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Fundies, Lefties & Conspiracy Theories


Soldier of the One

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How do y'all feel about fundies, the Left and conspiracy theories? Seems to me that there's a fair bit of overlap.

Many folks on the Left (whatever type of Left that may be) are suspicious of government/corporate power and might actually share genuine social criticism with fundies. I've seen this pop up in TSA debates. And you see it pop up around Ron Paul as well. I've seen other overlaps between the two worldviews as well: green living, homesteading, opposing GMO foods, defending personal and civil liberties, being weary of too much government/corporate influence, Constitutionalism and what-have-you.

Of course, the differences between the two worldviews are also very, very vast.

If you are a fundie or a Lefty, are there any 'overlaps' you see in your worldview? And are there any 'conspiracy theories' you subscribe to that might be held in common?

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I find this really interesting. In my teens I got to know folk who were pretty far to the left and when I look back now it's interesting to see the crossovers with the far-right, particularly regarding attitudes to being 'governed' and 'policed'.

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How do y'all feel about fundies, the Left and conspiracy theories? Seems to me that there's a fair bit of overlap.

Many folks on the Left (whatever type of Left that may be) are suspicious of government/corporate power and might actually share genuine social criticism with fundies. I've seen this pop up in TSA debates. And you see it pop up around Ron Paul as well. I've seen other overlaps between the two worldviews as well: green living, homesteading, opposing GMO foods, defending personal and civil liberties, being weary of too much government/corporate influence, Constitutionalism and what-have-you.

Of course, the differences between the two worldviews are also very, very vast.

If you are a fundie or a Lefty, are there any 'overlaps' you see in your worldview? And are there any 'conspiracy theories' you subscribe to that might be held in common?

I have several conspiracy theories but they have nothing to do with religion or government. Just pet/personal conspiracy theories.

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Do say more Ladypuglover :)

I don't have conspiracy theories (I think) but I am wary of corporatocracy and the increased influence of both the State and the Banks in the Western world. GMO's, for instance, is a real concern of mine, and how that is being dealt with. I do see a chipping away of civil liberties and hence I am wary of new technology and its impact on privacy/civil liberties.

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I find this really interesting. In my teens I got to know folk who were pretty far to the left and when I look back now it's interesting to see the crossovers with the far-right, particularly regarding attitudes to being 'governed' and 'policed'.

I think there's some truth to that.

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Yes, I definitely feel there is some crossover and that there are loony conspiracy theories that are more prevalent on the left. I think the difference is the extent to which lunacy has been mainstreamed on the right. For instance, 9/11 truthers tend to be more lefty. But I don't think they got mainstream airplay to the extent that the Birthers did. Can you imagine someone like Lou Dobbs seriously entertaining the idea that Bush II personally planned 9/11?

Has anyone heard of the chemtrails conspiracy theory? That one ws real prevalent around here a few years ago.

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Chem trails are still getting plenty of attention. Since KGO was killed, I'm stuck listening to Coast2Coast when I go to bed. Chem trails come up weekly.

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Somebody once explained it as more of a horseshoe than a simple Left-Right line. I think it's a good analogy because things get really different until the most extreme when they almost connect with each other.

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How do y'all feel about fundies, the Left and conspiracy theories? Seems to me that there's a fair bit of overlap.

Many folks on the Left (whatever type of Left that may be) are suspicious of government/corporate power and might actually share genuine social criticism with fundies. I've seen this pop up in TSA debates. And you see it pop up around Ron Paul as well. I've seen other overlaps between the two worldviews as well: green living, homesteading, opposing GMO foods, defending personal and civil liberties, being weary of too much government/corporate influence, Constitutionalism and what-have-you.

Of course, the differences between the two worldviews are also very, very vast.

If you are a fundie or a Lefty, are there any 'overlaps' you see in your worldview? And are there any 'conspiracy theories' you subscribe to that might be held in common?

There was an article posted on the old FJ once that was fascinating, about how Quiverfull came out of the 70s Jesus Freak sort of movements. I can see both far-left types and fundie types as being descended from a 70s hippie type.

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Chem trails are still getting plenty of attention. Since KGO was killed, I'm stuck listening to Coast2Coast when I go to bed. Chem trails come up weekly.

Chem trails. :roll:

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How do y'all feel about fundies, the Left and conspiracy theories? Seems to me that there's a fair bit of overlap.

Many folks on the Left (whatever type of Left that may be) are suspicious of government/corporate power and might actually share genuine social criticism with fundies. I've seen this pop up in TSA debates. And you see it pop up around Ron Paul as well. I've seen other overlaps between the two worldviews as well: green living, homesteading, opposing GMO foods, defending personal and civil liberties, being weary of too much government/corporate influence, Constitutionalism and what-have-you.

Of course, the differences between the two worldviews are also very, very vast.

If you are a fundie or a Lefty, are there any 'overlaps' you see in your worldview? And are there any 'conspiracy theories' you subscribe to that might be held in common?

Actually and bizarrely, not as many as I would have thought.

Distrust/dislike of corporations is one. But I am not interested particularly in the "green/homesteading" angle. I live on a housing estate in a city. Some comrades are very involved in that. Not me.

I also, and God knows I try to shake it, am one of nature's bureaucrats. I feel comfortable with forms and properly submitted motions and letters to the Branch Secretary on the correct headed notepaper and sent in by the deadline. ( I actually have an incredibly embarrassing story about this which I am tempted to PM you.) This is quite unlike many fundies we snark on here.

(Sometimes stuff happens to me, like getting arrested, but I am all about the order at other times...)

Fundies I think are a bit more like anarchos. I get caught out by rules, and disagree with them, but I don't think there should be no rules or I should get to make my own rules up. Thinking of Zsu or the PP or many other fundies, they cannot comprehend that rules of reality might apply to them, and this is a trait I associate with anarchists.

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Do say more Ladypuglover :)

I don't have conspiracy theories (I think) but I am wary of corporatocracy and the increased influence of both the State and the Banks in the Western world. GMO's, for instance, is a real concern of mine, and how that is being dealt with. I do see a chipping away of civil liberties and hence I am wary of new technology and its impact on privacy/civil liberties.

Well I think my male cat is out to piss my husband off so bad that I will be forced to choose. won't happen as we both feel we are in this for the long haul for better or worse.

I think my kids/husband are keeping/eating aka all the healthy treats I buy for myself because they enjoy seeing me have a snack attack every night.

I think the lady down the street is taking pictures of me every time I drive or walk by. She is always in her front window with a camera and there is a lot of flashing (camera not her) when I drive by.

I think trolls are sneaking into my clothes closet and sewing my clothes by fraction of an inch every night.

I think the door greeter at walmart has it out for me as she always will rip back the cart from me while laughing.

I think my kids make plans to have a trip to the ER every time I try to take a nap.

I think all the telemarketers know when I slip into a hot tub and then won't call until I sigh out an aaahhhhh.

I have more but my crazy is showing.

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JFC, don't you think - if such an analogy is to be made - that most 'legalistic' fundies are more like Stalinists/Maoists rather than Anarchists?

So a question for those who mentioned a variety of conspiracy theories (i.e. chemtrails): how do we know a conspiracy theory is solidly in la-la-land and how do we know that their might be a very real truth to it? When does someone 'cross' that line, so to say?

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How do y'all feel about fundies, the Left and conspiracy theories? Seems to me that there's a fair bit of overlap.

Many folks on the Left (whatever type of Left that may be) are suspicious of government/corporate power and might actually share genuine social criticism with fundies. I've seen this pop up in TSA debates. And you see it pop up around Ron Paul as well. I've seen other overlaps between the two worldviews as well: green living, homesteading, opposing GMO foods, defending personal and civil liberties, being weary of too much government/corporate influence, Constitutionalism and what-have-you.

Of course, the differences between the two worldviews are also very, very vast.

If you are a fundie or a Lefty, are there any 'overlaps' you see in your worldview? And are there any 'conspiracy theories' you subscribe to that might be held in common?

Ron Paul is no Lefty!

Compared to UK politics is most definitely right wing. Not as extreme as Frothy, but right wing none the less.

If anything, on US boards, I've found conspiracy theorists are generally conservative.

My own world view is mainly socialism with a little sprinkle of capitalism. I am weary of corporate influence, I'm in favour of less of that. I believe strongly that society is stronger when it takes care of the most vulnerable, and that government is best placed to coordinate that support on a large scale, which is what a country needs.

As for daily living; I would love to homestead but land prices in the UK are astronomical. Instead I grow what I can in my small garden, I get eggs from a friend who keeps chickens and I am contemplating taking on an allotment. I cook from scratch nearly all the time, but that is because of allergy issues in my daughter and I am a foodie who enjoys cooking. I sew, crochet, knit and spin. People would consider me to be modestly dressed in that I wear long skirts and sometimes frumpers. I love scarves and think that they hide a multitude of sins. I am not submissive in the slightest; my husband and I equal partners in our marriage. I believe that green living is the way to go, however space and money is an issue with that for me. Moving is not an option.

The overlaps I have with the fundies are probably dress style, but I do it for different reasons. I dress the way I do because I like it, its comfortable, and it suits me. Cooking and crafting is another one where we overlap. However I am an ebil atheist feminist who has hairy pits so that's probably as far as it goes!

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I'm on the left. I don't know if it would be considered the far left, since I'm a Democrat, but I would vote for the Green Party if they had a chance at being elected. Anyway, I don't think I have the right personality to believe in conspiracy theories. I'm a very straight-forward person and tend to assume that most other people are, too.

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Ron Paul is far to the right. He is just more consistent, which means no government control of marijuana and a few other traditionally left issues.

My parents are all over the place politically, but they are extreme in whatever beliefs they hold and definitely buy into conspiracy theories. I used to joke that I was going to call into Art Bell pretending to be an anonymous Vatican expert and see how long it takes for them to claim whatever I said was fact.

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Oh, I completely misread the original post. I thought she meant there were some conspiracies about Ron Paul. Yeah, he's definitely not a Lefty by any means, especially when it comes to abortion. He's a pretty run-of-the-mill conservative who just wants to get high.

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Oh, I completely misread the original post. I thought she meant there were some conspiracies about Ron Paul. Yeah, he's definitely not a Lefty by any means, especially when it comes to abortion. He's a pretty run-of-the-mill conservative who just wants to get high.

He doesn't even want to get high, he's using it as an end run around the supreme court. He wants states to have the right to overrule the federal government.

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Do say more Ladypuglover :)

I don't have conspiracy theories (I think) but I am wary of corporatocracy and the increased influence of both the State and the Banks in the Western world. GMO's, for instance, is a real concern of mine, and how that is being dealt with. I do see a chipping away of civil liberties and hence I am wary of new technology and its impact on privacy/civil liberties.

Amen to this!! Plus I can see why people might think that the fundies and lefties are born of the '60's-70's hippie movement, but having lived through that era I don't think so myself. Fundies like rules and like to have someone in authority, far different from hippies. Hippies were about socialogical change, fundies are about religion. Female hippies were feminists, fundies...uh...not so much. Fundies seem to be hawks, as long as they only have to wave the flag or salute it as it goes by, need I even say that hippies were anti-war? I dispair of people who are willing to give up civil liberties in the name of imagined safety. My only real conspiracy theory is that I would truly like to know who killed JFK before I die. I mean they lost the man's BRAIN, how did that happen? Again, I lived through that fiasco.

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On the conspiracy theories note, Jon Ronson's book 'Them: Adventures with Extremists' (which was also a TV documentary here in the UK about 10 years ago) is a really interesting read, especially when you read it with the knowledge that 9/11 was just around the corner.

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Thanks for the tip!

So... would you guys consider Michael Moore's 'Fahrenheit 911' to be a conspiracy theory? Just curious.

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This isn't really answering the question asked by the OP but I think it an entertaining story nonetheless.

About 15 years ago I met this woman who kind of latched onto me and made me her friend. We would hang out, eat at a restaurant and chat about all things natural, political, religious, etc., After about a year of knowing her she decided to disclose the fact that she was a M2F transexual who was married to a woman whom she had sired 4 children with (pre operation of course) as well as adopted a 5th. Here's where it gets REALLY interesting. She was a rabid, hardcore right winger who felt VERY strongly about traditional roles. It was fascinating to see her go on and on about liberal media and their perversion of American morals. She felt homosexuals were wrong and misguided and condemned to hell. The mental dissonance was astounding. She was a huge proponent of the right to bear arms and actually had her children pose with assault rifles and 9 mm for a freaking Christmas card. I shit you not.

Then there were the conspiracy theories. It's much easier to bullet point them than explain each one so here goes:

-Things like microwaves, computers and remote controls were technology we got from aliens we had captured at Area 51 back in the 40s.

-The government was being run by a top secret shadow government that was probably shape shifting lizard people.

-Her children were strictly home schooled because she believed public schools were just the States way of brain washing and controlling the minds of young Republicans.

-She believed Clinton was directly responsible for the rape of her MIL and the cops botching the evidence collection afterward and thus the man walking free.

-Black people were nothing more then welfare recipients who could never rise above their "station" because they were basically lower evolved humans. (this perplexed me since she did not believe in evolution)

-She felt English was the supreme language and that languages like Mandarin would eventually go extinct because of their difficulty in pronunciation as well the physical part of the mouth used. I was more than a little lost on this one.

So suffice it to say i eventually had to cut myself loose from the teh cray cray. The straw that broke the camels back was the racist "facts" she began spewing. But she was probably so far right she was more of a caricature of Right than the actual real philosophy. I have never met someone so paranoid outside of a mental institution.

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