A Tranny becomes re-attached: A few notes on "conspiracy culture"

Mike Metzger, a leading figure within the New York 9/11 "truth" movement, has rejoined reality. Visit his blog, "Confessions of an Ex-Truther":

...I watched a movie called Screw Loose Change. I expected it to point out a few corrections in some minor details of the film. To my surprise, it contested just about every claim in the entire movie. I was a bit shocked.

There are no facts in the 9/11 Truth Movement. Just a lot of theories, which eventually break down to "hey, we're just asking questions" if someone questions the validity of such. No structural, civil, or any engineers agree with the truthers.

The truthers will just tell you that all the experts are "in on it." Yeah, sure. Every engineer in the world is complicit in the government's murder of 3,000 people. And so are the firemen, who apparently ordered Larry Silverstein to "pull" Building 7. The truthers' misrepresentation of Silverstein's quote is one of the most popular "facts" to spit out, but in doing so, you are effectively in agreement that firefighters were not only involved in the controlled demolition of WTC7, but they are also aiding and abetting in the government's cover-up. Yeah, every firefighter who was out there on 9/11 is going to be complicit in the MURDER OF 343 OF THEIR FALLEN BROTHERS! To quote Loose Change co-creator Jason Bermas, "the firefighters are paid off."

This is absolute horseshit, which brings me to why I've formally distanced myself from this sorry excuse for a movement. Loose Change, 9/11 Mysteries, Alex Jones, and all the other kooks out there are fucking lying about, distorting, and misrepresenting the facts to further their personal agendas. And what is their agenda, you ask? Money, in the words of Shaggy 2 Dope, "mutha fuckin bitch ass money." Not only are they desecrating 3,000 graves, but they are profiting off of it.

They're in it for the money. How fair is this claim?

I am in both a good and bad position to make an assessment. Good, because I've nosed around the conspiracy buff subculture since the 1980s. Bad, because I've stayed away from the 9/11 crowd, and I have no idea how much paranoia peddlers of that stripe make from the sales of t-shirts, videos and so forth. So I bring historical perspective. Perhaps a reader can provide a more authoritative view of the subculture's current financial status.

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One often used to hear the words "They're in it to make money" muttered against the JFK assassination researchers, back in the pre-net days when the only way for them to find an audience was via the bookstore. Of course, such accusations are often leveled against anyone who writes any book for any reason, because the average person thinks that all writers earn the kind of royalties paid to Ms. Rowling and Mr. King. JFK books sold well at times when outside events -- the Garrison inquiry, the HSCA, the release of the films Executive Action and JFK -- created a renewed interest in the case. At all other times, such works netted their authors very little.

Such was the situation between 1963 and 1980-something, when the conspiratorial subculture, such as it was, was very sub indeed. But as the 1980s segued into the 1990s, society changed. Underground notions went mainstream. The X-Files was on the air and in the air.

We saw the rise of conspiracy-oriented conventions and lectures. Cheaply-produced conspiracy videos sold well, especially when the internet helped these wares find a market.

At that time, far-right radio hosts found themselves with hours to fill and an audience that needed ever-stronger jolts of outrage. The professional Clinton-haters handed microphones to Illuminati-spotters and other out-and-out cranks. Anyone whipping up hatred of "the gummint" got airtime -- after all, Clinton was the gummint, and all weapons were fair against the Beast From Arkansas. Newt could not have achieved his 1994 "revolution" without the angst produced by the fearmongers.

Suddenly, one could earn a living peddling fear. Not a big living, but enough to forestall the need to hand a resume to the local Burger King manager.

That was the situation a decade ago. Where are we now?

At least one responsible and gifted left-wing blogger who (barely) makes a living from his political work has privately told me that he considers the 9/11 "truth movement" to be filled with "bullshit." But he will not attack this movement. Not on the radio, not in his lectures, not on his blog. Indeed, his site has published (in his absence) material favoring this particular brand of "bullshit."

Why is he silent on the subject? I am not sure, but if I were in his position -- if my ability to pay the landlord depended on keeping my readership stats at a certain level -- I'd be silent too. I would not want to piss off so vocal a part of the audience.

So, yeah. Money does play a role.

I know of one reactionary conspiracy salesman working the Satanism angle who continues to push a nonsensical theory about (ooh, shudder!) Aleister Crowley. He does so even though the originator of that theory has privately explained to him that the "investigative report" at the root of the whole matter was published on April 1. The salesman knows damn well that he is peddling lies. Alas, rent must needs be paid.

Am I saying that all conspiracy theories are bunk? No. There is indeed a covert world out there filled with spooks and criminals and all sorts of shady characters. But the current crop of plot-spotter buffs will never get anywhere near that underworld.

In fact, they provide cover for it. Trust me, this I know: Real covert operatives love it when members of the general public become engrossed by fanciful claims involving Freemasons and Zeta Reticulans and Satanists and whatnot. When folks get sidetracked by that nonsense, they begin to find the antics of real-world spies rather tedious.

Things have changed since the 1980s. Goodbye, Jim Hougan: Hello, Alex Jones. Goodbye, Kevin Coogan: Hello Tom Flocco. Goodbye, Dick Russell: Hello, Jim Fetzer. Goodbye, Jim DiEugenio: Hello, Michael Collins Piper. Goodbye Covert Action Information Bulletin: Hello, Paranoia magazine.

By today's standards, the "wild" conspiratologists of yore -- Lyndon LaRouche, Robert Anton Wilson, Mae Brussell -- would be considered conservative fuddy duddies.

If I wanted to earn "quit your day-job" money from this blog, I'd have to turn dope-dealer; I'd have to provide the 9/11 trannies and the Dem-haters and the supernaturalists and the alien-spotters with their fix. I would tell people that voting is pointless because the game is rigged. Fear is a rush. Hopelessness sells. I don't know why, but it does.

The addict says:

"The CIA killed JFK? Hey, that's old shit, man! Hit me with the good stuff!"

The peddler replies:

"Have an armful of Roswell, kid. And here's a nice shot of Illimunati. Check out the Palladium. Have you tried The Protocols? Nesta Webster and David Icke -- take 'em together and they're guaranteed to send you sailing..."

"Oh yeah!" says the addict. "That's some good shit! But I need more. Have you got any of that Fetzer stuff?"

"Which kind do you want, kid? You want the bottle marked 'space lasers on 9/11' or the bottle marked 'moon landing was faked'?"

"Both, dude! And throw in a few tablets from the 'phony Z-film' jar."

"Kid, I got just the stuff you're looking for: A pure shot of Grade-A Milton William Cooper. But I gotta warn ya -- this isn't for beginners..."

"YEAH! THAT'S IT! THAT'S WHAT I NEED! PUT IT IN MY ARM -- NOW NOW NOW!!"

So that's the sitch. Money does play a role within this wretched subculture. I'm poor because I won't turn pusher. But -- I must confess -- I am often tempted.