Losing the Thread: Proofs of a Conspiracy...pp. 169-174

 In all of the conspiracy books that I've read...that were not compilations of different articles...I've noticed a pattern. The book begins with an introduction that is the author's own personal experience which is normal. The first chapter is decently written. When I say decently written do not get me wrong, it is not that the first chapter is correct but that it remains focused. The books inevitably get worse and worse. Each chapter loses a little bit more coherence than the one previous to it. 

In this book we had the first chapter focused on European Masonry and since it based around a trend that Robison found in his experiences with Masonry it stayed pretty tight. One his story headed to the German states, he lost a bit of his thread. However, the rope stayed bound. The next chapter was concerning the Illuminati and he begins to lose more of the rope here, instead of proving that the Illuminati were seeking to subvert the religions and governments of Europe he merely proved that they were going to educate people and form something like a political party. He resorts to tales of gossip and relies heavily on hearsay in the form of letters and people writing about a trial. The third chapter was trying to claim that a secret group of German book sellers was a problem but all he could really prove is that someone wanted to make sure that books were available to the public throughout the German states. Now, we're in the French Revolution, and for the first five pages of this chapter it appears to be about that. 

Yet, then Robison degenerates into discussing petty details of a singular individual...and I for one, am very bored. The reason that Robison, and all of the conspiracy books that follow him, lose the thread is because ultimately anger, frustration, and rage are the motivations behind the book. There is no rational basis for their beliefs, so the emotion has to drive the writing. We saw this same phenomenon in "None Dare Call it Conspiracy" as well...the book peters out toward the end because even Allen can summon the same anger that drove him in the early chapters. What happens is that the tank is empty, and the authors can no longer claim that it is full. There is no gas to drive so the author must go fishing and any catch will do. 

The section concentrates on a Count Mirabeau, who was a bit of a scoundrel according to Robison. A licentious man who even sold out his mother for a couple of ducats. This was another guy who, it seems, needed a place in the world and possessed the kind of authority and freedom from consequences that only an aristocratic society allows. Mirabeau was in the court of Berlin and while there he published a book, Essai sur la Secte Des Illumines. In this book Mirabeau describes a group that is, "the most absurd and gross fanatics imaginable, waging war with every appearance of Reason, and maintaining the most ridiculous superstitions."

Robison takes this book and claims a few things. The first is that no such group existed, and Mirabeau has made a mistake. If the book could be considered about the Illuminati, it runs afoul of even Robison's account of it. Robison, to his credit, at least considered the Illuminati as being too much into reason and quite adamantly against superstition. The second thing Robison claims is that this book is a ruse. That Mirabeau wrote the book as a way to distract the rulers from the real Illuminati.

None of these claims make sense. Robison knows, as we do, that the rulers of Bavaria were full well aware of the Illuminati. Given the nature of the royalty in Europe it is very unlikely that this information would not have spread to Berlin. There would be no reason to hide it, nor would hiding it be at all necessary. The only thing that would have mattered is keeping the membership secret. All of the gossip that Robison is spreading about this guy and his book is silly, and the thing is that the Robison is right in that the group the essay refers to probably never existed. Because it isn't about the Illuminati it is about the Rosycrucians. The French title uses the word "Illumines" but that does not mean "Illuminati" it means "Occult." The word "Illuminati" does not translate into a different language, it would just be called "Essai sur la Secte Des Illuminati" if that was the focus of the book. Mirabeau wrote an essay decrying the Occultist group of the "Rosicrucians" which is why the facts are so wrong for the rest of it. 

This chapter is supposed to be about the Revolution in France, and we finally circle back to it. Mirabeau's role takes a back seat after he leaves Germany to return home. Then we discuss the character of the Revolution and how the revolutionaries accomplished a few things: the first was overturning the constitution of France, establish a reason-based government, a merit-based appointment system, abolish the system of aristocratic inheritance, declare universal rights, liberty, and equality. Let us not forget that this is all bad to Robison and anyone reading this book earnestly. He continues to discuss the dissolution of the family as an Illuminati goal and that reminds me of today's conspiracy theories which are basically the same thing. 

Robison blames the Illuminati for Republican France; but it is odd that he does so without pushing the new American Government as a product of the Illuminati as well. The American Revolution has the same goals (minus the destruction of the family, but the French didn't have that either) or put them into practice earlier than the French. If we remember from last week it was the American revolution that inspired the French who fought with them. 

The problem isn't the Illuminati and Robison knows this. It's the enlightenment. The ideas of the Illuminati that are so terrible, didn't come from them. The French sages predate Weishaupt's group, but it would be much harder to argue against the ideas of the Enlightenment than it would be to blame a mysterious group for the French Revolution. As I wrote in the beginning of this series, and over again throughout, this book is just neophobia. Robison doesn't like the kids these days but cannot expend the effort to refute the ideas they like. It's just easier to blame the devil sometimes. When there is no devil well, just make one up.