Part 1 from EFC2021 “Wes Regan’s Freemasonry in the Age of Conspiracism Presentation”

In Episode 4 we begin our series of lectures recorded at EFC2021. First up we have the full recording of Wes Regan’s Freemasonry in the Age of Conspiracism presentation. Brother Wes covers a lot of ground in the first hour, and then we include nearly forty minutes of Q&A afterwards. This area of study is fascinating and very timely considering the forces at work in today’s political environment. 

Transcript

Show Notes Episode 4 Part 1 from EFC2021 “Wes Regan’s Freemasonry in the Age of Conspiracism Presentation”

In Episode 4 we begin our series of lectures recorded at EFC2021. First up we have the full recording of Wes Regan’s Freemasonry in the Age of Conspiracism presentation. Brother Wes covers a lot of ground in the first hour, and then we include nearly forty minutes of Q&A afterwards. This area of study is fascinating and very timely considering the forces at work in today’s political environment. 

2:09 - Wes speaks at EFC2021 - Information about this event is found at https://www.esotericmasonry.com/. Wes opens with some discussion about his PhD research as well as his involvement with Freemasonry. 

3:53 - Traitors and Dupes - Inspiration for this presentation is shown and discussed in this article on Medium. It reads “Traitors and Dupes! Covid-19 is a Luciferian Masonic New World Order Operation” 

https://wesleysregan.medium.com/pandemics-patriots-and-the-paranoid-confessions-of-a-freemason-working-in-public-health-316ac2f32f35

4:54 - 300 Years of Conspiracism - A short list of academic works, including Richard Hofstadter’s “The Paranoid Style in American Politics” https://harpers.org/archive/1964/11/the-paranoid-style-in-american-politics/ and “A Lot Of People Are Saying” https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691188836/a-lot-of-people-are-saying

7:05 - Paranoia in 1775 - Several examples are given from historical research showing that fear and paranoia are common themes in American political discourse. Ideas that occupy the fringe can take over political parties as have happened before. 

9:14 - 2020 is 1776 - History repeats itself. 

10:00 - The Occult, Politics, and Conspiracism - “Conspiracies” do happen. History is replete with them. Tuskegee, Iran-Contra, MKUltra are name checked, but the types of things being discussed today are rehashing old paranoias. 

12:20 - Canonical Conspiracy Theories - Bavarian Illuminati are name checked not even 15 minutes in. This is getting serious. And “Protocols” in the same breath. Wow Wes. This is heavy. 

If you are not familiar with “Protocols” get yourself some background information over here https://www.adl.org/resources/backgrounders/a-hoax-of-hate-the-protocols-of-the-learned-elders-of-zion

14:20 - “Decadent, Materialistic, Secular World” - Sounds awesome. Thanks Bavarian Illuminati! Short discussion of their very brief existence, and an outline of some successes and failures. 

15:55 - Fairly Sensational Implosion - Freemasonry actually ruined the Illuminati. Who co-opted whom?

16:53 - A Grain Of Truth - Another great author Margaret C. Jacob writes about how some historical conspiracies give too much credit to Freemasons. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2738284  

19:00 - French Freemasonry - Don’t lump us “Regular Freemasons” in with those French guys. Subtle differences? Lots of Freemasonic inside baseball here. Be warned!

25:05 - Concubines of the Illuminati - A vast conspiracy to overrun American institutions, from no less than the President of Yale University. 

26:47 - Super Conspiracies - Ideas from Dr. Michael Barkun and David Icke https://www.amazon.com/Culture-Conspiracy-Apocalyptic-Contemporary-Comparative/dp/0520248120

31:30 - The Plot Against Civilization - The birth of Grand or Super Conspiracies. “Best of the Best” of political, anit-semetic, and anti-masonic thought. Active measures?

33:55 - Theosophy To Blame? - Blavatsky to Thule. Henry Ford was an anti-semite publishing “Protocols” at the newspaper he bought to do just that. Nazi’s vs. Freemasons. “The Jews will not replace us.”

38:50 - What’s Happening Now? - A global plot to replace Democracy with Tyranny. 

41:55 - The Problem of Disenchantment - Quotes from Dr. Egil Aprem https://brill.com/view/title/24140 Theosophy vs. Science. Root races and other mistakes. Pastel QAnon. 

47:00 - The Discordians - Robert Anton Wilson and his Operation Mindfuck. Though so MANY love the ensuing Illuminatus Trilogy, I find them totally unreadable. I’ve tried, so many times, and I just can’t read it. 

49:05 - Illuminism and Paranoia - Please don’t buy any David Icke books. Ascended Masters,  Pat Robertson, Freemasonry and The World Bank. See RAW?! So many dopes just didn’t know it was a joke. Morons. 

51:15 - Adrenochrome - Eschaton and liberal elites. More unreasonable craziness. Canada’s recent federal election sees effects of the lack of civil discourse in the US. 

53:00 - Ping Pong Pizzagate - Outrage, violence, healing and awakening. Pastel QAnon and The Great Awakening. Thanks Theosophy! So much cult behavior. 

57:30 - Blurred Lines - Reality vs fantasy. Paranoia politics as performance. Online world made real by actions in the real world. Rebranding (yet again) of the “Protocols”. 

59:20 - Summary of Presentation - Puritan sermons and political populists. “You are burning down all the wrong buildings.” Wes gets emotional about recent crimes in Vancouver, as well he should. Our duty to think critically. If you are treading in these spaces, tread carefully. 

1:05:10 - Q&A Begins - I ask about the burning of the buildings. Why lionize an arsonist who is clearly mentally ill? 

1:09:30 - The Great Awakening? - A brother asks about this term. Why isn’t the history of these movements something that is discussed? More hidden or rejected knowledge? The Storm Is Upon Us by Mike Rothschild. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/676746/the-storm-is-upon-us-by-mike-rothschild/

1:14:00 - Very Intelligent People - What do you do with a lodge brother who goes down this rabbit hole? Good discussion here. The key to unlocking this problem? No solution yet. Disconfirmation does not disband the body politic. 

1:21:21 - The Temple and The Lodge - My first book on Freemasonry. I started at Grand Conspiracy Theory and ended up in Freemasonry. 

1:22:30 - Save The Children! - The cover story of child trafficking sucks in the marginal believer. Mass appeal marketing for White Supremacists and Fascists. Tea Party and local politics. 

1:27:50 - Opposing Views? - What are they good for? Consensus building is important, but can a middle ground be found with any of this? Agonistic pluralism as proof of a functioning democracy. 

1:31:05 - Are You A Freemason? - Wes himself ran for public office. How would he answer this question publicly?  Our membership is secret for a reason. 

1:33:10 - Politicians as Freemasons - Political movements demanding that brethren reveal their membership around the world. Is this a concern?

1:36:40 - Show closing