NOTE: Try to read
the next three chapters, which is longer than what we read last time, but it
reads very quickly. If you don’t quite get to the end, no worries. Just make
sure to read enough to answer the questions below.
Answer TWO of the following:
Q1: Are we supposed
to believe the stories of the various people Ronson encounters on his quest,
such as Savelli, etc.? Does Ronson present them as essentially trustworthy, if
extremely eccentric? Or are these people simply so desperate for the spotlight
that they’ll spin any story to attract journalists like himself? A passage or
moment that convinces you one way or another?
Q2: When General
Stubblebine ‘destroys’ a cloud with his mind, he quickly concludes that it may
or may not have been him. “Hard to tell,” he said, “who was doing what to whom”
(72). Is that the basic story of this entire novel—things that could be read
one way, but could also be read another? Is anything that Ronson discovers so
far verifiable or irrefutable proof? Or is the nature of secret intelligence to
make sure no one sees the ‘truth’?
Q3: In Chapter 5,
Ronson writes that “For everyday agnostics, it is not easy to accept the idea
that our leaders, and the leaders of our enemies, sometimes seem to believe
that the business of managing world affairs should be carried out with both
standard and supernatural dimensions” (81). Yet a majority of Americans
(particularly in Oklahoma
Q4: Courtney Brown
convinced thousands of listeners that Martians would soon be arriving on Earth,
and that, with a little effort, “our time of ignorance, our time of darkness,
is coming to a close. We are entering a time of greatness” (108). Why do
you think people are so easily fooled by such people? Is it merely their
charisma and ability to speak convincingly? Or is it the message itself? Does
it speak to our deepest desires and fears?
Q1: I feel like it's a mixture of about all of these. When you have so many people believing in this, there had to be something to convince so many. Whether it be a simple sign or proof I feel like theres a coincidence and a reason. Now, people like stories, and they like to tell them even more. So most likely, something has been stretched and dragged to the unimaginable, sort of like the game of telephone. And people began to become popular the better the story and also convincing and that's what drives all of this.
ReplyDeleteQ4: I think that people are constantly searching for more. Nobody wants to just settle with a simple normal bland life. We all want a purpose. We set out to be a part of something great. And for some people, these people presenting wild beliefs, draw the attention of so many for all of these reasons. It's sort of like advertisements of stocks or even new events, you get to try something out that no one has experienced that could be the next biggest thing. Sometimes its even a second chance, some that haven't lived to their wanted potential, see these ideas as a way to rejuvenate their failed past experiences and be a part of something they believe to be great.
Japheth Cardwell
Sebastian Sabisch
ReplyDeleteQ2:
It seems to be setup that way, to evoke a kind of ambiguity. It seems that there are always a few ways to look at the topics he has covered in this book, especially when you throw in the mix how many different people he has talked to about the military’s psychic program. So far it seems that there is little to no undeniable proof of anything anyone has told him, it’s all word of mouth, a lot of which seems to conflict in some way or another. For example, at this point Ronson has been told a few different names when he asks who killed the goat by staring at it. It does seem that the nature of secret intelligence is to be secret or at least vague enough to dispel belief.
Q4:
I think the biggest reason people are fooled by people like Courtney Brown is because they are inclined to do so. In this case he appeared on a radio show that focused on many occult topics, the people that were regular listeners know that and are attuned to those ideas. That being so they are more likely to believe a story such as this because they want to believe it more so than it being convincing. Though I feel charisma can add to something like this, I believe the message is really what convinced those people as it is something they wanted to believe. So it definitely does speak to our deepest desires and fears, if someone wants to believe something enough, regardless of how impossible it seems, they will believe it.
Emily McCarn
ReplyDeleteQ1:
I think that both may be very possible. Do I think everything that Ronson says is true? No, there is times that you can almost know for certain what he saying is not true but the fact that people need to believe in something more than themselves I think often clouds their judgement. However, to him it may be a very real thing and to several others as well making it possible for him to have as many followers as he does. It doesn't matter what he believes he did not become well liked and respected on his own, it took what others believed to make him that way.
Q4:
I think that when Brown is presenting these stories especially when he says he has a PHD he seems to always know exactly what he is talking about and seems to have an answer to most if not all of peoples questions, inevitably leaving people to believe what he says. I believe that every person is always looking for something bigger to believe in and he opens a door for a lot of people to put their faith into essentially gaining much popularity among the people.
1 I think that throughout this story there have been mixed answers. I believe that some people are totally lying, but on the other hand there are possibilities that certain occurrences may have happened.
ReplyDelete4. I think that it is a pure mixture of all of it. Like what lead the Germans to be Nazis. Hitler was charismatic, had tenacity, made everyone feel as if the were a key component in their domination, and made it seem as if it was their right to take the actions they did. I believe that a leader doesn't normally present himself as a leader, rather a follower with a vision of what the people should be doing or how they should be.
Jordan bussey
Q2: I do believe that the story is set up to be read one way or another. There is many different ways to perceive the information that’s being told. Pretty much everything Ronson has been told has no proof to back it up. He kind of just has to find the validity of the stuff he is being told and hope that it’s true. It’s hard for anyone to know all the truth and nothing but the truth based on how many stories there are coming from different people.
ReplyDeleteQ4: I think that the way people use their words and the tone of their voice in the way they say things helps make people believe them. If they use big words and sound smart, then not many people question them. Especially if they have some kind of credibility. It doesn’t even have to be credibility that relates to the subject. But if they have some kind of higher education than just an average person then we feel like they know more than us and want to believe them. Also, if we hear somebody talking about something we think about everyday or fear or desire then we are more likely to listen as well.
Kasandra Beeler
3. I think that the government should stick to traditional protocol. We have done it for the majority of the problems that we have had (that we know of) and we are alive, so there is no need to change anything or rely on phony, supernatural powers (I am a Christian, so I am excluding Christianity from these powers.) I believe that Ronson thinks the same way; that we should stick to the traditional ways. Those ways have, for the most part, worked so far; why change anything?
ReplyDelete4. I think the main reason that people are so easily fooled is because they are looking for something to believe in. Most of the people that believe have probably been hurt or scarred by a traumatic event in their lifetime, so they are just looking for a religion to delve deep into to feel that their life has a meaning. The charisma of a person, the message itself, and the stupidity of certain people all contribute to the reason that a person might believe in a religion/way of thinking. However, I feel that the main reason that people believe in such nonsense is just because they want to belong to something, and in believeing they get the thing that they long for and that makes them happy.
Coleman King