69 million page views

Freemasonry, Zionists, and Social/Digital Media

Reader comment on item: [Michael Barkun on] Old Conspiracies, New Beliefs

Submitted by Robert (United States), Jan 14, 2022 at 20:38

Dear Dr. Daniel Pipes,

You have not Updated, Amended this article in 18 years. I think you should updated somewhat for the time span since 2004. Of particular importance is the rise of Social Media (aka Digital Media), and the demise the previous Print (Newspapers & Journals), Newsreels, Radio, & Television Media.

Furthermore, Modern Conspiracy Theories I maintain fall into two (2) classes.

(1) Antisemitism. Traditional Anti-Semitism arose out of the religious Christian thesis that Jews were for the Crucifixion and Killing of Christ. The consequences of that religious dogma are old and complex and were the tools to discriminate against and oppress throughout Christian Europe the Russian Empire. That changed with the publication of a weekly newspaper in 1903 in Tsarist Russia of serialized set of article under the heading of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion (there are variations of this title ...). What made this imprint unique was that it a Secular (not Religious) "attack" on the Jews. Furthermore, this imprint, was Edited several times in the Russian language in Booklet and Book form between 1903 - 1920; and always with new Front and Back Matter. However, in 1920 there was an international explosion of the publication of this text in translation into all the major languages of the world that continuous to this day (in 2022). Each re-issuance of the notorious secular Antisemitic text is accompanied by new Front and Back Matter to "explain" how current events allegedly "verify" it's "Truth." Incidentally, the Zionist Congress was established in 1897 by Theodor Herzl; this Zionist Congress continued to convene regularly in 1998, 1899, 1900, 1901, 1903, 1905, ...; it appears that the term "Zion" was taken from the name of this Zionist Congress (that's my theses, incidentally).

By 1906 there emerged, fused into these "Protocols" of Antisemitism, the Conspiracy Theory that "Masonry" (aka "Freemasonry") was Jewish in nature, or an arm of worldwide Jewry (Jews). This is connected with the "Illumination" (which is merely a version of the Anti-Masonry Conspiracy Theory. And this Anti-Masonry Conspiracy Theory is Older, going back to the reaction to the French Revolution in it's aftermath.

A third source of this family of "Modern" Conspiracy Theories is in the expression "New World Order" ("Novus Ordo Seclorum" in Latin) which occurs on the Great Seal of the United States, and is dated 1776. This has obvious connection to our formation of the United States of American during our year of Declaration of Independence. According, it is anti-American and a misreading and twisting of our country's creation and purpose. The "New World Oder" is also connected to the Woodrow Wilson Administration and his 14 Points to be implemented as policy ending WWI (1914-1918). Ironically, the seminal idea of Wilson was to create the League of Nations - which the United States did not join when it was created. However, after WWII (ending, 1945) a new international organization, the United Nations was created, and became the successor to said League.

Most of the common "new" Conspiracy Theories are merely addenda to these three ("elements").

If the texts of of the Bible and Koran are the Holy Books of the Abrahamic Religions, I submit that these Malevolent Texts should be titled "Satan's Sacred Scriptures" or, in the alternative the "Books of the Anti-Christ." In fact, incidentally, in 1905, Serge Nilus, the Russian Orthodox Church's "Holy Man," re-publish the so-called "Protocols of Zion" as a final chapter of his 1903 text (a book) on the "Coming of the Anti-Christ."

Dislike
Submitting....

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

Daniel Pipes replies:

Under your prompting, I re-read it. Not sure that social media, etc. change much.

On the positive side, one does not hear much about reptilians. On the negative side, one hears too much about stolen elections and fake vaccines: https://www.danielpipes.org/20925/fellow-conservatives-please-reject-conspiracy.

Submit a comment on this item

Reader comments (25) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
1Freemasonry, Zionists, and Social/Digital Media [582 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
RobertJan 14, 2022 20:38278256
SHORT CIRCUITS [16 words]MARK SIMPSONMay 24, 2008 20:03129837
1Mildly interesting, but not explanatory [315 words]morpheusFeb 5, 2004 13:3713766
Fusion Paranoia [145 words]Arlinda DeAngelisFeb 4, 2004 20:3613751
about old Conspiracies, new beliefs [144 words]FabienneJan 20, 2004 20:5813446
The Politically Disaffected In America [26 words]Michael ZeldisJan 19, 2004 01:3413401
1Stereotyping Conspiracy Theorists [259 words]Guy w. KleinertJan 18, 2004 07:0913397
skeptic [40 words]stuart leeJan 18, 2004 01:1213395
Crazies and Danger [209 words]Fay VoshellJan 16, 2004 14:4013381
what do you believe? [17 words]jeremy morrisonJan 14, 2004 20:0313368
Conspiracies [155 words]R. Lynn KelleyJan 14, 2004 11:4813363
You left a group out, Mr. Pipes. [274 words]Tom BryantJan 14, 2004 10:2713362
Old Conspiracies, New Beliefs [129 words]Scott SimonsJan 14, 2004 06:1113358
my (non-conspiracy) theory [99 words]relapsedcatholicJan 13, 2004 19:2813344
conspiracy theories/assassins/etc. [138 words]Peter J. HerzJan 13, 2004 19:0413343
1Left-sided conspiracy theories [48 words]David C. StolinskyJan 13, 2004 18:5313342
Nail on the head! [138 words]Donovan HudsonJan 13, 2004 18:4313341
worry about Illuminati, etc. [300 words]FCJan 13, 2004 13:3813333
1MYTH AND CONSPIRACY [96 words]DONVANJan 13, 2004 12:2913331
Conspiracy Theories [164 words]Stephen BermanJan 13, 2004 12:2813330
Old Conspiracies, New Beliefs [112 words]Bob MilliganJan 13, 2004 12:0313327
Washington Post's article on Middle East studies [227 words]SteveJan 13, 2004 11:5113326
Conspiracies in our time [216 words]Paul M. WeyrichJan 13, 2004 11:4913325
1Remember what the U in UFO stands for [71 words]Charles R.L. PowerJan 13, 2004 11:3113324
3Conspiracy Facts vs. Conspiracy Theories [301 words]Jose M. PaulinoFeb 5, 2009 05:0413324

Follow Daniel Pipes

Facebook   Twitter   RSS   Join Mailing List

All materials by Daniel Pipes on this site: © 1968-2024 Daniel Pipes. daniel.pipes@gmail.com and @DanielPipes

Support Daniel Pipes' work with a tax-deductible donation to the Middle East Forum.Daniel J. Pipes

(The MEF is a publicly supported, nonprofit organization under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Contributions are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Tax-ID 23-774-9796, approved Apr. 27, 1998.

For more information, view our IRS letter of determination.)