There is probably no United States citizen who is more disliked by his own government than Jesse Ventura. Not because he has committed an act of terror, or voiced a rather loathsome opinion. No, this is because Ventura is not afraid to dig where most people would tremble in fear. His book American Conspiracies digs deep into some of the most questionable events in US history.
The book contains sixteen different conspiracies; they range from the murder of Abraham Lincoln, right through to the oil spill. Each incident opens with an overview of the incident that occurred, the official word on what happened, and what Ventura thinks actually happened. The incidents are discussed at length by Ventura, who gives very plausible takes on what really happened.
The more notable incidents include that of the JFK assassination. Ventura posits how very few people actually believe Lee Harvey Oswald was the “lone nut.” Expert’s suggestions that someone else was shooting from the grassy knoll are analysed comprehensively, and the possibility that two Oswald’s may have been floating around Dallas that fateful day is discussed. How about another Kennedy assassination? Robert Kennedy. That killing, according to the book, was a result of mind control methods which the CIA used on Sirhan Bishara Sirhan to terminate another Kennedy. What isn’t mentioned often is that Sirhan had an accomplice, a girl in a polka dot dress. Multiple eyewitnesses recall her saying “we shot him.” Nor is the fact that Sirhan cannot remember making a confession to the killing.
Where American Conspiracies succeeds is in an ability to back up almost every claim it makes. It brings up missing, often overlooked pieces of evidence, and people who are not often mentioned. John Wilkes Booth was accompanied by several people, yet it is very seldom that anyone mentions this. When George Bush passed laws that restricted civil liberties in the name of protecting America from terrorism, few people started worrying. Inside this book, Ventura is among the first people to warn others about what the NSA has been doing: hacking phones and intercepting communications of private citizens. Back then, people would have perceived him as nuts. Now, with Edward Snowden coming out, it can only be fair to say Ventura was ahead of the game.
Yes, there are sections which are not believable, even with the cited evidence in place. Ventura’s persistent claim that 9/11 was foreknown, or an inside job, is perhaps one of the few flaws of a rather gripping piece of non-fiction reading. Given a platform to speak, a good case may be made for it. However, in light of everything which is known about 9/11, even the greatest sceptics must accept that Al Qaeda was the root cause of that tragic day. A mention must also be made of the Jonestown massacre by Reverend Jim Jones. It is highly unlikely that the CIA were doing anything more than monitoring a very wicked man. US government have other ways of conducting mind control, far out of society’s sight.
A big bravo to Jesse Ventura for American Conspiracies. To quote Larry King: “If you’re talking outspoken, unconventional, and no-holds barred, you’re talking Jesse Ventura.”
REVIEWER: Stuart Macadam
TITLE: American Conspiracies
AUTHOR(S): Jesse Ventura