JASON COLAVITO
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Books
    • Legends of the Pyramids
    • The Mound Builder Myth
    • Jason and the Argonauts
    • Cult of Alien Gods >
      • Contents
      • Excerpt
      • Image Gallery
    • Foundations of Atlantis
    • Knowing Fear >
      • Contents
      • Excerpt
      • Image Gallery
    • Hideous Bit of Morbidity >
      • Contents
      • Excerpt
      • Image Gallery
    • Cthulhu in World Mythology >
      • Excerpt
      • Image Gallery
      • Necronomicon Fragments
      • Oral Histories
    • Fiction >
      • Short Stories
      • Free Fiction
    • JasonColavito.com Books >
      • Faking History
      • Unearthing the Truth
      • Critical Companion to Ancient Aliens
      • Studies in Ancient Astronautics (Series) >
        • Theosophy on Ancient Astronauts
        • Pyramidiots!
        • Edison's Conquest of Mars
      • Fiction Anthologies >
        • Unseen Horror >
          • Contents
          • Excerpt
        • Moon Men! >
          • Contents
      • The Orphic Argonautica >
        • Contents
        • Excerpt
      • The Faust Book >
        • Contents
        • Excerpt
      • Classic Reprints
      • eBook Minis
    • Free eBooks >
      • Origin of the Space Gods
      • Ancient Atom Bombs
      • Golden Fleeced
      • Ancient America
      • Horror & Science
  • Articles
    • Skeptical Xenoarchaeologist Newsletter >
      • Volumes 1-10 Archive >
        • Volume 1 Archive
        • Volume 2 Archive
        • Volume 3 Archive
        • Volume 4 Archive
        • Volume 5 Archive
        • Volume 6 Archive
        • Volume 7 Archive
        • Volume 8 Archive
        • Volume 9 Archive
        • Volume 10 Archive
      • Volumes 11-20 Archive >
        • Volume 11 Archive
        • Volume 12 Archive
        • Volume 13 Archive
        • Volume 14 Archive
        • Volume 15 Archive
        • Volume 16 Archive
        • Volume 17 Archive
        • Volume 18 Archive
        • Volume 19 Archive
        • Volume 20 Archive
      • Volumes 21-30 Archive >
        • Volume 21 Archive
        • Volume 22 Archive
    • Television Reviews >
      • Ancient Aliens Reviews
      • In Search of Aliens Reviews
      • America Unearthed
      • Pirate Treasure of the Knights Templar
      • Search for the Lost Giants
      • Forbidden History Reviews
      • Expedition Unknown Reviews
      • Legends of the Lost
      • Unexplained + Unexplored
      • Rob Riggle: Global Investigator
    • Book Reviews
    • Galleries >
      • Bad Archaeology
      • Ancient Civilizations >
        • Ancient Egypt
        • Ancient Greece
        • Ancient Near East
        • Ancient Americas
      • Supernatural History
      • Book Image Galleries
    • Videos
    • Collection: Ancient Alien Fraud >
      • Chariots of the Gods at 50
      • Secret History of Ancient Astronauts
      • Of Atlantis and Aliens
      • Aliens and Ancient Texts
      • Profiles in Ancient Astronautics >
        • Erich von Däniken
        • Robert Temple
        • Giorgio Tsoukalos
        • David Childress
      • Blunders in the Sky
      • The Case of the False Quotes
      • Alternative Authors' Quote Fraud
      • David Childress & the Aliens
      • Faking Ancient Art in Uzbekistan
      • Intimations of Persecution
      • Zecharia Sitchin's World
      • Jesus' Alien Ancestors?
      • Extraterrestrial Evolution?
    • Collection: Skeptic Magazine >
      • America Before Review
      • Native American Discovery of Europe
      • Interview: Scott Sigler
      • Golden Fleeced
      • Oh the Horror
      • Discovery of America
      • Supernatural Television
      • Review of Civilization One
      • Who Lost the Middle Ages
      • Charioteer of the Gods
    • Collection: Ancient History >
      • Prehistoric Nuclear War
      • The China Syndrome
      • Atlantis, Mu, and the Maya
      • Easter Island Exposed
      • Who Built the Sphinx?
      • Who Built the Great Pyramid?
      • Archaeological Cover Up?
    • Collection: The Lovecraft Legacy >
      • Pauwels, Bergier, and Lovecraft
      • Lovecraft in Bergier
      • Lovecraft and Scientology
    • Collection: UFOs >
      • Alien Abduction at the Outer Limits
      • Aliens and Anal Probes
      • Ultra-Terrestrials and UFOs
      • Rebels, Queers, and Aliens
    • Scholomance: The Devil's School
    • Prehistory of Chupacabra
    • The Templars, the Holy Grail, & Henry Sinclair
    • Magicians of the Gods Review
    • The Curse of the Pharaohs
    • The Antediluvian Pyramid Myth
    • Whitewashing American Prehistory
    • James Dean's Cursed Porsche
  • The Library
    • Ancient Mysteries >
      • Ancient Texts >
        • Mesopotamian Texts >
          • Atrahasis Epic
          • Epic of Gilgamesh
          • Kutha Creation Legend
          • Babylonian Creation Myth
          • Descent of Ishtar
          • Berossus
          • Comparison of Antediluvian Histories
        • Egyptian Texts >
          • The Shipwrecked Sailor
          • Dream Stela of Thutmose IV
          • The Papyrus of Ani
          • Classical Accounts of the Pyramids
          • Inventory Stela
          • Manetho
          • Eratosthenes' King List
          • The Story of Setna
          • Leon of Pella
          • Diodorus on Egyptian History
          • On Isis and Osiris
          • Famine Stela
          • Old Egyptian Chronicle
          • The Book of Sothis
          • Horapollo
          • Al-Maqrizi's King List
        • Teshub and the Dragon
        • Hermetica >
          • The Three Hermeses
          • Kore Kosmou
          • Corpus Hermeticum
          • The Asclepius
          • The Emerald Tablet
          • Hermetic Fragments
          • Prologue to the Kyranides
          • The Secret of Creation
          • Ancient Alphabets Explained
          • Prologue to Ibn Umayl's Silvery Water
          • Book of the 24 Philosophers
          • Aurora of the Philosophers
        • Hesiod's Theogony
        • Periplus of Hanno
        • Ctesias' Indica
        • Sanchuniathon
        • Sima Qian
        • Syncellus's Enoch Fragments
        • The Book of Enoch
        • Slavonic Enoch
        • Sepher Yetzirah
        • Tacitus' Germania
        • De Dea Syria
        • Aelian's Various Histories
        • Julius Africanus' Chronography
        • Eusebius' Chronicle
        • Chinese Accounts of Rome
        • Ancient Chinese Automaton
        • The Orphic Argonautica
        • Fragments of Panodorus
        • Annianus on the Watchers
        • The Watchers and Antediluvian Wisdom
      • Medieval Texts >
        • Medieval Legends of Ancient Egypt >
          • Medieval Pyramid Lore
          • John Malalas on Ancient Egypt
          • Fragments of Abenephius
          • Akhbar al-zaman
          • Ibrahim ibn Wasif Shah
          • Murtada ibn al-‘Afif
          • Al-Maqrizi on the Pyramids
          • Al-Suyuti on the Pyramids
        • The Hunt for Noah's Ark
        • Isidore of Seville
        • Book of Liang: Fusang
        • Agobard on Magonia
        • Book of Thousands
        • Voyage of Saint Brendan
        • Power of Art and of Nature
        • Travels of Sir John Mandeville
        • Yazidi Revelation and Black Book
        • Al-Biruni on the Great Flood
        • Voyage of the Zeno Brothers
        • The Kensington Runestone (Hoax)
        • Islamic Discovery of America
        • The Aztec Creation Myth
      • Lost Civilizations >
        • Atlantis >
          • Plato's Atlantis Dialogues >
            • Timaeus
            • Critias
          • Fragments on Atlantis
          • Panchaea: The Other Atlantis
          • Eumalos on Atlantis (Hoax)
          • Gómara on Atlantis
          • Sardinia and Atlantis
          • Santorini and Atlantis
          • The Mound Builders and Atlantis
          • Donnelly's Atlantis
          • Atlantis in Morocco
          • Atlantis and the Sea Peoples
          • W. Scott-Elliot >
            • The Story of Atlantis
            • The Lost Lemuria
          • The Lost Atlantis
          • Atlantis in Africa
          • How I Found Atlantis (Hoax)
          • Termier on Atlantis
          • The Critias and Minoan Crete
          • Rebuttal to Termier
          • Further Responses to Termier
          • Flinders Petrie on Atlantis
        • Lost Cities >
          • Miscellaneous Lost Cities
          • The Seven Cities
          • The Lost City of Paititi
          • Manuscript 512
          • The Idolatrous City of Iximaya (Hoax)
          • The 1885 Moberly Lost City Hoax
          • The Elephants of Paredon (Hoax)
        • OOPARTs
        • Oronteus Finaeus Antarctica Map
        • Caucasians in Panama
        • Jefferson's Excavation
        • Fictitious Discoveries in America
        • Against Diffusionism
        • Tunnels Under Peru
        • The Parahyba Inscription (Hoax)
        • Mound Builders
        • Gunung Padang
        • Tales of Enchanted Islands
        • The 1907 Ancient World Map Hoax
        • The 1909 Grand Canyon Hoax
        • The Interglacial Period
        • Solving Oak Island
      • Religious Conspiracies >
        • Pantera, Father of Jesus?
        • Toledot Yeshu
        • Peter of les Vaux-de-Cernay on Cathars
        • Testimony of Jean de Châlons
        • Rosslyn Chapel and the 'Prentice's Pillar
        • The Many Wives of Jesus
        • Templar Infiltration of Labor
        • Louis Martin & the Holy Bloodline
        • The Life of St. Issa (Hoax)
        • On the Person of Jesus Christ
      • Giants in the Earth >
        • Fossil Origins of Myths >
          • Fossil Teeth and Bones of Elephants
          • Fossil Elephants
          • Fossil Bones of Teutobochus
          • Fossil Mammoths and Giants
          • Giants' Bones Dug Out of the Earth
          • Fossils and the Supernatural
          • Fossils, Myth, and Pseudo-History
          • Man During the Stone Age
          • Fossil Bones and Giants
          • American Elephant Myths
          • The Mammoth and the Flood
          • Fossils and Myth
          • Fossil Origin of the Cyclops
          • Mastodon, Mammoth, and Man
        • Fragments on Giants
        • Manichaean Book of Giants
        • Geoffrey on British Giants
        • Alfonso X's Hermetic History of Giants
        • Boccaccio and the Fossil 'Giant'
        • Book of Howth
        • Purchas His Pilgrimage
        • Edmond Temple's 1827 Giant Investigation
        • The Giants of Sardinia
        • Giants and the Sons of God
        • The Magnetism of Evil
        • Tertiary Giants
        • Smithsonian Giant Reports
        • Early American Giants
        • The Giant of Coahuila
        • Jewish Encyclopedia on Giants
        • Index of Giants
        • Newspaper Accounts of Giants
        • Lanier's A Book of Giants
      • Science and History >
        • Halley on Noah's Comet
        • The Newport Tower
        • Iron: The Stone from Heaven
        • Ararat and the Ark
        • Pyramid Facts and Fancies
        • Argonauts before Homer
        • The Deluge
        • Crown Prince Rudolf on the Pyramids
        • Old Mythology in New Apparel
        • Blavatsky on Dinosaurs
        • Teddy Roosevelt on Bigfoot
        • Devil Worship in France
        • Maspero's Review of Akhbar al-zaman
        • The Holy Grail as Lucifer's Crown Jewel
        • The Mutinous Sea
        • The Rock Wall of Rockwall
        • Fabulous Zoology
        • The Origins of Talos
        • Mexican Mythology
        • Chinese Pyramids
        • Maqrizi's Names of the Pharaohs
      • Extreme History >
        • Roman Empire Hoax
        • American Antiquities
        • American Cataclysms
        • England, the Remnant of Judah
        • Historical Chronology of the Mexicans
        • Maspero on the Predynastic Sphinx
        • Vestiges of the Mayas
        • Ragnarok: The Age of Fire and Gravel
        • Origins of the Egyptian People
        • The Secret Doctrine >
          • Volume 1: Cosmogenesis
          • Volume 2: Anthropogenesis
        • Phoenicians in America
        • The Electric Ark
        • Traces of European Influence
        • Prince Henry Sinclair
        • Pyramid Prophecies
        • Templars of Ancient Mexico
        • Chronology and the "Riddle of the Sphinx"
        • The Faith of Ancient Egypt
        • Spirit of the Hour in Archaeology
        • Book of the Damned
        • Great Pyramid As Noah's Ark
        • Richard Shaver's Proofs
    • Alien Encounters >
      • US Government Ancient Astronaut Files >
        • Fortean Society and Columbus
        • Inquiry into Shaver and Palmer
        • The Skyfort Document
        • Whirling Wheels
        • Denver Ancient Astronaut Lecture
        • Soviet Search for Lemuria
        • Visitors from Outer Space
        • Unidentified Flying Objects (Abstract)
        • "Flying Saucers"? They're a Myth
        • UFO Hypothesis Survival Questions
        • Air Force Academy UFO Textbook
        • The Condon Report on Ancient Astronauts
        • Atlantis Discovery Telegrams
        • Ancient Astronaut Society Telegram
        • Noah's Ark Cables
        • The Von Daniken Letter
        • CIA Psychic Probe of Ancient Mars
        • Scott Wolter Lawsuit
        • UFOs in Ancient China
        • CIA Report on Noah's Ark
        • CIA Noah's Ark Memos
        • Congressional Ancient Aliens Testimony
        • Ancient Astronaut and Nibiru Email
        • Congressional Ancient Mars Hearing
        • House UFO Hearing
      • Ancient Extraterrestrials >
        • Premodern UFO Sightings
        • The Moon Hoax
        • Inhabitants of Other Planets
        • Blavatsky on Ancient Astronauts
        • The Stanzas of Dzyan (Hoax)
        • Aerolites and Religion
        • What Is Theosophy?
        • Plane of Ether
        • The Adepts from Venus
      • A Message from Mars
      • Saucer Mystery Solved?
      • Orville Wright on UFOs
      • Interdimensional Flying Saucers
      • Flying Saucers Are Real
      • Report on UFOs
    • The Supernatural >
      • The Devils of Loudun
      • Sublime and Beautiful
      • Voltaire on Vampires
      • Demonology and Witchcraft
      • Thaumaturgia
      • Bulgarian Vampires
      • Religion and Evolution
      • Transylvanian Superstitions
      • Defining a Zombie
      • Dread of the Supernatural
      • Vampires
      • Werewolves and Vampires and Ghouls
      • Science and Fairy Stories
      • The Cursed Car
    • Classic Fiction >
      • Lucian's True History
      • Some Words with a Mummy
      • The Coming Race
      • King Solomon's Mines
      • An Inhabitant of Carcosa
      • The Xipéhuz
      • Lot No. 249
      • The Novel of the Black Seal
      • The Island of Doctor Moreau
      • Pharaoh's Curse
      • Edison's Conquest of Mars
      • The Lost Continent
      • Count Magnus
      • The Mysterious Stranger
      • The Wendigo
      • Sredni Vashtar
      • The Lost World
      • The Red One
      • H. P. Lovecraft >
        • Dagon
        • The Call of Cthulhu
        • History of the Necronomicon
        • At the Mountains of Madness
        • Lovecraft's Library in 1932
      • The Skeptical Poltergeist
      • The Corpse on the Grating
      • The Second Satellite
      • Queen of the Black Coast
      • A Martian Odyssey
    • Classic Genre Movies
    • Miscellaneous Documents >
      • The Balloon-Hoax
      • A Problem in Greek Ethics
      • The Migration of Symbols
      • The Gospel of Intensity
      • De Profundis
      • The Life and Death of Crown Prince Rudolf
      • The Bathtub Hoax
      • Crown Prince Rudolf's Letters
      • Position of Viking Women
      • Employment of Homosexuals
      • James Dean's Scrapbook
      • James Dean's Love Letters
      • The Amazing James Dean Hoax!
    • Free Classic Pseudohistory eBooks
  • About Jason
    • Biography
    • Jason in the Media
    • Contact Jason
    • About JasonColavito.com
    • Terms and Conditions
  • Search

Tuesday Odds and Ends: French Fringe Farce, Meteor Religion, and Alt-Right Atheists

8/1/2017

52 Comments

 
Before I get to my main topic today, I’d like to address a couple of odds and ends. First, I am aware that the Daily Grail reported today that fringe archaeology writers Robert Schoch and Robert Bauval have published a new article on the Sphinx in a pay-for-play open access Chinese academic journal. I am reading the piece, but it’s going to take me another day or so to digest it and decide what I think. I hope to have some thoughts about it tomorrow. 
​If you are a subscriber to my newsletter, you already know that Le Monde reported this week that a French philosopher suffered embarrassment when it was discovered that he had mistaken a fake news story from 2014 about the “discovery” of a Viking ship near Memphis, Tenn. for a genuine science report and gave the false information in his new book Decadence. You can read the details here.
 
You might have seen that The Daily Grail also has an article asking if meteorites were the inspiration for religion and for the pyramids, since many meteors have a conical shape. Since the pyramid shape is the only truly stable way to raise a massively tall structure without modern internal support structures, the second claim probably falls more into the category of pyramid builders seeing a similarity, not an inspiration. The former claim is an interesting and very old one. I have in my Library an article from 1896 that makes exactly the same case, with much of the same evidence. In his Pyramidographia in the 1600s, John Greaves argued that statues of the pagan gods were often meteors. The article quotes what it says is a quotation from Clement of Alexandria on the worship of stones as the first idolatry, but the “quote” is actually the words of Edward King from 1796, summarizing what he said was an argument from Cement’s Stromata 1. However, I can’t find anything like it in the first book of the Stromata. It is my understanding from old books that the source of the claim is actually Dionysus Vossius’s translation of Maimonides’ tractate on idolatry (Mishneh Torah, treatise 4, sec. 6), which has been read to say that Jacob’s stone pillow from Genesis was the progenitor of the idols. The claim appears in Thomas Lewis’s Origines Hebrææ (1725), where stones were explicitly said to be the oldest objects of worship.
 
But what I am interested in talking about today is an article by atheist Phil Torres (not to be confused with the TV host of the same name) that ran in Salon on Saturday. Torres argued that the so-called “New Atheism” has slowly but inexorably aligned itself with the so-called “alt-right,” embracing a raft of positions that are contrary to the movement’s stated aim of embracing science and reason but which are closely aligned with a rightwing agenda of grievance and Manichean absolutism.
 
I will leave it to you to read the full article, which at times is a bit too “inside baseball” to make good sense to a general audience, but his laundry list of examples makes the case that (a) skepticism, secular humanism, and atheism have joined together though they are not, technically, related, and (b) all three are becoming suffused with an alt-right mentality that takes as its foundational assumption the superiority of the traditional white male version of Western civilization. Torres notes the usual suspects: Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins, whose anti-Islamic rhetoric shades beyond reason into full-on emotional hysteria; the same characters’ misogyny, including Harris’s claim that atheism is a male pursuit because it lacks an “estrogen vibe”; the broader anti-feminist tone of atheist leaders and their warm embrace of alt-right darlings like Milo Yiannopolous in the name of challenging “P.C. culture” and Charles Murray in the name of declaring Blacks to be racially inferior. Yes, Sam Harris praised Murray and said Blacks were less intelligent on average because of their genes.
 
Now I don’t agree with everything Torres said; for example, there is nothing inherently irrational about being conservative, nor incompatible with being ethical or atheist. One might even hold most of the same positions as Sam Harris and defend them rationally and ethically. Torres is proudly liberal, and he wrongly chides atheists for not all embracing his set of liberal social views. But Torres is right that the most famous of the New Atheists, and increasingly their allies in the skeptical movement, aren’t defending their beliefs rationally but are promoting an ideology that nods to science and reason the same way that Soviet communism nodded toward egalitarianism. 
They say they care about facts, yet refuse to change their beliefs when inconvenient data are presented. They decry people who make strong assertions outside of their field and yet feel perfectly entitled to make fist-poundingly confident claims about issues they know little about. And they apparently don’t give a damn about alienating women and people of color, a truly huge demographic of potential allies in the battle against religious absurdity.
​To be frank, the criticism focuses mostly on the celebrities who use atheism as a brand, primarily Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris and the ghost of the dead Christopher Hitchens. Some of it applies to the second tier of atheist and skeptical leaders who mimic their style if not always their (lack of) substance.
 
But atheists and skeptics have picked the article apart over the past few days and I have little to add to that.
 
What I am interested in, however, is the question of why the alt-right has come to fore in both the atheist / skeptical movement and also the New Age / fringe movement. This is beyond weird considering the relatively small number of people who identify as alt-right and the much larger audience for both fringe history and skeptical views.
 
We have explored many times the rightward tilt of fringe history, a strange feature of the fringe in the past two or three decades and a complete turnaround from the middle twentieth century, when the fringe was more closely aligned with New Age liberal ideas. Today, fringe history is a parade of conservative and alt-right conspiracy theories, with a distinctive white supremacist bent. From pseudo-documentaries that propose a white master race and a sinister quasi-Semitic force planning literal or economic genocide against white people, to online hucksters who use the threat of aliens, Nephilim, or other imagined evils to sell survivalist gear and paranoia supplies, conspiracy culture is intimately tied to the right. Figures like Alex Jones, Steve Quayle, L. A. Marzulli, and Jim Marrs push the conservative line, while liberals in the fringe field like Giorgio Tsoukalos and Scott Wolter find themselves supporting and promoting rightwing conspiracies due to their participation in a systemically rightist field. The takeover came about because of the intentional marriage of rightwing anti-government conspiracy theories with UFO/alien theories and historically Eurocentric lost civilization theories. The depressing number of fringe leaders who are explicitly or implicitly racist shows that this is a feature and not a bug. Even William Shatner--Captain Kirk!—both hosted a fringe history show (Weird or What?) and offers vile alt-right commentary on his Twitter account. Leonard Nimoy he isn’t.
 
But how did skepticism and atheism come to promote figures with extreme conservative views on certain issues to so many positions of power? It doesn’t seem like the kind of thing a movement that once counted liberals like Isaac Asimov, Carl Sagan, and James Randi among its leaders would have ended up doing, much less one that devotes so much ink to creating elaborate ethical justifications for a range of generally center-left political positions that they mistake for universal constants, as well as scientific positions on evolution and climate change that are at odds with the right. And yet over the past two decades, atheism and skepticism has pushed forward leaders who have come to embrace a Western chauvinist model of social theory—one that I recently noted skeptic Michael Shermer promotes without even recognizing—along with extreme anti-Islamic views and an eagerness to support some (though by no means all) right-wing social views. (Shermer criticized the argument on Twitter yesterday, mistaking the New Atheist movement for atheism itself, a misleading position, and thus concluding that atheism itself cannot be in trouble.)
 
The mirroring of the two movements and their leaders’ rightward drift is interesting. I wonder why it is occurring. The facile answer is that everyone freaked out about 9/11 and tried to retrench by promoting a fantasy version of the 1950s. A paranoid person might suggest that there has been a concerted effort by a cadre of retrograde forces to infiltrate groups in order to promote a highly specific racist, misogynist, and Islamophobic agenda. But it seems difficult to imagine a project that coordinated. A soft version of this, however, might be the case, where a system of incentives leads to rightward drift because of the apparent rewards of tapping into a large, homogenous audience with a proven ability to spend on products and services that appeal to their core beliefs. While Torres is right that focusing on old white men leaves a lot of others on the table, this is only a concern if you are trying to maximize your audience. If, on the other hand, your goal is to create the strongest sense of loyalty and tribal connection in your audience, choosing a homogenous group whose shared prejudices unite them isn’t the worst choice. It’s why Fox News, the Republican Party, and the History Channel share the same base.
52 Comments
RiverM
8/1/2017 09:35:08 am

9/11, 2005 London UG, Boston Marathon, Bataclan concert, Manchester Arena (children), 2016 Nice truck attack, Westminster Bridge van attack, London Bridge van attack.

"Part and parcel of living in a big city", according to London mayor Sadiq Khan.

Reply
David Bradbury
8/1/2017 02:30:40 pm

If you want to gain political attention through violence, it helps to be somewhere which has rapid access to the mainstream media. So yeah, big city.

Reply
Joe Scales
8/1/2017 10:23:45 am

"It’s why Fox News, the Republican Party, and the History Channel share the same base."

Oh, so this was just a smear piece from the get go. Got it.

Reply
TONY S.
8/1/2017 10:29:14 am

A smear piece because it addresses a fact?

Reply
Jason Colavito link
8/1/2017 10:29:55 am

It's funny that you read that as a smear to say that there is a similar target audience. Every piece of communication, to be effective, must target a particular audience. The more general the audience, the more diffuse the message and the less effective the overall result. It's not a criticism to say that they found a specific audience and target it; the criticism is the message they send to that audience. I specifically criticized Torres for assuming that liberalism was inherently the "ethical" position to take, and yet all you saw was "Republicans = bad" even though I am criticizing the so-called alt-right.

Reply
Jason Colavito link
8/1/2017 10:32:32 am

And just to be clear--groups that share an ideology all have prejudices, too. It's not limited just to the right. The reason this is a problem in this case is because atheists / skeptics / humanists claim to evaluate situations without prejudices and biases to find the truth.

Joe Scales
8/1/2017 11:31:39 am

"It's funny that you read that as a smear to say that there is a similar target audience."

I read it that way as it's how you chose to wrap it up; despite previously expressed, token attempts at appearing fair-minded. I suppose it was too much for me to hope that instead you might have found solace in the promise that rationality is crossing over political spectrums. Maybe that's just the optimist in me.

Jason Colavito link
8/1/2017 11:51:00 am

Theoretically, rational decision-making shouldn't be ideological at all. Neither conservatism nor liberalism, as practiced in the U.S. today, are closely aligned with reason. Both have intellectually inconsistent ideologies. Torres's concern was that atheists and skeptics are promoting ideological claims that are not based in science or reason as though they were scientific and rational.

Joe Scales
8/1/2017 12:41:43 pm

"Torres's concern was that atheists and skeptics are promoting ideological claims that are not based in science or reason as though they were scientific and rational."

That's easily explained. As Clive Revill's fictional poet told Columbo, "Politics makes liars of us all, lieutenant."

David Bradbury
8/1/2017 02:37:04 pm

"atheists / skeptics / humanists claim to evaluate situations without prejudices and biases to find the truth."
Some truths are, unfortunately, inconvenient, particularly when separate truths require incompatible responses. Perhaps it's a characteristic of the right wing to prefer the most easily-implemented response.

At Risk
8/1/2017 12:26:50 pm

"It’s why Fox News, the Republican Party, and the History Channel share the same base."

Well, I watch Fox News most of the time because it's the only trustworthy major news outlet. Even the faces of media hosts on CNN and others have changed. They look bewildered and angry most of the time. It's pretty funny to switch back and forth from Fox and CNN (others, too) and see and hear the major slants and takes on various issues.

Basically, CNN and the others are on the run, like their best friends The Democrats, and those losers in Hollywood who took nickles and accolades across party lines, but then became like rats devouring their fan-base. (That has likely happened here somewhat, too, where one half of American is so readily rejected, leaving mostly left-leaning blog anti-socialites.)

In my view, it is wrong to co-mingle this above sentiment of mine with the obviously bogus History Channel. Jason, seriously, your extreme bias is showing, and you are potentially dismaying many (?) readers coming here. Why don't you leave Republicans alone (Christians, too) and try to figure out (now that you're a daddy) why the Democrat platform chooses to kill little human babies, while Republicans like me abhor the idea?

Why isn't abortion the ultimate presumption...a woman killing another female in the name of...what? Frankly, I wish you would stick more to history-related subjects and refrain from targeting innocent Republicans. It seems like you might be trying to disembowel those you may not like because of your far-left-leaning political correctnesses.

Thanks for your consideration...some interesting stuff, otherwise.

Reply
TONY S.
8/1/2017 06:40:35 pm

I stopped reading after the "...I watch Fox News all the time because it's the only trustworthy news outlet" comedy line.

Trustworthy as far as "state run TV" and "fascist propaganda" perhaps. But as far as real news... yeah, no. I seem to remember them going to court a decade ago for legal permission to run outright lies as authentic news.

Oh, and let us not forget the good ole boys culture of sexual predation being run by Rupert Murdoch, one that's gotten so out of control his sons overrode his desire to keep Bill O'Reilly on in spite of the evidence for his lechery being overwhelming. If that's what you consider to be quality TV by quality reporters, that's your little red wagon.

Like the historical sources I use, I personally set a higher standard for news sources than you do. But then, I'm also not a fan of Scott Wolter's, either. Seems FOX and Wolter have the same low standards when it comes factual and accurate information (as well as the same low opinion of their viewing public).

I personally found the disemboweling comment to be exceptionally rich, given the fact that it's the Right that has lately been promoting the culture of violence, especially towards the members of the media. Bodyslam, anyone?

I'd remind you about that old proverb concerning glass houses, but I'm sure like our current White House administration, you'd find a way to pass the blame. Ironic, coming from the party of personal responsibility and family values. But we all know that's not a label thats very credible anymore, if in fact it ever really was.

This was fun. Have a nice night.



Reply
Only Me
8/1/2017 10:56:23 pm

>>>But as far as real news... yeah, no.<<<

CNN. Enough said.

>>>given the fact that it's the Right that has lately been promoting the culture of violence, especially towards the members of the media. Bodyslam, anyone?<<<

Because a Diablo Valley College philosophy professor *wasn't* arrested for attacking Trump supporters with a bike lock, while dressed as a member of Antifa, right?

Because there *wasn't* rioting at UC Berkeley when Milo Yiannopolous was scheduled to speak and more threats of violence when Anne Coulter was scheduled to speak, right?

Because Black Lives Matter *hasn't* been shown on TV marching through city streets chanting, "What do we want?" "Dead cops!" "When do we want them?" "Right now!", right?

Because James Hodgkinson, who belonged to the Facebook group Terminate the Republican Party and a Bernie Sanders supporter, *didn't* have an assassination list of Republican Congressmen when he shot Steve Scalise at a baseball field, right?

Because Jeremy Christian, a supporter of Bernie Sanders and Jill Stein *didn't* murder two men with a knife while yelling anti-Muslim slurs as he threatened two Muslim women, right?

I'm sorry, but a single incident of a reporter being attacked by a politician and President Trump's retweet of a meme video is in no way the same as the examples above.

TONY S.
8/1/2017 11:10:24 pm

Those were just two of MANY examples of how FOX is not a reliable news source. I simply wasn't in the mood to write a long post about them. But I'll give you the most recent example of how garbage their reporting is:

FOX was forced to retract their ludicrous conspiracy theory about Seth Rich, and that they are being sued for libel as a result.

Only Me
8/2/2017 12:27:42 am

My response was in the interest of fairness.

I could also point out that three CNN journalists resigned after writing a report on Anthony Scaramucci after he threatened the company with a lawsuit. Or how CNN basically blackmailed the alleged creator of the video President Trump tweeted. I no longer consider CNN a reliable news source.

Look, there are plenty of sources for anyone of any political stripe. If we're going to acknowledge all of them will have some level of bias that favors their core audience, we also have to acknowledge the behaviors that cast doubt on their credibility.

This isn't a "Only they do it/only that side does it" situation.

TONY S.
8/2/2017 09:57:12 am

OnlyMe,

I agree that both sides are guilty when it comes to certain things. Having said that, it's a false equivalency comparing the kind of reporting FOX indulges in to that done by more legit news outlets.

I'll conclude by saying this: FOX is the fringe of journalism. I'm not just picking on them, either, Alex Jones is another example. I'll always listen to both sides of an argument anytime; it's the only way to have an informed view on any matter, you have to hear all sides to generate an informed opinion.

I have zero tolerance for lies, deliberate disinformation and conspiracy theories when it comes to ancient history, religion, and science; I have the same standard when it comes to politics.

I try to be as consistent as possible. But, as you would say, in the end it's only my opinion.

Joe Scales
8/2/2017 10:07:31 am

Only Me, you are wasting your time arguing with partisans. They will never recognize the good in their opponents, nor the bad in those they support.

Only Me
8/2/2017 11:28:14 am

@Tony S.

Cool. We simply disagree when it comes to FOX, but that's okay. I appreciate the civility, which is sorely lacking in other areas of the Internet.

@Joe Scales

That's something we're all guilty of doing to an extent. Like I said before, I only wanted to provide some fairness (or balance, probably the better term) to the discussion.

TONY S.
8/2/2017 01:04:28 pm

@ Only Me, I agree. We can always disagree without being disagreeable. Actually, it seems as if we're on the same side when it comes to most other things.

@Joe Scales, disagreeing and holding strong beliefs based off of conclusions reached through the process of logic and reasoning doesn't make one a partisan. Writing people off as blindly biased whom disagree with you does, however.

Pot, meet kettle.

I'm as far from partisan as you can get in my mode of thought and my intellectual outlook. That goes for every subject. Remember our discussion about Oak Island?

Oh, and BTW, it's rude to talk to in front of someone who is right here as if they aren't. I hope you don't find that comment partisan too.

Joe Scales
8/2/2017 01:09:11 pm

When partisans deride FOX News, I find it's generally in regard to their take on the evening entertainment shows; which are more editorializing than straight news. However, even their straight up news people can editorialize during their newscasts just like the other major networks, such as Shep Smith's clear anti-Trump bias. But you'd be hard pressed to watch Neil Cavuto and tell me he isn't fair and balanced, despite his conservative leanings. At least I would hope.

Americanegro
8/2/2017 01:09:25 pm

Civility is a white construct. When we were kings it was not needed.

Joe Scales
8/2/2017 01:29:13 pm

"... disagreeing and holding strong beliefs based off of conclusions reached through the process of logic and reasoning doesn't make one a partisan."

I agree. If you think that applies to you and that is why I believe you to be a partisan, then that would make you delusional, arrogant and intellectually dishonest for rephrasing the issue in such terms.


"Writing people off as blindly biased whom disagree with you does, however."

Disagreement is the spice of life. See above for why I don't always wish to engage you.

TONY S.
8/2/2017 09:53:58 pm

@Joe Scales...

Thanks for playing!

You told OnlyMe it was a waste of time arguing with a"partisan", yet you responded to my last comment not once, but twice. We thus may safely reach the following possible conclusions as to why.

Using your own logic, therefore:

1. Since you responded, clearly you no longer feel it is a waste of your time, because you have rethought your earlier statement and no long consider me "partisan". This being the case, you feel your initial statement was wrong about me, and should do the decent thing and say as much. I won't hold my breath.

2. You still consider me partisan, but simply do not value your time, since you responded. If you don't value your own time, I'm not going to value it either by responding further to this conversation.

3. You value your time, and still consider me partisan, but could not help yourself and responded anyway. This clearly demonstrates a basic lack of impulse control and poor judgement on your part. Not exactly the kind of mentality whose opinion anyone here should take seriously about anything moving forward. Yet you put forward the appearance that you want to be, so perhaps it's time for a little self re-examination?

How does it feel to be analyzed and labeled by someone who doesn't know the first thing about you, Joe? It's annoying when the shoe is on the other foot, isn't it?

Your unsupported assumption about me being partisan only shows that when faced with an unknown quantity, you will automatically default to personally preferred stereotypes and labels.

You seem to be an intelligent person and unbiased in some ways; our Oak Island discussion I found both interesting and revealing. I will always be open to changing my views when presented with facts I was not previously aware of. I believe that no matter how old you become, you can always learn from others, and that's one of the reasons why I started posting myself after years of just reading on Jason's page. I enjoy my interactions here with everyone.

That being said, I'm moving on now.



Joe Scales
8/3/2017 10:26:31 am

"...yet you responded to my last comment not once, but twice."

No, just once. My comment that began "When partisans deride..." came about the same time as your comment above, which I hadn't read yet; and if you read it again, it was clearly talking over you, not to you. This is my second response to you. Also my last.

AT RISK'S ALTER EGO
8/1/2017 11:48:59 pm

Conspiracy theories, oh the bane of the well of knowledge! My other self glories in them, especially those that Fox News and Scott Wolter love to indulge in.

My militant Christianity often clouds my brain as well, and makes me say and think foolish things. The opium of the masses is truly something not to overdose on!

Those poor misunderstood Republicans!

Reply
PNO TECH
8/3/2017 11:38:51 pm

Hold up there, Mr Alter Ego! Context defines content, good sir: at the time of the beloved quote about religion being the opiate of the masses, opiates were the primary effective-if not only-widely known-strong painkiller within western medicine.
Could it not simply mean that religion helped alieviate people's suffering?

Sassanid King
8/2/2017 08:27:24 pm

The only "trustworthy source"? Your skepticism is breaking apart. You do know a study has found that regular viewers of Fox News are as informed about events as those that don't watch any news? You saying Fox News is the most reliable is like saying CNN or MSNBC is the most reliable. If you haven't noticed Trump is not the most honest or reliable person to listen to. If are a skeptic then saying Fox News or MSNBC are God's word than it would be right to correct your thinking.

Reply
Only Me
8/1/2017 12:41:51 pm

I can see a couple of reasons for the shift.

A backlash against progressive ideas whose advocates will demonize anyone who merely disagrees with those ideas. I'm not saying all progressives do this, but there are many who do. There are quite a few atheists and skeptics that challenge and speak against such ideas, so they may draw an audience from the rightwing which makes for strange bedfellows.

"The takeover came about because of the intentional marriage of rightwing anti-government conspiracy theories with UFO/alien theories and historically Eurocentric lost civilization theories." This. It's the allure of truth or knowledge the fringe tells us is "forbidden", "hidden" or "suppressed".

As always, this is just my opinion.

Reply
Ken
8/1/2017 08:25:29 pm

Not so much a 'backlash' as the fact that progressives present their ideas as detailed expositions which are about as interesting as a textbook. On the other hand, alt right presents ideas that appeal to primitive instincts and which are short and straight to the point (real or made up).

So the problem is one of messaging and gullibility rather than one of logical ideology. Why else would large masses of otherwise good, rational people be convinced to vote against their own best interests?

Reply
TONY S.
8/1/2017 11:43:48 pm

Agreed, Ken.

Kal
8/1/2017 01:36:46 pm

Maybe this blog needs a section to debate political spin doctoring. The topic had nothing to do with abortion. But then again, listening whole cloth to Fox News and taking it in as the truth, is as foolish as taking in CNN and MSNBC as the other side's truth. Still, it is not about the news media. It is about some alt right atheists.

An atheist does not fear God, for he does not believe in God.

These seem to actually be Agnostics, who believe in some form of God, and demigod like forms, like Nephilim and angels, and devils.

But as a, er physicist once said, 'God does not play dice with his creation'. He does not choose sides in a debate, or a baseball game, or an other sport. He does not pick and choose except for ideology, old testament style.

News has become tabloid. Propaganda has become fake news. History is written by the victors.

If we let plutocrats and oligarchs take over, we are foolish, on any side.

Reply
Uncle Ron
8/1/2017 11:11:49 pm

Sorry to nit pick but that Einstein quote is usually entirely misunderstood. The quote is "God does not play dice with the universe." Einstein's "God" was the mathematical laws that govern how the universe works - he believed that there was a determinable cause for everything that happens and with enough time and work the cause of every thing that happened, down to the sub-atomic level, could be found. He used that remark to justify his rejection of quantum mechanics, part of which states that there there are things that happen, at a sub-atomic level, that are literally random, with no cause whatsoever.

Reply
At Risk
8/2/2017 02:53:49 pm

KAL, this topic has everything to do with abortion. Consider that when comparing moralities and immoralities associated with political parties, we have platforms. Platforms can be evil as well as good. If we're discussing and choosing (Jason) which political party is thought of as being better than another here, killing babies can enter into the conversation to hopefully offset the erroneous idea that the Democrat Party is superior to the Republican Party. Plus, I don't really need you to assign what is or is not on topic. You could be wrong. See here how:

Now, let's suppose you, yourself, had had the misfortune of having been aborted. How would that impact the discouse here? Well, Sir, your views wouldn't even reach here. KAL, if you had been aborted, see how the conversation here would be so different...you would not have been able to express yourself as a viable human being. Your voice would have been cut off short, and you would not now be enjoying free speech, trying to convince others here that abortion is or should be off the table within this discussion. Just think how this blog would be impacted if you had been aborted! And you think the subject of abortion of off-subject here? What about the potential loss of your valued input?

Maybe it's just you who wants abortion completely off-topic here, because it's so repulsive to yout? I hope so.

In this vein, I wonder how many future Einsteins were murdered in the womb today, so far? I wonder how many future blogsters were murdered today? KAL, let's look at the bad the Democrats are doing today, instead of just looking badly at innocent Republicans.

KAL, I'm glad you're here today, and that you weren't aborted along with all the other would-be future blogsters who have been eliminated over the last decades here in America...in the Land of the Free.

Reply
RiverM
8/2/2017 02:56:24 pm

The world needs more abortions. I'm ProFamilies, ProNotFundingYourKids and ProAbortion.

Jim
8/2/2017 04:24:09 pm

In this vein, I wonder how many future Hitlers were murdered in the womb today, so far?

Sassanid King
8/2/2017 08:37:01 pm

Abortion? Are you religious At Risk? Science shows us that if life begins in conception then that means many "babies" die before being born. Two out of three embryos are rejected naturally by the uterus. Which means our own bodies are more dangerous to fetuses than the abortionist.

AT RISK'S ALTER EGO
8/2/2017 11:37:56 pm

Apologies, my dear friends. My head is wedged much further up my stick filled ass tonight than usual.

A C
8/1/2017 04:37:49 pm

There have always been 'right wing' views in the 'atheist' movement. They're just more obvious under the current state of extreme polarization. Plenty of the more noxious reactionaries even identify as left wing, political movements being more or less arbitrary.

The New Age movement was never historically left wing in an ideological sense, it was merely anti-establishment and that particular sort anti-authoritarian that is always looking for alternative authorities.

The biggest problem with any movement that emphasizes 'reason' is that rationality isn't an identity, its an act that requires a lot of resources to attempt. No one can be rational about everything since you need expertise on a topic to be able to understand what you're supposed to be reasoning about.

At worst, identifying as rational can be used as a substitute for reason. This is a very easy trap to fall into when you're an uneducated atheist whose surrounded by religious people saying obviously stupid things. Us vs them style situations aren't productive to dispassionate examination and once you've decided that 'us' means 'intelligent and rational' and 'them' means 'irrational idiots' then you're basically fucked.

Its not like New Atheism as a movement ever even attempted to ditch those who were merely anti-religious bigots. The "we respect religion and just want to keep it out of the science classroom" movement never existed. Dawkins was the obvious pick for leading an anti-creationist campaign, but leapt straight out of his area of expertise to go for religion in general instead. Topics that could have united Christian and Atheist scientists and encouraged reason and understanding were hijacked to promote atheism and ideological tribalism. New Atheism hasn't changed, it was always a movement that embraced bigotry.

The other problem is that atheism just isn't that serious a deal right now, so a lot of left wingers who might have taken that up as a cause just have more important stuff to think about. So its easy for the right wing atheists to scream louder than the left wing ones.

Science education media has always had a problem about promoting the idea of the trustworthy multi-disciplinary expert. Carl Sagan's Cosmos was trash whenever it covered biology, evolution or history (outside of astronomy, the astronomer episodes are actually good history programs) but the man never got called out on that because he was too synonymous with science promotion. This is especially worse when you have experts in the 'most sure and trustworthy form of knowledge' who go around disputing 'the mere social sciences'.

Reply
David Bradbury
8/1/2017 06:48:26 pm

"Science education media has always had a problem about promoting the idea of the trustworthy multi-disciplinary expert."
Or: human beings really struggle to cope with the breadth and depth of knowledge reality demands.

Reply
TONY S.
8/1/2017 11:42:22 pm

David, your interpretation could not be more right.

Americanegro
8/2/2017 01:49:27 am

"TONY S.
8/1/2017 11:10:24 pm

FOX was forced to retract their ludicrous conspiracy theory about Seth Rich, and that they are being sued for libel as a result."

Seth Rich was murdered and not robbed and you cannot name anyone suing Fox for libel.

Reply
David Bradbury
8/2/2017 04:00:03 am

Rod Wheeler

Reply
TONY S.
8/2/2017 08:43:45 am

Wrong. The libel lawsuit is going on as we speak.

Reply
TONY S.
8/2/2017 09:04:52 am

Look up the story for yourself. A Washignton DC detective formerly investigating the case is suing FOX for attributing false statements to him. The DNC did not murder Seth Rich, and he never claimed that they did. But FOX ran the story anyway. Now they have retracted it and he is suing them for the harm it has done to his credibility.

Yes, you can sue for libel when that happens. And he is.

Reply
Americanegro
8/2/2017 02:14:21 am

Again, I am posting this in the wrong place, because it is just too good. He didn't get the "were there no animals in Europe" thing. Seriously, if you're alive at all you've made it this far without following seal herds.

"AnonymousJuly 31, 2017 at 11:03 AM
Scott,

Why did they follow seal herds? Were there no animals in Europe? Do seals even travel in herds?

Regards,

Andre Kovac


Scott WolterJuly 31, 2017 at 11:34 AM
Andre,

Yes, seals do travel in herds and this thesis was put forward by Dennis Stanford at the Smithsonian Institution. The evidence put forth in his 2013 book, "Across Atlantic Ice" was convincing to many scholars and me."

Now the Smithsonian is a good place? Wolter is the world's most retarded gin soaked retard. And the smart money says he's got sexuality issues which make him tightly wound.

Reply
TONY S.
8/2/2017 08:44:37 am

That would certainly explain it.

Reply
Joe Scales
8/2/2017 10:09:58 am

"... was convincing to many scholars and me."

Well, at least he doesn't include himself as a scholar. That's a plus, right?

Reply
TONY S.
8/3/2017 09:16:23 am

Nah, not really, since he's always thought of himself as smarter than the scholars.

Epiméthée
8/2/2017 09:06:11 am

As much as i agree that a coordinated effort stretch the imagination, i think a case could be made for a concerted action from conservative forces. Concerted means here that a set of ideas were consciously and consistently elaborated and spread by some intellectuals and groups since the end of the seventies.

In my opinion, one of the main sources is the french thinker Alain de Benoist, founder of the "Nouvelle Droite" (New Right) and more importantly of the GRECE (Groupement de recherche et d'etude pour la civilisation européeene, roughly Group of research and study for the european civilisation, a carefully crafted name).
De Benoist see the sixties as a triumph of leftwing ideologies that affect the political body of the nation, he intend to give a new ideology to the right. The aim is to displace the argument from a political point of view to a civilisationnal one. Thus the creation of GRECE and the revitalisation of a civilisationnal discourse which state an authentic european self.

I believe this group to be one of the main seed in the elaboration of the civilisationnal discourse that frame the conservative right today. More important for this blog are the connections between the GRECE and Pauwels, at the time redactor for "The Figaro" one of the main french rightwing newspapers.

I cannot trace exactly the path to the anglo-saxon right, but i think the neo-pagan scene was an important channel. Some points are also quite interesting: the GRECE was pagan and anti-christian, considering christianity as oriental and egalitarian, alien to the aristocratic occidental tradition. The shift to an occidental civilisation identified with christianity is also interesting and tell a story of the relashionship between west and east.

I won't dwell here on the reinvention of an indo-european identity, which is in my opinion the point of entry of the fringe in the discourse of this new right. I think it is important to stress this civilisational discourse as one of the main rhetorical tool of the conservative right today and one of the consequences of the fringe discourse.

This is only a sketch and there is a lot to add but i think De Benoist is a good starting point to research the questions you ask in this post. You could be interested in this article about the intellectual effort of the New Right, with some information on their historical constructions.

http://www.academia.edu/19751971/Les_intellectuels_de_la_Nouvelle_Droite

Reply
Riley V
8/2/2017 02:14:41 pm

Brilliant. Thank you

Reply
E.P. Grondine
8/3/2017 08:46:51 am

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7VorQwPnqs

Reply
Americanegro
8/3/2017 05:49:37 pm

Double posting because of your double non-Indian balls?

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Blog
    Picture

    Author

    I am an author and researcher focusing on pop culture, science, and history. Bylines: New Republic, Esquire, Slate, etc. There's more about me in the About Jason tab.

    Become a Patron!
    Tweets by JasonColavito
    Picture

    Newsletters

    Enter your email below to subscribe to my newsletter for updates on my latest projects, blog posts, and activities, and subscribe to Culture & Curiosities, my Substack newsletter.

    powered by TinyLetter

    Blog Roll

    Ancient Aliens Debunked
    Picture
    A Hot Cup of Joe
    ArchyFantasies
    Bad UFOs
    Mammoth Tales
    Matthew R. X. Dentith
    PaleoBabble
    Picture

    Categories

    All
    Alternative Archaeology
    Alternative Archaeology
    Alternative History
    Alternative History
    America Unearthed
    Ancient Aliens
    Ancient Astronauts
    Ancient History
    Ancient Texts
    Ancient Texts
    Archaeology
    Atlantis
    Conspiracies
    Giants
    Habsburgs
    Horror
    King Arthur
    Knights Templar
    Lovecraft
    Mythology
    Occult
    Popular Culture
    Popular Culture
    Projects
    Pyramids
    Racism
    Science
    Skepticism
    Ufos
    Weird Old Art
    Weird Things
    White Nationalism

    Terms & Conditions

    Please read all applicable terms and conditions before posting a comment on this blog. Posting a comment constitutes your agreement to abide by the terms and conditions linked herein.

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010

    RSS Feed

Picture
Home  |  Blog  |  Books  | Contact  |  About Jason | Terms & Conditions
© 2010-2023 Jason Colavito. All rights reserved.

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Books
    • Legends of the Pyramids
    • The Mound Builder Myth
    • Jason and the Argonauts
    • Cult of Alien Gods >
      • Contents
      • Excerpt
      • Image Gallery
    • Foundations of Atlantis
    • Knowing Fear >
      • Contents
      • Excerpt
      • Image Gallery
    • Hideous Bit of Morbidity >
      • Contents
      • Excerpt
      • Image Gallery
    • Cthulhu in World Mythology >
      • Excerpt
      • Image Gallery
      • Necronomicon Fragments
      • Oral Histories
    • Fiction >
      • Short Stories
      • Free Fiction
    • JasonColavito.com Books >
      • Faking History
      • Unearthing the Truth
      • Critical Companion to Ancient Aliens
      • Studies in Ancient Astronautics (Series) >
        • Theosophy on Ancient Astronauts
        • Pyramidiots!
        • Edison's Conquest of Mars
      • Fiction Anthologies >
        • Unseen Horror >
          • Contents
          • Excerpt
        • Moon Men! >
          • Contents
      • The Orphic Argonautica >
        • Contents
        • Excerpt
      • The Faust Book >
        • Contents
        • Excerpt
      • Classic Reprints
      • eBook Minis
    • Free eBooks >
      • Origin of the Space Gods
      • Ancient Atom Bombs
      • Golden Fleeced
      • Ancient America
      • Horror & Science
  • Articles
    • Skeptical Xenoarchaeologist Newsletter >
      • Volumes 1-10 Archive >
        • Volume 1 Archive
        • Volume 2 Archive
        • Volume 3 Archive
        • Volume 4 Archive
        • Volume 5 Archive
        • Volume 6 Archive
        • Volume 7 Archive
        • Volume 8 Archive
        • Volume 9 Archive
        • Volume 10 Archive
      • Volumes 11-20 Archive >
        • Volume 11 Archive
        • Volume 12 Archive
        • Volume 13 Archive
        • Volume 14 Archive
        • Volume 15 Archive
        • Volume 16 Archive
        • Volume 17 Archive
        • Volume 18 Archive
        • Volume 19 Archive
        • Volume 20 Archive
      • Volumes 21-30 Archive >
        • Volume 21 Archive
        • Volume 22 Archive
    • Television Reviews >
      • Ancient Aliens Reviews
      • In Search of Aliens Reviews
      • America Unearthed
      • Pirate Treasure of the Knights Templar
      • Search for the Lost Giants
      • Forbidden History Reviews
      • Expedition Unknown Reviews
      • Legends of the Lost
      • Unexplained + Unexplored
      • Rob Riggle: Global Investigator
    • Book Reviews
    • Galleries >
      • Bad Archaeology
      • Ancient Civilizations >
        • Ancient Egypt
        • Ancient Greece
        • Ancient Near East
        • Ancient Americas
      • Supernatural History
      • Book Image Galleries
    • Videos
    • Collection: Ancient Alien Fraud >
      • Chariots of the Gods at 50
      • Secret History of Ancient Astronauts
      • Of Atlantis and Aliens
      • Aliens and Ancient Texts
      • Profiles in Ancient Astronautics >
        • Erich von Däniken
        • Robert Temple
        • Giorgio Tsoukalos
        • David Childress
      • Blunders in the Sky
      • The Case of the False Quotes
      • Alternative Authors' Quote Fraud
      • David Childress & the Aliens
      • Faking Ancient Art in Uzbekistan
      • Intimations of Persecution
      • Zecharia Sitchin's World
      • Jesus' Alien Ancestors?
      • Extraterrestrial Evolution?
    • Collection: Skeptic Magazine >
      • America Before Review
      • Native American Discovery of Europe
      • Interview: Scott Sigler
      • Golden Fleeced
      • Oh the Horror
      • Discovery of America
      • Supernatural Television
      • Review of Civilization One
      • Who Lost the Middle Ages
      • Charioteer of the Gods
    • Collection: Ancient History >
      • Prehistoric Nuclear War
      • The China Syndrome
      • Atlantis, Mu, and the Maya
      • Easter Island Exposed
      • Who Built the Sphinx?
      • Who Built the Great Pyramid?
      • Archaeological Cover Up?
    • Collection: The Lovecraft Legacy >
      • Pauwels, Bergier, and Lovecraft
      • Lovecraft in Bergier
      • Lovecraft and Scientology
    • Collection: UFOs >
      • Alien Abduction at the Outer Limits
      • Aliens and Anal Probes
      • Ultra-Terrestrials and UFOs
      • Rebels, Queers, and Aliens
    • Scholomance: The Devil's School
    • Prehistory of Chupacabra
    • The Templars, the Holy Grail, & Henry Sinclair
    • Magicians of the Gods Review
    • The Curse of the Pharaohs
    • The Antediluvian Pyramid Myth
    • Whitewashing American Prehistory
    • James Dean's Cursed Porsche
  • The Library
    • Ancient Mysteries >
      • Ancient Texts >
        • Mesopotamian Texts >
          • Atrahasis Epic
          • Epic of Gilgamesh
          • Kutha Creation Legend
          • Babylonian Creation Myth
          • Descent of Ishtar
          • Berossus
          • Comparison of Antediluvian Histories
        • Egyptian Texts >
          • The Shipwrecked Sailor
          • Dream Stela of Thutmose IV
          • The Papyrus of Ani
          • Classical Accounts of the Pyramids
          • Inventory Stela
          • Manetho
          • Eratosthenes' King List
          • The Story of Setna
          • Leon of Pella
          • Diodorus on Egyptian History
          • On Isis and Osiris
          • Famine Stela
          • Old Egyptian Chronicle
          • The Book of Sothis
          • Horapollo
          • Al-Maqrizi's King List
        • Teshub and the Dragon
        • Hermetica >
          • The Three Hermeses
          • Kore Kosmou
          • Corpus Hermeticum
          • The Asclepius
          • The Emerald Tablet
          • Hermetic Fragments
          • Prologue to the Kyranides
          • The Secret of Creation
          • Ancient Alphabets Explained
          • Prologue to Ibn Umayl's Silvery Water
          • Book of the 24 Philosophers
          • Aurora of the Philosophers
        • Hesiod's Theogony
        • Periplus of Hanno
        • Ctesias' Indica
        • Sanchuniathon
        • Sima Qian
        • Syncellus's Enoch Fragments
        • The Book of Enoch
        • Slavonic Enoch
        • Sepher Yetzirah
        • Tacitus' Germania
        • De Dea Syria
        • Aelian's Various Histories
        • Julius Africanus' Chronography
        • Eusebius' Chronicle
        • Chinese Accounts of Rome
        • Ancient Chinese Automaton
        • The Orphic Argonautica
        • Fragments of Panodorus
        • Annianus on the Watchers
        • The Watchers and Antediluvian Wisdom
      • Medieval Texts >
        • Medieval Legends of Ancient Egypt >
          • Medieval Pyramid Lore
          • John Malalas on Ancient Egypt
          • Fragments of Abenephius
          • Akhbar al-zaman
          • Ibrahim ibn Wasif Shah
          • Murtada ibn al-‘Afif
          • Al-Maqrizi on the Pyramids
          • Al-Suyuti on the Pyramids
        • The Hunt for Noah's Ark
        • Isidore of Seville
        • Book of Liang: Fusang
        • Agobard on Magonia
        • Book of Thousands
        • Voyage of Saint Brendan
        • Power of Art and of Nature
        • Travels of Sir John Mandeville
        • Yazidi Revelation and Black Book
        • Al-Biruni on the Great Flood
        • Voyage of the Zeno Brothers
        • The Kensington Runestone (Hoax)
        • Islamic Discovery of America
        • The Aztec Creation Myth
      • Lost Civilizations >
        • Atlantis >
          • Plato's Atlantis Dialogues >
            • Timaeus
            • Critias
          • Fragments on Atlantis
          • Panchaea: The Other Atlantis
          • Eumalos on Atlantis (Hoax)
          • Gómara on Atlantis
          • Sardinia and Atlantis
          • Santorini and Atlantis
          • The Mound Builders and Atlantis
          • Donnelly's Atlantis
          • Atlantis in Morocco
          • Atlantis and the Sea Peoples
          • W. Scott-Elliot >
            • The Story of Atlantis
            • The Lost Lemuria
          • The Lost Atlantis
          • Atlantis in Africa
          • How I Found Atlantis (Hoax)
          • Termier on Atlantis
          • The Critias and Minoan Crete
          • Rebuttal to Termier
          • Further Responses to Termier
          • Flinders Petrie on Atlantis
        • Lost Cities >
          • Miscellaneous Lost Cities
          • The Seven Cities
          • The Lost City of Paititi
          • Manuscript 512
          • The Idolatrous City of Iximaya (Hoax)
          • The 1885 Moberly Lost City Hoax
          • The Elephants of Paredon (Hoax)
        • OOPARTs
        • Oronteus Finaeus Antarctica Map
        • Caucasians in Panama
        • Jefferson's Excavation
        • Fictitious Discoveries in America
        • Against Diffusionism
        • Tunnels Under Peru
        • The Parahyba Inscription (Hoax)
        • Mound Builders
        • Gunung Padang
        • Tales of Enchanted Islands
        • The 1907 Ancient World Map Hoax
        • The 1909 Grand Canyon Hoax
        • The Interglacial Period
        • Solving Oak Island
      • Religious Conspiracies >
        • Pantera, Father of Jesus?
        • Toledot Yeshu
        • Peter of les Vaux-de-Cernay on Cathars
        • Testimony of Jean de Châlons
        • Rosslyn Chapel and the 'Prentice's Pillar
        • The Many Wives of Jesus
        • Templar Infiltration of Labor
        • Louis Martin & the Holy Bloodline
        • The Life of St. Issa (Hoax)
        • On the Person of Jesus Christ
      • Giants in the Earth >
        • Fossil Origins of Myths >
          • Fossil Teeth and Bones of Elephants
          • Fossil Elephants
          • Fossil Bones of Teutobochus
          • Fossil Mammoths and Giants
          • Giants' Bones Dug Out of the Earth
          • Fossils and the Supernatural
          • Fossils, Myth, and Pseudo-History
          • Man During the Stone Age
          • Fossil Bones and Giants
          • American Elephant Myths
          • The Mammoth and the Flood
          • Fossils and Myth
          • Fossil Origin of the Cyclops
          • Mastodon, Mammoth, and Man
        • Fragments on Giants
        • Manichaean Book of Giants
        • Geoffrey on British Giants
        • Alfonso X's Hermetic History of Giants
        • Boccaccio and the Fossil 'Giant'
        • Book of Howth
        • Purchas His Pilgrimage
        • Edmond Temple's 1827 Giant Investigation
        • The Giants of Sardinia
        • Giants and the Sons of God
        • The Magnetism of Evil
        • Tertiary Giants
        • Smithsonian Giant Reports
        • Early American Giants
        • The Giant of Coahuila
        • Jewish Encyclopedia on Giants
        • Index of Giants
        • Newspaper Accounts of Giants
        • Lanier's A Book of Giants
      • Science and History >
        • Halley on Noah's Comet
        • The Newport Tower
        • Iron: The Stone from Heaven
        • Ararat and the Ark
        • Pyramid Facts and Fancies
        • Argonauts before Homer
        • The Deluge
        • Crown Prince Rudolf on the Pyramids
        • Old Mythology in New Apparel
        • Blavatsky on Dinosaurs
        • Teddy Roosevelt on Bigfoot
        • Devil Worship in France
        • Maspero's Review of Akhbar al-zaman
        • The Holy Grail as Lucifer's Crown Jewel
        • The Mutinous Sea
        • The Rock Wall of Rockwall
        • Fabulous Zoology
        • The Origins of Talos
        • Mexican Mythology
        • Chinese Pyramids
        • Maqrizi's Names of the Pharaohs
      • Extreme History >
        • Roman Empire Hoax
        • American Antiquities
        • American Cataclysms
        • England, the Remnant of Judah
        • Historical Chronology of the Mexicans
        • Maspero on the Predynastic Sphinx
        • Vestiges of the Mayas
        • Ragnarok: The Age of Fire and Gravel
        • Origins of the Egyptian People
        • The Secret Doctrine >
          • Volume 1: Cosmogenesis
          • Volume 2: Anthropogenesis
        • Phoenicians in America
        • The Electric Ark
        • Traces of European Influence
        • Prince Henry Sinclair
        • Pyramid Prophecies
        • Templars of Ancient Mexico
        • Chronology and the "Riddle of the Sphinx"
        • The Faith of Ancient Egypt
        • Spirit of the Hour in Archaeology
        • Book of the Damned
        • Great Pyramid As Noah's Ark
        • Richard Shaver's Proofs
    • Alien Encounters >
      • US Government Ancient Astronaut Files >
        • Fortean Society and Columbus
        • Inquiry into Shaver and Palmer
        • The Skyfort Document
        • Whirling Wheels
        • Denver Ancient Astronaut Lecture
        • Soviet Search for Lemuria
        • Visitors from Outer Space
        • Unidentified Flying Objects (Abstract)
        • "Flying Saucers"? They're a Myth
        • UFO Hypothesis Survival Questions
        • Air Force Academy UFO Textbook
        • The Condon Report on Ancient Astronauts
        • Atlantis Discovery Telegrams
        • Ancient Astronaut Society Telegram
        • Noah's Ark Cables
        • The Von Daniken Letter
        • CIA Psychic Probe of Ancient Mars
        • Scott Wolter Lawsuit
        • UFOs in Ancient China
        • CIA Report on Noah's Ark
        • CIA Noah's Ark Memos
        • Congressional Ancient Aliens Testimony
        • Ancient Astronaut and Nibiru Email
        • Congressional Ancient Mars Hearing
        • House UFO Hearing
      • Ancient Extraterrestrials >
        • Premodern UFO Sightings
        • The Moon Hoax
        • Inhabitants of Other Planets
        • Blavatsky on Ancient Astronauts
        • The Stanzas of Dzyan (Hoax)
        • Aerolites and Religion
        • What Is Theosophy?
        • Plane of Ether
        • The Adepts from Venus
      • A Message from Mars
      • Saucer Mystery Solved?
      • Orville Wright on UFOs
      • Interdimensional Flying Saucers
      • Flying Saucers Are Real
      • Report on UFOs
    • The Supernatural >
      • The Devils of Loudun
      • Sublime and Beautiful
      • Voltaire on Vampires
      • Demonology and Witchcraft
      • Thaumaturgia
      • Bulgarian Vampires
      • Religion and Evolution
      • Transylvanian Superstitions
      • Defining a Zombie
      • Dread of the Supernatural
      • Vampires
      • Werewolves and Vampires and Ghouls
      • Science and Fairy Stories
      • The Cursed Car
    • Classic Fiction >
      • Lucian's True History
      • Some Words with a Mummy
      • The Coming Race
      • King Solomon's Mines
      • An Inhabitant of Carcosa
      • The Xipéhuz
      • Lot No. 249
      • The Novel of the Black Seal
      • The Island of Doctor Moreau
      • Pharaoh's Curse
      • Edison's Conquest of Mars
      • The Lost Continent
      • Count Magnus
      • The Mysterious Stranger
      • The Wendigo
      • Sredni Vashtar
      • The Lost World
      • The Red One
      • H. P. Lovecraft >
        • Dagon
        • The Call of Cthulhu
        • History of the Necronomicon
        • At the Mountains of Madness
        • Lovecraft's Library in 1932
      • The Skeptical Poltergeist
      • The Corpse on the Grating
      • The Second Satellite
      • Queen of the Black Coast
      • A Martian Odyssey
    • Classic Genre Movies
    • Miscellaneous Documents >
      • The Balloon-Hoax
      • A Problem in Greek Ethics
      • The Migration of Symbols
      • The Gospel of Intensity
      • De Profundis
      • The Life and Death of Crown Prince Rudolf
      • The Bathtub Hoax
      • Crown Prince Rudolf's Letters
      • Position of Viking Women
      • Employment of Homosexuals
      • James Dean's Scrapbook
      • James Dean's Love Letters
      • The Amazing James Dean Hoax!
    • Free Classic Pseudohistory eBooks
  • About Jason
    • Biography
    • Jason in the Media
    • Contact Jason
    • About JasonColavito.com
    • Terms and Conditions
  • Search