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The Unseen Hand: An Introduction to the Conspiratorial View of History
A. Ralph Epperson contends that the major events of the past, the revolutions, the wars, the depressions and the revolutions, have been planned years in advance by an international conspiracy. He puts forward his Conspiratorial View of History.
496 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
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July 15, 2024
A BROAD DISCUSSION OF THE "CONSPIRATORIAL VIEW OF HISTORY"
A. Ralph Epperson is an American conspiracy theorist, who is also the author of 'New World Order,' 'Masonry: Conspiracy Against Christianity--Evidence That the Masonic Lodge Has a Secret Agenda,' etc.
He wrote in the Introduction to this 1985 book, "It will be the position of this book that a conspiracy does indeed exist, and that it is extremely large, deeply entrenched, and therefore extremely powerful. It is working to achieve absolute and brutal rule over the entire human race by using wars, depressions, inflations and revolutions to further its aims. The Conspiracy's one unchanging purpose has been to destroy all religion, all existing governments, and all traditional human institutions, and to build a NEW WORLD ORDER... upon the wreckage they have created..."
He doubts the official story of the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, observing that at a critical meeting, "Of the twenty people at the meeting, fifteen were members of the Council on Foreign Relations." (Pg. 120) He suggests that the Ayatollah Khomeini (of fame during the Iranian Revolution of 1979) who returned from France was an imposter, and perhaps a Soviet agent. (Pg. 242) He discounts the death of Sen. Joe McCarthy as being due to hepatitis exacerbated by alcoholism, suggesting that he was poisoned (Pg. 315).
He interprets the events of 1973-1974 (i.e., Nixon resigning and Ford becoming President, and him appointing Nelson Rockefeller as Vice President) as meaning that "Rockefeller was not to become the president of the United States as he had been promised... However, to continue the illusion that Nelson would become president, Ford chose Nelson as his vice-president..." (Pg. 422)
Of course, his theories are somewhat self-refuted by his assertion that "It appears that 1985 is the year... the planners will make their long-awaited move in 1985." But he quickly adds that the conspiracy might be promoting this year only to "discredit" those who have exposed the Conspiracy, and that "they could postpone their plans for one more year, say, to 1986, so that those exposers would be made to look ridiculous... Maybe the date is 1989." (Pg. 413)
He deals with the question of why, if the Conspiracy exists, he is allowed to continued teaching and writing about its existence, and frankly admits, "I have no answer to that question." (Pg. 436)
Epperson's work is one of the most detailed (nearly 500 pages of small type!) expositions of modern conspiracy theories, however, and while one will likely not agree with most/much of what he says, it's still one of the most interesting expositions of this genre.
A. Ralph Epperson is an American conspiracy theorist, who is also the author of 'New World Order,' 'Masonry: Conspiracy Against Christianity--Evidence That the Masonic Lodge Has a Secret Agenda,' etc.
He wrote in the Introduction to this 1985 book, "It will be the position of this book that a conspiracy does indeed exist, and that it is extremely large, deeply entrenched, and therefore extremely powerful. It is working to achieve absolute and brutal rule over the entire human race by using wars, depressions, inflations and revolutions to further its aims. The Conspiracy's one unchanging purpose has been to destroy all religion, all existing governments, and all traditional human institutions, and to build a NEW WORLD ORDER... upon the wreckage they have created..."
He doubts the official story of the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, observing that at a critical meeting, "Of the twenty people at the meeting, fifteen were members of the Council on Foreign Relations." (Pg. 120) He suggests that the Ayatollah Khomeini (of fame during the Iranian Revolution of 1979) who returned from France was an imposter, and perhaps a Soviet agent. (Pg. 242) He discounts the death of Sen. Joe McCarthy as being due to hepatitis exacerbated by alcoholism, suggesting that he was poisoned (Pg. 315).
He interprets the events of 1973-1974 (i.e., Nixon resigning and Ford becoming President, and him appointing Nelson Rockefeller as Vice President) as meaning that "Rockefeller was not to become the president of the United States as he had been promised... However, to continue the illusion that Nelson would become president, Ford chose Nelson as his vice-president..." (Pg. 422)
Of course, his theories are somewhat self-refuted by his assertion that "It appears that 1985 is the year... the planners will make their long-awaited move in 1985." But he quickly adds that the conspiracy might be promoting this year only to "discredit" those who have exposed the Conspiracy, and that "they could postpone their plans for one more year, say, to 1986, so that those exposers would be made to look ridiculous... Maybe the date is 1989." (Pg. 413)
He deals with the question of why, if the Conspiracy exists, he is allowed to continued teaching and writing about its existence, and frankly admits, "I have no answer to that question." (Pg. 436)
Epperson's work is one of the most detailed (nearly 500 pages of small type!) expositions of modern conspiracy theories, however, and while one will likely not agree with most/much of what he says, it's still one of the most interesting expositions of this genre.
August 17, 2023
Laughably silly nonsense from a kook. Epperson, an angry, batty evangelical, somehow saw everything--everything that has ever happened in the history of humanity (extrapolated from the 1950s, 60s and 70s in the US alone, which apparently is everything that matters) as interconnected by the same tiny cult of power. It assumes that rich, controlling fascists are willing to be friendly with each other, work together (again, forever), and forgo their individual desires in service to "The Conspiracy" (that term is used repeatedly as a definition of the increasingly erratic vision he has of the world.) Quotes used to prove his point are one of two things: Out of context, often misunderstood, cynically misplaced lines in the middle of a statement from the US Constitution or the writings of the founding fathers, or lines from fellow loonies (Gary Allen is one, used over and over), drooling paranoids who see the same illusions as Epperson.
Now of course my saying this, to him, would make me part of The Conspiracy, a monster as anyone who disagrees with his world view inevitably must be, so you might wish to consider this before believing what I'm saying. After all, my covering up the truth, those wacky episodes of 12th century genocide and their relation to the rise of Communism in Vietnam is obvious, right? Or how Jesus was crucified by the same people (and of course they're Jews), as part of the Trilateral Commission, who in fact started Christianity as a way to deceive humanity of the real plot controlling everything. This plot is never actually explained, only hinted at, alluded to with a wink and nod. The Conspiracy is controlling everything, so if he says too much . . .
Epperson writes as though he has power too, has the ability to tear the whole structure of The Conspiracy down all while proclaiming all of us helpless in the glare of The Conspiracy. He randomly quotes chilling lines from 1984 then kind of struts--"See! See!" he says, smug and confident. He's shown the reader the light, and if they are unwilling to bathe in his baptismal glory, then you are the enemy.
This is the full view of this book. It is, in drudging, dull language, and endless repetitions without resolutions of thought, a terrible thing I am shocked I was able to claw my way through. I guess crap like this interests me, and if it does you, perhaps it is worthwhile for as long as you can take it. I give it two stars instead of the one it actually deserves for that very reason.
Now of course my saying this, to him, would make me part of The Conspiracy, a monster as anyone who disagrees with his world view inevitably must be, so you might wish to consider this before believing what I'm saying. After all, my covering up the truth, those wacky episodes of 12th century genocide and their relation to the rise of Communism in Vietnam is obvious, right? Or how Jesus was crucified by the same people (and of course they're Jews), as part of the Trilateral Commission, who in fact started Christianity as a way to deceive humanity of the real plot controlling everything. This plot is never actually explained, only hinted at, alluded to with a wink and nod. The Conspiracy is controlling everything, so if he says too much . . .
Epperson writes as though he has power too, has the ability to tear the whole structure of The Conspiracy down all while proclaiming all of us helpless in the glare of The Conspiracy. He randomly quotes chilling lines from 1984 then kind of struts--"See! See!" he says, smug and confident. He's shown the reader the light, and if they are unwilling to bathe in his baptismal glory, then you are the enemy.
This is the full view of this book. It is, in drudging, dull language, and endless repetitions without resolutions of thought, a terrible thing I am shocked I was able to claw my way through. I guess crap like this interests me, and if it does you, perhaps it is worthwhile for as long as you can take it. I give it two stars instead of the one it actually deserves for that very reason.
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