“Conspiracy Theorist!” Gaslighting America.
Sun Tzu, The Art of War
All warfare is based on deception.
Conspiracy is basically a dirty word these days. The word “Conspiracy” is used inappropriately to discredit someone who brings up unpopular or unwanted information. Conspiracy is defined as: “a secret plan by a group to do something unlawful or harmful.” The misuse of the word “conspiracy” is widespread. Firstly conspiracy is a crime and it is the actual explanation for many events. Ex-FBI Agent Robert Hanssen is a notable example. Hanssen was convicted of espionage and conspiracy to commit espionage.
The slur of conspiracy theorist is often invoked when in the course of public discourse one party wishes to dismiss another out of hand. Many people use the word “conspiratorial” or “conspirator” to describe someone who suggested a conspiracy might be in play. This is notably an inverted inappropriate usage of the word, because conspirators are those involved in a conspiracy. Conspirators are the people who’s actions are conspiratorial.
The False Flag…
February 27, 1933: The Reichstag building was burned in an arson attack in Berlin. German Communist Marinus Van der Lubbe was arrested, tried and executed for the crime. Civil liberties were suspended. The Nazi Party cemented their control of the government.
In academic circles there is wide consensus that the fire was started by the Brown Shirts. The Brown Shirts operated as a clandestine arm of the Nazi Party, much in the same way Antifa is accused of being a clandestine arm of the Democratic Party in the USA. The Reichstag fire was a catalyst to galvanize support and power in the Nazi party.
This is what is called a “False Flag.” The term comes from Naval warfare where pirates would fly the flag of a sovereign nation as a disguise to prevent their victims from preparing for battle. The blame for the attack would be laid on that country whose flag they flew rather than the perpetrators. The term has come to encompass a number of behaviors.
You’d have to be nuts…
Some conspiracy theories are wrong. Some are the fruits of mental illness. (These are often the unpublished delusions of a suffering individual.) However, the decision to label someone a conspiracy theorist for postulating an alternative scenario concerning events on the world stage is tantamount to an ad hominem attack.
The fact of the matter is this: History is rife with examples of “conspiracy theories” proven to be true. I remember being a youth during the UFO mania of the 1990s. People would ask “Do you believe in Area 51?” I remember the “rational” answer being “no.” As the decade moved on, those paying attention and those in the know talked about the US Government’s secret base in Nevada although it was typically called “Groom Lake” or “Dreamland.” In fact there is a formerly secret US Air Force Base named Area 51. The United States Government acknowledged Area 51’s existence in 2013.
The Blackbird was developed at Area 51. Unbeknownst to most, the Blackbird had three distinct aircraft types. The YF-12 was the first to be unveiled. The YF-12 would have become the most advanced high altitude-high speed interceptor in the world. Once the combat variant was cancelled it served as a cover for the SR-71 and the CIA’s super secret A-12. These black projects were secretly developed at Area 51.
Area 51 also served as the base for the F-117 Nighthawk during development. Where better to develop your super secret stealth strike fighter?
Not in America…
Evidence for clandestine conspiracies does not end with Area 51. In 1962 the Department of Defense along with the Central Intelligence Agency proposed Operation Northwoods. This is where the sinister danger of conspiracies becomes apparent.
Operation Northwoods suggested the United States execute a vast false flag operation providing the justification for military action against Cuba. The plan called for executing acts of terrorism against the US public, including bombings, hijacking planes, and the destruction of a US ship. The plan called for the fabrication of evidence implicating Cuba in the attacks.
The desired resultant from the execution of this plan would be to place the United States in the apparent position of suffering defensible grievances from a rash and irresponsible government of Cuba and to develop an international image of a Cuban threat to peace in the Western Hemisphere.
Operation Northwoods, page 8
Operation Northwoods was rejected by President John F. Kennedy. The fact remains that this plan was real. The documents are declassified.
But Wait, There’s More!
In 1953 the Central Intelligence Agency began Project MKUltra. MKUltra was a study of the efficacy of mind control. MK Ultra experimented on American citizens with psychoactive drugs and torture. The program continued till 1973. MKUltra was made public in 1975, during Church Committee hearings.
Speaking of the Church Committee: during hearings in 1975 they uncovered a secret CIA weapon: The “Heart Attack Gun”. I’m sure they had a better name than that for it. The basic revelation was that the CIA had developed a clandestine assassination weapon that would administer a poison that would produce a fatal heart attack. The gun shot a poison dart, that dissolved after impact. Identifying the death as a homicide would be nearly impossible.
The White House targeted journalist, Jack Anderson for assassination in 1972. Two conspirators in the Nixon Administration would admit under oath that they planned to poison Anderson under orders from senior White House aide Charles Colson.
G. Gordon Liddy and E. Howard Hunt planned to poison Anderson’s medicine and considered drugging him with LSD. The plot to kill Anderson ended when Liddy and Hunt were arrested for the Watergate burglary.
This is not an exhaustive list. Don’t get me started on mass surveillance in the United States...
Gaslighting and Peer Pressure…
The fact of the matter is that the terms “Conspiracy Theorist” and “Conspiracy Theory” serve to remove someone’s argument from the debate without refuting the substance of the argument itself.
Evidence for factual conspiracies is widespread. The “conspiracy theorist” slur is clever, and used in a devious way. It serves as a disincentive to those who would consider conspiracy, treachery and the use of false flags. “I don’t even want to think about what you have to say. So shut your mouth or we’ll make sure everyone knows you’re a lunatic.” “Only a crazy person would say that… you’re not crazy are you?”
Unfortunately gaslighting is now the most common tool of nefarious actors who wish to sway public opinion in the USA. People demanding an accounting of the last election have been decried for making “allegations without evidence.” This is a clear example of gaslighting. Evidence abounds, but a fair hearing and evaluation of that evidence has not occurred. Eye witnesses abound as well as statistical evidence and even videos. The main stream media continues to promote a “no evidence” narrative. The repeat it as often as they can. The reason they do this is simple: Gaslighting works.
Social pressure is a strong tool. People don’t want to be outside the norm. Even when exposed to evidence, gaslighting can work to discount what someone sees or understands in favor of conformity. Gaslighting also makes the target more dependent on the manipulator for validation and information.
Situational Awareness.
Sun Tzu, The Art of War
If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.
Knowledge is power. This is what makes gaslighting such an insidious technique, it attacks what one has known, seen or understood. To combat gaslighting one needs mental toughness, tempered with intellectual honesty.
Identifying hypocrisy can be a powerful tool in combating gaslighting. We’ve been told conservatives challenging an election is an attack on democracy. Funny, Leftists challenge elections all the time!
Another component of gaslighting is virtue signalling. Virtue signalling is a separate behavior from gaslighting. Virtue signalling can often reinforce gaslighting. Gaslighting tells the target they are wrong and not virtuous. Virtue signalling presents the “example” of how one ought to behave to be virtuous. Tag teaming virtue signalling and gaslighting can be an effective form of manipulation. This is also a reason why it is common to see regular folks participating in the manipulation, even when they are victims of it themselves.
Our society is severely and negatively impacted by gaslighting and virtue signaling, because good people assume their views are in a small minority. You can help. Stay strong minded and speak out. You will find that there are many others who share your views and need your support.
And as always… Live Ready!
