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- Title
Pearl Harbor Meets #pizzagate. Paranoia und Verschwörungsdenken in der politischen Kultur der USA.
- Authors
Hartwig, Marcel
- Abstract
The present text analyzes the connection between popular culture and American politics since 1945. It discusses the shift from conspiracy theories to a "conspiracy mania" and examines events such as Pearl Harbor, 9/11, and #pizzagate. The text refers to Richard Hofstadter's concept of the "paranoid style" in American politics and argues that conspiracy theories influence the perception of history and politics and can foster anti-democratic thinking. It also addresses the current political debate in the USA, where democratic candidates are often defamed as communists or pedophiles. The text discusses Hofstadter's idea of the paranoid style and how it can contribute to understanding the current conspiracy mania. It points out that Hofstadter himself applies the diagnosed characteristics of the paranoid style in his writing, thus lacking self-critical reflection. It also notes that there have been actual conspiracies carried out by the US government. The text also mentions various conspiracy theories and movements in the USA, such as the birther movement, the 9/11 truthers movement, and the popularity of Alex Jones and Breitbart. It suggests using the term "conspiracy mania" to better capture the popularity of paranoid thinking. The text also discusses conspiracy theories related to the attack on Pearl Harbor and the historical revisionism that has developed since then. The text addresses the conspiracy theories surrounding the attacks on Pearl Harbor in 1941 and the September 11, 2001 attacks. It notes that to this day, there are revisionists who claim that the US government, under Franklin D. Roosevelt, deliberately allowed the attack on Pearl Harbor to draw the US into the war. Similarly, it is also claimed that the US government staged the September 11, 2001 attacks itself. These conspiracy narratives are often based on anecdotal knowledge and are primarily spread in popular historical publications. It is noted that such conspiracy narratives are often driven by an anti-American or nationalist background and serve as coping strategies to deal with the effects of globalization. The text deals with the conspiracy theories surrounding the September 11, 2001 attacks (9/11) and the Pizzagate campaign. After the attacks, various conspiracy theories were spread, claiming that the government or other powerful actors were involved in the attacks. These theories were primarily spread through online forums and blogs. One of the most well-known conspiracy theories is the so-called 9/11 Truth Movement, which claims that the official version of the attacks does not correspond to the truth. The Pizzagate campaign, on the other hand, refers to a conspiracy theory claiming that high-ranking politicians are involved in a child trafficking ring operating in a pizzeria in Washington, D.C. These theories are primarily spread through social media and internet memes. The research examines the influence of memes and hashtags on the spread of conspiracy narratives and their impact on political events. The connections between the spread of internet memes and the shootings in El Paso and Christchurch in 2019 are examined.
- Subjects
PEARL Harbor (Hawaii); CONSPIRACY theories; ATTACK on Pearl Harbor (Hawaii), 1941; HISTORICAL revisionism; MEMES; INTERNET forums; CHILD trafficking; HOFSTADTER, Richard, 1916-1970; POLITICAL debates
- Publication
Zeitschrift für Kulturwissenschaft, 2023, Vol 17, Issue 1, p91
- ISSN
2197-9103
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.14361/zfk-2023-170107