The Oogily-Boogily Men
A foundation item of modern Gospel scholarship is something called the Q-document, which is a hypothetical manuscript of Jesus’ sayings. The gospels of Mathew, Mark and Luke are called the Synoptic Gospels, because they include many of the same stories, which suggests they share the same source document. There is a theory that all three writers relied upon this unknown source document. The Q-document is the collection of common stories in all three of these Gospels.
It is an interesting theory because it rests upon some things we know about human behavior, in addition to the textual evidence. For example, we know that the first written texts were based on oral traditions. The stories and legends that were passed from one generation to the next were written down at some point. We know the Gospel writers were not firsthand witnesses. The Q-document allows scholars to fill in some missing pieces of the puzzle based on what is known.
A similar sort of detective work can be used in this age to try and understand the beliefs of our ruling class. At first blush, the things they say and do run counter to the normal explanations for political behavior. Often, what they say runs counter to their own interests, suggesting some unknown motivation. Of course, many of the popular fads with the great and good are best described as superstitions. They have no justification other than a primitive fear of the unknown.
The place to start is with the Russian conspiracy myth. What started out as a ham-fisted way for the Clinton campaign to shift the focus from the e-mails being leaked on-line, quickly manifested into a raging conspiracy theory. The FBI and CIA knew there was nothing to it, but it was a useful cover for their shenanigans. This patina of authority, however, allowed it to become something of a cult phenomenon among the chattering classes and their followers. Russia was the bogeyman.
What no one stopped to consider is what it was the alleged conspirators were plotting to do way back in 2016. Supposedly, they were interfering in the election, but how exactly was that supposed to work? No one ever said, but what we can infer is that the plot was designed to prevent the Left from getting something important. It went well beyond Hillary Clinton, as the plot is an ongoing enterprise. The conspiracy is part of a great hidden battle between the forces of light the forces of darkness.
Now we have the panic of the QAnon phenomenon on-line. The various tentacles of the Left are trying to remove all references of it from the public square. People into this hobby are being thrown off social media platforms. Media airheads are demanding politicians denounce QAnon. The Left has anthropomorphized QAnon into a sort of super-villain running a secret army. In fact, Q is now an international super-villain, organizing the bad guys all over the world.
Like the Russian hoax, they never explain what they think this is or why anyone should be concerned about it. To normal people, it is just one of those weird things like believing in space aliens that people do for some reason. To the Left, it is the gathering of all the dark forces in the world into one great heathen army. This dark army intends to stop the Left from achieving their goals. This is why the Left has always been at war with QAnon and must defeat him in the end.
A goofier version is their obsession with the Boogaloo Boys. This is supposedly a secret cabal of men wearing Hawaiian shirts, no kidding. They are supposedly plotting a second civil war for some reason. Of course, the government dutifully feeds into this nonsense, but never bothers to explain how supposed Boogaloo Boys turn out to be members of left-wing groups like Antifa. The power of the Hawaiian should never be underestimated.
The same thing happened with the Proud Boys. The left has been obsessing with these guys for years now. This fan club for Gavin McInnes has been transformed into an invisible army the Left is sure is lurking around every corner. Amusingly, the group is full of gays, Jews and non-whites, but they are called white supremacists. Like the power of the Hawaiian shirt, mere membership in this group can turn a gay Puerto Rican into a Neo-Nazi terrorist. That’s some powerful juju.
Slightly different, but related is the Covid panic. The public’s initial concern was warranted as the media exaggerated what was happening and the government was as inept at handling it as they are at fixing the roads. People were wise to be a bit cautious and take steps to limit their risks. Then, as the reality of Covid became clear, normal people relaxed and the Left turned it into a supernatural force. The same people living in fear of Gaia now check case numbers three times a day.
The Covid panic on the Left combines strains from the other items mentioned into something of a morality play. You see, Covid is not just a manageable virus like so many others that are a part of our world. It is a sign, perhaps even a punishment, sent to cleanse the land of evil. The Left is convinced that voting out Trump will relieve the land of this great plague. Covid is now another manifestation of the great evil opposing the great and the good in their quest to reach the Promised Land.
What these items and many others have in common is a belief on the Left that they are in a great end-time struggle with a mysterious and sinister force. It has the ability to change how people vote and turn them into enemies of their own interests. Like George Soros, ironically enough, it uses its power to turn small groups into powerful armies in the war against the great and the good. The great enemy of the one true faith is not people with different ideas, but evil itself.
Eric Hoffer said, “Mass movements can rise and spread without belief in a God, but never without belief in a devil.” Having conquered all known enemies on earth, the Left is now without a natural opponent. It is forced to invent supernatural ones in order to maintain that necessary fiction required of all mass movements. Having rejected Christianity and Western tradition, they are creating an ad hoc set of myths and legends to explain the world and their role in it.
Interestingly, this new oogily-boogily is mystical in an oriental way. The great evil at the center of it is never spoken of directly. It’s as if it is taboo to mention it. Instead, they focus on the manifestations of this evil. What gives the dark forces such power is they cannot be quantified with language. Instead it is just assumed to be the origin of all that they fear. The Left is now bound together by a mystical belief in something they cannot describe, but they are sure exists.
Promotions: The good folks at Alaska Chaga are offering a ten percent discount to readers of this site. You just click on the this link and they take care of the rest. About a year ago they sent me some of their stuff. Up until that point, I had never heard of chaga, but I gave a try and it is very good. It is a tea, but it has a mild flavor. It’s autumn here in Lagos, so it is my daily beverage now.
Minter & Richter Designs makes high-quality, hand-made by one guy in Boston, titanium wedding rings for men and women and they are now offering readers a fifteen percent discount on purchases if you use this link. If you are headed to Boston, they are also offering my readers 20% off their 5-star rated Airbnb. Just email them directly to book at sa@******************ns.com.
For sites like this to exist, it requires people like you chipping in a few bucks a month to keep the lights on and the people fed. It turns out that you can’t live on clicks and compliments. Five bucks a month is not a lot to ask. If you don’t want to commit to a subscription, make a one time donation. Or, you can send money to: Z Media LLC P.O. Box 432 Cockeysville, MD 21030-0432. You can also use PayPal to send a few bucks, rather than have that latte.
To keep Z Man's voice alive for future generations, we’ve archived his writings from the original site at thezman.com. We’ve edited out ancillary links, advertisements, and donation requests to focus on his written content.
Comments (Historical)
The comments below were originally posted to thezman.com.
249 Comments