Arte : Off voice, interviews

SEPTEMBER 11TH DID NOT HAPPEN, a film by Barbara Necek and Antoine Vitkine. Now, if an example were needed of the stupidity of the plot theories, Spain is the poster boy. Remember: last March 11th, the outgoing government tried to give credence to the thesis of an attack by the ETA. This seemed more credible an assumption than plot by the American military in the September 11th events. And yet, two days,-- TWO DAYS!!-- are enough for the democratic process to triumph. Two days only to gain the confidence of the press, to gain the information from law enforcement and to gain the indiscretions of some diplomats to uncover it all and make it possible to establish the ‘truth.’ It was even said, wrongly or rightly, but it is a fact, that the Aznar government fell in four days, having lied.

This kind of example should be enough to discourage holding any conspiracy theory visions. But that is not the case. Quite simply because reality does not count for them. What counts in their eyes is a world-view held beforehand regardless of the facts. Ideological do-it-yourself where you get a mix of detestation of the democratic universe, a police state version of history and a systematic culture of excuses to the benefit of all the dictators on the planet who declared a war on the West. Well, it is this strange movement that we tried to track. Here is "THE GREAT CONSPIRACY PLOT", it’s a "Doc. in stock" film for "Arte,” by Antoine Vidkine and Barbara Necek. Please, look.

Here is the message that I intend for the world, if I was subject to any misfortune. I am thus Ben Peri, and my true name is Bernard Terrier. Citizens of the world, if you see, hear or read this message, it is because the nauseous animal who stole the power in America has gotten rid of me. The nauseous animal which organized the tragedy of September 11th to be able to justify the conquest of the world. This animal has already planned the Third World War.

I wish that my sacrifice be heard by all; I wish finally that all those which serve the nauseous animal learn how to forge their own opinions, and that each time you are asked to act against human nature, or against the interest of humanity, you learn how to answer: “No sir!”

The great plot.

As for conclusion, Mary asks John, with a too calm voice: "

Who is this strange man, who claims to hold these terrible secrets? A famous investigation journalist? A secret agent? No, he is simply a retired engineer who now writes spy novels.

As for conclusion, Mary asks John, with a too-calm voice: "And you, John, what do you think about that? Are you party in this underground, so-called 'civilized' world?"

It is on September 11th that Ben Peri's delirium begins. When he sees the towers on fire, he does not believe the official version. Though the attack has been claimed by the ‘Al Qaeda,’ he doesn't believe it. For him, the truth is out there; September 11th is a great conspiracy plot organized by Washington. Since then, Ben Peri hides himself behind sunglasses. He is living in an X-FILES-like universe. His mission: to flush out the plan of the plotters who control America.

- This plan took years and years to set up, except if ever it arrived as an exceptional event, it would enable them to move more quickly
- And it is September 11th?
- It is September 11th. Thus they sign their infamy by announcing it in advance. They are monsters. There is no other word: they are MONSTERS. The goal of these people is to dominate the world. For that, they create a framework of terror, and they justify all their actions by saying "we come to save the people, we come to preserve democracy, etc... "

The monster has a face: that of George Bush. But with Ben Peri, one is never sure of anything. From X-FILES, one goes to the invisible man, or even to the "guignols de l'info" [a satiric french political puppet show].

George Bush is not the Devil: George Bush has only a secondary role. He is asked to sign things, he signs. He is asked to raise his hand and saying “Hello, soldiers”... he is asked to show a turkey, which as a matter of fact is a fake turkey, with the American G.I.’s in Iraq, and he shows a fake turkey with a big smile, and all America buys that George Bush gave a turkey to the G.I.’s. The only problem, like everything else he does, it’s fictitious,---it was a PLASTIC TURKEY!

All these wild imaginings, Ben Peri gathered them in a novel: THE DEVIL'S FOOTPRINT, published at the author's expense. This book compiles bits of information and pure fantasy and spreads them over the Internet. Ben Peri definitively crossed the border which separates fiction from reality. Most worry that Ben Peri is far from being a solitary looney. The conspiracy plot theories have since multiplied throughout Europe.

No plane hit the Pentagon.

The CIA was behind the attacks.

Thierry Meyssan and his clones spread these ideas in books sold to millions throughout the world. So, what happened that caused them to come to such an end? With the September 11th event clearly due to Al Qaeda, how does it still cause so many fantasies?

This attack got so much media coverage, was so perfectly developed, that suspicion was borne to some extent by its being too pat. It’s so obvious, it goes so much from government opinion, and at the same time it is so very unlikely, that people say, “It’s not possible, it couldn’t have occurred like that.” Thus it’s indicative that there’s some coverup happening.

And then, obviously it raises the old question: “Who does this crime benefit?” And the immediate answer is, “the American government, which launched a war in Afghanistan, then in Iraq, and gave big money to the Pentagon again.” Indeed, one of the characteristics of the conspiracy theory, is that it uses very rational arguments for a thesis which is not rational.

Once insinuated, the doubt spreads, particularly at the moment of war in Iraq. This war causes most European opinions to be angry. Throughout Europe, thousands of people ravel then in the street to oppose to the war. For much of the demonstrators the cause is heard: since the reasons for the Iraq war are not clear, it is inevitable that there is something to hide. And if America has something to hide, there must be a conspiracy plot.

from approximations to approximations, we are pushed out of reality. From the attacks of September 11th to war in Iraq, the same secret logic would be at work.

All that was carefully prepared. It is obvious that the alleged ‘authors’ of the attack were all well known, their identities circulated in police networks, they were tracked hour after hour, for months and months, by the CIA. It was organized by some groups inside the CIA. I would say part of the CIA; it came from the American government.

For me, it’s a Machiavellian plot. The United States programmed some actions in the world, particularly starting from September 11th, to justify and make credible their actions in the eyes of public opinion. This was the way for September 11th, also for the so-called Weapons of Mass Destruction held by Iraq.

Terrorism? There is no terrorism: terrorism is entirely financed by the CIA, entirely financed by the Americans.

The loonies are not representative of all demonstrators, of course. But they found there a favourable environment for their paranoia.

A paranoia fed admittedly by the Americans themselves. Remember: March 20, 2003, the United States invaded Iraq. They proclaimed the presence of Weapons of Massive Destruction.

At UNO, Colin Powell presents 'evidence' which is not. These lies wander about reinforcing the idea that the United States disseminates unachievable goals.

I think that the American administration, and particularly George Bush, showed an immense lack in their communication about the war in Iraq; and not only a lack in their communication, but also a lack of sincerity. And it is true that deciphering gradually, with much difficulty, what could be the true intentions of this government about Iraq, fuels paranoia.

The reasons which were advanced were not the true reasons.And that, it was really the best to extend to whole planet the idea that there is a plot.

The true reasons were the fight against terrorism, the reshaping of the Middle East. And listening to Bush, Powell and some others, was enough to understand it.

No secret plot thus. But part of the public opinion, particularly influenced by the extreme left, never wanted to take into account these arguments. In street demonstrations, people often remained with a simplistic vision, forgotten the massacres of Saddam, forgotten the terrorism of Bin Laden. ‘The enemy is Bush,’ only he is behind all the evils of the planet. What does this detestation of America hide?

In the plot theories, it is necessary to state once and forever that America is always wrong. It is always wrong and she always has bad intentions. It is an obvious observation. It is stark reality that there is only one great power. The use which can be made of this power is frightening. The men who hold this power are frightening.

Perhaps we are suspicious of their lack of culture, of intelligence, of reflection.

...of their capacity to understand the world. Really, it is true that it is badly lived by others. The strongest generate at least irritation, in the best of the cases.

The "Lutte Ouvrière" [a leftist party] festival. A priviledged field of observation to understand how the plot theory operates. The mechanics are always the same one: a finger is pointed towards a single enemy, capable of the worst: America. The 'Great Satan' in the French version.

Here, through the United States, is focused the plot of the capiptalists. Their dogma is world economic domination through the wars of Uncle Sam.

Here is a demonstration with this director of a studies review related to the French Communist Party.

We are in the situation of a total imperialist war, which appears at the same time on the military field, and also, - it is the innovation in the last years - on the economic field through privatization, outsourcing of jobs, and mass unemployment, etc. They [The Americans] estimate that they have and that they must keep the leadership, and the benefits of globalization, feeling free to pay the necessary price. The necessary price being war! And this, they proved it three times: in Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, and in Iraq. Each time there are arguments, more or less humanistic which turn to be bullshit.

I think that in a caricature of the country, i.e. a ‘naive, uncultured, brutal and avid at the same time country,’

the plot theory always turns around a commercial greed, a greed to steal natural resources, primarily oil.

All American initiative is seen through an analytical focus on oil. It is completely right that George Bush always has oil in mind. Where is it, at which price, and how will it favour or not American industry and economy. This, in my opinion, completely demolishes the plot theory, it is that all this is very clear. The oil interests are clear, they are not hidden. There is no need to go enlighten dark corners: all countries, even France, have oil interests. There are no foreign politics in any developed country, whatever it is, which does not take into account its oil interests.

Shortly, nothing Machiavellian. America, like France, takes into account her economic interests in international politics. But still, many do not see the obvious and prefer simplistic explanations which reinforce their convictions.

The world cannot be divided, as the neo-leftists do today, between two parts: there are us, the good, the pure ones, the marching people, the loving ones, and on the other side, the cruel forces of the capitalists which control, which oppress, which parch the land, and which organize turn-key genocides.

Basically, the conspiracy or plot theory is a key that opens the world to us and gives us the stilted impression that we are more intelligent than others.

Refusing to see the world in detail, in its complexity, preferring instead to denounce the powers which control us, is the ‘solution’ which the Extreme Left chose.

Oddly, at the other end of the political chess-board,

at the Extreme Right, with the "Front National", it is the same tune being played. The ideas of this party are completely opposed to the Extreme Left, and yet! Yet, here, as with the Extreme Left, can be found the same obsessive plot at work. The concerned targets are different, but the principle remains the same. With the FN, targeting enemies who would control the world in secrecy, is an old theme.

It is the financiers who control it all. And who is behind finance? it's too well known.

In France, we get thoses special interest groups, i.e. free masonry, since before the revolution, intellectual groups, leftists groups, and now mainstream religious groups, like the jew stream, the islamic stream. The goal, I think, of the free masons, is to unify a nation in another way that it did until now.

And with the FN, the example comes from top. For years, Jean-Marie Le Pen points out an unknown general public interest organization, the Gnebrit, seeking to control French policy. It would have for example constrained the right wing parties to never make any alliance with him.

Gnebrit is a large masonic organization, I believe exclusively Jewish, which undoubtedly has its own motivations. I do not understand them well. I do not see how they can justify that the Front National should be excluded from the French political life since it is not, to be strictly accurate, an anti-semitic force. I do not know... perhaps they need a wargame-ennemy, perhaps it is necessary that they have a target.

For Le Pen, targeting a hidden enemy is a skilfull strategy. Since he poses himself as the only one knowing where the truth is, he thus places himself as the only recourse. And it works: nearly 15% of the French follow him.

So, what is this mysterious Gnebrit which obsesses the leader of the Front National? It is indeed a Jewish association of free mason origin. But its true goal is not secret: it is militant against racism. From this, the charges of Le Pen are not surprising.

For many people, it's an explanation of the world. The Jewish fact allows to explain the operation of the world. For the great collaborators of World War II, it was the Jews which defined their world, i.e. the Jews were responsible for the war, and if the Jews were destroyed, the warmongers were destroyed. Moreover the French Resistance was an instrument created by the Jews, like capitalism, like communism. All that is wrong in the world is blamed on the Jews.

Don't these theories point out something to you? Let's look a little at history to understand from where comes this myth of the Jewish plot.

1789: the French revolution bursts. In a short time, the divine-right monarchy is destroyed. For the royalists and the catholic ultras, that cannot be just chance. There is inevitably a hidden plan, a secret cause. Then, they invent a great plot. It is the beginning of the myth of the 'Jewish freemason plot to dominate the world'.

Free masonry will be charged, and through free masonry the Jews will be charged, for traditional religious reasons.

The divine right monarchy was thrown down. Somehow, God was attacked. If God was attacked, obviously it can be only a trick of the Jews.

And thus rumor will spread about these influence networks which work secretely to destroy the values of the occident and particularly the catholic values. As a matter of fact, these theories will be a great success in the royalist and Catholic society groups.

These plot theories transcend history and be propagated until today. Here is an example. We are here in a extreme right-wing bookshop of the "Quartier Latin" [the historical center of the city, south of the Seine river] in Paris.

Here, we find this text, normally prohibited in France: "PROTOCOLS OF THE LEARNED ELDERS OF ZION". A text which theorizes a myth, the Jewish plot aiming at dominating the world. Sold to million thoughout the planet, it is a bible for all the anti-semites. However, the historians proved that this is the work of a Russian faker in the nineteenth century.

It is indeed a complete fakery which aims at explaining why 'the Jews dominate the world', and that to dominate the world, they developed a very particular strategy which is the strategy of chaos. This strategy of chaos consists in starting wars everywhere, each one bloodier than the other ones, in order to be able to seize the power at the planetary level, after having left the world wrecked.

The jewish threat

For the historian Renaud Marik, the old myth described in the PROTOCOLS links to much more recent phantasms.

We must recognize in this fakery, in this anti-semitism contained in the "PROTOCOLS OF THE LEARNED ELDERS OF ZION", what is said today about America. It is exactly the same thing: strategy of chaos, in aiming for planetary domination.

Would the myth of the American plot thus use the same rethoric as the Jewish plot? To be convinced let's visit the Net.

Surfing on some extreme-right-wing sites, we find this type of caricature: an octopus, which extends over the world, symbolizing the great Jewish plot. Or these hooked hands which enclose the planet.

Now let's look at these sites of opponents to the war in Iraq:

Same octopus, same hands. But it is America which rules the world. The resemblance to the old anti-semitic caricatures is striking.

I would say, regarding plot, that the bottle is important. What is to be communicated is an idea. Which idea? What you see is not reality. Politicians, as a matter of fact, direct nothing, and there are behind the stage true Masters of the world.

When today's masters of the world replace yesterday's Jewish ones, it is the sign of a terrible confusion. How did we come to such an end?

Another flashback in order to understand. 1989, a pivotal time: the Berlin Wall falls. The communist bloc implodes. A new era opens, much more complex than the preceeding one.

Since the end of the cold war, the world is no longer divided in two, but the world burst into a number of contradictory polarities, and thus it lost its coherence, it lost its clearness. During fifty years of cold war, each event could be related to one side or to the other one. From now on, it is not longer possible.

The multiplication of the conflicts from Yugoslavia to Iraq reinforces this feeling of chaos. September 11th and the ghost of terrorism, definitely end in scrambling the playing cards.

These are times when people are in instability, in fear, in search of new ways of acting collectively, and one of the first ways of acting collectively that we can find is to alledge a plot, which puts us all together as a small herd of sheep, saying "the wolf is there".

This makes it possible to reduce the complexity of the world, because the conspiracy theory is a reducer of complexity. What was obscure becomes clear. What was complicated becomes simple. There is just one person left.

Chaotic times. Extremists exploit fears. Is this enough to explain why conspiracy theories get into the minds? How to explain for example that the book of Meyssan depicting America as being in back of September 11th events was such a best seller? Some medias seized up the anguish in the public very well. Then, they wee ready to surf on this loss of stability, to fan public fears, in order to attract an audience.

First step in this large Parisian bookshop.

In the "international history" section, mixed in with very serious works,

this book can be found. Remember: it is the novel of Ben Peri, the man with the black glasses in the beginning of film. Ben Peri convinced to have discovered the plans of for new world war. A paranoid and empty novel. And yet, the book is in the "Geopolitics" section.

Its author is even invited on television. This day, Ben Peri is guest in a very serious debate. The topic: "THE SECRET SERVICES, ARE THEY EFFECTIVE?". The talk show is aired on a public channel. Ben Peri is surrounded by an admiral, a "prefet" [french local state authority] and journalists. He in is presented more or less as a former secret agent.

- He tries to skewer the problem. As for me, I think that it's a complete bluff, it's...
- What's a bluff?
- The whole campaign made by the Americans about alleged international terrorism. The proof? Nothing was ever found. Thus it is quite simple... it goes back to the framework of a plan...

- It is not because nothing was found that there is nothing...
- It goes back to the framework of a plan which is called "PLAN FOR A NEW AMERICAN CENTURY", and which is now only in phase number one, to try to manipulate the public, the international public... to justify actions.

Aren't you fantasizing a little? You mean with this, that the Americans, namely the FBI, the CIA, the NSA, have a Machiavellian plan?

- Absolutely
- I'm listening
- You will know some more in a few months
- Well, you don't want to speak? We are going to have you speak... So I start off by saying that you published "THE DEVIL'S FOOTPRINT"...

How did you manage to give a platform to Ben Peri on a talk show?

I saw that he was a character. From there I don't know if he is black or white, white or black... as would say Pirandello, each one has his own truth. Is there a little truth in all of what he says, or on the contrary is he the mouth for a truth that people don't want, so want him silenced? His book... it's true of his book that few people spoke about it, and it's a pseudo censorship. So, all that really leaves me very skeptical, and as for me, I am a very, very liberal man, I like to call on everyone.

And thus the fact was that I was preparing a talk show on intelligence, and I said to myself "this is good, it will slap these civil servants in intelligence who all look like each other". Him, he doesn't look like the others, I mean, he is really a character. Generally speaking, information talk shows are often tedious, are often borying unfortunately, and I try to make a show of it. But, make no mistake, without crossing the yellow line. This, I would not like.

This mixture of information and entertainment is called "infotainment". A cocktail which obviously succeeds with Ben Peri. Listen to the spectators of the talk show.

Among all the guests who discussed, you know, this writer of American extraction, there, he has surprised me by all what he said.

What he said, it was, hmm... me I found it a little frightening, but what he said, it made sense.
[A female-intoned voice, behind] :
In politics, all is possible...

September 11th would be one of the first elements, I mean, of this future Third World War. I am fully convinced by him. And I completely endorse his analysis, which I find rather sharp and fine.

We never know it all, in any event. There are many things which stay hidden from us, in everything... in everything.

The audience of the talk show has bit on the hook. But this talk show was not enough to make Ben Peri a star. That’s not always the case.

Here is for example how Thierry Meyssan became a celebrity, and his book a best seller, due to to Thierry Ardisson's TV show.

No plane crashed into the Pentagon

All started in this TV show.

Thierry Meyssan... The TRUTH interview!

The KILLER question!

March 16, 2002, the host receives Meyssan, the writer who affirms that America is behind the attacks of September 11th. No one is present to contradict him.

A full marketing strike. In the following week, Meyssan sells a hundred and thirty thousand samples of a book which affirms that no plane crashed into the Pentagon.

In spite of our insistence, Thierry Ardisson did not wish to answer our questions. We then requested his opinion from a sociologist.

We could think "he wanted to make a blow, a show, an actor's performance, like he often does". As for me, I feel, looking at the interview with Meyssan, my real initial impression is that Ardisson had read carefully, listened well to the arguments, because he answers in a pretty good way... it is a fluent and easy discussion, which doesn't burst randomly, it is rather well prepared, and it gives the impression that Ardisson thought "this time, I got a Watergate, I have extraordinary stuff, all the others passed it by, and I got the guy who brings me the equivalent the Watergate".

And this, I mean, "my career", I can stop it tomorrow, you know..." And he absolutely did not detect how he was behind the line, indeed, with these problems, these conspiracy theories, and all that: he did not get that. And he must have thought: "this time I got an extraordinary scoop, I will show up all my buddies in the media. These guys tell me that I am only an entertainer. Now I will give them a lesson in journalism, in true investigative journalism, that brings out stuff that nobody imagined".

The invitation of Meyssan caused a debate within the public channel FRANCE 2, which airs the shows of Ardisson. Thierry Thuillier is a chief writer there. He manages, among various tasks, the 8 pm news magazine. He followed this affair closely. He realized very quickly that the thesis of Meyssan did not hold water. Within this context, which precautions did the teams of Ardisson take?

- There was no checking. I am sure that no member of Ardisson's team did the work that we did, in asking our correspondent...
- They say that they did it, but they don't know how to do it
- Hmm, anyway, I don't know if they did it, I did not know, but anyway, that didn't raise questions for them. Whereas it was so simple... it took us three days to find witness accounts, images, and concrete proof which showed us that the thesis of Meyssan did not hold true for a moment.

I believe that there is a confusion also about the job of journalist, particularly in radio and TV. Today you get, apart from the redactions, show hosts-producers, who claim to be journalists, who invite guests like politicians, Thierry Meyssan, or other actors having special information, or general information, and who present all this as if it were real information. As for the public, it's just a 'journalistic matter', and they can't see the difference, finally, between a 8 pm news magazine, you know, and shows which mix information and entertainment. And I believe that this confusion is fatal for us, for us journalists, who work with sources, with confirming sources, with counter-enquiries, which is not necessarily the case in these shows.

Thierry Ardisson refused to answer our questions. In this interviw given to the newspaper LE MONDE, he just declares: "in this affair, I made a professional mistake". Nice perspicacity, he is a good looser! This did not prevent, one year later, in the PUBLIC OPINION show, Ardisson from making the same error again. This time, the topic was not any more American plots, but the death of Diana affair.

[Text in the newspaper]
Instead, I gave the impression of approving what was in his book. I should have recognized early on that I made a big mistake.

December 12th, 2003, Ardisson animates a new show with the topic "WAS DIANA MURDERED"? Not really a question since, in the show, two guests out of three think so.

Remember: 1997, the princess of Wales dies in a car accident. Her driver was drunk and drove up to 180 km/h (110 mph).

Today, scandal in England. A tabloid calls into question the thesis of the accident. The DAYLY MIRROR publishes letters signed by Diana.

Six months before her death, she explains why Prince Charles sought to assassinate her, precisely in a car accident.

The man who communnicated these letters to the press is Paul Burel, the former majordomo of the princess. Paul Burel, the first guest of Ardisson.

We found the journalist of the MIRROR who published the letters. And -surprise- she doesn't believe in this conspiracy theory herself. The letters would prove nothing.

Personally, I believe that these letters are ridiculous. When Diana wrote them, she was under an enormous pressure, very isolated. she thought that she did not have any more a friend in whom she could confide. She had the impression that her telephone was tapped, that people observed her. I believe that anybody in her situation would have reacted like that. She believed that there was a plot against her. So, she wrote what she felt right at the time. But, you know, like any very distressed person, I am sure that one week later, she would have said to herself: "I was stupid, all that is ridiculous".

The letters would thus be just hot air. However the DAYLY MIRROR publishes them on the front page, thus making a fuss over the plot thesis. So long, responsibility?

The only thing that we did was to put the letters in the public domain. You know, I believe that our readers are sufficiently mature to discern.

Mature to discern: not so sure. One week after the publication of the letters by the "Mirror", 30% of British citizens acknowledged that they were convinced that Diana was assassinated. But for the newspaper, the operation was profitable. Sales exploded. In short, conspiracy theories sell, so forget all the rules of journalism.

The first step in the plot theory about the death of Diana, is marketing. Just misses the most significant, the modus of the crime. In Ardisson's show, it is Nicolas Davies who has brought it. A former journalist of the MIRROR group. For him, Diana was killed by the British secret services, helped by French counter spying police (DST). Listen to the mobiles of the murder.

The reason for which they took the decision to kill Diana, is that she had a new project. This project, it was to become the world ambassadress for the refugees, particularly the children refugees.

And I learnt from the international red cross that her first visit would have been to a Palestinian refugee camp in the Gaza Strip.

All what Diana wanted to do was to call upon European and American opinion, to say: “Something should be done for the Palestinian refugees.” And that would have been very difficult, for the authorities in England, in the United States, and in Europe, to refuse this supplication.

‘England and France killed Diana to protect Israel’: we are not far indeed from the world conspiracy theory. At Ardisson's show, Davies could present this strange thesis without bringing the least serious proof. Not surprising indeed that he so nicely represents this show.

After the show, the public seemed to believe what I said. In any case, it put doubt in the minds of people who formerly believed that the death of Diana was a simple accident. Now, more and more people do not believe that it was a simple accident.

An absurd mobile, doubtful evidence, but the show goes on. It is the conspiracy recipe of the media. After Ardisson's show, 40% of polled French accepted the thesis of the murder (Diana’s).

When you focus people on the degrading, you sell. When you focus on what’s upright, you sell less. The best advertising slogan, it is not from you, it’s from the moron who would make you believe that whatever happens to you is the result of an hitherto unknown conspiracy plot.

OK, but what is hellishly serious, is that even newspapers which were born for example from a intellectual effort, like the “Express” or the “Nouvel Observateur,” today, do not hesitate to make their covers on completely aberrant, mysterious, unexplainable, and unexplained dangers.

They do it that way when they have sales curves which worry them, they bring out the freemasons, the occult powers, things like that. Even them!

Then is it necessary to put all on the same level: drifts of infotainment and some attractive front pages in serious Hebdos. To be seen...

But what is sure, it is that 57% of the French acknowledge to no longer believe the journalists. The fault rests with whom?

- You think that the media lie?
- yes

I believe that there are many things which are hidden.

Handled, we are handled,

It is accordance to what is appropriate for the government.

The fact of being immersed day and night in a media environment, where information is aired every five minutes, does not at all make us informed people. And we get each day a large dose, which we are forced to swallow, of news, obviously bad stories since they are the only ones which we are offered, and that is well beyond our forces. And thus the citizen shouts, “mercy,” and it merely comes out from this a feeling of nausea, of panic, of fear, which can result indeed in supporting or in favoring the most irrational theories in the name of, “that goes badly.”

The "Guignols de l'info", [a french satiric political puppet show] is a pure product of this time. This successfull show which has been imitated in all Europe, is known to fullfill a great need for simplicity.

The "Guignols" created a world of puppets to parody reality. Three million people look at them every evening. For many young people it's their main source of information.

So, you have well screwed the market with your bullshit.

As for me, I just killed the insurance companies with my huge rider on Boeing.

We met Bruno Gaccio, the creator of the "Guignols de l'info", to understand his way of thinking. Neither political speech, nor pure parody. It is mostly an overall feeling of deep mistrust towards the system that motivates him.

It is something with my gut. Within all of us, the authors of the "guignols", since always, there has been this side: "Shit, we are said something and we don't believe it". Can we say "NO"?

We fuck the world,

we fuck the children,

We don't believe in all this, explains Bruno Gaccio. Then he found the solution: say, through the "guignols", that the truth is hidden to us. The truth, it is the great plot. A plot which has a name: the "World Company". And a single face: the commander Sylvester. In show after show, he is everywhere.

on Wall Street, in the Army, and even behind the Pope. He handles the world only for profit. So, caricature or reality?

- So, him, who does he represent?
- I like his moron act, when he does that... Uh, it's a long story. He represents what we could call the "World company" which is..., if an international conspiracy plot were imagined, they are the guys who are behind it. They are those people who, hmm..., who decide who will be a president, who decide to support this one rather than that one, because he will enable us to drill holes in Alaska for oil. I know that it is environnementaly protected, I know that it is risky, I know that we are going to shoot bears, to turn the planet upside down, but this one will let us make it, therefore we will choose this one.

- And all in all, it is those who are behind the conspiracy, the men in black, you know, the guys who are invisible... paranoia
- Do they exist?
- I don't know anything about it, I don't know if they exist. As a matter of fact, what we did was to put a name on a fantasy. We brought, for the first time in great media, television, the idea that the policians, they are just worthy to be bashed, you know... and then they are always there to bring this assent which is "I feel that I am in a democracy because I chose those who direct me", but Messier directed much more than Chirac, and me, I never voted for Messier! [Jean Marie Messier was for some time the Boss of Canal Plus, the TV channel where Bruno Gaccio works].

World company, America, finance, such would be the Masters of the world who are hidden from us. It's not worth comparing the "Guignols" to some extremists or looneys that we saw in this film. But just a question: this idea that the power is concentrated in the hands of a few, doesn't it represent a danger for democracy?

Whatever the institution concerned, we are always within the same framework. It is necessary to simplify things to an extreme, and to give a planetary vision of the problems which arise in our societies. A particularly dangerous theory since, what is the use of politics, what is the use of activism, since in any case all that escapes from us, and all that is decided on levels which escape completely from the politicians.

When we of something seem evil to such a point as to say, “We can’t do anything any more, they’ve got all the power,” it means that we don't believe any longer in political change. The choice of democracy is cultural. It is a culture which does not mean that we must be tolerant of everything and that everything should be accepted. If we don't choose democracy, we choose what? It is OK, but democracy is contrary to conspiracy. It is the anti plot theory, democracy. It means that it is just necessary to trust each other, in order to speak to each other and try to get some results.

We are gone, it was THE GREAT PLOT, a film signed Antoine Vitkine and Barbara Necek. We will not reconsider the theses of Thierry Meyssan, he exposed them enough so that they can be viewed in detail. I had rather today advice from another book, for trying some cleaning on all that, an excellent book of our fellows Guillaume Dastié and Jean Guisnel, “L'effroyable Mensonge” [kind of joke with the title of Thierry Meyssan's book “L'effroyable Imposture”]. Thus if you want to know exactly what's going on, I advise you to read this book, which is a direct answer by its authors to the theses of Thierry Meyssan, which each of us will have understood that they are, and I use there an euphemism, not very serious.