Home > Events > Lectures/Workshops/Training > 2011
Connecting: The Truth about Conspiracy TheoriesPresented by: Royal Ontario Museum
We are awash with conspiracy theories.
We are awash with conspiracy theories. For most of our history, we have shared certain assumptions about the world. Conspiracy thinking was present at the fringe, but the rational centre always held. Since the JFK assassination, conspiracy thinking has proliferated, and the Internet has fostered the growth of numerous alternate mental worlds in which traditional media and the academy have no authority. 911 was a death blow to this older consensual view of reality, and as a result, North Americans no longer inhabit one cognitive universe. What does this mean for the future of politics, and our society at large?
For two years, Canadian journalist Jonathan Kay has been researching the underground world of conspiracy theorists by immersing himself in their ranks - interviewing them in California, New York, Washington, Toronto, Montreal, Tennessee, and many other places in between. He has attended their conventions, infiltrated their Internet discussion boards, surfed their web sites, and become a connoisseur of their propaganda videos. While many individual conspiracy theories seem harmless, even amusing, the phenomenon is doing real damage to the unity and health of North American society. More and more of our citizens are retreating from the world of reality into a paranoid milieu where all the world’s problems can be laid at the feet of a single cabal of powerful individuals.
Jonathan Kay will be signing copies of his book Among the Truthers after his talk.
Some conspiracy theories examined in Among the Truthers:
9/11: Millions of people around the world have convinced themselves that the actual perpetrators of 9/11 were not al-Qaeda terrorists but elements within the U.S. government seeking a pretext to launch wars abroad and enact draconian laws at home.
"Birthers": Radicalized conservative activists who believe Barack Obama was born outside the United States, and so is constitutionally barred from serving as U.S. president.
Vaccine conspiracy theorists: Many well-educated North Americans have fallen for the myth that vaccines can render children autistic. The H1N1 epidemic of 2009, and the government-led vaccine drives established in its wake, have given a boost to this quackery.
Financial conspiracy theorists: The recent economic crisis has yielded a new round of financial conspiracy theories surrounding the U.S. Federal Reserve, Goldman Sachs, and Barack Obama’s alleged plans to create a New World Order. Many Americans believe the gold bullion held by the U.S. Government is nothing more than bars of tungsten painted yellow.
What You Need to Know
SCHEDULE:
Enter the ROM through the main doors on Bloor Street. Greeters and signage will guide you.
7 pm Bar opens for a complimentary drink
7:15 pm Talk
7:45 pm ROMfoolery, hors d'oeuvres, cash bar, door prizes
9:30 pm Event ends. Exit through Queen's Park doors.
Instructor(s)/
Speaker(s):
Jonathan Kay is a Managing Editor at The National Post, a weekly columnist on the newspaper's op-ed page, and a regular blogger on the Post’s web site. In addition, he is a frequent contributor to Commentary magazine, the New York Post and Reader's Digest. Jonathan has a law degree from Yale Law School.
Location: Royal Ontario Museum, Level 2
Bronfman Hall
Entrance: Bloor Street Entrance (Main Doors)
Cost: Public $45.00, Member $40.00
Ticket price at the Door: $50
All sales are final. Order is non-refundable.
Runs: Sep 30, 2011
At: Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queens Park, Toronto
Playing: Friday
Times: Friday, September 30, 7:00 - 9:30 pm
Cost: Public $45.00, Member $40.00 Ticket price at the Door: $50
Getting there:
For more information contact:
Hilary
Phone:
416.586.5797 x1
Email:
prograsmSPAMFILTER@rom.on.ca
