Nexus - 0903 - New Times Magazine-pages

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APRIL – MAY 2002 www.nexusmagazine.com NEXUS • 61"THE BRAIN POLICE" AND "THE BIG LIE" Any time you allege a conspiracy is afoot, especially in the field of science, you are treading on thin ice. We tend to be very sceptical about conspiracies—unless the Mafia or some Muslim radicals are behind the alleged plot. But theevidence is overwhelming and the irony is that much of it is in plain view. The good news is that the players are obvious. Their game plan and even their play-by- play tactics are transparent, once you learn to spot them. However, it is not so easy topenetrate through the smokescreen of propaganda and disinformation to get to their under-lying motives and goals. It would be convenient if we could point to a plumber's unit anda boldface liar like Richard Nixon, but this is a more subtle operation. The bad news: the conspiracy is global and there are many vested interest groups. A cursory investigation yields the usual suspects: scientists with a theoretical axe to grind,careers to further and the status quo to maintain. Their modus operandi is "The Big Lie"—and the bigger and more widely publicised, the better. They rely on invoking theiracademic credentials to support their arguments, and the presumption is that no one hasthe right to question their authoritarian pronouncements that: 1. there is no mystery about who built the Great Pyramid or what the methods of con-struction were, and the Sphinx shows no signs of water damage;2. there were no humans in the Americas before 20,000 BC; 3. the first civilisation dates back no further than 6000 BC;4. there are no documented anomalous, unexplained or enigmatic data to take intoaccount; 5. there are no lost or unaccounted-for civilisations.Let the evidence to the contrary be damned! Personal Attacks: Dispute over Age of the Sphinx and Great Pyramid In 1993, NBC in the USA aired The Mysteries of the Sphinx , which presented geologi- cal evidence showing that the Sphinx was at least twice as old (9,000 years) asEgyptologists claimed. It has become well known as the "water erosion controversy". Anexamination of the politicking that Egyptologists deployed to combat this undermining oftheir turf is instructive. Self-taught Egyptologist John Anthony West brought the water erosion issue to the attention of geologist Dr Robert Schoch. They went to Egypt and launched an intensiveon-site investigation. After thoroughly studying the Sphinx first hand, the geologist cameto share West's preliminary conclusion and they announced their findings. Dr Zahi Hawass, the Giza Monuments chief, wasted no time in firing a barrage of pub- lic criticism at the pair. Renowned Egyptologist Dr Mark Lehner, who is regarded as theworld's foremost expert on the Sphinx, joined his attack. He charged West and Schochwith being "ignorant and insensitive". That was a curious accusation which took the mat-ter off the professional level and put the whole affair on a personal plane. It did notaddress the facts or issues at all and it was highly unscientific. But we must note the standard tactic of discrediting anyone who dares to call the accepted theories into question. Shifting the focus away from the issues and "personalis-ing" the debate is a highly effective strategy—one which is often used by politicians whofeel insecure about their positions. Hawass and Lehner invoked their untouchable statusand presumed authority. (One would think that a geologist's assessment would hold moreweight on this particular point.) AARCHAEOLOGICALRCHAEOLOGICAL CCOVEROVER--UPSUPS — A P— A P LOTLOT TOTOCCONTROLONTROL HHISTORISTOR YY? —? — The scientific establishment tends to reject, suppress or ignore evidence that conflicts with accepted theories, while denigrating or persecuting the messenger. by Will Hart © 2002 Email: Wrtsearch1@aol.com