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Programmed to Kill: The Politics of Serial Murder
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The specter of the marauding serial killer has become a relatively common feature on the American landscape. Reactions to these modern-day monsters range from revulsion to morbid fascination-fascination that is either fed by, or a product of, the saturation coverage provided by print and broadcast media, along with a dizzying array of books, documentary films, websites, an
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Start your review of Programmed to Kill: The Politics of Serial Murder
Wow. Ahem. Well.
This book is probably not what you are looking for, unless of course you are hoping to investigate the theory that all or most of America's more notorious sado-sexual murderers are CIA Monarchs whose fractured personalities are activated to serve the purposes of a global elite of satanic pedophiles, either as killers or as patsies, completely without the individual's knowledge, let alone permission, in order to rule the world and enslave all of mankind. That's pretty absurd, righ ...more
This book is probably not what you are looking for, unless of course you are hoping to investigate the theory that all or most of America's more notorious sado-sexual murderers are CIA Monarchs whose fractured personalities are activated to serve the purposes of a global elite of satanic pedophiles, either as killers or as patsies, completely without the individual's knowledge, let alone permission, in order to rule the world and enslave all of mankind. That's pretty absurd, righ ...more
This is fascinating alternate view of serial killers, mass killings, violent crime, child pornography, human trafficking, and pedophilia in modern America. The view becomes even more disturbing when recent cases like Jerry Sandusky at Penn State and Jimmy Saville in the UK are reconsidered (this book was published before those cases emerged). I don't normally read books about these topics, but this author is presenting the information in a slightly different way. Some readers will find his concl
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While it was entertaining and it would not surprise me at all if some of these serial killers were mkultra victims gone haywire and/or patsies taking the fall for others this book is just full of really bad research and speculation. It is undeniable that there are pedophile rings where many political figures and the rich and powerful are involved but he just states too many things that are not factual at all. McGowan spent a lot of time in 80s "Satanic Panic" mode throughout this. Constantly imp
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A lot of supporting material is presented in the first 300 pages. It is not until page 306 that the author finally shares his conclusions about what he feels is really going on. The most effective way to control people is through fear, whether it is one individual or an entire country. Random killings keep people off balance and more accepting of their loss of liberty and growing government control. This book discusses the enormity of child abuse and its appeal to the rich and powerful. It discu
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This book is a comprehensive drop down the rabbit hole of the psychopathic/sociopathic model the media and alphabet soup government institutions have conditioned us to believe. I hate writing reviews, but I may review this one at some point when I've gathered my thoughts.
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One of the most frightening books I have ever read, and I don't make that statement lightly!
Paints a truly terrifying and vivid picture of out of control US government sponsored mind control programs involving mass murder and torture of civilians, child abuse and child pornography on a global scale.
Most interesting of all for me is McGowan's re-examination of some of the most famous cases of serial murder in 20th century USA. You start to see some frightening similarities between the different ...more
Paints a truly terrifying and vivid picture of out of control US government sponsored mind control programs involving mass murder and torture of civilians, child abuse and child pornography on a global scale.
Most interesting of all for me is McGowan's re-examination of some of the most famous cases of serial murder in 20th century USA. You start to see some frightening similarities between the different ...more
McGowan's primary weakness is that he submerges the reader in pure information and data, which can be overwhelming. As a "conspiracy theorist," I'm inclined to agree with him on many points, but his works desperately needed an editor to make them more understandable.
Don't get me wrong - he's intelligent and knows his stuff. But his books can be difficult to get through, and he's inclined to leaps in logic which need more evidence than his word.
This is all said with love and admiration, because ...more
Don't get me wrong - he's intelligent and knows his stuff. But his books can be difficult to get through, and he's inclined to leaps in logic which need more evidence than his word.
This is all said with love and admiration, because ...more
The books reads well for about the 1st 2/3, but.....
3 big wins:
-author lists exhaustive amounts of US and OCONUS child abuse, child pornography and related criminal scandals. Bravo for shining such a bright light on such an awful yet underpublicized problem.
-author makes good use of interesting common threads between a surprising number of recorded US serial killers (see below, however)
-the book overall is a great jumping-off point for more detailed serious looks into the oddly skewed publicity, ...more
3 big wins:
-author lists exhaustive amounts of US and OCONUS child abuse, child pornography and related criminal scandals. Bravo for shining such a bright light on such an awful yet underpublicized problem.
-author makes good use of interesting common threads between a surprising number of recorded US serial killers (see below, however)
-the book overall is a great jumping-off point for more detailed serious looks into the oddly skewed publicity, ...more
debunks the "lone serial killer" theory, but not far enough.
...more
The first part of the book was hard to read. It goes on at length to make the reader aware of the degree of sexual abuse and pedophilia that occurs in the world (much more than most people would expect). The author asserts that Sigmund Freud found that the majority of mental illness in his female patients was caused by ritualistic sexual abuse. Dropping well-known names lent some credibility to case the author builds. For example, he pointed out that Lewis Carol (Charles Lutwidge Dodgson) enjoye
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"The profile of 'serial killers' that has been presented in this book is obviously one that is quite different from the one that has become a part of our collective conscience. Rather than the profile of a lone predator, driven by his own internal demons, we find instead a profile of controlled assassins and controlled patsies, conditioned and programmed by a variety of intelligence fronts, including military entities, psychiatric institutions, and satanic cults."
Scoff if you will, but if you ar ...more
Scoff if you will, but if you ar ...more
Pretty interesting alternate view of serial killers. It took me a little bit to get on board with what was being presented but things did start to click. There's A LOT of information in this book and a lot of graphic disturbing material. Check it out of you like conspiracies or have an interest in true crime.
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took me far too long to finish this probably as the subject matter is very difficult to grapple with. i would not recommend it for those with a history of childhood abuse that hasn't been properly worked through as there is quite a bit of talk of organized pedophile networks and what that necessarily entails.
i think i went into this book expecting something much different, perhaps moreso about Manchurian candidates and the procedural work of the actual "programming" of mass killers, some more co ...more
i think i went into this book expecting something much different, perhaps moreso about Manchurian candidates and the procedural work of the actual "programming" of mass killers, some more co ...more
What can I say? This was an eye-opener for me. One doesn't like to think about the corruption inherent in many of out oldest and most-respected institutions, but after reading this book, it is difficult to ever return to ignorance. Wow. NOT for the squeamish. Not to be missed.
Update: The writer and researcher Dave McGowan died recently from cancer. He was an original thinker, a man who could find the weak point of any argument in seconds, a meticulous researcher, and a father, brother, son. I di ...more
Update: The writer and researcher Dave McGowan died recently from cancer. He was an original thinker, a man who could find the weak point of any argument in seconds, a meticulous researcher, and a father, brother, son. I di ...more
Not an easy read but desperately important. McGowan examines the "lone-nut" killer narrative as brought to us by FBI criminal profilers and pokes enough holes in it to sink it comprehensively, which in one part is reassuring (knowing that lone psychos are unlikely to gun you down on the streets or in your homes) but is immensely more terrifying when you realize that there is an entire system in place to protect the powerful cabals that actually perpetrate these exceedingly monstrous crimes.
McGow ...more
McGow ...more
Complicated, deeply disturbing and hard to forget... This is seriously some "deep down the rabbit hole" sh*t. It shatters existing serial killer paradigms, while coldly presenting plausible alternatives. The author sequences his research material carefully, saying a lot without saying a lot. The details are flat out terrifying and there's rarely a pause in the barrage of them. I'd be hard pressed to cite a more paranoia-inducing book than this one.
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The very beginning serves as a decent indictment of political and sexual violence perpetrated under governmental auspices. That being said, the rest of the text is what I’d imagine would happen if I went off my meds for several months and started taking uppers again.
A superb book and an absolute must-read. McGowan is a terrific writer, and his research and analysis are top-notch. This book is indispensible for anyone researching serial killers, mass shooters, mind control, or Satanic cults. McGowan's book "Weird Scenes Inside the Canyon" serves as a kind of complementary work, and I also recommend that book highly.
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Very unfortunately, the brilliant, sorely-missed parapolitical researcher Dave McGowan has written what is proving to be the most important *political* book of our times. Absolute required reading for the strong-minded.
This is fascinating. McGowan’s research is impeccable and shows with alarming regularity how the most infamous serial killers of our time had similar backgrounds, interests and a distinct lack of evidence against them when prosecuted.
A conspiracy theory that makes way too much sense to be laughed at. Not for the faint of heart.
If you can get past the horror of it all, it is quite interesting...not recomended for the faint of heart. Also recomend www.davesweb.cnhost.com. for conspiracy freaks.
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I hope the author writes a more up to date version including some of the more recent mass murders. Very disturbing stuff
Feb 24, 2014
Dna
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
non-fiction,
dark,
2014,
i-love-anything-annotated,
history,
science,
want-to-reread,
i-own-this,
true-crime,
psychology
I've read this twice now and all I can say is double yikes.
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An intriguing look into the making of serial killers.
Incredible. McGowan completely re-contextualizes the 20th century's fascination with serial killers and reveals something that could be much darker lurking in the nation.
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Extremely eye opening. Well documented research left my mind blown. I highly recommend this book!!!
Jul 17, 2020
nokey
added it
ted bundy more like ted fund me (the us gov)
Serial killers hold a macabre fascination for many people, attested by hundreds of true crime documentaries, podcasts and films. I decided to read this book on a whim, because given the unimaginably horrifying accounts of the actions of serial killers such as Jeffery Dahmer, the idea that they are just mentally ill or the product of a troubled youth seems rather flimsy. While some of the conclusions in this book are on the speculative side, there is enough evidence for one to harbour reasonable
...more
What if the phenomenon of serial killers was a convenient fiction to cover for satanic murder cults involving some of the most powerful members of society? What if the people who were blamed for these crimes were brainwashed participants who were denied fair trials? Were these brainwashed patsies forced to take the fall for murders that were perpetrated by Satan-worshiping elites? David McGowan looks at the facts of some of the most disturbing and grisly crimes and comes to the conclusion that a
...more
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