An analysis of Alex Jones

[Dimentio]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS51ShGMAeE&feature=related

I would like to hear a lengthy, detailed analysis on the popularity of Alex Jones and his ideology.

[Os Cangaceiros]

*sigh*

Alex Jones has marginal popularity amoungst a select audience throughout the United States. He's broadcast in numerous markets throughout the USA, but GCN doesn't even come close to having the reach that a network that Clear (which Rush Limbaugh is on) has, although Jones says that he's received offers from them in the past that he's turned down. Have you ever heard of George Noory? Because he's the host of Coast to Coast AM, which has far more listeners than Jones has, with syndication in over 500 stations across the U.S.

He has more potential to reach a wider audience via YouTube, but for the most part he remains a sideshow. Don't make a mountain out of a man who is (by almost any definition) a molehill.

[Amphictyonis]

I think the paleo conservative 'conspiracy movement' is a conspiracy by the US intelligence department pushed on people in between CA and NY in order to make them blame communism and Jewish bankers for everything that's wrong with capitalism (jk).

Some of what he says is true, sensationalized of course, mixed in with all manner of madness, but, the small amount of truth in his criticisms of our system fall on the lap of capitalism not some NWO secret group who's trying to usher in global communism. Capitalism by it's very nature expands globally and in order for markets to function certain laws must be intertwined, hence the appearance of 'global government' forming. It's just capitalism.

It's basically disinformation. I'd like to know who funds all of his programs. ;) I'd also like to know who the hell listens to them!

[¿Que?]

To add to what Explosive Situation is saying, Jone's enjoyed a high degree of popularity and credibility in the late 90's and early 2000's, towards the end of Clinton's term and the beginning of Bush Jr. Although he may have more listeners today than when he was ranting on public access television, this greater exposure may be one reason he is perceived today as less credible than in the old days. Jones has always billed himself as neither right nor left, anti-partisan, which gained him some viewership among confused progressives. After 9/11, he becomes increasingly islamophobic, nationialistic, and religious, making the whole neither-right-nor-left rhetoric a bit hard to swallow among these center-left progressives. Once Obama comes into office, Jones is widely associated with the Tea Party backlash, thus alienating pretty much the entire left and center.

Meanwhile, the right has co-opted much of Jone's anti-establishment rhetoric, its concern for regular Amuricans, and even the notion of a conspiratorial government seeking to limit freedom and liberty, but for the specific purpose of going after Obama. One has to remember that Jones has been consistently critical of every administration, Republican or Democrat, throughout his whole career. You really can't stress this point enough. He is not like these Fox News idiots, who were praising Bush for 8 years, but as soon as a Democrat comes into power, they can't seem to shut their mouths about the evils of government. I challenge anyone to deny that the Tea Party movement owes its existence to this tradition of soapbox, sky is falling, independent journalistic tradition which Jones and others like him pioneered in the late 90's and early 2000's.

I'm not that familiar with what Jones is doing these days. The last time I was ever really struck by anything he did, was when he disrupted CNN programming with his bullhorn, yelling "9/11 was an inside job." This attests to the fact that Jones has (had?) the potential to influence the terms of debate, whether purposely, or through hapless serendipity, this is a mystery to me.

[ChrisK]

I have a strange liking of Jones. I tend to view him as one of those people who had questions about the shit he saw around him and wasn't getting answers. This caused him to turn to conspiracies instead of real societal analysis. I get this impression from listening to his radio show and watching some of his documentaries.

If anything, he sounds almost as if his view of how America should be is an agrarian-socialist kind of place. It seems that if he and his listeners were given real analysis to go with the information they find (which is an unreal amount of information) they would be potential socialist. This, of course, would require intense intervention that doesn't seem to be worth our time as opposed to working with workers and unions.

As for why his message is popular, I'm of the opinion that the demonization of Marxism is to blame. People don't look to Marxist books for answers for why everything blows for them; they need something that expresses the oppression they feel. Alex Jones gives them that voice; he tells people they are oppressed by the government and massive corporations. If anything, these people's misconceptions of what communism is, leads them to find a different analysis. Potential revolutionaries become conspiricist nuts.

The cure for this is getting real analysis back into the world that expresses the oppression and exploitation that people feel.

[Devrim]

Maybe it is a strange suggestion, but maybe people could stop talking about right-wing US media figures who nobody in the rest of the world has heard of for a while. Maybe we could talk about left wing politics, for a change, you know.

Possibly as a phenomenon there is something to say about this sort of programming, but the individual personalities are pretty vacuous really, and not worth of any attention whatsoever.

Devrim

[∞]

Alex Jones:
Anarchists are agents for the government, they have red stars they like Mao Zedong...no offence to real anarchists.
-Alex Jones on the Blac Bloc. Apparently they're agents for the gurrament because the police came late in Seattle.

[Os Cangaceiros]

Maybe it is a strange suggestion, but maybe people could stop talking about right-wing US media figures who nobody in the rest of the world has heard of for a while. Maybe we could talk about left wing politics, for a change, you know.

For a change?

I was under the impression that left wing politics get talked about quite a bit on this website.

[Sir Comradical]

Alex Jones thinks that communism is when private banks own everything. Make up your own mind.

[Devrim]

For a change?

I was under the impression that left wing politics get talked about quite a bit on this website.

Yes, sometimes some manages to squeeze through.

Devrim

[Invincible Summer]

I have a strange liking of Jones. I tend to view him as one of those people who had questions about the shit he saw around him and wasn't getting answers. This caused him to turn to conspiracies instead of real societal analysis. I get this impression from listening to his radio show and watching some of his documentaries.

If anything, he sounds almost as if his view of how America should be is an agrarian-socialist kind of place. It seems that if he and his listeners were given real analysis to go with the information they find (which is an unreal amount of information) they would be potential socialist. This, of course, would require intense intervention that doesn't seem to be worth our time as opposed to working with workers and unions.

As for why his message is popular, I'm of the opinion that the demonization of Marxism is to blame. People don't look to Marxist books for answers for why everything blows for them; they need something that expresses the oppression they feel. Alex Jones gives them that voice; he tells people they are oppressed by the government and massive corporations. If anything, these people's misconceptions of what communism is, leads them to find a different analysis. Potential revolutionaries become conspiricist nuts.

The cure for this is getting real analysis back into the world that expresses the oppression and exploitation that people feel.

I generally agree with what you're saying, except that Alex Jones seems to also be under the misunderstanding that socialism/communism = monolithic government that wants to know what size underwear you wear and how often you shower and tax you accordingly.

[Q]

I don't understand why this is in Theory.

Chit-Chat seems a much more fitting place.

[Peace on Earth]

Alex Jones is against socialism. He views it as complete state control, which is completely false. He has an every man for himself outlook on the world, which doesn't play out well for us when trying to get rid of capitalism. Basically, he's angry because the government is corrupt and dangerous as hell, but his anger is misguided at anyting he thinks resembles "big government."

[Dimentio]

I don't understand why this is in Theory.

Chit-Chat seems a much more fitting place.

It is actually important, since we need to understand why US resentiment against state and capital often is taking an irrational anti-progressive standpoint. I almost think it has to do with the Civil War and the fact that the United States has often seen the federal government being somewhat more progressive than the local governments.

[RadioRaheem84]

I've always said that Americans would really like the ideas of auto-gestion, libertarian socialism and economic democracy. Worker Run enterprises would really be a big hit in today's society that is very distrustful or both the State and big corporations.

Of course capitalists will usurp these alternative movements and turn them into the innovative triumph of capitalism.

[ChrisK]

I generally agree with what you're saying, except that Alex Jones seems to also be under the misunderstanding that socialism/communism = monolithic government that wants to know what size underwear you wear and how often you shower and tax you accordingly.

He also tends to call it on "fake socialism" on his show. I wonder if he means that there is a real socialism, or if its just a rhetorical devise.

[RadioRaheem84]

I've never understood how people who do that much research (or say they do) on historical, economic and political matters could be so wrong and think that socialism = total government control of everything from your shoe size to your local co-op.

[Q]

It is actually important, since we need to understand why US resentiment against state and capital often is taking an irrational anti-progressive standpoint. I almost think it has to do with the Civil War and the fact that the United States has often seen the federal government being somewhat more progressive than the local governments.

Perhaps you want to take this discussion more into that direction then? Because so far it's all a shitty rant on Jones, and Theory is not the place for that.

[Dimentio]

Perhaps you want to take this discussion more into that direction then? Because so far it's all a shitty rant on Jones, and Theory is not the place for that.

Actually, its a pretty good discussion and its even improving.

[Amphictyonis]

GsUtvOW6SR0Things like this make me wonder if the people at infowars are completely antisemitic or have they stumbled on some 'truth'? What an endless pit of speculation and confusion conspiracy theories are....