Books Review November 2010

Them Adventures with Extremists by Jon Ronson

JON RONSON, a brave and very funny journalist, sets out to discover why so many radical groups talk about a mysterious “them,” an anonymous faction of powerful people who apparently rule the world. Alarmed, I read on. Who on earth are them? What are them up to and what do them want?

In order to solve this mystery, Ronson interviewed and spent time with a variety of interesting people including Omar Bakri, a man who claims to be Bin Laden’s London connection, and two types of KKK Klansmen. Yes, apparently there are two types: The first is the one we know and love. The second stands vastly apart from the first because they won’t use the N-word. Oooo, bless ’em, I just want to pinch their cheeks. According to their new touchy-feely leader, Thom Robb, they are trying to revamp their oh-so-yesterday pointy pillowcase fashion faux pas image and become more appealing to the masses. But that’s been done before right? Ahem – they’re called Republicans no? Just teasing, Republicans you’re a lovely bunch really nothing like the KKK.

Ronson goes on to meet up with David Icke, who thinks he’s the descendant of a giant lizard. Don’t we all? Ronson also admits to being Jewish in the most obvious of places (a jihad training camp), visits powerful movie producers in Hollywood, and gatecrashes a bizarre hush-hush owl worshipping pagan type ritual at Bohemian Grove attended by the most prominent political leaders of the world including Bush 1, Bush 2 and maybe one day Bush 3 and 4 then Bush 7 (5 and 6 were tied up in prime time reality shows). I must say that discovering what all these crazy above-mentioned dudes had in common was entertaining.

On the downside, the dots weren’t connecting. Maybe that was Ronson’s point? I was anxiously awaiting that “AHA! I know who rules the world” moment, but alas it never came. Conspiracies will only cease to be conspiracies when truths are discovered. And in the end of Them Adventures with Extremists, we discover that there isn’t necessarily a small group of men that rule the world, but that, universally, we need to believe that there is in order to keep fighting for our own beliefs. We all do it. We all have groups that we are fighting against whether it be fighting meat eaters or Peta, pro-lifers or pro-choicers, fighting for the word of God or the theory of evolution. Our identities are the constructs of our beliefs; if our belief systems are challenged, the challenger becomes “them.” Without “them” there is no “us,” without “us” there is fear, and with fear there is chaos. Well that’s my take on it anyway. Cuppa tea anyone?

(Five is the top Teacup score)

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