One of the things the Internet does is to encourage mankind’s natural tendency towards conspiracy theories. It allows people to cherry-pick quotations from the past and stitch them into a quilt of their own devising. But even by the already impressive standards set here by Bosco, one of the latest from Rorate Caeli deserves some sort of award.
The current waves of immigration into the West are the immediate result of several disastrous decisions by Western policy makers: the decision to invade Iraq; the decision to intervene in Libya; and the decision not to intervene in Syria. However, this is too simple for some – and perhaps might also involve too much questioning of the foreign policies endorsed by Republicans and Democrats alike. Much easier to blame it all on the novelist Umberto Eco and his ilk.
What, you might, ask, did the author of the Name of the Rose have to do with refugees leaving Syria? Well, he, like Cardinal Martini, thought that migration from the south to the north might lead to ethnic readjustments. From these musing the author of the piece tells us ‘The plan was, and remains, that of destroying the National States and their Christian roots’. What plan? Where is this plan to be found? It is to be found in Alberto Carosa and Giudo Vignelli’s book The Silent Invasion. “Immigration”: resource or conspiracy? (Rome 2002) Really, so, what the American government launched on the world in its invasion of Iraq, and what it also launched by its inability to control what it had unleashed was actually part of someone else’s long-laid plan? Those familiar with this sort of sorry stuff will not be surprised at the real authors. They are:
naturally the ‘68er-post-Communist ruling class who have taken over the reins of European politics; there are the intellectuals who have elaborated deformed theories in the field of physics, biology, sociology and politics; and there are the lobbies, the masonries, the powerful financiers, who at times act in darkness, at times in broad daylight.
I am unaware that any of these were in power in Washington when the Iraq War was unleashed, or, indeed, had any great influence of the course of Western foreign policy across the last decade. But of course, that’s not the point, these are the ‘usual suspects’ of right-wing conspiracy theorists; I was mildly disappointed that there was no mention of “Jews” – who are the usually whipping boys. But never fear, we do get George Soros, and we get a conspiracy he is in with Pope Francis.
Where is the evidence? Well, there have been leaks from hackers showing Soros is funding all sorts of ‘progressive’ campaigns (yes, I know, what a shock, who’d a thunk it?) And, since it appears he supports Pope Francis, that clinches it, especially as the Pope talks about bridges rather than walls.
I do wish I were making this up. Of course there is a crisis, and no doubt those who wish us ill will try to exploit it, but the notion it has more to do with Masons and ex-communists than with the failings of Western foreign policy is as risible as is the notion that in talking about building bridges rather than walls, the Pope is somehow not being faithful to the words of the founder of the Church.
For a long time, conservatives enrolled the Church under their political banner, natural enough when the enemies of the Church were communists. The left took on that habit after 1968. The fact remains that true religion is to care for the orphan and the widow, as St James told us. Christianity is there to comfort the afflicted and perhaps to afflict the comfortable – not to peddle ludicrous conspiracy theories which owe more to a fevered imagination than to reality.
Good piece, C, and always necessary in the age of YouTube. I remember going through my own brief conspiracy stage at university before I adjusted back to critical thinking.
Two caveats from me though:
A) I do believe in the alliance of the spiritual forces that oppose the kingdom of heaven (i.e. Satan and his ilk). This I believe could rightly be described as a conspiracy. But since we are to have no traffic with demons and foreign gods, and since we know they can deceive us, it remains foolish to try and find anything out about their councils. Besides, when you’re on the side of Jesus, He is sufficient.
B) It is true that historically there have been smaller conspiracies of a significant nature (e.g. the MK Ultra Project). While these should not be united to form some “grand conspiracy theory”, they are worth the efforts of journalists to unmask.
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On the whole, mankind is useless enough for ‘cock up’ to be the replacement for ‘conspiracy’
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Bravo, C! Never said too often. We do have enemies, both in church and state, but to think that it is one grand conspiracy, well you said it, is simply risible. It is also far too often and excuse for giving up.
That doesn’t mean that the left and the right, as well, do not pick theories that they think jibe with their worldview, and to some minds that looks like malice aforethought, and perhaps it is. but to ascribe it all to some grand conspiracy, well I want to see the memo.
Yep, a grand cock-up seems more likely to me, and we have plenty of form on that.
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I fear so Neo. That piece from RC seemed pure Bosco – the number of non sequiturs was startling.
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I missed that one, but yes, the amount of logic deployed, well, the armory must be nearly empty, since it seems unobtainable, lately. Admittedly, these are rather sad times, but still.
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Yeah, there’s enough to worry about without the tin foil hatters making it up
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Quite. I’ve come to view it as an excuse for doing nothing, and I despise excuses, sometimes I fail and sometimes I don’t, but that’s on me, not anybody else’s fault.
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You must have read a different post than the one posted; or at least through a different lens. Roberto de Mattei is no conspiracy theorist nor did he claim exclusive evidence of the present situation . . . only observations that these things have roots and influences that stretch far back in history and he chose contemporary influences that have helped to shape this post modern world. Did you not read his only (or single) conclusion:
. . . What is certain is that today the confusion in the Church and in society are advancing hand in hand. The political chaos is preparing [the way] for a civil war, the religious chaos is opening the road to schisms, which are a type of religious civil war.
Nevertheless, the Holy Spirit, Whom the cardinals in conclave are not always in conformity with, never ceases to operate and nourish the sensus fidei today of those who oppose the demolition plans to destroy the Church and society. Divine Providence will never abandon them.] . . . ?
I found nothing of the conspiratorial in what I read anymore than I would conclude that Margaret Sanger’s influence on our present post modern view of abortion was a grand conspiracy concocted in a dark room somewhere. I do think you have gone further to the extreme in your reading of this piece than the article actual set forth.
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I read it. It the parts I quoted directly say there was a conspiracy and name the conspirators . Which civil war dies he have in mind? There is not one here, nor is anyone planning one. Schisms are a fact of life in every age. The article is, frankly, intellectuals shallow.
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I think part of the problem is that we are trying to predict the way things are going based on previous trends, revelation, and gut feelings. Our understanding is subject to confirmation bias and other prejudicial forces. Our biblical understanding is limited by the fact that we cannot see the future.
I remember when people were obsessing about the collapse of the dollar and the “prepper” movement was in full swing c. 2010. The failure of the prediction, combined with Harold Camping’s a few years later has led many to say: “There is no storm coming.”
We cannot do anything to prevent such false predictions from circling the internet and other media. But we can offer an alternative. We can speak like Jeremiah or Amos would: we can explain why certain policies and values are bad and say that these policies will lead to bad consequences unless the times should alter. That is a much more reasonable position that does not involve the liabilities of date-setting and conspiracy theories.
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That is all we can do. We know what is required of us as Christians and if we try to do our duty, that is hard enough
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Indeed, and I would add that this duty can be exercised both from the pulpit and the nave. If we know people who speak about these issues or are engaging with them, we can offer fruitful discussion and resources that will advise people on the pitfalls previously mentioned.
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Just a quibble, and a word on the ‘preppers’. Some are, on the face of it, quite mad, but many are just utilizing our old wisdom, and being prepared – that’s where the term comes from. In fact, there are current, official, USG documents on what you should have on hand in case of emergency. In short, wise men (and women) are, and always have been, preppers. Don’t get in a spot where one has to eat the seed corn, is what it comes down to.
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Anything your small minds and pitiful narrow existence cant fathom, you call a conspiracy theory.
Well, that’s not a crime. As the saying goes……What you don’t know wont hurt you.
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No, I call a conspiracy theory something which people have decided is true before examine the evidence
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Theres lots of nuts and wack jobs out there to be sure. Most of the time their madness is easy to spot. Me, personally, I don’t care enough about peoples ramblings to worry about it.
Drat the luck….where did I put my tin foil hat.
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I do think Brexit is in an indication of the deep divide developing in your country whilst Germany and France show a rather more overt division that is worsening daily. It may not be a war of guns etc. but it is a war nevertheless. Destruction of ways of life for the inhabitants based on a ‘theory’ of construction for a better future does not diminish what is quickly becoming an unbridgeable chasm between persons. The same is happening here; how do think a Trump run for President even got a foothold . . . which defies every ‘rule’ that the pundits put forward that discounted his ability to garner enough votes to be the candidate. BLM, Gender Wars, Illegals, promises and guarantees that are never delivered have about torn the fabric of our civilzation from the moorings that held us together during our shor history. Changes are coming and they seem more destructive than constructive. Mattei seems to see the same in Europe which I have not lived through . . . but I have watched the deconstruction of our society methodically deconstruct before my very eyes. There are deep-seated differences between our populations now that seem to have no way of mediating. Somebody is going to win and someone will lose and neither side is content with some kind of surrender of their core principles, ideals or agendas. Seems not a conspiracy theory to me . . . but what anyone with eyes can see daily in story after story.
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There is the world of difference between a political divide and a civil war. In France and Germany, Brexit seems to have lessened the desire there to leave the EU; as its effects here become clearer, who knows how that will play?
I am unsure who is destroying anyone’s ways of life for a theory. Merkel got it wrong on unrestricted immigration, but she wasn’t acting because she thought it would change the German way of life. The daughter of a pastor, she was acting as she supposed her faith required. It may be that the USA is full of people acting on this theory, but if so, Europe isn’t.
I don’t see any methodical destruction. You give too much credit to mere theorists. What I see is ideas of equality popular in the 60s having the sort of effects some of us said they would. But contraception, abortion, promiscuity and the rest hardly had to be forced onto an unwilling populace.
Whilst capitalism seemed to be delivering prosperity to many, none of these things mattered to most. Now it isn’t, there is bound to be discontent, but I doubt that capitalists planned it that way.
As usual, no one will win, and no one will lose. The huffing and puffing will go on, but President Clinton II has no more answers than her ludicrous challenger.
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And there is a world of difference between a ‘political divide’ which we used to have in our country and an out-and-out rejection of one another’s core principles; a clash of cultures . . . a war of civilizations that see the world through irreconcilable lenses. Civil unrest and war starts when one group is attacked for their beliefs physically, through laws or a complete desregard for laws. Attacks on Trump supporters is not just a war of words nor is the Black Lives Matter (Soros backed group) content with a peaceful protest but they advocate the murder of whites, policemen, Trump supporters. I have never before seen an election where people live in fear of wearing a hat, shirt or pin that shows their advocacy for a candidate. It is a monumental shift . . . and one that is worsening daily. To add to this we have the total disregard of existing law and Presidential orders that thrust his will upon all the people. I could write books on each and every such wedge that has been driven between groups of people and have broken apart a country founded on common love of country, freedom and laws. If this is not a war it is certainly the deep divides that create a fertile field for such. The average working man is working for himself and for another that is not working. On top of that we are spending the tax money of these people far into the future to support even more unfortunates without the backing of the will of the people. Today we spend 25% of our tax money on welfare and social programs and the rest is being put into our future debt. Just how long this can last before the bubble bursts and others are reluctant or refuse to buy our debt . . . and us theirs [a passing around of money that does not in reality exist] . . . will bring this to a head. It is not a theory . . . the mathematics of spending non-existing money to prop-up economies is impossible to sustain. A reset of currency is coming and when it does you can tell me that there are no winners or losers . . . but my best guess is that those who lose will make the present migrants and illegal aliens look rather mild . . . and there will be no safe haven to run to. In fact there is no safe haven now. That it is being pitched that the US and Europe are safe havens is part of a foolish pipe dream. The EU and the US are broke and we are teetering on a very flimsy lie that only works when the people buy into it and extend trust. When the trust is lost the truth of our serious economic and cultural problems will be more than small wounds with scabs that are reopened just here and there. Our fiat currency is a scam that will, in time, unravel. In fact, the world debt far exceeds all the man-hours of work that the fiat currencies represent since the beginning of time. Devaluing our currency would of course fix the problem but at what cost? Those who have not enough left to live will do what they have to do in order to keep body, mind and family fed, clothed and housed. It is why I became convinced that the bailing out of all these banks, companies and brokers was a calamity that was being put off into the future. It would have been better to take our lumps then than continuing as though we can spend ourselves out of debt. It is a very simple matter that our politicians know quite well but will not address. I do not believe that we are in this mess because ‘good men’ made ‘honest mistakes’ . . . you can believe what you want but the basic logic is rather straight forward.
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If the question is mistakes or conspiracy, I have seen no evidence that any such conspiracy exists outside the minds of those who need to believe this is not just the results of original sin.
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