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Why would an American president bow down to world leaders?   Why is it easy for politicians to stoke hatred for rich, fat-cat CEOs? And why do so many nations around the world hate America, the world’s lone superpower?  read more
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{ Conspiracy Theories }
When Underdogma runs amok, those who hold positions of power are reflexively distrusted, feared, and ascribed almost supernatural abilities, and the world’s problems are blamed on groups of elite and powerful overdogs who are bent on pulling the world’s strings.

Each month Michael will show you how the Underdogma psychology plays a role in conspiracy theories, and those who believe them.

If you would like to submit a conspiracy theory for Michael to address, click here.

If you cannot wait a month, join the discussion now on Facebook or Twitter.

January 2011
José Moreno had a great post on Facebook, in which he wrote:

“The fact is that all of them [conspiracy theories] share a common ground: USA is to blame, Israel too…Among those who blame on America I’ve never seen anyone just slightly critical about USSR or Russia, China or muslim terrorist, all of them are just a reaction to the evil power of America.”

José makes an important observation here: one that is so important, I literally led the book with it, in a quote from Malcolm Muggeridge (1903-1990), Moscow correspondent for the Manchester Guardian, British Intelligence Agent (WWII), deputy editor of the Daily Telegraph, Esquire book reviewer, author, playwright--in an excerpt from speech to Hillsdale College, May 1979 issue of Imprimis:

“How I first came to conceive the notion of the great liberal death wish was not at all in consequence of what was happening in the USSR, which, as I came to reflect afterward, was simply the famous lines in the Magnificat working out, ‘He hath put down the mighty from their seat and hath exalted the humble and meek,’ whereupon, of course, the humble and meek become mighty in their turn and have to be put down.

“It was from that moment that I began to get the feeling that a liberal view of life was not what I’d supposed it to be-a creative movement which would shape the future-but rather a sort of death wish. How otherwise could you explain how people, in their own country ardent for equality, bitter opponents of capital punishment and all for more humane treatment of people in prison, supporters, in fact, of every good cause, should…prostrate themselves before a regime ruled over brutally and oppressively and arbitrarily by a privileged party oligarchy? I still ponder over the mystery of how men displaying critical intelligence in other fields could be so astonishingly deluded. I tell you, if ever you are looking for a good subject for a thesis, you could get a very fine one out of a study of [this phenomenon].”

To discuss this topic, visit the discussion board on Michael's Facebook page, or you can send him a tweet, by clicking here.



December 2010
"I tend to think of conspiracy theories in much the same vein as the old line about paranoia: just because they are usually bunk doesn't mean that conspiracies are not going on. Sometimes I think off-the-wall conspiracy theories are promulgated by people who have a vested interest in debunking conspiracy theories as a self-defense measure. How's that for a conspiracy theory?"  From Morgan On FacebookRead Michael's response.


November 2010
I asked Dr. Patrick Leman of Oxford and Cambridge, a researcher on the psychology of conspiracy theorists, if he knew of any conspiracies that did not feature a powerful “overdog” person or institution at the top, pulling the strings. “No,” he replied, “all are powerful.”  read more

Discover how Underdogma plays a role in conspiracy theories, and those who believe them.