TRU TV's "Conspiracy Theory" Best Television News Show

My vodka bottle's running low and I needed something to do to relax from reading my students' papers so I violated my rule about not watching television news. In particular, my wife mentioned that Jesse Ventura's "Conspiracy Theory" is on truTV.  I'm watching the episode where a guy was talking about a nuclear bomb on the phone and the FBI came to his home six hours later because they can listen in via satellite. I think Jesse Ventura is performing a major public service. Whether the power plant in Alaska is really a Tesla death ray machine or there were bombs used at the World Trade Center on 9/11 are grist for Ventura's imagination.

What I think is especially important about this program is that it suggests that a large number of Americans have little or no trust in the government or the run of the mill media analysis and so emphasize conspiracy theories. In a sense this is a diversion because the underlying problems are ignored. Moreover, the conspiracy theories re enforce the sense of powerlessness that many feel.  But belief in conspiracy theories is a beginning.  The next step ought to be analysis, uncovering issues that are controllable. Then, empowerment is necessary so that people who have become alienated from the government can act on their concerns.

Many people have little faith in our government because it is too large.  The element of participation and control is lost with the enormity of the American state. This leads to a sense that shadowy powers are in control.  This may be close to the truth, although the conspiracies that Ventura emphasizes at most are symptomatic, if they are real.

The American state needs to be downsized through decentralization.  I'm not sure if "Conspiracy Theory" is empowering Americans or if it is just re enforcing their sense that Big Brother is out of control.  But I believe in the show's spirit to a much greater degree than say NPR, which apparently is now under George Soros's control and censorship.