Random Thoughts: The Politics of Conspiracies

Random Thoughts: The Politics of Conspiracies

Peter Schultz

 

                  Iran-Contra: Meese requested an independent prosecutor “to avoid even the appearance of a cover-up.” This was ironic insofar as such an appointment facilitated the on-going cover-up by transforming political issues - political incompetence and ignorance - into legal issues, issues of alleged criminality. The focus became alleged illicit behavior, not incompetent, ignorant political conduct (or imperialistic conduct). Politically delusional/imperialistic officials were transformed into possible criminals. And then, for the most part, exonerated of any indictable criminality, most importantly Reagan, Bush, Shultz, and Weinberger. No criminals, no incompetent imperialists here! It’s all good!

[Which are worse, competent or incompetent imperialists? Just wondering. Ironically, there is an argument in favor of political and governmental incompetence. 🤪✌️] 

 

Random Thoughts #2

                  Nir’s and Reed’s and Cummings conspiracy theories regarding Iran-Contra assessed. These speculations have interesting political consequences, viz., obscuring, even disappearing two prominent characteristics of American politics and politics in general, incompetence and ignorance. 

 

Hasenfus shot down and numerous coincidences are visible. See below. Conclusion: “No, sir, it’s all too convenient.” Maybe but so too are these conspiracy theories. Even more convenient than the alternatives. 

 

(1) conspiracy theories cover up incompetence, which was by and large ignored during the Iran-Contra investigations. Even the criminality theme makes incompetence disappear. Watergate, for example: Nixon wasn’t incompetent but was a wily, deceitful, manipulating criminal and, hence, very dangerous. Iran-Contra: North wasn’t an incompetent but a super patriot who, like many other super patriots, got carried away by his virtue, his patriotism in attempts to serve Ronald Reagan loyally, rescue hostages, and re-establish Iran as an ally of the US and the West. He was, potentially, a hero, which is often how Marines are seen. Or, for others, those against him, he was a criminal, a bad person, but not an incompetent, ignorant person. And, of course, it is almost impossible for Americans to think, accept that a lt. col. in the USMC was an incompetent screw-up. No? 

 

Conspiracy theories help fortify the idea that our elites, military and political, aren’t screw-ups or delusional. 

 

(2) Such theories make politics seem rational, by and large. That is, not crazy, not a madhouse, not full of sound and fury signifying nothing. So they make nihilism disappear; they make the nihilism question disappear or the nihilistic phenomenon look like the manifestation of psychological dis-ease. Nihilism is not intrinsic to the political. Insofar as this is not the case, then it may be said that such theories foster ignorance of a very high order about the political. 

 

(3) Such theories detract from another ignored theme of the Iran-Contra investigations: the capabilities of the Sandinistas, the Iranians, the Israelis, and Hezbollah and other terrorists. Kidnapping, especially kidnapping CIA agents, like IEDs, like 9/11, like caves, like bikes (in Vietnam) illustrate intelligence, savvy, and calculation of relatively high orders. Hence, the fact that the US got outplayed in Iran and Nicaragua is covered up. Reagan, Bush, Shultz, Weinberger, North, Poindexter, McFarlane, Meese, even leaders in the US Congress all got outplayed, just as the US got outplayed in Oklahoma City and 9/11. 

 

Covering up these phenomena cover up the role ignorance played and plays in politics. Ignorance not only of one’s enemies but also ignorance of the political itself. Power, even great, unrivaled power is not sufficient to dominate, to emerge victorious in the political realm. And insofar as that goes, it also means that the pursuit of dominance, of hegemony is bound to fail and is bound to lead to inhuman cruelty. Imperialism is not only ultimately futile; it is also ultimately inhuman. This is ignorance of a very high order, and seems to be an ignorance that pervades the political realm. 

 

(4) the Office of the Independent Prosecutor, with its focus on criminality has the same implications and consequences by turning political phenomena into legal phenomena, which makes political delusion disappear and then reappear as criminality. But which is more significant, political delusions or crimes, insanity or venality? The answer seems pretty obvious, no? 

 

Does this mean there are no conspiracies? Absolutely not. There are, all over the place. But care needs be taken so they don’t blind us to the incompetence and ignorance that characterize the political. NB: Reed and Cumming and NIr present to us what can only be described as a movie, Hollywood version of what was going on, with Reagan the bad guy, and Bush as the good guy who was trying to unseat the bad guy to re-establish or fortify a status quo that was, before Reagan became president, quite sound and decent. And, of course, being from Yale and with an American Yankee pedigree, Bush could be trusted to right wrongs and get America back on track again. Not quite “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” but enough like it to make me smile. Ironically though:

 

• "'Except something has gone wrong.  It's been over nine months since the shootdown, and we now feel that Reagan has somehow miraculously been able to survive.  I was able to talk to North early on, and apparently, right after the incident, your attorney general and the secretary of state seized important documents and were able to contain the scandal by eliminating most of the damaging evidence.  Like I say, it’s been a miracle, but so far Reagan appears to have fought off the coup'" (Reed & Cummings 360-361).
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Apparently, the political realm is a madhouse after all!