BBC The Third Tower

The collapse of WTC7, as discussed in the film we began in class this week, attracted so much attention that BBC produced a documentary rebuttal to conspiracy theories called The Third Tower.

Watch the documentary below and respond with your comparison of The Third Tower and 9/11: Explosive Evidence, the film we watched in class. Does the BBC provide a convincing response?

9/11 Conspiracies: Fact or Fiction?

This week's film is produced by the History Channel, and it represents the official 9/11 story.

As you watch this film, consider the following: Who are the "talking heads" for each side of this debate? Are they equally credible as experts? Are they given equal time on screen? Who typically gets the last word?

Does this film emphasize the evidence of Press for Truth or Loose Change?

9/11: Press for Truth

There are dozens of documentary films about 9/11. One of the best films to depict the skeptics' point of view is 9/11: Press for Truth.

This film follows the widows of the 9/11 victims, and shows how the White House resisted their call for an independent investigation of 9/11.

Below, discuss the kinds of evidence the film presents as relevant. Does this information surprise you? Were you previously aware of these facts? Talk about strengths or weaknesses of the evidence provided.

The 9/11 Timeline, which is referenced in the film, can be found online here: http://www.historycommons.org/project.jsp?project=911_project. This is an indispensable resource for researching 9/11.

Forensic evidence in the JFK assassination

Watch the following documentary, which focuses on the forensic evidence of the JFK assassination.

Often, science is granted "epistemic authority"; that is, it is considered more valid than other kinds of knowledge.

Do you find any of these examples of forensic evidence more convincing than other evidence from the assassination case? Does the fact that experts often disagree over the forensic evidence affect your sense of the "epistemic authority" of scientific knowledge?

The Men Who Killed Kennedy

This week, we will watch the film Oswald's Ghost. Please have a look at the two videos below, to assess some of the omissions and distortions of Oswald's Ghost.

Both of these videos come from an infamous series that aired on the History Channel, The Men Who Killed Kennedy. You're welcome to watch the other episodes on YouTube, if you like.

Episode 4, "The Patsy," examines the problematic evidence that implicated Lee Harvey Oswald.

Episode 9, "The Guilty Men," is no longer sold as part of the DVD collection. When you watch it, you will see why: It directly implicates Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson and his Texas oil buddies in the assassination.

If you are wondering which of the other episodes to watch, might I recommend Episode 7, "The Smoking Guns"?  :-) (Note: You don't have to watch this episode for class.)

The Strategy of Tension

This week I would like you to read an article instead of watching a film, in addition to your coursepack readings. This article illustrates how the scholar Peter Dale Scott sees relationships among various "deep events."

The article is titled "Systemic Destabilization in Recent American History: 9/11, the JFK Assassination, and the Oklahoma City Bombing as a Strategy of Tension," and it looks at historical examples of the national security state committing what Lance deHaven-Smith calls "state crimes against democracy." Scott writes:

I wish to propose that America, as well as Europe, has also suffered from a similar series of false-flag structural deep events, including bombings, that have, in conformity with the same strategy of tension, systematically moved America into its current condition, a state of emergency.

There are a few key terms here. One you should understand is "false flag." You should also understand from these readings what the "strategy of tension" is. How does the strategy of tension complicate the ability of the average person to define "the state"? In other words, Americans live under the cloak of democracy, but within that system is a massive apparatus that acts in secret and not always for "democratic" reasons; so, what do we mean when we talk about "the state"?

This is the last blog post before the midterm exam. I will wait until after the exam to post the next one.

Alex Jones: The Order of Death

In this classic of contemporary conspiracy theory culture, conservative radio host Alex Jones "infiltrates" the Bohemian Grove in Northern California, where world elites gather midsummer to discuss policy matters in secret.

Watch Jones' film, The Order of Death:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhlRIH9iPD4

What is your response to the events depicted in The Order of Death? Does the film affect your opinion of politics? Do you think Alex Jones has correctly interpreted the footage he captured inside the Grove?

If you are interested in watching more conspiracy culture video (you are not required to watch this for the course), have a look at this piece of conservative, evangelical Christian interpretation of American history, Riddles in Stone:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Egq2PTVPRHs

Riddles in Stone includes discussion of the Masonic history of Washington, D.C.