Posted 02 July 2012 - 09:38 AM
Even here in smalltown Canada I sometimes see cars with PrisonPlanet or InfoWars.com bumper stickers.
If only we had an Alex Jones disciple on this message board *cough*Gosthacked*cough* who could tell us what they see in the guy.
"He's the only one who isn't afraid to talk about this stuff!"
"He's talking about stuff that the mainstream media doesn't want you to know about!"
People crave unifying purpose. It used to be ensuring the tribe's survival, hunting, defending the tribe's offspring, stuff like that. Nowadays people answer that craving with membership in a church, or through allegiance to a sports team, or from joining some cause. I think that Alex Jones fans are in a similar vein... they're not just people listening to a radio show, they're a resistance unit: the courageous few who know what's really going on. They get purpose, and a sense of belonging, even a sense of importance.
I also think that there's an almost religious aspect. No, Jones isn't telling you why the sun rises or what causes thunder. But you're sitting at home, thinking "my life isn't what I expected, and I'm scared about the future, and I don't know what's going on, and I don't like the answers people are giving me." But all of a sudden here's this guy with the answers you're looking for! Why are you scared? You should be! There's a vast conspiracy at work. Why isn't your life what you expected? Because this vast conspiracy is keeping people down. Why don't people know what's going on? Because the vast conspiracy is keeping it a secret. You're no longer some scared and dissatisfied person, you're one of the few who have the courage to seek the truth and now you've got inside information about what's really going on. And now you've got purpose. You have to fight the conspiracy! It's almost like The Matrix. Alex Jones is Morpheus, and each listener gets to be Neo.
-k
"The essence of my happiness is fighting for the happiness of others." -
Roza Shanina, Red Army sniper 1943-1945.