Quick Reads: “The United States of Paranoia” by Jesse Walker


 

The United States of Paranoia: A Conspiracy Theory
By Jesse Walker
HARPER

Democrats didn’t engineer a malaria outbreak to halt Andrew Johnson’s impeachment. Zachary Taylor didn’t eat poisoned cherries. Safeway isn’t controlled by the Illuminati (so far as we know). Reason editor Jesse Walker doesn’t just catalog conjured cabals, but offers his own conspiracy theory, too: that paranoia isn’t limited to the fringe—it’s everywhere, from post-9/11 foreign policy to liberal backlash against the tea party. Conspiracy theories “are not simply a colorful historical byway,” he writes. “They are at the country’s core.” And the dark and powerful force that penetrates the farthest reaches of society while remaining unknown to most Americans? That’s just our psyche.


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“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things it doesn’t like—which is most things that are true.

We’ll say it loud and clear: At Mother Jones, no one gets to tell us what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please do your part and help us reach our $150,000 membership goal by May 31.

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