Previous

Contents

Next

Alex Jones And His Critics
by Roy L. Fox
[email protected]

Attribute to The Libertarian Enterprise

This movie critic has previously reviewed six documentary films by radio talk show host Alex Jones from Austin, Texas (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6). There were a few subsequent email comments that I received about some of Alex's films and whether he was credible. Before reviewing some of Mr. Jones' other films, it might be best to address some of those concerns. Many readers of this website are probably familiar with Alex Jones and have already formed opinions about his "ministry." The Libertarian Enterprise is a website that appeals to a more intellectual audience whereas Alex Jones' core audience is more populist. Nevertheless, I believe many of his films are useful tools for initiating our "government schooled and news media fooled" friends to the ideas of liberty. But it is important to identify the strengths and weaknesses in his films, and be aware that his style does not appeal to everyone.

As I've mentioned, Alex Jones documentary films are legendary and ubiquitous in the truth movement. Jones' early effort "America: Wake Up Or Waco," was an impassioned yet somewhat superficial exposé on the 1993 U.S. government massacre of the Branch Davidians. This film was followed by "America Destroyed by Design" and the first few "Police State" films in 1999 and 2000. Alex has continued to produce new films every year exposing the elite conspiracy to destroy the American republic and subjugate the nations of the earth to a despotic world government. Using his position as a radio talk show host to advertise his documentaries, Alex encourages listeners to make copies of the films and distribute them for free. As a result, Alex has built up arguably the largest following in the patriot community. His websites Infowars.com and Prisonplanet.com attract massive numbers of hits and are updated daily with articles from around the world. His radio show is carried on stations across the country, around the globe via shortwave, and I believe it has now being introduced on satellite radio. The show is also simulcast on the internet and archived shows are available for download. Since Alex began his radio career reporting on government corruption during the Clinton era, his presence in the alternative media has grown exponentially. Alex has developed a persuasive format for his shows—interviewing knowledgeable experts, whistleblowers and patriots on the show, taking comments from listeners and reporting on stories that the mainstream media gatekeepers prefer to bury.

But being the big kid on the block has attracted considerable backbiting from other major figures in the patriot community. The most notable was the late William Cooper, who attacked Alex as a fraud a short time before being killed by government agents at his Arizona home. Recently, Jeff Rense has been using his website as a launchpad for writers such as Brother Nathanael Kapner, Paul A. Drockton and others who rabidly attack Jones as a "disinformationist" and a "Zionist". Since Rense's website is another major player in the alternative news arena, it's hard to say what role professional jealousy or competitive advantage may be playing out here. Each of the articles attacking Jones and posted by Rense contain plenty of innuendo but nothing truly substantive. There are accusations that Alex must be a liar or a shill since he doesn't properly identify the powers behind the global conspiracy to their satisfaction. The claim that Alex's wife is jewish is supposed to be some sort of smoking gun. In truth, Alex treads on the Israel/Zionist element of the conspiracy very lightly, only occasionally mentioning possible Mossad connections to false flag events. There are also occasional absurd statements made by Jones on his radio show, but this is not entirely surprising considering the show now runs four hours a day. But regardless of the gaffes or whether Alex is 100% correct in his interpretation of the news does not diminish the fact that he is exposing a mountain of government lies and criminal activity. Any good reader or researcher will review the facts presented and weigh them against facts and news from other sources in order to draw their own conclusions. Jones' radio show and websites are a valuable source of alternative news, but to gain a serious understanding of world events requires researching many different sources of information and exposure to many different viewpoints.

There is much criticism of the money his operation appears to be making from sales of patriot films and paraphenelia. Other criticisms focus on Alex's personality, which is something of a cross between carnival barker and TV evangelist, with a strong dose of Texas bravado. Throughout his radio shows, he frequently interrupts guests and is abrupt with callers to the show. His films are peppered with boorish behaviors such as bullhorning and ambush interviews. Alex started his radio career barely a few years past high school, and his youthful immaturity and flamboyant style clearly alienate some listeners. But these are criticisms of style, not of substance. Regardless, his style does seem to appeal to a large segment of the American population, especially those seeking a return to limited government and strict adherence to the U.S. Constitution. Give credit where credit is due, the man has reached millions of Americans that would otherwise have been forever mesmerized by the lies and disinformation of the mainstream media. Many readers of The Libertarian Enterprise may well admit to being "woken up" by Alex Jones before they evolved into higher forms of political thinking and became libertarians or voluntaryists/anarchists!

All in all, these nasty hit pieces on Alex Jones seem suspicious. Why is it so important to these writers to attempt to discredit Jones? Why not concentrate on presenting their interpretation of the global conspiracy, backed up with facts and reasoned analysis, and make a case that their viewpoint is the correct one? The debate technique of attacking the character of an opponent is a dishonest form of argument. This is a propaganda technique that we have come to expect from the establishment media in their attacks on the alternative media. And couldn't these "attack dogs" be tarred and feathered with the same labels of liars and shills? COINTELPRO anyone? With thousands of patriots writing or speaking out about the serious threats to our lives and liberty from these global elites, it would be a constructive step to see Mr. Rense take the high road and stop promoting these attacks on Alex Jones. While many readers certainly can appreciate the inclusion of varied and controversial topics on Rense and its liberal exercise of first amendment rights, the Alex bashing is creating a distraction from the real issues. Alex Jones isn't the hidden force taking away my freedoms, folks To his credit, Alex has ignored his critics (for the most part) and kept his focus on the real enemies of the people.

So let me summarize what Alex does well and where he may fall short:

1. Exposure of the American police state—There is no radio show, website or publication that has done more to expose the growth of the police state in the United States than Alex Jones. From his "Police State" films to the daily coverage on his website and radio show, Alex has been preaching about the checkpoints, the paramilitary equipment being purchased by local and state police departments, SWAT team abuses, misuse of tasers and countless reports of brutality and violations of basic rights. Documenting police abuses is Alex's most important contribution to the discussion on the loss of liberty in this country as well as around the world. The ominous development of the Homeland Security and its parallels to the Gestapo of Nazi Germany is also a frequent topic.

2. Criticism of American military policy—Alex has been very consistent in his criticism of the American empire and has been a proponent of non-intervention in foriegn affairs. He has documented the military's atrocities and has been a loud critic of torture and rendition. There are frequent links to foreign news articles critical of the US invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan, the American gulag at Guantanamo, and the saber rattling against other mideast countries. Alex has called particular attention to the military exercises on US soil which appear to be aimed at future urban warfare in American cities. The fact that some of the training involves foreign troops is of deep concern. Alex has sounded the alarm over the establishment of a North American military command and the overturning of the Posse Comitatus law that was intended to prevent military involvement in police functions.

3. Calling attention to horrible legislation proposed or passed by the US Congress or the states—Alex provided the earliest and most thorough analysis of the anti-liberty provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act when it was passed. Infowars has been a valuable source of news on the rights-destroying laws that are being proposed and has encouraged active opposition to many bills. Alex has also shone the spotlight on corrupt politicians at both the federal and state level. There is always thorough coverage of key court cases and Supreme Court decisions that adversely affect our rights. Alex's viewpoint as a strict Constitutionalist is evident in the criticisms he levels at government officials and the illegitimacy of the laws they have passed. One area where Alex falls short is that he still maintains statist principles and is inconsistent with regard to libertarian principles.

4. Documenting the formation of a world government—Many of Alex's films have dealt extensively with the destruction of American sovereignty and the ultimate plan to subjugate the population under a despotic world government, the so-called "New World Order". Alex has provided good evidence of the plan, which includes world financial control through the IMF and World Bank, increasing internationalization of military force, and political control through super regional governments such as the European Union and the planned "North American Union." Alex has been a long time critic of the United Nations and other globalist organizations such as the World Trade Organization. He has sounded the alarm over the vile Codex Alimentarius global attack on healthy food and nutritional supplements. Without question, Jones has been preaching about the plans for world government since he began his broadcasts well over a decade ago. One area where Alex may fall short is the identification of key figures and power centers behind the conspiracy. For example, extensive coverage of the secretive meetings of the so-called "Bilderberg Group" doesn't necessarily expose the real power behind the throne.

5. Identifying the false flag nature of terror attacks—Alex's films and broadcasts bring forth a wealth of evidence that debunk the official government version of the major terror events of the last two decades, both in the US and around the world. His films laying out the case for our government's involvement in the 911 tragedy were among the earliest but were not up to the caliber of the later films on that subject. The Infowars website has continued to bring additional facts to light on the 9-11 conspiracy and Alex to his credit has refused to let the issue rest. Alex also does a credible job of exposing the lies of the mainstream media and their refusal to discuss the real facts. While Alex does a generally good job of exposing the government's official stories as lies, he may not always provide a convincing case for who or what political entity may have actually been behind a particular attack. In the example of 9-11, I believe that the arguments presented by others pointing to Mossad involvement in the operation seem compelling. But regardless of one's conclusions in this regard, the factual documentation of the false flag nature of the events of 9-11, the Oklahoma City Murrah Building bombing or the 7-7 attacks in London is sufficient reason to watch Alex's films.

6. Defense of the Second Amendment—More than any other issue, Alex has been extremely passionate about the gun rights of the American people since he began his broadcasts. He has called out the NRA as a fraudulent sell-out of gun owners and has regularly featured true gun rights activists on his radio show. Alex has been careful not to step over the line by calling for armed rebellion, but he has been unbending in his call to acquire firearms and ammunition in preparation for defense against a tyrannical and illegitimate government. While this is not 1776, and I personally can't foresee that approach being a successful path to freedom in 21st century America, the principle of armed self defense is a key tenet of libertarian doctrines. Somehow I have hard time reconciling the accusations of Alex's critics with the clear and unequivocal support Alex has given to individual gun rights.

7. Proving that the elitists are all satanic Molech worshippers— This is one area where Alex's program falls short. While all the wild stuff about Bohemian Grove may be true, the presentation and evidence are not convincing. It doesn't pass the smell test for most discerning people. Alex's big adventure may have been on the level, but it reeks of publicity stunt... and may possibly lead some to dismiss the other factual stuff he presents as wild conspiracy theory. It's similar to the same problem with David Icke's excellent writings, which he mixes in with conjecture about shape shifting lizard people. It makes for interesting reading, but is less provable than Sasquatch. As for Alex's (hopefully) mock human sacrifices by major politicians, the charges are so serious that they require a higher level of proof.

In conclusion, Alex Jones has provided the liberty community with a great many tools for educating our friends and family. In reviewing many conspiracy films, I have found many of Alex's documentaries to be impressive, but at the same time recognized that most contain some flaws in the presentation. One will not have to look too hard to find unnecessary or distracting sections that contribute nothing to the message of the film. Several earlier films flipped rapidly between different conspiracy topics without providing sufficient or convincing background. His critics maintain that he is purposefully distracting from the "truth" as they see it. While I don't always agree with Alex's interpretations and philosophies, I can respect the research presented and the reasoned arguments that are made. Some earlier films suffered from a frenetic style and sensationalist predictions. But as Alex as matured, so too have his presentations. The last several films are greatly improved in form and substance, and without doubt are powerful tools to alert and inform the unenlightened masses.

Next week expect reviews of several of Jones' documentaries. These films can have great appeal to a generation that seems more at home with video than reading the printed page. But they are never able to do more than touch the surface of the various issues which are complex and voluminous. Breaking the public's programming is going to take effort. Use these and other videos as tools to generate serious interest, then follow up with the ideas and information found on this website and others like it. Unless we convince our fellow citizens of the importance of libertarian principles, and do it quickly, our children will be condemned to a life of serfdom in a high tech worldwide police state which Alex Jones has described so aptly.

Help Support TLE by patronizing our advertisers and affiliates.
We cheerfully accept donations!