Suggested Reading
Paranoid History's Greatest Hits
Paranoid HIstory subscribers get access to my vast archive of material written over the years. When you’re not listening to the podcast, I would like to suggest a few of my favorites.
The New Intergalactic Cold War
How secrecy breeds inanity, from CIA psychic spies to Tom DeLonge
Among all my reporting, few articles have generated more angry responses than this examination of the modern UFO movement and its peculiar alliance between government officials, defense contractors, and true believers. The 2021 Pentagon UAP report marked a turning point, legitimizing a partnership that began when Senator Harry Reid's friendship with hotel billionaire Robert Bigelow spawned AAWSAP, a $22 million Pentagon program to study UFOs. The movement gained further momentum through former Blink-182 member Tom DeLonge's To The Stars Academy (TTSA), which merged UFO research with entertainment ventures. Behind many of these efforts lurks Hal Puthoff, an 85-year-old Scientologist with a history of government psychic spying programs who now serves on TTSA's advisory board. Most telling is how the UFO community has transformed from government skeptics into eager collaborators - with figures like Luis Elizondo and DeLonge recasting themselves as patriotic truth-seekers working within the system. This dramatic shift shows how America's obsession with government secrecy creates fertile ground for pseudoscience to flourish in classified programs beyond public scrutiny, while also revealing how defensive and reactive UFO enthusiasts can be when their beliefs are questioned.
The Battle of Lawrenceville
When the counterinsurgency came to Pittsburgh
The G20 summit in Pittsburgh demonstrated how military counterinsurgency tactics have been absorbed into domestic policing, revealing a broader pattern of social control. Through examples ranging from Vietnam's Phoenix Program to the militarized response to G20 protesters in Pittsburgh's streets, techniques developed for foreign warfare have been adapted to maintain domestic power structures. The counterinsurgency isn't just about tactical response to threats, but rather represents a philosophical approach where elites structure society to maintain their position—whether that's through aggressive policing of protests, surveillance of activist groups, or even corporate responses to community resistance against fracking. The G20 summit in Pittsburgh, with its 5,000-member security force including Iraq war veterans and first-ever domestic use of LRAD sound cannons, served as a stark demonstration of how military-style counterinsurgency has become normalized as a way to protect powerful interests and suppress dissent at home.
Monarch Mind Control and the case of Frances Fox
One woman’s metamorphosis from cult abuse victim to Miami Beach shaman
How a respected Florida businesswoman became entangled in the world of recovered memory therapy and conspiracy theories in the early 1990s. After attending intensive therapy sessions, Fox became convinced she was a victim of CIA mind control under "Project Monarch," a conspiracy theory popularized by professional conspiracy theorists Mark Phillips and Cathy O'Brien. Fox claimed she had recovered memories of ritual abuse by her father and the CIA, leading her to seek legal action. By the late 1990s, Fox had reinvented herself as a "psychic spy," capitalizing on public interest in the declassified Stargate Project to launch a new career offering remote viewing workshops and spiritual healing services. Her transformation from claiming victimhood in a government mind control program to marketing herself as a psychic healer illustrated how conspiracy theories could evolve from personal trauma narratives into profitable business ventures, riding waves of popular paranormal and New Age beliefs.
Pittsburgh's used conspiracy theory salesman
How Ben Davidson turned impending doom into a YouTube empire
Ben Davidson transformed from a law school graduate into a successful conspiracy entrepreneur by finding a niche between mainstream science and fringe beliefs. Through his YouTube channel "Suspicious 0bservers," he built a community of over 250,000 followers by delivering daily updates on solar science, earthquakes, and various conspiracy theories - from chemtrails to climate change denial. What sets Davidson apart is his measured approach and professional demeanor, positioning himself as a voice of reason in the conspiracy world while warning of impending solar catastrophes that could end modern civilization. Rather than simply promoting wild theories, he created a profitable business model through premium memberships, conferences, and merchandise, all while fostering a supportive community for people who feel marginalized by their unconventional beliefs. His success demonstrates how conspiracy theories can be packaged and monetized when delivered with the right mix of authority, consistency, and community building — even if the underlying message predicts impending doom.
Laura Johnston Kohl and the Revolutionary Politics of Peoples Temple
He who forgets the past, etc.
Laura Johnston Kohl, whom I knew and deeply respected, embodied both the idealism and tragedy of the 1960s radical movement. Growing up in a politically active household in segregated Maryland, she went from integrating local swimming pools to hosting Black Panther meetings and eventually finding her way to Jim Jones's Peoples Temple. The Temple appeared to manifest her dreams of multiracial community and social justice, combining activist programs like free medical clinics with a revolutionary message. But beneath its progressive façade, Jones was manipulating idealistic people like Laura through emotional abuse and control, all while claiming to build a socialist utopia. Laura survived the Jonestown massacre only because Jones had sent her back to Georgetown shortly before the mass murder-suicide that claimed 918 lives. In the aftermath, she salvaged her activist spirit while learning crucial lessons about blind faith — that no cause or leader, no matter how perfect they seem, should override critical thinking. "Nothing," as she emphasized three times, "is so absolutely perfect that it doesn't need careful guidance." Her story stands as a warning about how even the noblest ideals can be twisted by those who would use them to control others.
The Wild World of Catholic Conspiracy Culture
Cannabis, private armies, and Milo Yiannopoulos
From QAnon-promoting cannabis churches to rogue priests spreading conspiracy theories on social media, fringe Catholic groups have carved out a unique niche in America's conspiracy landscape. The phenomenon was exemplified by a 2017 Pittsburgh rally where The Healing Church — a pro-Trump, pro-cannabis Catholic sect — joined forces with local Trump supporters. Led by figures like Deaconess Anne Armstrong, who claims papal recognition through a form letter, these groups appropriate Catholic authority while promoting various conspiracy theories. The trend extends to actual clergy like Fr. David Nix, a Denver priest turned social media conspiracist who was removed from his parish for claiming the Church was infiltrated by "communists, gays, and freemasons." The movement gained particular momentum during Trump's presidency, when his campaign actively courted far-right Catholic factions, giving them newfound legitimacy and visibility. These groups range from the seemingly harmless, like Brother Tomasio's psychedelic folk music, to the potentially dangerous, like Alexis Bugnolo's attempt to organize an anti-Islamic crusade through his Montana-based private military contractor.