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What's Good for the Goose...
Apr. 29th, 2002 08:26 am
Conspiracy Culture NotesIt seems a commonplace paradigm in the conspiracy subculture for the ends to justify the means. My experience with a certain theorist is an excellent illustration of this. This individual has not failed on any count to use the tactics he decries and in fact to exhibit pride in the same traits in himself that he decries in the "authorities" he rails against. I'm not entirely sure if in this particular case if the behaviour is rationalized or if he is ignorant of the hypocrisy. For example, his actions in unsubscribing over fifty members from his mailing list come in retaliation, ultimately, for being unsubscribed from another mailing list himself. I believe their own hypocrisy is overlooked by the conspiracy theorists for a combination or reasons ranging from rationalization to emotive acts of personal empowerment. The rationalization is generally a simple one, "we'll do to them what they do to us", or at least what they perceive is being done to them. A further justification comes from the sort of philosophic ignorance and lack of genuine critical thought that characterizes the sub-culture. They don't see anything wrong in their use of tactics such as threats and censorship because the sense that theirs is the higher purpose. It's effectively the "God is on out side" rational used in war-time propaganda. There isn't much though about what is in fact good or evil in any philosophic sense. This would actually amount to an impediment to the third motivation, personal empowerment. By utilizing the tactics of he perceived authorities the conspiracy theorists claim the same "power" as their own. They exaggerate the scope and importance of their actions, and often justify their lack of social standing with claims of being detached from day-to-day reality because it is unimportant on the scale of the events they are exclusively in touch with. In this fashion these marginalized individuals can alleviate their personal alienation through "world changing" letters-to-the-editor, personal websites, leaflet distribution, postering and the like. In the case of the older members of the sub-culture that have failed in any substantive pursuits it becomes a diversion from the squalor, loneliness and alienation. In the younger disciples of the sub-culture it is a means of avoidance of real responsibility and hard work in providing the excuse that "they" are somehow holding the individual back. Of course the self-excused inaction of the latter leads to the failure and alienation of the former. Because the conspiracy theorist sees himself as a maverick doing vitally important world-changing work it is never a question why anyone of real power would expend effort to silence their fringe voice. The Internet has exacerbated these feelings of self-importance in the conspiracy theorists. The individuals once relegated to walking the streets with their "The End is Nigh" placards can now set up websites and mailing lists, which inevitably draw a handful of like-minded souls as well as a raft of curious onlookers from far and wide, "substantiating" the conspiracy theorists sense of "global importance".
After a 
Should I call the cops?
It's over. You win. No more "critiques" from me.
I don't actually concede anything to Reptard other than dangerous lunacy. I hope everyone is clear on that.