Conspiracy Corner: #PizzaGate: Fake Pedophile Conspiracy Theory Won't Die in Post-truth Trump America

It's not difficult to get sucked into a conspiracy theory. I've written a few times about my brief dalliance with 9/11 Truthers. It was between the infancy of the movement, and when they started to get fairly nutty.  Which is a pretty short space of time. At first, you feel like you've discovered something. Next, you start to see a few "aha!" type puzzle pieces that fit into a fascinating narrative, then those moments pile up with surprising speed. "How deep does this go?" you wonder to yourself, and then--if you are lucky--you start to notice the holes in the theory. And the "fact"-spackle that doesn't quite fit. Eventually, if you don't get sucked in completely, you abandon the whole thing, because they've basically spoiled the soup with crazy.

Image from source, New Yorker

For me, it was "there were no planes."  Which barely scratches the surface of the crazy to be found if you continue to follow with a more skeptical eye. Most conspiracy theories work on exactly the same sort of structure. And you could probably argue that you shouldn't throw the baby out with the bathwater. But that's assuming there is a baby.

And if I used that particular old cliche to describe the #PizzaGate conspiracy theory, they'd all probably say that I'm in on it. Because oddly enough, the latest conspiracy theory to take political junkies by storm has managed to tie Wikileaks, Hillary Clinton, John Podesta, David Brock, MediaMatters and more to a child prostitution/kiddie porn/pedophile sex ring. Seriously. And, according to every fact-checking source out there, it's utterly baseless. As in: nothing to it.

But the #PizzaGate Truthers will not be swayed, and they're deluging the fact checkers with even more adamant "proof" that they're right. They will not be persuaded that it's untrue. What's worse, it's already lead to a crazy guy attacking the place, not to mention death threats and other harassment. Over an invented, "fake news" generated conspiracy theory. Which totally makes sense in post-truth Donald Trump's America.

On a side note, I can't help but notice that the exact same personality profile of your typical PizzaGate Truther matches that of the many of thousands of Josh Duggar supporters of several months ago. So, apparently outrage about fake child molestation by liberals is far more outrageous than real child molestation by conservatives. Or something.

[Excerpt]

THE AGE OF DONALD TRUMP AND PIZZAGATE

When trying to understand what has befallen Comet Ping Pong, a pizza restaurant in Washington, D.C., over the past few weeks, should one start with the gun or with the lies? Both are durable; both are dangerous. The gun is an AR-15-style assault rifle that a man, reportedly a twenty-eight-year-old named Edgar Maddison Welch, carried into the restaurant on Sunday. According to press accounts, Welch waved the gun, pointed it at an employee, and then fired, thankfully not hitting anyone. . .

Read more at: The New Yorker

Could Pope's Resignation Be Due to Scandal?

Image from everywhere on the internets.

C'mon, we all thought it. As soon as we heard that Pope Benedict XVI was resigning--particularly when we learned it had been hundreds of years since any pope had--we thought it. Does this have anything to do with the child sex abuse scandals in the Catholic church? It's even been a recent subject, with Joseph Ratzinger (said Pope) being--ahem--fingered in the HBO documentary Mea Maxima Culpa. Could it be more than just speculation? Would it really surprise anyone?

[Excerpt]

Pope Allegedly Sought Immunity For Abuse Crimes Just Before Resigning

We knew something had to be up with the resignation of Pope Benedict. After all, Popes don’t just resign; in fact, this is the first time a Pope has resigned in 600 years. Therefore, the hoopla surrounding this is more than understandable. However, as per usual with the Catholic Church, there seems to be a catch, and, lo and behold, it likely surrounds the infamous abuse scandals that have plagued the church’s image for so long. . .

Read more at: Addicting Info


Hat tip to my brother, Jason Greenlee, for the link.

Pope Goes the Ratzinger

My usual policy on blogworthy postings is that they interest me. The story or item need not be necessarily funny, sexy, newsworthy, kinky, scary, or ironic. . .it just has to appeal to me in some way. The reign of Pope Benedict XIV--or that of any Pope--is, generally speaking, completely out of my realm of interest. I'm an atheist, and have been one (or at least agnostic) since I was 14. I find the trappings of religion, the time wasted, the pointless genuflection and spectacle to be mind-numbingly boring, and on par with excessive sports fandom.

But it is newsworthy and noteworthy in a historical perspective. And I think it is getting increasingly anachronistic, and notably so. This Pope was no where near as popular as the last one, and looked like a cross between a Batman villain (60s TV version) and Emperor Palpatine from Star Wars. He was once a Nazi Youth (whether he had a choice or not), and figures in the Catholic Church pedophilia coverup scandal. The further we are removed from the overly religious trappings of 20th, 19th, 18th and earlier centuries, the more ridiculous the pomp an circumstance of the Vatican and the Papacy seems.

The recent HBO documentary, Mea Maxima Culpa--a deconstruction of the complicity of the Catholic Church with pedophilia coverups--just may have something to do with Ratzinger's almost unprecedented resignation. And that, friends, interests me.

[Excerpt]

Pope Benedict Sex Abuse Cover-Up? Papal Resignation Prompts Speculation

With Pope Benedict XVI's shocking announcement that he will resign from his office Feb. 28, making him the first pontiff to do so in almost six centuries, speculations and rumors are swirling as to why the pope has chosen to step down. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post

Stephanie Miller Show Combats Conflation of Homosexuality and Pedophilia

The issue of whether or not gays be allowed in the Boy Scouts of America as volunteers or members, has sparked much conflation by idiots of homosexuality and pedophilia. On some levels, it's understandable that the issue of pedophilia can inspire visceral knee-jerk reactions. But, it is long past time for this debunked conflation to be common knowledge as false.

Obviously, pedophiles would be drawn to occupations or activities where they will have the opportunity to indulge their criminal behaviors. And, also obviously, there are pedophiles who focus on kids of their own gender, opposite gender, or any gender, depending upon the offender. However, the perpetrator's sexual orientation may or may not line up with that. For instance, many, many pedophiles who prey on boys do so because of opportunity, it being much more likely that they can be in a position of power over boys than with girls. Also, many, many of those perpetrators consider themselves to be heterosexual, indeed often having wives and families. Jerry Sandusky--for example--considered himself heterosexual, and would not have been screened out by the "no gays allowed" policy of the BSA. [Story continues below]

Equally obviously, we do not attach a social stigma to heterosexual men, even though there are more heterosexual male offenders in rape and pedophilia cases then any other demographic. The conflation of gay men with pedophilia is only due to the inability of many to see the difference between healthy, consenting adult behavior, over criminal, harmful behaviors against children. It isn't right, it isn't true, and it isn't fair.

On Friday morning, a caller to Talking Liberally: The Stephanie Miller Show (on Current TV and radio), claiming to have "nothing against" gay people, knee-jerked his way through an incredibly misinformed rant. Fortunately, the talented (and quite funny, even with this kind of serious subject) crew of Stephanie Miller--including Steph herself, Chris LaVoie, Jim Ward and John Fugelsang--took the caller's arguments apart, and hopefully educated some people along the way. Thanks, guys.

St. Elmo's Liar (He Didn't Do It)

I haven't watched Sesame Street since my sister was a li'l bit, which is probably around 38 years ago or so. But I was one of the original watchers of the program (along with The Electric Company, Zoom, Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood and Villa Alegre!), and have been a fan of Jim Henson's Muppets for just as long (even Fraggle Rock and The Land of Gorch). Beyond all of that, I'm especially irritated by the heinous stereotype of homosexuality=pedophilia, and of false accusations. This story has both, and the accuser should be sued and stomped. Period. Generations of kids love Elmo, and in one false accusation, he and his creator have been sullied. Shameful, sad, and just plain wrong.

[Excerpt]

St. Elmo's Liar

The man who accused Kevin Clash—the voice of Elmo—of having a sexual relationship with him when he was underage has recanted that claim. This message is brought to you by the letter "L" for lyin'-ass famewhore. I hope Clash, who was still punished for violating company policies and abusing company Internet resources, will be able to put this behind him.  . .

Found at: BoyCulture


PS. It should be noted that I don't usually steal entire posts from other bloggers. But it is late, and I found Matthew's post, and thought it was important to get it up before I forgot. It's terrible to be falsely accused, and important to get the word out that Mr. Clash is not guilty of any crime.

Captain Obvious: Sorting Out Sandusky

This post shouldn't have to be written. But the truth is, posts like it aren't written often enough. On Friday, Jerry Sandusky, the assistant coach at Penn State, was found guilty on 45 of 48 charges for sexually assaulting many, many boys over the years. His guilty verdict was cheered by many on the scene, and my immediate response to the news was, "good."

So, why a Captain Obvious post? Because though 99.999% of sentient humans take this news as a good thing, a goodly portion of those people equate Jerry Sandusky with ordinary gay people. He's not. Sexual orientation is a continuum of sexual attraction from heterosexual to bisexual to homosexual, with shades of grey in-between (and of course, the rare asexual, outside the scale). Pedophilia and pederasty describe a psychiatric disorder wherein a person is sexually aroused by under aged--and unable to consent--children. There are straight pedophiles and pederasts, and there are gay ones. Oddly enough, many child abusers often pick targets that are the opposite sex from their adult relationships. This is the case with Sandusky. Or perhaps not. Many predators just need prey, and Sandusky had access to boys. Who knows what his other predilections might be.

Good luck, short eyes. Image from LA Times.

So, calling Sandusky "gay," or trying to make him representative of all gay people isn't just wrong, it's hideously, unfairly and maliciously wrong. It is also dangerous, and I don't just mean to the gay people you're slandering. If you're got it in your head that it's the gays you've got to watch out for; if you're keeping your kids away from their favorite gay uncle because you can't separate concepts adequately. . .you may be letting your guard down to the actual predators. Married, family men, respected in the community like Sandusky.

Meanwhile, the idiots at FreeRepublic, the tea baggin', Palin-lovin' outpost of the interwebs, can be depended upon to take this wrong-headed thinking to its zenith (or nadir, depending upon your point of view). They run every pederast/pedophile/kiddie porn/you name it fetish under the badly named "homosexual agenda" portion of their stomach-churning site. When my conservative mother assures me that Republicans aren't homophobic, by-and-large, I think of FreeRepublic, and realize that Mom is hopelessly naive. Here are just a few of their comments. The asterisks mask a few words that they actually feel free to type out.

[Excerpts]

"Isn’t men liking men considered normal now? S/"

Editor: Boys, idiot.

"Jerry, Jerry, you're a fairy, A fan of banana and cherry, Go to jail, For a century! A little trick with Dick."
 
Ed.: And that, ladies and gentlemen, is an example of "conservative humor."


"FNS and CNN anchors, both sex perverts, talking about another sex pervert committing anal rape of boys is too much."

Ed.: See what he did there? Anderson Cooper and Shepard Smith are somehow equivalent to Sandusky. Nice. Now, for a doozy:

"Great. Now if they can just quit promoting in schools the idea that “sodomy is good” to the children, so they are less likely to be victims. Sodomites are twisted and have a sick reality, which knows no sexual morality. They misuse their body parts in debasing ways. There is no logic or morality—so age makes no difference. Pederasty and homosexuality has been intrinsically linked since Ancient Greece and the Samurai. It is a learned behavior. Schools intentionally promote Sodomy in Sex Ed (they teach anal sex) and by having “Day of Silence” and putting the word gay with “Pride”. Sodomy is a Vice and children need to learn Good and Evil by the Standard of the Bible—since our Natural Rights come from God, so they do not fall victim to these people who have no sexual boundaries and will use them. The homosexual reality is that debasing acts are “love”, which is the slippery slope to any debasing act-—even that with children—since “self pleasure” is their only criteria for “good”.

Get perverts out of the schools. -—like Kevin Jennings. Better yet, get your children OUT of public schools. They are promoting evil to children—to normalize the debasing and dysfunctional lifestyles which lead to a socialist state."

Ed.: The stupid. It burns! No, jackass, you're wrong about almost everything you've said. But the key chink in your screed is your "slippery slope" comment. You're not even smart enough to know that it is the name of a logical fallacy. One of the main ones.

"Wait a fews years as this nation sinks further into immorality....this behavior will become legal and protected."

Ed.: No. It won't. Rape and molestation are crimes on people against their will. The only time I've seen any otherwise rational person argue against protections against rape, it was Republicans trying to change it to just "forcible" rape, whatever that means.

"Just more proof that homosexual fa**ots have no business in leadership positions."

Ed.: See? Told you there'd be asterisks! Offensive, wrong and redundant. The FReeper trifecta!


"Or be able to adopt!"

Ed.: Okay, moron, Sandusky was a married heterosexual, as far as we know. How exactly would your knee-jerk reaction have stopped him?

And on that note, we have the lone, sane FReeper, who answered that last bit better than me. Credit where it's due:

"The problem with your statement as it pertains to this case was that there was no evidence that Sanusky ever lived an openly “homosexual” or “fa**ot” lifestyle outside of molesting young boys which was done in secret and not openly. Sandusky was never, as I understand ever interested in having sex with other adult men, only in having sex with children who happened to be male. A male pedophile who prefers having sex with female children is none the less still a pedophile and just as sick, twisted and evil.
Barring openly homosexuals from leadership positions would not have prevented someone like Sandusky from doing what he did as he was not an openly homosexual man who had sex with other adult men. He lived as a straight man, a pillar of his community, someone well respected in his community and someone that even his neighbors and close friends, some who are deeply religious, had no idea of his perversions, yet he was someone who secretly preyed on vulnerable children for years." --by MD Expat in PA

There is much, much more. But for once, I'm going to give a FReeper the last word.  Source.

UPDATE: For Dan, my friend at the conservative LasVegasBadger, I do not think that FreeRepublic represents all or most Republicans. But they are a very vocal, and unfortunately these days, heeded force, the core of the tea party. Dan, you keep me on my toes.

Jerry Sandusky's Lawyer Gives Out Gay Sex Phone Number

Okay, I have to admit, I laughed out loud. In a story with very little opportunities for humor, this one got me. But on another level, I want to kick myself. The Penn State problem is not a "sex scandal," or a "gay scandal." It is a child rape scandal. There is an unwarranted conflation there. But still hits the funnybone, for bone-headed decisions.


[Excerpt]

Joseph Amendola, Jerry Sandusky's Lawyer, Gives Gay Sex Line Phone Number




To the chagrin of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) advocates everywhere, the Penn State child abuse scandal has been cited in several arguments made against gay parenting and adoption by various right-wing pundits. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post

Captain Obvious: Penn State Scandal Has Nothing to do with "The Gays"

When there is a pedophile scandal involving boys, gay people wince, for multiple reasons. Chief among them is the horror imposed on the little boys, against their will. Secondarily--and quite a bit down the concern meter, but still wrenching--is the false equivalence drawn by many (usually, conservatives) between pedophilia and homosexuality.
 
If you have any interest, you can find copious confirmation that some strong conservatives draw a parallel between teh gay and kid diddlers. Just go to FreeRepublic.com, and go to the ridiculously named "Homosexual Agenda" section. You'll find that the hardcore tea bagger crowd draws no distinction.  But there is one.

If you found out that there was a coach who molested a bunch of little girls, you wouldn't immediately jump to the conclusion that there was a heterosexual problem. But when it is a coach and boys? Many minds go there. Even when there is no scandal to use as a touchstone, many conservative minds go there. "Gays can't reproduce, so they recruit," they'll say. Uhhhmmmm, no. Not necessary. Plenty of gays to go around. Most gays were molested, they'll say. But, then they'll also claim that lesbians were molested by men. So, which is it?

Most troubling with the uber-conservative equivalence between pedophilia and homosexuality, is the blindness to force vs. consent. If you dare read the commentary at conservative sites, you'd have to believe that gay people do not see that distinction. When in fact, it is more likely for sexual harassment and abuse claims to be leveled at heterosexuals.


Pedophilia, whether performed by ostensibly straights or gays is a vicious, nasty crime, performed against kids against their will. Pedophilia is not a sexual orientation. It is a sexual pathology. Performing sexual acts against minors (who are unable to legally give consent) or others against their will is always wrong. There is no evidence that pedophilia is any more prevalent amongst heterosexuals or homosexuals. In fact, I think it is--and should be--insulting toward gays or straights to claim that either is more likely to molest a child. I believe that molesters belong in their own category, and I believe they've got what's coming to them.

I'm insulted by the fact that the FreeRepublic site puts all of the Penn State stories under the banner of "Homosexual Agenda." But I'm not surprised. FR is a knee-jerk site, with very little thought, and a whole lot of emotion. From the whole Penn State story, I am of course most upset by the lives that have been damaged. But I'm also really pissed off that a bunch of knuckle-draggers are going to blame this on people like me.

Maybe I Don't Get it 'Cause I'm Not Catholic. . .

Lines for Santa Claus were never like this.  Ahem.  Readers of this blog (all six dozen of you) know that I'm not religious. Not even a little bit religious. Maybe a little anti-religious. But I love the trappings of Christmas. I'm all about the peace and love, the giving (and receiving!) of gifts. I like the egg nog, the wassail and the parties. I'm as fond of sending a gift as I am of receiving it. And as dodgy as the whole Santa Claus myth might be ethically for the little kiddies, I'm totally down with it.

But when you get to the midnight masses, and the overtly reverent religiosity, I couldn't give a damn. Seriously. I'd wager that most efforts at this part of the Christmas experience are by rote for most people. And when we get to the Catholic parts of the holiday? The Popey parts? Well, in the days of Pope John Paul II, I wasn't too bugged. He seemed nice, and smart, and not all that creepy (until they were almost propping him up). But this new guy? Creepy. Star Wars' Emperor Palpatine creepy. Zombie creepy.  Nazi creepy. So, while I have no evidence or knowledge that the current pope has any affinity for kiddies, this picture still gives me the creeps.

Source: Joe.My.God.

GOP Stops Bill Preventing Child Marriage

Image from Barbados Free Press

Did you say, "WTF?!?" as loudly as I just did?

[Excerpt]

GOP shuts down bill to prevent child marriage



Preventing child marriage may seem like the most non-partisan of non-partisan issues, but to Republicans scrambling to deny political victories to a lame-duck Democratic House, it seems to be yet another political football. . .
 
Read more at: Raw Story

Anti-gay Group Bashes Oscars

Image from source

I had to read the entire article excerpted below to figure out just how the Academy Awards lauded pedophilia in Sunday night's broadcast. Milk--the story of slain gay rights leader, Harvey Milk--took home a couple of awards, and star Sean Penn made a pointed acceptance speech, in which he mentioned California's Proposition 8.

All in all, I thought that Penn was fairly restrained--for him--and that his comments were fairly gentle. He wanted those who voted down existing same-sex marriage rights to reflect upon their decision, and warned that their grandchildren would be ashamed of them. As well they might, if twenty years hence the issue is resolved in gays' favor.

The article uses silly language, such as "The Oscar audience applauded madly. . ." Yes, they were clearly insane. And, "In a mean-spirited curse, Penn said, “I think it’s a good time for those who voted for the ban against gay marriage to sit and reflect on their great shame, and their shame in their grandchildren’s eyes if they continue that support. We’ve got to have equal rights for everyone.”. . . Yes, a curse. Equal rights for everyone. How horrible.

The pedophilia issue is apparently due to the subject matter of The Reader, a movie I'd never heard of before last night, which netted an award for Kate Winslet. The headline of the piece, and its implication, is that Harvey Milk (or homosexuality in general) has something to do with pedophilia, which is intentionally misleading, and wholly dishonest.

Not that I'm surprised. In fact, I almost didn't post this, as I didn't want to lend any more publicity to this ridiculous group that even my tiny little blog might lend. But it is important to show what kind of idiocy is out there; what kind of poison people feel they are free to spread with impunity. But be forewarned, should you follow this link and read beyond the excerpted article. These people are a bit twisted, and very, very interested in every element of "perversion" they find among gay people. But they don't stop there. They delve into kinky heterosexual events and--as mentioned--pedophilia, with the intent of linking them somehow to gay people. The folks behind this site are not healthy people.

[Excerpt]

Sorry, Sean Penn, We’re PROUD to Defend Marriage — Hollywood Denounces God and Applauds Pedophilia

So now it’s come to this: one of the leading men in Hollywood, which has no shame, says Californians who supported traditional marriage by voting in Proposition 8 should have “great shame.” Sorry, Sean Penn: the shame is on you: every Californian who helped Prop 8 pass — overcoming millions of dollars worth of free PR from pro-homosexual-”marriage” Hollywood bigshots like you — should feel tremendous pride, not guilt, in defending and preserving marriage as God ordained it. As usual, the elitists in Hollywood have it completely backwards: it is homosexual behavior that is shameful, not traditional mores. . .

Read on, if you dare at (the dishonestly named): Americans for Truth About Homosexuality

Does Anyone Still Care about Mark Foley?

I don't really care about Mark Foley. He's one of many conservative idiots that has long been cast out. He was also one of the first of a modern wave of GOP sex scandals, something I usually enjoy reporting. But Foley liked to sexually harass (and who knows, possibly more) underage men/boys. He didn't just give a black eye to the Republicans, he solidified in some people's mind a link between pedophilia and homosexuality.

That's so totally not cool. While I might know that gay people are no more likely to be kiddie-chasers than straight people are, many people aren't aware of that. In fact, many people who don't like gay people are anxious to believe there is a link. Foley is just a sleaze bucket who just happens to (apparently) be gay also. So, while Foley whines about the damage this "indiscretion" has dealt his career, I can only lament the damage he's done to the perception of gays in society.

[Excerpt]



Foley: I’m not a pedophile because the pages were almost 18.

Today, former Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL) finally broke his two-year silence after the revelations about his lurid IM conversations with congressional pages. Foley conceded that his behavior was “extraordinarily stupid,” but throughout the AP interview, he stayed on the defensive. . .

Read the rest at: Think Progress