The United States of paranoia : a conspiracy theory

Jesse Walker’s __The United States of Paranoia__ presents a comprehensive history of conspiracy theories in American culture and politics, from the colonial era to the War on Terror. The fear of intrigue and subversion doesn’t exist only on the fringes of society, but has always been part of our national identity. When such tales takes hold, Walker argues, they reflect the anxieties and experiences of the people who believe them, even if they say nothing true about the objects of the theories themselves.With intensive research and a deadpan sense of humor, Jesse Walker’s __The United States of Paranoia__ combines the rigor of real history with the punch of pulp fiction. This edition includes primary-source documentation in the form of archival photographs, cartoons, and film stills selected by the author. Presents a comprehensive history of conspiracy theories in American culture and politics, from the colonial era to the War on Terror. It is a history of America's demons that stretches from the seventeenth century to today, and lays out five conspiracy narratives that recur in American politics and popular culture. 1693: Cotton Mather suggests that the spirits attacking Salem are allied with the colony's human enemies. At their "Cheef Witch-meetings," he writes, "there has been present some French Canadians, and some Indian Sagamores, to concert the methods of ruining New England." 1835: A gunman tries to kill Andrew Jackson. The president accuses a senator of plotting the assassination. Jackson's critics counter that the shooting was arranged by the president himself to gain public support. 1868: An article in the New York Tribune declares that the Democrats have engineered malaria outbreaks in the nation's capital, pumping "the air, and the water, and the whiskey of Washington full of poison." 1967: President Lyndon Johnson asks his cabinet if the Communists are behind the country's urban riots. The attorney general tells him that the evidence isn't there, but Johnson isn't convinced. Conspiracy theories aren't just a feature of the fringe. They have been a potent force across the political spectrum, at the center as well as the extremes, from the colonial era to the present. In this book the author explores this rich history, arguing that conspiracy stories should be read not just as claims to be either believed or debunked but also as folklore. When a tale takes hold, it reveals something true about the anxieties and experiences of those who believe and repeat it, even if the story says nothing true about the objects of the theory itself. -- From book jacket Dedication......Page 3 Epigraph......Page 4 Contents......Page 5 Part I: Primal Myths......Page 7 1 - The Paranoid Style Is American Politics......Page 8 2 - The Devil in the Wilderness......Page 24 3 - The Devil Next Door......Page 43 4 - The Beast Below......Page 73 5 - Puppeteers......Page 95 6 - Conspiracies of Angels......Page 115 Part II: Modern Fear......Page 132 7 - The Water’s Gate......Page 133 8 - The Legend of John Todd......Page 155 9 - Operation Mindfuck......Page 183 10 - The Ghost of Rambo......Page 217 11 - The Demonic Cafeteria......Page 227 12 - Everything Is a Clue......Page 246 Epilogue: The Monster at the End of This Book......Page 274 Acknowledgments......Page 279 Notes......Page 281 Index......Page 357 About the Author......Page 396 Credits......Page 397 Copyright......Page 398 About the Publisher......Page 400 "Conspiracy theories aren't just a feature of the fringe. They have been a potent force across the political spectrum, at the center as well as the extremes, from the colonial era to the present. In this book the author explores this rich history, arguing that conspiracy stories should be read not just as claims to be either believed or debunked but also as folklore. When a tale takes hold, it reveals something true about the anxieties and experiences of those who believe and repeat it, even if the story says nothing true about the objects of the theory itself."--Page 4 of cover Presents A Comprehensive History Of Conspiracy Theories In American Culture And Politics, From The Colonial Era To The War On Terror. Primal Myths -- The Paranoid Style Is American Politics -- The Devil In The Wilderness -- The Devil Next Door -- The Beast Below -- Puppeteers -- Conspiracies Of Angels -- Modern Fear -- The Water's Gate -- The Legend Of John Todd -- Operation Mindfuck -- The Ghost Of Rambo -- The Demonic Cafeteria -- Everything Is A Clue -- The Monster At The End Of This Book. Jesse Walker. Includes Bibliographical References (pages [343]-421) And Index. Tells the history of America's demons. This book lays out five conspiracy narratives that keep recurring in American politics and popular culture, zeroing in on particular examples from the seventeeth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries: The Enemy Outside, The Enemy Within, The Enemy Below, The Enemy Above, and The Benevolent Conspiracy.