Reviewed by Peter Rogerson
The subtitle of this book is intriguing, as is the blurb which suggests that Guffey is going to examine conspiracy theories from a cultural studies perspective. However this is not really what this book is at all, actually it is not really a book at all, rather it is a collection of previously published essays with all the usual drawbacks of such a form, such as repetition, and in parts being very out of date by the time this compilation was published.
As one might expect from such a collection they very in quality and in stance, presumably depending on how the author felt when he wrote them, and the expectations of the publishers. Some are good; there is a hilarious piece where Guffey accompanies a Jewish friend on a demonstration against a Moslem speaker, conveying the sense that neither side was remotely interested in anything approaching a rational dialogue. Not really about conspiracy theories but really insightful. There is a bitterly humorous piece on some fundamentalist nut trying to breed a pure red heifer, so that it can be sacrificed and the Jews can re-enter the temple and start the holy war which will trigger Armageddon, so that God can send all the Jews, Moslems, Catholics, atheists, and just about everyone else who do not support his particular brand of nasty pseudo-Christianity, to hell. Right wing forces in Israel exploit the Christian fundamentalists for their money, and right wing Christians exploit right wing Jews in order to provoke global war.
What’s been said…