I recently wrote a three-part series about an old friend and collaborator of mine, Salim Mansur, who has turned into a full-fledged conspiracist. I cannot fully explain what happened to Salim, but I thought it would be instructive for readers of my blog to read the full story. Part One Part one of my series looks at Salim Mansur's writing for various publications in Canada and the United States. I first met Salim in 2010 while he was a Professor at the University of Western O

My friend Eric Dezenhall has written a superb essay on conspiracy theories. Smart people believe conspiracy theories not because they suddenly become stupid but because the human brain is wired to process resonant plots. Neural pathways cannot accommodate randomness or mystery. It’s simply too distressing to believe we are hurtling through space, subject to forces beyond our control. This is why religion flourishes, not to mention Hollywood. Then there is the issue of pleasur

My friend James Lambert has produced an interesting short documentary on conspiracy theory. James made the documentary, Conspiracy Theorists Lie. You can watch the documentary here. Previous Relevant Blog Posts Mae Brussell: Queen of Conspiracy A Paul Krassner article from 1978. Hollywood must bear some blame for the rise of QAnon Oliver Stone played a significant role in the rise of conspiracy theories. Mordecai Richler on Conspiracy Theorists... A Richler article from Playb

This blog rarely discusses current politics. Of course, I like to include the decrepit politics of Oliver Stone, but mainly to show his fans that there is something deeply wrong with the way he thinks and his analysis of history, current events, and politics. The attempted assassination of Donald Trump is brining out some of the worst attributes of American politics. Republicans blame the over-heated rhetoric of Joe Biden and other Democrats, and Democrats reply, well, look w

Hugh McDonald's book. I read this book when it first came out and thought it was ridiculous. McDonald claimed that the Mexico City...

Mordecai Richler was an important Canadian author whose books are studied in schools across the country. His book, The Apprenticeship of...

Warren Hinckle was the editor of Ramparts Magazine, a fairly popular left-wing magazine from 1962 to 1969. He wrote a really fun book about the 1960s, called If You Have a Lemon, Make Lemonade. He devotes one chapter, "Give Us This Day Our Daily Paranoia," to the conspiracy theorists of the JFK assassination. His book is worth buying just for that chapter. Here is an excerpt about Jim Garrison: My last communication with Garrison was on November 5, 1968. It was not untypical.

Interesting article that should part of your reading for the day. Here is an excerpt from this fine article by Chris Taylor at mashable.com. The starting gun for the second wave of conspiracy entertainment was fired by Oliver Stone in 1991. JFK, Stone's expansive three-hour take on the Kennedy assassination, is a cinematic masterpiece. The editing, the tense John Williams soundtrack, the rollicking plot that carpet-bombs you with every hint of something amiss on that dark day