A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic Visions in Contemporary AmericaAmerican society has changed dramatically since A Culture of Conspiracy was first published in 2001. In this revised and expanded edition, Michael Barkun delves deeper into America's conspiracy sub-culture, exploring the rise of 9/11 conspiracy theories, the "birther" controversy surrounding Barack Obama's American citizenship, and how the conspiracy landscape has changed with the rise of the Internet and other new media. What do UFO believers, Christian millennialists, and right-wing conspiracy theorists have in common? According to Michael Barkun in this fascinating yet disturbing book, quite a lot. It is well known that some Americans are obsessed with conspiracies. The Kennedy assassination, the Oklahoma City bombing, and the 2001 terrorist attacks have all generated elaborate stories of hidden plots. What is far less known is the extent to which conspiracist worldviews have recently become linked in strange and unpredictable ways with other "fringe" notions such as a belief in UFOs, Nostradamus, and the Illuminati. Unraveling the extraordinary genealogies and permutations of these increasingly widespread ideas, Barkun shows how this web of urban legends has spread among subcultures on the Internet and through mass media, how a new style of conspiracy thinking has recently arisen, and how this phenomenon relates to larger changes in American culture. This book, written by a leading expert on the subject, is the most comprehensive and authoritative examination of contemporary American conspiracism to date. Barkun discusses a range of material-involving inner-earth caves, government black helicopters, alien abductions, secret New World Order cabals, and much more-that few realize exists in our culture. Looking closely at the manifestations of these ideas in a wide range of literature and source material from religious and political literature, to New Age and UFO publications, to popular culture phenomena such as The X-Files, and to websites, radio programs, and more, Barkun finds that America is in the throes of an unrivaled period of millenarian activity. His book underscores the importance of understanding why this phenomenon is now spreading into more mainstream segments of American culture. |
Contents
The Nature of Conspiracy Belief | 1 |
Millennialism Conspiracy and Stigmatized Knowledge | 15 |
The New World Order and the Illuminati | 39 |
A World of Black Helicopters | 66 |
UFO Conspiracy Theories 19751990 | 80 |
Jim Keith and David Icke | 99 |
Armageddon Below | 111 |
AntiCatholicism and AntiMasonry | 126 |
The Second Phase | 171 |
Conspiracy Theories about Barack Obama | 183 |
Conspiracists and Violence | 193 |
Apocalyptic Expectations about the Year 2012 | 206 |
Conclusion | 219 |
Notes | 241 |
vii | 257 |
277 | |
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A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic Visions in Contemporary America Michael Barkun Limited preview - 2013 |
Common terms and phrases
Alien Harvest alleged allegedly Alternative American anthrax anti-Semitic Antichrist antigovernment apocalyptic appear Argüelles attacks audiences Barack Barack Obama Behold a Pale Biggest Secret birther Black Helicopters Branton century chapter Christian conspiracy theories conspirators contactee cultic milieu culture David David Icke December domain of stigmatized Dulce earth elite end-time evil extraterrestrials February federal film flying saucers fringe global groups Hatonn human Hutaree Ibid Icke’s Illuminati IllumiNet improvisational millennialism institutions Internet January Jewish Jews Jim Keith John Kenn Thomas legend Lilburn literature mainstream March Masons Mayan Militia millenarian millennialism Milton William Cooper Mind Control movement Obama occult original Pale Horse Phoenix plots political Protocols religion religious repr reptilians Satan scenario secret societies secular September 11 Shaver Shaver Mystery stigmatized knowledge stigmatized-knowledge stories subculture superconspiracy Texe Marrs theorists tion Trilateral Commission truth ufology underground University Press Valerian World Order conspiracy World Order ideas York