THE CONSPIRASPHERE

Why is it that some denizens of the Conspirasphere have to ruin a perfectly good conspiracy theory by resorting to anti-Semitism, asks NOEL ROONEY

FUNNY PECULIAR The vexed issue of anti-Semitism has haunted the Conspirasphere for an unconscionably long time. It’s an issue I have found hard to reconcile and engage with as I have trawled through the history and ecology of conspiracy theory; perhaps because so little of the grand narrative actually depends on the idea of an international Jewish conspiracy to bolster its aims. The original grand narratives (Robison, Barruel) did not concern themselves with anti-Semitism; the targets of their theories were the secret societies: the Bavarian Illuminati, the Jacobins and, subsequently (and perhaps paradoxically, as Barruel was himself a Jesuit) the Jesuits and the Freemasons. In fact, the first stirrings of theories linking the ills of the world to the influence of Jewish people came from the Establishment, and it was not until…

You're reading a preview of

Fortean Times (Digital) - 1 Issue, 411

DiscountMags is a licensed distributor (not a publisher) of the above content and Publication through Zinio LLC. Accordingly, we have no editorial control over the Publications. Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers or other information or content expressed or made available by third parties, including those made in Publications offered on our website, are those of the respective author(s) or publisher(s) and not of DiscountMags. DiscountMags does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, truthfulness, or usefulness of all or any portion of any publication or any services or offers made by third parties, nor will we be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on information contained in any Publication, or your use of services offered, or your acceptance of any offers made through the Service or the Publications. For content removal requests, please contact Zinio.