A yuppie shaman, a thoughtful prepper, and the Failed State Jukebox
Failed State Weekly for February 18, 2022
It’s a good feeling when you discover a conspiracy grifter that isn’t really on anyone else’s radar, so I was psyched when I found Frances Fox during a random trip through the newspaper archives this week.
Fox is a pet psychic and self-described shaman who caters to the Spanish-speaking community in Miami. But she wasn’t always the confident woman who offers people relationship advice and claims to cure your kid’s ADHD. In 1994, Fox announced her intention to sue her uncle for sexually abusing her as part of a government mind control program. This went nowhere, apparently. She was back in the papers a few years later, but it had nothing to do with mind control. Fox now billed herself as a military-trained former psychic spy selling her services to the people of Southern Florida.
For the details of her story (and some fascinating background on the Satanic Panic roots of mind control conspiracy theories) check out the story here.
This week, we also ran a story by Frida Berrigan about survivalists and the weird way that American individualism short-circuits our need to come together in times of crisis. This essay is required reading for anyone who suspects they might be living in a failed state.
Last but not least, we have the origin story behind one of those songs that’s so bad, it’s great. “Order ab Chao” by Anthony J. Hilder is a cheesy 1990s tune about the New World Order talk-rapped by a middle-aged white guy. While conspiracy theorists like Bill Cooper are cult figures in the hip-hop community, it’s clear that Hilder doesn’t deserve any of the credit.
That’s it! Have a great weekend. —Lenny