. Said, 2012-10-24 A landmark work from the author of Orientalism that explores the long-overlooked connections between the Western imperial endeavor and the culture that both reflected and reinforced it. Grandly conceived . . . urgently written and urgently needed. . . . No one studying the relations between the metropolitan West and the decolonizing world can ignore Mr. Said's work.' --The New York Times Book Review In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, as the Western powers built empires that stretched from Australia to the West Indies, Western artists created masterpieces ranging from Mansfield Park to Heart of Darkness and Aida. Yet most cultural critics continue to see these phenomena as separate. Edward Said looks at these works alongside those of such writers as W. B. Yeats, Chinua Achebe, and Salman Rushdie to show how subject peoples produced their own vigorous cultures of opposition and resistance. Vast in scope and stunning in its erudition, Culture and Imperialism reopens the dialogue between literature and the life of its time. |
| conspiracy theories and unpopular culture: Nationalism and Culture Rudolf Rocker, 1998 An important contribution to our thought about human society. A classic, long out of print. |
| conspiracy theories and unpopular culture: The Secret History of the Jersey Devil Brian Regal, Frank J. Esposito, 2019-07-30 A provocative look at the mystery surrounding the Jersey Devil, a beast born of colonial times that haunts the corners of the Pine Barrens—and the American imagination—to this day. Legend has it that in 1735, a witch named Mother Leeds gave birth to a horrifying monster—a deformed flying horse with glowing red eyes—that flew up the chimney of her New Jersey home and disappeared into the Pine Barrens. Ever since, this nightmarish beast has haunted those woods, presaging catastrophe and frightening innocent passersby—or so the story goes. In The Secret History of the Jersey Devil, Brian Regal and Frank J. Esposito examine the genesis of this popular myth, which is one of the oldest monster legends in the United States. According to Regal and Esposito, everything you think you know about the Jersey Devil is wrong. The real story of the Jersey Devil's birth is far more interesting, complex, and important than most people—believers and skeptics alike—realize. Leaving the Pine Barrens, Regal and Esposito turn instead to the varied political and cultural roots of the Devil's creation. Fascinating and lively, this book finds the origins of New Jersey's favorite monster not in witchcraft or an unnatural liaison between woman and devil but in the bare-knuckled political fights and religious upheavals of colonial America. A product of innuendo and rumor, as well as scandal and media hype, the Jersey Devil enjoys a rich history involving land grabs, astrological predictions, mermaids and dinosaur bones, sideshows, Napoleon Bonaparte's brother, a cross-dressing royal governor, and Founding Father Benjamin Franklin. |
| conspiracy theories and unpopular culture: Democracy and Truth Sophia Rosenfeld, 2018-11-26 Fake news, wild conspiracy theories, misleading claims, doctored photos, lies peddled as facts, facts dismissed as lies—citizens of democracies increasingly inhabit a public sphere teeming with competing claims and counterclaims, with no institution or person possessing the authority to settle basic disputes in a definitive way. The problem may be novel in some of its details—including the role of today's political leaders, along with broadcast and digital media, in intensifying the epistemic anarchy—but the challenge of determining truth in a democratic world has a backstory. In this lively and illuminating book, historian Sophia Rosenfeld explores a longstanding and largely unspoken tension at the heart of democracy between the supposed wisdom of the crowd and the need for information to be vetted and evaluated by a learned elite made up of trusted experts. What we are witnessing now is the unraveling of the détente between these competing aspects of democratic culture. In four bracing chapters, Rosenfeld substantiates her claim by tracing the history of the vexed relationship between democracy and truth. She begins with an examination of the period prior to the eighteenth-century Age of Revolutions, where she uncovers the political and epistemological foundations of our democratic world. Subsequent chapters move from the Enlightenment to the rise of both populist and technocratic notions of democracy between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries to the troubling trends—including the collapse of social trust—that have led to the rise of our post-truth public life. Rosenfeld concludes by offering suggestions for how to defend the idea of truth against the forces that would undermine it. |
| conspiracy theories and unpopular culture: The Shock Doctrine Naomi Klein, 2014-10-02 'Impassioned, hugely informative, wonderfully controversial, and scary as hell' John le Carré Around the world in Britain, the United States, Asia and the Middle East, there are people with power who are cashing in on chaos; exploiting bloodshed and catastrophe to brutally remake our world in their image. They are the shock doctors. Exposing these global profiteers, Naomi Klein discovered information and connections that shocked even her about how comprehensively the shock doctors' beliefs now dominate our world - and how this domination has been achieved. Raking in billions out of the tsunami, plundering Russia, exploiting Iraq - this is the chilling tale of how a few are making a killing while more are getting killed. 'Packed with thinking dynamite ... a book to be read everywhere' John Berger 'If you only read one non-fiction book this year, make it this one' Metro Books of the Year 'There are a few books that really help us understand the present. The Shock Doctrine is one of those books' John Gray, Guardian 'A brilliant book written with a perfectly distilled anger, channelled through hard fact. She has indeed surpassed No Logo' Independent |
| conspiracy theories and unpopular culture: The Handbook of Negotiation and Culture Michele J. Gelfand, Jeanne M. Brett, 2004-07-28 In the global marketplace, negotiation frequently takes place across cultural boundaries, yet negotiation theory has traditionally been grounded in Western culture. This book, which provides an in-depth review of the field of negotiation theory, expands current thinking to include cross-cultural perspectives. The contents of the book reflect the diversity of negotiation—research-negotiator cognition, motivation, emotion, communication, power and disputing, intergroup relationships, third parties, justice, technology, and social dilemmas—and provides new insight into negotiation theory, questioning assumptions, expanding constructs, and identifying limits not apparent from working exclusively within one culture. The book is organized in three sections and pairs chapters on negotiation theory with chapters on culture. The first part emphasizes psychological processes—cognition, motivation, and emotion. Part II examines the negotiation process. The third part emphasizes the social context of negotiation. A final chapter synthesizes the main themes of the book to illustrate how scholars and practitioners can capitalize on the synergy between culture and negotiation research. |
| conspiracy theories and unpopular culture: Truth in a Culture of Doubt Andreas J. Köstenberger, Darrell L. Bock, Joshua D. Chatraw, 2014-09-01 All too often Christians, and even Christian leaders, don’t know how to deal with skeptical challenges of the Bible and the Christian faith. Few churches address the historical questions about the Bible and the theological questions concerning the God who, believers claim, has inspired the Bible. Too often Christian scholarship has been kept at arm’s length and even viewed with suspicion by the church. Speaking and writing in this kind of environment, Bart Ehrman—professor at UNC-Chapel Hill and author of four New York Times bestsellers—has found a captive audience. Ehrman’s popularity is due in large part to the fact that he is talking about things most people never learned about in church. Some have long given up on Christianity, and Ehrman is only reinforcing their decision to depart from their Christian upbringing. Others are trying to reconcile their faith with rational arguments and find Ehrman’s books both interesting and disturbing if not appealing. Truth in a Culture of Doubt takes a closer look at the key arguments skeptical scholars such as Ehrman keep repeating in radio interviews, debates, and in his their popular writings. If you are looking for insightful responses to critical arguments from a biblical perspective, easily accessible and thoughtfully presented, this book is for you. This is the first book to provide a comprehensive response to Ehrman’s popular works. It is presented in such a way that readers can either read straight through the book or use it as a reference when particular questions arise. Responding to skeptical scholars such as Ehrman, Truth in a Culture of Doubt takes readers on a journey to explain topics such as the Bible’s origins, the copying of the Bible, alleged contradictions in Scripture, and the relationship between God and evil. Written for all serious students of Scripture, this book will enable you to know how to respond to a wide variety of critical arguments raised against the reliability of Scripture and the truthfulness of Christianity. |
| conspiracy theories and unpopular culture: A Demon-Haunted Land Monica Black, 2020-11-17 A revelatory counterhistory of postwar Germany, not as a reborn democracy but as a nation convulsed by apocalyptic visions, witchcraft trials, and supernatural obsessions In the aftermath of World War II, a succession of mass supernatural events swept through war-torn Germany. A messianic faith healer rose to extraordinary fame, prayer groups performed exorcisms, and enormous crowds traveled to witness apparitions of the Virgin Mary. Most strikingly, scores of people accused their neighbors of witchcraft, and found themselves in turn hauled into court on charges of defamation, assault, and even murder. What linked these events, in the wake of an annihilationist war and the Holocaust, was a widespread preoccupation with evil. While many histories emphasize Germany’s rapid transition from genocidal dictatorship to liberal democracy, A Demon-Haunted Land places in full view the toxic mistrust, profound bitterness, and spiritual malaise that unfolded alongside the economic miracle. Drawing on previously unpublished archival materials, acclaimed historian Monica Black argues that the surge of supernatural obsessions stemmed from the unspoken guilt and shame of a nation remarkably silent about what was euphemistically called “the most recent past.” This shadow history irrevocably changes our view of postwar Germany, revealing the country’s fraught emotional life, deep moral disquiet, and the cost of trying to bury a horrific legacy. |
| conspiracy theories and unpopular culture: The Nature of Conspiracy Theories Michael Butter, 2020-12-07 Conspiracy theories seem to be proliferating today. Long relegated to a niche existence, conspiracy theories are now pervasive, and older conspiracy theories have been joined by a constant stream of new ones – that the USA carried out the 9/11 attacks itself, that the Ukrainian crisis was orchestrated by NATO, that we are being secretly controlled by a New World Order that keep us docile via chemtrails and vaccinations. Not to mention the moon landing that never happened. But what are conspiracy theories and why do people believe them? Have they always existed or are they something new, a feature of our modern world? In this book Michael Butter provides a clear and comprehensive introduction to the nature and development of conspiracy theories. Contrary to popular belief, he shows that conspiracy theories are less popular and influential today than they were in the past. Up to the 1950s, the Western world regarded conspiracy theories as a legitimate form of knowledge and it was therefore normal to believe in them. It was only after the Second World War that this knowledge was delegitimized, causing conspiracy theories to be banished from public discourse and relegated to subcultures. The recent renaissance of conspiracy theories is linked to internet which gives them wider exposure and contributes to the fragmentation of the public sphere. Conspiracy theories are still stigmatized today in many sections of mainstream culture but are being accepted once again as legitimate knowledge in others. It is the clash between these domains and their different conceptions of truth that is fuelling the current debate over conspiracy theories. |
| conspiracy theories and unpopular culture: Real Enemies Kathryn S. Olmsted, 2009-01-02 Many Americans believe that their own government is guilty of shocking crimes. Government agents shot the president. They faked the moon landing. They stood by and allowed the murders of 2,400 servicemen in Hawaii. Although paranoia has been a feature of the American scene since the birth of the Republic, in Real Enemies Kathryn Olmsted shows that it was only in the twentieth century that strange and unlikely conspiracy theories became central to American politics. In particular, she posits World War I as a critical turning point and shows that as the federal bureaucracy expanded, Americans grew more fearful of the government itself--the military, the intelligence community, and even the President. Analyzing the wide-spread suspicions surrounding such events as Pearl Harbor, the JFK assassination, Watergate, and 9/11, Olmsted sheds light on why so many Americans believe that their government conspires against them, why more people believe these theories over time, and how real conspiracies--such as the infamous Northwoods plan--have fueled our paranoia about the governments we ourselves elect. |
| conspiracy theories and unpopular culture: Routledge Handbook of Conspiracy Theories Michael Butter, Peter Knight, 2020-02-17 Taking a global and interdisciplinary approach, the Routledge Handbook of Conspiracy Theories provides a comprehensive overview of conspiracy theories as an important social, cultural and political phenomenon in contemporary life. This handbook provides the most complete analysis of the phenomenon to date. It analyses conspiracy theories from a variety of perspectives, using both qualitative and quantitative methods. It maps out the key debates, and includes chapters on the historical origins of conspiracy theories, as well as their political significance in a broad range of countries and regions. Other chapters consider the psychology and the sociology of conspiracy beliefs, in addition to their changing cultural forms, functions and modes of transmission. This handbook examines where conspiracy theories come from, who believes in them and what their consequences are. This book presents an important resource for students and scholars from a range of disciplines interested in the societal and political impact of conspiracy theories, including Area Studies, Anthropology, History, Media and Cultural Studies, Political Science, Psychology and Sociology. |
| conspiracy theories and unpopular culture: The 10 Worst of Everything Sam Jordison, 2020-03-24 Watch out for the people whose actions have earned them a place in this entertaining book! The 10 Worst of Everything is a celebration of failures, doom, disaster, mistakes, miscalculations, hubris, and folly from across a range of human endeavors—and when humans are involved, the potential for failure is great. This book includes chapters that focus on science, nature, pop culture, travel, and even romance. Each entertaining article will leave you shaking your head and wondering what these people were thinking. |
| conspiracy theories and unpopular culture: The Invisible Tapestry George D. Kuh, Elizabeth J. Whitt, 1988-02-13 The properties of institutional culture are identified, and the way cultural perspectives have been used to describe life in colleges and universities are examined. Seven sections cover the following: cultural perspectives (the warrant for the report, organizational rationality, the remaining sections); culture defined and described (toward a definition of culture, properties of culture, levels of culture); intellectual foundations of culture (anthropology, sociology); a framework for analyzing culture in higher education (the external environment, the institution, subcultures, individual actors); threads of institutional culture (historical roots and external influences, academic program, the personnel core, social environment, artifacts, distinctive themes, individual actors); institutional subcultures (faculty subculture, student culture, administrative subcultures); and implications of cultural perspectives (a summary of cultural properties, implications for practice, inquiry into culture in higher education). Techniques of inquiry appropriate for studying culture include observing participants, interviewing key informants, conducting autobiographical interviews, and analyzing documents. By viewing higher education institutions as cultural enterprises, it may be possible to learn how the college experience contributes to divisions of class, race, gender, and age within the institution as well as throughout society, how a college or university relates to its prospective, current, or former students, and how to deal more effectively with conflicts between competing interest groups. Contains over 340 references. (SM) |
| conspiracy theories and unpopular culture: End-Game Lorenzo DiTommaso, James Crossley, Alastair Lockhart, Rachel Wagner, 2024-09-02 Video games are a global phenomenon, international in their scope and democratic in their appeal. This is the first volume dedicated to the subject of apocalyptic video games. Its two dozen papers engage the subject comprehensively, from game design to player experience, and from the perspectives of content, theme, sound, ludic textures, and social function. The volume offers scholars, students, and general readers a thorough overview of this unique expression of the apocalyptic imagination in popular culture, and novel insights into an important facet of contemporary digital society. |
| conspiracy theories and unpopular culture: The Invention of Heterosexuality Jonathan Katz, 2007-06-15 Widely reviewed and praised in hardcover, this work is the first book to study the social construction of heterosexuality. This is a provocative re-examination of the very definitions of sexual identity--a valuable primer . . . misses no significant twists in sexual politics.--the Village Voice. |
| conspiracy theories and unpopular culture: Conspiracy Theories and the People Who Believe Them Joseph E. Uscinski, 2018-10-16 Conspiracy theories are inevitable in complex human societies. And while they have always been with us, their ubiquity in our political discourse is nearly unprecedented. Their salience has increased for a variety of reasons including the increasing access to information among ordinary people, a pervasive sense of powerlessness among those same people, and a widespread distrust of elites. Working in combination, these factors and many other factors are now propelling conspiracy theories into our public sphere on a vast scale. In recent years, scholars have begun to study this genuinely important phenomenon in a concerted way. In Conspiracy Theories and the People Who Believe Them, Joseph E. Uscinski has gathered forty top researchers on the topic to provide both the foundational tools and the evidence to better understand conspiracy theories in the United States and around the world. Each chapter is informed by three core questions: Why do so many people believe in conspiracy theories? What are the effects of such theories when they take hold in the public? What can or should be done about the phenomenon? Combining systematic analysis and cutting-edge empirical research, this volume will help us better understand an extremely important, yet relatively neglected, phenomenon. |
| conspiracy theories and unpopular culture: Social Psychology Robbie Sutton, Karen Douglas, 2019-11-12 The eagerly anticipated second edition of this popular textbook captures the excitement and relevance to everyday life of the fascinating and fast-moving field of social psychology. This book is a comprehensive and lively guide to the subject that extensively reappraises classic studies, highlights cutting-edge areas of research and provides fascinating examples of how social psychological theory and research apply to a wide range of real-world issues such as fake news, internet addiction and cyberbullying. Innovative interactive features, including 'exploring further' activities, 'applying social psychology' exercises and 'student project spotlights', place the student experience at the heart of this book. Its engaging and inclusive approach helps students to develop a strong and nuanced understanding of key topics in social psychology and also encourages broader skills that will help not only in their studies but their future careers. This is the ideal textbook for students studying social psychology. New to this Edition: - Thoroughly revised to highlight the most up-to-date research in the discipline and re-appraise classic studies, theories and perspectives on topics such as obedience, bystander intervention and the Stanford Prison Experiment. - The introductory chapter includes a new guide to critical thinking which outlines theory and research on what critical thinking involves and provides useful guidance for students on how to become effective critical thinkers. - Important coverage of the reproducibility of social psychological research. - More examples of how social psychological theory and research apply to current real-world issues such as fake news, internet addiction, human-animal relations, intergroup conflict, cyberbullying and politics. - Up-to-date coverage of the impact of online communication and social media on social psychological phenomena. - A distinctive final chapter summarising key points of wisdom in social psychology and skills that students can gain from their studies. Accompanying online resources for this title can be found at bloomsburyonlineresources.com/social-psychology-2e. These resources are designed to support teaching and learning when using this textbook and are available at no extra cost. |
| conspiracy theories and unpopular culture: Conspiracies and Conspiracy Theories in American History Christopher R. Fee, Jeffrey B. Webb, 2019-05-24 This up-to-date introduction to the complex world of conspiracies and conspiracy theories provides insight into why millions of people are so ready to believe the worst about our political, legal, religious, and financial institutions. Unsupported theories provide simple explanations for catastrophes that are otherwise difficult to understand, from the U.S. Civil War to the Stock Market Crash of 1929 to the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York. Ideas about shadowy networks that operate behind a cloak of secrecy, including real organizations like the CIA and the Mafia and imagined ones like the Illuminati, additionally provide a way for people to criticize prevailing political and economic arrangements, while for society's disadvantaged and forgotten groups, conspiracy theories make their suffering and alienation comprehensible and provide a focal point for their economic or political frustrations. These volumes detail the highly controversial and influential phenomena of conspiracies and conspiracy theories in American society. Through interpretive essays and factual accounts of various people, organizations, and ideas, the reader will gain a much greater appreciation for a set of beliefs about political scheming, covert intelligence gathering, and criminal rings that has held its grip on the minds of millions of American citizens and encouraged them to believe that the conspiracies may run deeper, and with a global reach. |
| conspiracy theories and unpopular culture: Total Recall Arnold Schwarzenegger, 2012-10-01 This enhanced edition of Total Recall holds 16 videos clips, including behind the scenes footage from Terminator 3, political speeches from the Governor years and clips from Pumping Iron. In this fully illustrated ebook, Arnold Schwarzenegger takes us through each of the 170+ photographs and narrates each image. In his signature larger-than-life style, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Total Recall is a revealing self-portrait of his illustrious, controversial and truly unique life. Born in a small Austrian town in 1947, a year of famine, he was the son of an austere police chief. He dreamed of moving to America to become a bodybuilding champion and a movie star. By the age of 21, he was living in Los Angeles and had been crowned Mr Universe. Within five years, he had learned English and become the greatest bodybuilder in the world. Within ten years, he had earned his college degree and was a millionaire from his business enterprises in real estate, landscaping and bodybuilding. He was also the winner of a Golden Globe Award for his debut as a dramatic actor in Stay Hungry. But that was only the beginning. The Terminator spawned numerous sequels and made him one of Hollywood's biggest stars, as he had a series of hit films including Predator, Total Recall, True Lies and Twins. He married Maria Shriver, becoming part of the Kennedy clan, while going on to become the Republican governor of California, where he led the state through a budget crisis, natural disasters and political turmoil. It is the greatest immigrant success story of our time. His story is unique, and uniquely entertaining, and he tells it brilliantly in these pages. Until now, he has never told the full story of his life, in his own voice. Here is Arnold, with total recall. |
| conspiracy theories and unpopular culture: The End of Gender Debra Soh, 2021-08-31 International sex researcher, neuroscientist, and frequent contributor to The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Debra Soh [discusses what she sees as] gender myths in this ... examination of the many facets of gender identity-- |
| conspiracy theories and unpopular culture: Psychology of Intelligence Analysis Richards J Heuer, 2020-03-05 In this seminal work, published by the C.I.A. itself, produced by Intelligence veteran Richards Heuer discusses three pivotal points. First, human minds are ill-equipped (poorly wired) to cope effectively with both inherent and induced uncertainty. Second, increased knowledge of our inherent biases tends to be of little assistance to the analyst. And lastly, tools and techniques that apply higher levels of critical thinking can substantially improve analysis on complex problems. |
CONSPIRACY Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
The meaning of CONSPIRACY is the act of conspiring together. How to use conspiracy in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Conspiracy.
Conspiracy - Wikipedia
A conspiracy, also known as a plot, ploy, or scheme, is a secret plan or agreement between people (called conspirers or conspirators) for an unlawful or harmful purpose, such as murder, …
CONSPIRACY | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
CONSPIRACY definition: 1. the activity of secretly planning with other people to do something bad or illegal: 2. a…. Learn more.
Conspiracy - Definition, Examples, Cases, Processes - Legal …
May 31, 2017 · A conspiracy is an agreement or plan, made between two or more people, to engage in an illegal act, to obtain an unlawful objective, or to deprive another person of his …
Conspiracy theory | Definition, Examples, & Facts | Britannica
Jun 4, 2025 · Conspiracy theory, an attempt to explain harmful or tragic events as the result of the actions of a small powerful group. Such explanations reject the accepted narrative surrounding …
CONSPIRACY definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary
A conspiracy is an agreement between a group of people which other people think is wrong or is likely to be harmful. It's all part of a conspiracy to move everything out of the town centre. He …
conspiracy noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage …
a secret plan by a group of people to do something harmful or illegal. They were charged with conspiracy to murder. He's the sort of person who sees a conspiracy around every corner. I …
What does CONSPIRACY mean? - Definitions.net
A conspiracy is a secret plan or agreement between two or more individuals or parties to commit an unlawful or harmful act, typically on a large scale. The act targeted may be carried out in …
List of conspiracy theories - Wikipedia
Conspiracy theorists claim that government agents are utilizing directed-energy weapons and electronic surveillance to harass members of the population. Theorists often cite research into …
Conspiracy | Definition, Examples & Cases | Britannica
conspiracy, in common law, an agreement between two or more persons to commit an unlawful act or to accomplish a lawful end by unlawful means. Conspiracy is perhaps the most …
CONSPIRACY Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
The meaning of CONSPIRACY is the act of conspiring together. How to use conspiracy in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Conspiracy.
Conspiracy - Wikipedia
A conspiracy, also known as a plot, ploy, or scheme, is a secret plan or agreement between people (called conspirers or conspirators) for an unlawful or harmful purpose, such as murder, treason, …
CONSPIRACY | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
CONSPIRACY definition: 1. the activity of secretly planning with other people to do something bad or illegal: 2. a…. Learn more.
Conspiracy - Definition, Examples, Cases, Processes - Legal …
May 31, 2017 · A conspiracy is an agreement or plan, made between two or more people, to engage in an illegal act, to obtain an unlawful objective, or to deprive another person of his legal rights. A …
Conspiracy theory | Definition, Examples, & Facts | Britannica
Jun 4, 2025 · Conspiracy theory, an attempt to explain harmful or tragic events as the result of the actions of a small powerful group. Such explanations reject the accepted narrative surrounding …
CONSPIRACY definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary
A conspiracy is an agreement between a group of people which other people think is wrong or is likely to be harmful. It's all part of a conspiracy to move everything out of the town centre. He …
conspiracy noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage …
a secret plan by a group of people to do something harmful or illegal. They were charged with conspiracy to murder. He's the sort of person who sees a conspiracy around every corner. I …
What does CONSPIRACY mean? - Definitions.net
A conspiracy is a secret plan or agreement between two or more individuals or parties to commit an unlawful or harmful act, typically on a large scale. The act targeted may be carried out in secret, …
List of conspiracy theories - Wikipedia
Conspiracy theorists claim that government agents are utilizing directed-energy weapons and electronic surveillance to harass members of the population. Theorists often cite research into …
Conspiracy | Definition, Examples & Cases | Britannica
conspiracy, in common law, an agreement between two or more persons to commit an unlawful act or to accomplish a lawful end by unlawful means. Conspiracy is perhaps the most amorphous …
