Conspiracy Analyst | Vigilant Citizen

Just dropping a heads-up to one of my new favourites on the abomb&thecorpse WatchList.

It's the Vigilant Citizen site, which caught my eye with an exceptional essay entitled The Hidden Meaning of Lady Gaga's "Telephone".

I suggest also checking out the "sinister sites" series. Fantastic.

Conspiracy Analyst | This Year in Wacko-ville

As we stumble out of the holiday-cycle set up by The Church (so Western Civilization could be subsumed away from the previous Pagan Establishment in as orderly and non-violent fashion as possible) and into a new (arbitrarily-chosen beginning to the) year, I feel it is best time to share the tidbits I've collected over the last while related to the Study of Ongoing Conspiracy.

But before we get into it, I suggest you take a look at Wired Magazine's list of 51 Conspiracy Theories That Don't Exist But Should. (I'm not convinced they don't. What is Wired up to? What sort of game do they think they're playing...?)

The Illuminati are always well-represented. Slate had an interesting article about how the 18th century composer Beethoven was influenced by the Illuminati. [slate]

There is an increase in Big Brother activity in the United States. Wired reports on the activity. [wired] And the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) started a website called You Are Being Watched to discuss the issue. Will it matter...? Slate Magazine asks how America is going to end, and describes the five steps to totalitarian rule. [slate]

Elections Canada has been keeping information on individuals that are under the age of 18, even though they are not eligible to vote. [cbc] And one's privacy online is almost non-existent, according to Canadian courts. [tyee] As is one's anonymity, according to studies. [cbc] And all that's just going to get worse (or better, depending upon which side you're on...) as me move to electronic medical records. [tyee] Which reminds me: your telephone has been secretly tapped by The Police. [cbc] (Sting has been unwilling to comment. Kidding. Couldn't resist.)

But there's been activity by Little Brother as well. [wired] But who watches the watchers of the watchers who are watching you? (Next time I just get a pocketwatch.) Which reminds me... a group of volunteers from Vancouver's Public Space Network mapped out as many of Vancouver's surveillance cameras as they could find. [ctv] [VanSun] But I can't seem to find the map...? Are They keeping it to Themselves...?

The Cloud! The Cloud! [LifeHacker]

Wall Street is rising in the Conspirator Ranks, with a Rolling Stone article about how they're using the Economic Bailout as a means to stage a revolution. [RollingStone] They also put together a very handy biographical cheat sheet outlining the bankers and brokers responsible for the financial crisis and the officials that let them get away with it. [RollingStone] As as additional treat, No Impact Man shoots from the hip describing the problem with corporate structure. [no.impact.man] But, as Jason Kottke reports, there is always the "living with no money" option. [kottke]

There's also been a good rise in the heat coming from the Global Warming group. Through it all, Gizmodo asks How many solar panels would it take to power the entire world? Turns out, "just under 500,000 square kilometers, or about the size of Spain."

The heirs of Geronimo have sued Yale's secret society Skull and Bones for the return of his skull, which they claim Skull and Bones grave-robbed in 1918. [nyt]

And the Police are reviewing the circumstances surrounding the 1969 death of Rolling Stones guitarist Brian Jones. [cbc]

Here's a good one from Adbusters about the impending Pornocalypse. 'Nuff said. (Though it may not be appropriate to read while at whatever Capitalist Slave Organization you call your "work", or in front of the kids.)

I won't say too much about The Religious here, since there's always way too much to follow without a crib-sheet. But the History News Network had an interesting article reviewing a book by Michael Baigent (who also wrote Holy Blood, Holy Grail, like you already didn't know) about how "the three great religions" are plotting the race to Armageddon. [hnn]

And for the Star-Gazers: there is compelling speculation that Humans and Aliens might share the same DNA roots. [wired] Don't laugh: its thermodynamics. And from what I understand, that's a science. And there hasn't been a peep of this in The Mainstream Media, but SETI has picked up regular laser pulses emanating from space. [io9] Though don't get too excited, Some Scientists have reported they calculate there can only be fewer than 10 extra-terrestrial civilizations in our galaxy. [slashdot]

And finally, I emplore you to check out GOOD Magazine's "Guide to Shadowy Organizations." They have excellent primers on such Conspiracy Establishment organizations as The Bohemian Grove, the Order of Skull and Bones, the Trilateral Commission, the Bilderberg Group, the Freemasons, and more.

Conspiracy Analyst | Orwell vs. Huxley

Stuart McMillen of Recombinant Records in Australia has written/drawn an excellent comic strip describing the differences in fears between George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four and Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, and compares today's society to see if we are closer to one or the other.

I have to agree with the conclusion that we are closer to Huxley's vision where "the truth is hidden from us by being drowned in a sea of irrelevance."

As Huxley remarked in "Brave New World Revisited" the civil libertarians and rationalists who are ever on the alert to oppose tyranny "failed to take into account man's almost infinite appetite for distractions."

(I'm doing my part.)

It's fantastic, check it out: [recombinantrecords]

(Oh, and I was turned onto this by the ever-inspiring Jason Kottke.)

Conspiracy Analyst | U.S. Disintegration

I think Professor Igor Panarin is having one of those "15-minutes-of-" moments.

Over the last little while, the Soviet-era-KGB-Analyst-cum-Professor has been interviewed by the media as much as twice a day. (To put this in perspective, at the time of this writing, Google News shows a total of 179 stories about Professor Panarin. There are 15,650 about Britney Spears. Suppression? You be the judge...)

The real fuss began when the Wall Street Journal published a story about Mr. Panarin. (WSJ)

But enough hedging: At a conference in 1998, Mr. Panarin gave a presentation on his theory that the United States would disintegrate in 2010. His forecast was based on classified information provided by FAPSI, which at the time was the Russian version of the National Security Agency (US NSA).

The theory is basically this: Economic, financial and demographic trends provoke a political and social crisis. Then wealthier states withhold funds from the federal government, triggering social unrest and civil war. Finally the U.S. splits along ethnic lines, which is the cue for foreign powers to move in.

Panarin says right now there is a 45-55% chance this disintegration will occur, in either June or July of 2010.



The current fuss started Mon Nov 24, 2008 when Professor Panarin was interviewed by the Russian newspaper Izvestia. After that the story appeared in the Drudge Report on Tue Nov 25, 2008. (drudge) Then the bloggers started feeding. (freedomfighter) (curmudgeon) Eventually a big name media outlet caught on, and the Wall Street Journal published their story on December 29, 2008. (WSJ) After that it hit the wire... or the fan. Take your pick.

So: Professor Igor Panarin.



His entry in Wikipedia.
His entry in RussiaHouse.
One of his affiliations is the Diplomatic Academy.

As one might imagine, there are opponents to Panarin's predictions. Here's a good article (Time), pointing us toward Joel Garreau, who wrote the book Nine Nations of North America. Mr. Garreau also responded to Mr. Panarin's theory, which is nicely summed up here.

And Future Atlas puts the chances of an American Disintegration on the low side. (future.atlas)

The abomb&thecorpse Analysis: Professor Panarin is an expert in Information Warfare. The initial interview occurred in a tightly-regulated media environment. This sounds like a distraction campaign. But for what? Generated by the Americans... for keeping minds off the Israeli-Gaza conflict, perhaps to give Israel time, slowing public popular opposition? Generated by the Russians... for keeping the Americans occupied during the Gas-less Ukraine manouver?

Prepare for The Invasion!

Part of the hype for the new Keanu Reeves film, a remake of the already-classic 1951 film The Day the Earth Stood Still, involves beaming the film into space. I think I'm becoming increasingly jaded about the ideas that are pitched about in the name of marketing, because when I first heard about this I actually rolled my eyes.

One part of me, the Conspiracy Analyist, might be concerned with the thought of sending out the details of one of humanity's greatest fears to something that could very well be the fulfillment of those fears... but that train has already long-left the station. After all, we've already been advertising our celestial presence by leaking a constant stream of radio, television and radar signals for around a century. The cat's out of the bag, and we've already "stepped on the proverbial twig in the forest" if you get my meaning. (mail) Some even say we've actually already been contacted, and it's all a cover-up... but you already knew that. (mail)

In fact, the same Florida company that will be sending Mr. Reeves film to the aliens will beam any 5-minute message into space for U$299. This company has also already beamed out whale songs, and the entire Craiglist web site. (So if you're in Alpha Centari and want a used iPod, we on Earth have got you covered. But the shipping chrages are gonna cost you an eyestalk and a tentacle.)

Aside from the muddle of random broadcasts, here is my list of Ten Signals That Have Been "Beamed into Space."

10. The Beatles song Across the Universe. But is it DRM-free?! (wired)
9. An advertisement for Doritos tortilla chips. (New Scientist)
8(a). Messages (like Brit photos and such) from social network site Bebo users. (BBC) (skynews)
8(b). A time capsule from Yahoo Inc, transmitted from a Mexican pyramid. (CBC)
7. A live Paul McCartney concert. (NME)
6. Swedish poetry. (dublinka)
5. A creepy rendition of Gershwin music. (seti)
4. Harry Potter film. (BBC)
3. Your phone calls, for U$3.99 a minute. Cheaper than to the Philippines. (New Scientist)
2. Your blog. (imo.org) (bloginspace)
1. The debate on whether beaming stuff into space is smart on our part. (seed)

It all boils down to this, my fellow humans: Be Prepared.

Not quite dead yet.

It's the nature of my life that I happen to have quite a few "imminent-end-of-the-world apocalypto-at-any-moment" types within close circles. Like folks that surround themselves with "uglier-than-themselves" friends because they think it makes them look more beautiful, I often wonder if this is my mind's sub-conscious effort to make myself appear... how shall I say... more normal...? It's a high order.

Regardless, as usual I bounce between two sides.

On one, those EoW types frustrate me, because they usually couch their arguments in religion or conspiracy when really it's just common sense that the times are a'gonna change sooner or later. After all, until we start moving into collecting extraterrestrial resources (and even then, just moved into time-frames we can't imagine yet), we are confined to a finite system, with only so much that can be gathered or created. Sooner or later things will end as the resources needed to continue are depleted and exhausted.

I think the collapse of the auto industry is an adequate illustration of this principle. As usual, nobody planned the transition, and instead of evolving smoothly into something that can sustain itself for a while longer in a different form, nothing changes until backs are to the wall and the smell of panic hits the air(waves). I mean, I could've started predicting the end of the petro-based auto industry before the first Ford rolled off the line, but it wouldn't have made me a prophet.

(I don't want to seem unsympathetic to the situation so many people are now facing: it's terrible. My point is simply in regards to planning ahead for major problems. But that would include "someone" taking responsibility of a situation that (a) is a long ways away, (b) debatable in causes and solutions, and (c) contains amorphous suspects as to actual responsibility. These combine so "blame" is spread too thin for anyone to actually need to step in and solve the problem until it's boiling over. If the problem is international, like global warming, the consequences become exponentially cataclysmic.)

The other side of the EoW types point is compelling. I am, after all, an accomplished procrastinator, and an imminent apocalypse is the best excuse ever.

Do the dishes? Why bother. The world is ending any moment.

Anyhoo. Here are some interesting stories I've noticed lately.

Instead of still feeling guilty, pat yourself on the back for using those aerosol deodorant cans in the '80s: a new ice age had been predicted, but global warming will hold it off indefinitely! Job well done, everyone! (NatlGeo)

New threat: brown clouds over Asia, making the skies darker and throwing weather systems into further extremes. On the up-side, this reflects the sun's rays enough to cool the earth's surface, masking the effect of global warming. I'm confused. Does this mean Asia is in for a brown-ice age? (CBC)

Remember the Russia-Georgia Conflict? Everyone was to blame. Effectively therefore: no one was to blame. (NYT) Yet, there was a chance it all could have been avoided, and right now relations with Russia could be less adversarial. (CdnBusi) Yet, a spy has been passing NATO secrets to the Russians for a while... (CBC)

Here's an interesting article about how neither Communism nor Capitalism actually work in pure form. Communism needs free markets... Capitalism needs regulation... (Tyee)

And if history is any indicator (hint: it is), things are not looking good on this whole Peace Movement thing. The grave of the earliest known nuclear family has been located. Unfortunately, they died violently. (NatlGeo)

Some military tidbits: Given the number of attacks within Pakistan, despite their public objections, I suspect The Terror War has shifted into Pakistan as well. (NYT) And USB drives have been banned due to Worm Attack. (wired) And then there's that whole Piracy thing. But pirates take note: don't mess with Islamic ships, because ships belonging to Muslim countries should not be seized. (CBC)

But let's get to some serious news. Like a possible alien invasion in Canada. "Meteorite" my ass. (CTV) (CTV) Where's my tinfoil hat? (Maybe here...)

Mad scientist alert: DARPA plans to create flying cars. Crap. How much will that bail-out cost? (wired) Good seque to some auto company propoganda.



Let's get closer to home. Who owns Genesis Security? (DavidEby)



I think I'm just going to stay inside and watch more TV. Like that's possible. I have so many screens in my warroom I could probably cook a turkey. Hmm. Some would argue I already am. (CBC)

Where do I put my mark on this shard of broken pottery...?

With Vancouver's 2008 civic election campaign coming to a close in a few hours, and considering the seemingly-unending months of election-stuff we've been fed over the last 18 months, it may be time to look at this concept we call Democracy. A few random thoughts and diversions, I mean...

Democracy is a form of governance where ultimate power rests with the people, under a free electoral system. (wikipedia) Even though there is no universally-accepted definition of democracy, two principles are always included: all members of society have equal access to power, and all members enjoy universally recognized liberties and freedoms.

But let's get back to the beginning, and check out the Greeks. There are some great articles on N.S. Gill's Ancient History Blog. Aeschines (389-314 B.C.) was an ancient Greek writer that was in favour of democracy. (NSGill) Yet Aristotle (384-322 B.C.), one of the most influential ancient Greek philosophers, was not exactly a fan of democracy. (NSGill) And an interesting tangent, I didn't know there's some question as to whether Greek citizens were required to vote, and if they did not if they were deemed idiots.

Here's an interesting table that compares the words and deeds over the first 100 days of office for each U.S. President going back to Roosevelt. (Good)

Since we're dealing with nothing more than an idea of how civilized society is to be organized and governed, like all ideas it is under constant threat to remain relevant. Any intellectual construct can be replaced. And though we dismiss many threats as no more than the delusional spouting of conspiracy theory crackpots, we must not forget that conspiracies have existed, and likely do still exist. Here's a list of conspiracy theories. And if you think all conspiracy theories are crackpot, let's take a glance at one that turned out ot be real... the Business Plot: the plot to overthrow FDR in 1933...

To run through some quick "possible threats"... let's quickly start with something close to home... the "sleazy" threat to democracy in North Vancouver. (VanSun) And here's a new issue that is on the rise: dog owners demanding more off-lease parks. (CBC) I have to say that I agree with Erik V's rant on Kitsilano.ca about "one-issue voting." (kits.ca) And I don't have either a child or a dog. (Ok, maybe this is not really a "threat" to democracy, but it's my opinion that strategic voting related to party-politics is another of those slippery slopes, of which blind one-issue voting is a cousin.)

Let's touch on a couple of other perceived threats: Like the legends of the Illuminati that arose in the 19th century, today technology brings the possibility of the Numerati, a shadowy group that data-mines your personal information, and bends the world to bend your will.

There is also the danger represented by Corporations. Political and Economic theory are dangerously interlinked. The regulatory failure that resulted in the current economic crisis could be seen as a dangerous step toward a slippery slope. An essay in the New York Times describes an interesting view of what happened during the last crisis, The Great Depression, and how it re-aligned power in Western civilization. (NYT)

And here's a link to the first part of Zeitgeist. If you're marginally interested in conspiracy analysis, start here. (youTube)

Plus, there's The American Conspiracy.

Increase in Crypto-biological Activity

I'm not sure yet what to make of this, but there seems to be an increase in "unexplained" sightings.

There were a record number of UFO sightings in 2007. There was a total of 836 sightings, an increase of 12% over 2006.

The legendary Ogopogo was sighted at the end of July.

And some berry-pickers in Ontario saw Bigfoot. And not like that rat-rug in a cooler trick like down south.

Hmmm. Let's have a chat about Charles Darwin.

Conspiracy Analysts' Alert: US$ is Masonic Code