In defense of firework conspiracists
Friends, it’s gonna be a short one this week.
I’ve done less reading than I usually like. Blame the nice weather, Jason’s birthday and … the goddamn unrelenting nightmare fireworks (!!!) that turn my dog into a panting wretch every night.
Like many of you, I suspect, I have been woken up many times this week by the bored teens and their nuisance explosives. I’ve also tracked the rise of firework conspiracies with enormous interest. At first glance, they reminded me a lot of Jade Helm, that anti-Obama “martial law” scare from a few years ago. In a similar vein, some folks on the left now claim police are coordinating illegal fireworks displays to … idk, desensitize us to noise, or disrupt our REM cycles.
Both conspiracies are partisan and unsupported by evidence. They proffer complex explanations to otherwise simple events. But there’s a big — and I think, telling!! — distinction here: The people who promoted Jade Helm were, in my observation at the time, embittered middle-aged white dudes; the users I see posting about fireworks and cops are (with some obvious exceptions) frequently Black city residents.
In other words, one conspiracy developed among people who benefit from the system. The narrative is rooted in their fear that their privilege might erode. The other conspiracy — ridiculous as it might also appear, on its face! — developed among people who have ample and valid reason to believe the police state actively conspires against them.
Anyway, it’s 9:40 and, like clockwork, Dory has begun her nightly meltdown. But consider this something to ponder the next time you hear fireworks where you are!
(In the meantime, I also recommend this 2019 New Yorker piece on the “new conspiracism” — conspiracies that arise independent of assassinations, moon landings or similar events; this recent Atlantic story about firework theories; and, for a treat, this McSweeny’s gem. Bonus Dory content below, as well!!)
Programming note: You’ll see links on a broader set of topics this week. It’s a new thing I’m trying out; if you hate it, email me.
If you read anything this weekend
This insane investigation into a cult that preys on the Very Online. One current member called DayLife Army “the craziest thing I’ve seen on the internet,” which sounds about right. [OneZero]
This exhaustive new Nikole Hannah-Jones essay on Black uprisings, reparations and what’s different now. The deeply researched, contextual piece we needed to understand the past month. [New York Times]
This deep-dive on our social isolation crisis — and one promising, potential cure. No, it’s not chatbots. Good guess though! [Rolling Stone]
This essay on how “Britishness” is constructed and exported to a naive global audience. Required reading if you have spent any part of quarantine binging British dramas on Netflix. [Longreads]
This profile of a “truly remarkable group of digital detectives.” Eliot Higgins has unmasked arms dealers and assassins from his computer. It helps that arms dealers and assassins are apparently less tricky than they once were. [The Guardian]
Postscripts
Death of a failed escape artist. Fall of the “girlboss.” The copycat politicians stealing AOC’s look and the stock market of politics. Rethinking “objectivity” in journalism. Monkey Christ, pt. dos. The officials sliding from the White House to … that weird app Cameo.
Was that a tampon in a Frappaccino?: a surprisingly rigorous investigation! On the literal end of the world, and the merely figurative version. The return of the porch. The rise of the game composer. An intriguing trend called sustainable software. Last but not least, three meditative alternatives to traveling now: webcams, Google Streetview and this lovely essay on “centers.”
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— Caitlin