*By Rebecca Nugent, CLW Contributing Writer
I may have said this before, but words mean something. Logos is the Latin term for word. Biblically, the Word was made flesh (Christ) and dwelt among us. He is the ultimate Word, because He is all grace and truth. When God created the world, he spoke it all into existence. Logos is what gives meaning. If you watch or read any Jordan Peterson, much of what he says is based on this very idea.
But out here in progressive fairy land, anything can mean anything. Not that it actually can in reality, but we are forced to think so, otherwise be labeled as any -ism or -phobe du jour.
Ten minutes ago, the big scary word to be called was racist. If you dared to believe that everyone was responsible for their own lives before each other and unto God regardless of race or culture, you were deemed a racist. Five minutes ago, the outrage of the day was transphobia. Literally, this means to be afraid of people who have gender dysphoria (which was a real term in the world of psychology until they were bullied into erasing it ten minutes ago.) If you really believed that a baby born with a penis, testicles, and an overabundance of testosterone was a boy, or a baby born with a vagina, uterus, and all the eggs she would ever need to conceive any babies God gave her, you were labeled transphobic.
Now, those accusations haven’t disappeared. But there’s a new kid in town. His name is called conspiracy theorist.
According to Webster, a conspiracy theory is “a theory that explains an event or set of circumstances as the result of a secret plot by usually powerful conspirators.” Also, “a theory asserting that a secret of great importance is being kept from the public.”
So, as I read these definitions, I have some questions. Knowing what we know about the inherent sinful condition of man, the long history of powerful men and governments delving into corruption, and the lying, scheming, and passing the buck we’ve seen in our own government for decades, is it irrational to think that the truth is ever kept from us? Of course not. Any thinking person is rational to come to the conclusion that we’re probably not always told the truth, that some men in power could simply be out for themselves, and that wicked men often have agendas. This part is not unreasonable, but rather it points to an even-handed grip on reality.
The other question I have is that since when is it so gauche that anyone would wonder or believe a narrative that is different from that of the mainstream? For decades, there have been many who believe that JFK wasn’t necessarily killed by Lee Harvey Oswald, but by an organized set of snipers who were either connected to the CIA or communist sympathizers – and nobody cared. In fact, Kevin Costner made a movie about it. Many of us have paid to see that movie and nodded along with a thoughtful, “Hmmm…” There are some to this day that believe there is more than meets the eye with the disaster of 9/11. I personally don’t hold this view, but I know several people that do. I can assure you that many of them don’t live in their mother’s basements donning a tin foil hat.
Admittedly, some conspiracy theories are more unlikely and “out there” than others. But according to Webster, a conspiracy theory is the belief that there is an alternative narrative that is being kept from us by the powers that be.
What our insidious media has now down with this is to pronounce anyone that ascribes to a “conspiracy theory” as now being dangerous and possibly a “terrorist.” What that does to every law abiding citizen is to hog-tie them into a corner whereby they can never say anything against what the government/media/big tech is telling us. We’re told what to think. We’re told what to believe. We’re told what to say. To say otherwise is to come under scrutiny and to wear the proverbial yellow star.
If you look across history, there is nothing more threatening to a government that is attempting to retain or grow power than a people that thinks for itself. Nazi Germany, Communist China, Cold War Russia are a few examples that immediately come to mind. Getting people to second guess their ability to think rationally or even say what they see is the key to weakening and breaking them down. (This is the very definition of gaslighting, by the way. It is a common tactic used by narcissists and psychopaths alike.) Nazi Germany has the unfortunate theme in their own history, whereby burning books, forbidding literature, and any radio waves that brought into question what The Third Reich really was and what it might be up to. The infamous young student Sophie Scholl was put to death for secretly distributing pamphlets that were considered to be “dangerous” and “misinformation.” After all, the German government was just trying to protect its citizens from ignorance and unnecessary suspicion that might lead to protests or revolts. They were working hard to recover from a crippling loss in WWI. Any upset would impede that progress, so “no trouble makers allowed.” If you want to be “left alone in peace,” just simply shut your mouth and play by the rules, and they’ll “let you live in peace.” Safety, unity, and well-being is all the government is after, right?
What bothers me the most about this nonsense isn’t the Progressive Left spewing it, but the amount of moderates or RINOS that have adopted it. They remind me of your so-called friendly neighbors that were happy to come over to your BBQ and let your kids play with their kids in the yard, but will secretly snitch on you in order to make it known that they aren’t at all aligned with you politically. They are the ones yelling the loudest when it comes to the accusation of “conspiracy theorist.” Their quandary is that they want the “goodies” of conservatism and libertarianism, but don’t want to ever risk being seen by their astute peers as ever being associated with something that could cause them not to be taken as seriously as they currently take themselves.
An example of this is the renown “conservative” radio host and author, Michael Medved, who can be heard on his own Michael Medved Show on 770 AM in Seattle, Monday – Friday. I won’t paint a black and white picture of Medved, as he has his good moments, but in the department of protecting his obviously fragile intellectual persona, he’s an easy Judas to spot. I would often turn him on in the van on the way to pick up my kids from school, and for many weeks, I would hear him scoff at anyone who was questioning the validity of the current election. At one point, he was reading an article by Peggy Noonan, whereby she warned that “giving yourself over to conspiracy theories will ruin your life.” He went on to say that if the GOP wanted to be saved or be effective at all in the future, it had to make a concerted effort to distance themselves from “extremists.”
Now. Here is where words matter. I didn’t hear a clear explanation from Medved exactly what he meant by “conspiracy theories.” Did he mean living as if the earth wasn’t round and going off the grid to avoid any reality which proved otherwise? Nope. Did he mean arming a local militia to take out supposed lizard people? No. In fact, he never came around to saying, but the implication was that if you truly believed that there was corruption in our government to the extent that there was possible voter fraud, you were assenting to a conspiracy theory, and if you didn’t “stop it,” you would probably “ruin your life.” (He never bothered to define “ruin your life,” either.) However, I’m going to guess that given what Medved and his intellectually superior cohorts are most concerned about is what they think of each other. Therefore, Dear Reader, you must consider what the most educated and sophisticated neighbor in your cul-du-sac will think, because ruination is knocking at your door.
It’s all for your safety, you know.
Of course, what Medved was failing to consider after much consternation about conspiracies (and those who might believe them) is how much of a broad brush he was painting with. Isn’t the notion that anyone who thinks that the government might be up to something nefarious as someone “dangerous” a conspiracy theory in and of itself? Because truly, how many people has Medved interviewed who suspect voter fraud whose lives are now “ruined” or about to be so? My guess is none. It’s a hypothetical. It’s a hunch. So, while Professor Medved is warning us to simply accept the expert narrative, he has the freedom to air his hunch about the coming ruination of those who don’t adopt his view. Conspiracy much, Michael?
So, here’s the game: There are some pretty cool kids at the table in the GOP. They’d like to remain that way. Whenever you start speaking or posting in a way that cramps their style, especially the kind that gets them the stink eye from their friends from across the aisle who they would happily hand over their lunch money to just to get some playground time from, you will be called out as “dangerous,” an “extremist,” or a “conspiracy theorist.” Never mind what your concern is. Never mind what kind of information you have been able to procure. Never mind if there is any logic or probability to your argument. You have already been labeled, and therefore, nothing you say should be listened to or taken seriously.
For clarification, I am not writing this in order that we should have an “it’s not fair” pity party, but to embolden those who have been given remarkable gifts of critical thought, rhetoric, or who have been given the platform to be able to further the cause of free speech and free thought. I understand that not everyone is in a position to be at the front line or to sacrifice everything. It’s one thing if your neighbor wants to call you a racist, bigot, or any other school yard -ism that’s out there, because really, that’s been overused to the point of meaninglessness. It’s a whole other thing when freedom of speech and thought are threatened and logos is bound and tied.
