'Collapse': Chris Smith's new film about Michael Ruppert

[MacCruiskeen]

A review after a showing at the Toronto Film Festival:

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Collapse
Director/Country/Time: Chris Smith/ USA/ 82 min.
Documentary
Program: Real To Reel

Headline: “That’s how I learned to separate the ice cream from the bullshit.”

by Scott Tobias September 14, 2009

Scott’s Take: The latest documentary from American Movie director Chris Smith takes the form of Errol Morris’ The Fog Of War, and in conspiracy theorist Michael Ruppert, he’s found a subject just as mesmerizing and irreducible as Robert McNamara. A former LAPD narcotics officer and independent journalist, Ruppert’s current obsession is the issue of “peak oil,” the concern that oil production has reached its apex and as fossil fuels decline, our entire industrial infrastructure will collapse along with it. Ruppert has the sort of apocalyptic vision that would make him perfect for Glenn Beck’s “War Room”—or Stephen Colbert’s “Doom Bunker,” for that matter—but he’s not an ideologue, which makes his Chicken Little scenarios more authentic even before you’re confronted with his confident voice and meticulously crafted arguments. That said, Collapse is by no means an endorsement of Ruppert’s worldview; Smith has enough respect for his audience to allow them to sort out whether he’s a soothsayer or a crackpot. It’s possible to come out of the film thinking, “Oh my God, we’re all doomed,” but there’s also a strong suggestion that Ruppert has walled himself into his own point-of-view by accepting only the information that supports his sweeping theories. And in several immensely poignant moments, we can also see an angry, lonely, vulnerable man whose life epitomizes the title as much as the globe does. There are many layers to the man and the movie, and I for one left the theater shaken.

Grade: A

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Official website, with synopsis, reviews and trailer:

http://www.collapsemovie.com/COLLAPSEMOVIE/

[psynapz]

I'm just glad nobody filmed me a few years ago; inaccessibly maniacal in convictions (which, yep, cause convicts), hopelessly biased and biased towards hopelessness, self-confirmed and at the edge of sanity, ready to cry or scream at a moment's notice about the sheer enormity of the situation, the weight of it all, firmly upon my own shoulders as the lone nut in any room who could see the matrix.

Well, I guess the only thing that's changed is I've calmed the fuck down and accepted near-term inevitability, started being more careful about the truths I try to share, and started to be more selective of the truths I absorb. Not in judgement of the ones I don't, just in whether it will help me with useful tools or actionable intelligence, or just rape me worse.

I envied Ruppert when I learned he had fled to Venezuela. Though even then I wondered whether he had simply been reassigned.

[2012 Countdown]

I'm just glad nobody filmed me a few years ago; inaccessibly maniacal in convictions (which, yep, cause convicts), hopelessly biased and biased towards hopelessness, self-confirmed and at the edge of sanity, ready to cry or scream at a moment's notice about the sheer enormity of the situation, the weight of it all, firmly upon my own shoulders as the lone nut in any room who could see the matrix.

Well, I guess the only thing that's changed is I've calmed the fuck down and accepted near-term inevitability, started being more careful about the truths I try to share, and started to be more selective of the truths I absorb. Not in judgement of the ones I don't, just in whether it will help me with useful tools or actionable intelligence, or just rape me worse.

I envied Ruppert when I learned he had fled to Venezuela. Though even then I wondered whether he had simply been reassigned.

This fits my experience and emotional-operational behavior these years since as well, and Ruppert is who first exposed me to the deep state. "The Truth and Lies of 9/11" was a solid presentation.

[DrVolin]

...and at the edge of sanity...

That's where I like to be.

[Searcher08]

I'm just glad nobody filmed me a few years ago; inaccessibly maniacal in convictions (which, yep, cause convicts), hopelessly biased and biased towards hopelessness, self-confirmed and at the edge of sanity, ready to cry or scream at a moment's notice about the sheer enormity of the situation, the weight of it all, firmly upon my own shoulders as the lone nut in any room who could see the matrix.

Well, I guess the only thing that's changed is I've calmed the fuck down and accepted near-term inevitability, started being more careful about the truths I try to share, and started to be more selective of the truths I absorb. Not in judgement of the ones I don't, just in whether it will help me with useful tools or actionable intelligence, or just rape me worse.

Have been secretly living my life over the last few years? That description was so totally spot on the only thing I could do was laugh. A lot.
I too felt like the raving bastard love-child of Neo and John Galt

[Perelandra]

I'm with you, psynapz. I'd say about '05-'06 was a very low point. It took me several years of study in between trying to have a real life in order to grasp, as you say, the enormity. Which of course, I'm still working on. But I'm calmer and more comfortable with uncertainty.

I credit Ruppert as a great help initially in my learning curve, although I take it all with plenty of salt now. I hope to see the film eventually. Too bad the trailer isn't working.

[Jeff]

Recognizing myself as well in a lot of these remarks.

Quoting from my latest post again:

Art Spiegelman, in In the Shadow of No Towers, wrote “I can no longer distinguish my neurotic depression from well-founded despair.” I would have said the same when he wrote that five or so years ago. But now, I’m no longer depressed. I just despair heartily.

[freemason9]

I do believe that psynapz inadvertently defined the majority of RI people . . . complete with the odd sense of calm resignation, as if before a storm.

[smallprint]

Yeah (looks at wine bottle full of bitter tears of despair), 2005 was a tough year.


Also, Dave McGowan has an interesting series of exchanges with Ruppert at his site, starting here:
http://www.davesweb.cnchost.com/nwsltr52.html

[Brentos]

Crossing the Rubicon was my entryway into 911 skepticism. It took the former Bircher who wrote The Creature from Jekyll Island to give me enough 'in your face' facts to force open my dreary eyes. Reading Rupperts book after that was easy.
Not a fan of Ruppert anymore though.

[Wombaticus Rex]

Wow...reading the responses, I feel so lucky to have been raised by a properly paranoid father who had me reading Jonathan Kozol and Hunter S. Thompson in the 4th/5th grade. I got to skip this whole shock phase...definitely didn't get to skip on the depression and despair, though, that always comes and goes.

We get better at hitting demons back every year, folks. We are winning.

[mentalgongfu2]

Brentos said:
Crossing the Rubicon was my entryway into 911 skepticism. It took the former Bircher who wrote The Creature from Jekyll Island to give me enough 'in your face' facts to force open my dreary eyes. Reading Rupperts book after that was easy.
Not a fan of Ruppert anymore though.

I find it interesting to note that the writers and media personalities who draw people into the realm of conspiracy thought and deep politics often get dropped and left behind as one delves deeper into and spends more time immersed in seeking information about the dark intrigues of the world.

I would not be surprised if 90_some percent of those surveyed, if there were such a survey, said they no longer listen to or trust the people who got them interested and gave them entry into conspiracy subjects.

I think it is often (but not exclusively) a result of a maturation of thought that leads to a break with the original source, and that can really only come about with a maturation of information - that is, learning where to look and how to look to get closer to truth and further from bias and outside agendas. And part of that is growing and weeding the sources of information upon which you rely and learning how to do so effectively.

It makes sense that the personalities on the fringes of the conspiracy world would attract more interest from the outside than those in the center and thus would be a more likely entry point for the outsider.

Although Ruppert is the subject of this thread, people like Alex Jones, Lenny Bloom, and a lot of other others seem to act as entry-level conspiracists for observers, many of whom will move on to other sources after initiation.

It makes me wonder about how fine the line is between being a poison pill or a good recruiter for the movement.

[Brentos]

Brentos said:
Crossing the Rubicon was my entryway into 911 skepticism. It took the former Bircher who wrote The Creature from Jekyll Island to give me enough 'in your face' facts to force open my dreary eyes. Reading Rupperts book after that was easy.
Not a fan of Ruppert anymore though.

I find it interesting to note that the writers and media personalities who draw people into the realm of conspiracy thought and deep politics often get dropped and left behind as one delves deeper into and spends more time immersed in seeking information about the dark intrigues of the world.

I would not be surprised if 90_some percent of those surveyed, if there were such a survey, said they no longer listen to or trust the people who got them interested and gave them entry into conspiracy subjects.

I think it is often (but not exclusively) a result of a maturation of thought that leads to a break with the original source, and that can really only come about with a maturation of information - that is, learning where to look and how to look to get closer to truth and further from bias and outside agendas. And part of that is growing and weeding the sources of information upon which you rely and learning how to do so effectively.

It makes sense that the personalities on the fringes of the conspiracy world would attract more interest from the outside than those in the center and thus would be a more likely entry point for the outsider.

Although Ruppert is the subject of this thread, people like Alex Jones, Lenny Bloom, and a lot of other others seem to act as entry-level conspiracists for observers, many of whom will move on to other sources after initiation.

It makes me wonder about how fine the line is between being a poison pill or a good recruiter for the movement.

You've obviously given this a lot of thought, but I think it is well warranted!
I was listening to Alex Jones the other day, and despite his vitriol, has he ever stated the obvious? A day-long, or week-long strike? I think, if he really wanted to, with his audience population, he could effect change. Instead of doing the obvious, he says he is non-violent, and so should his audience be, but he keeps the fear, and doesn't do the obvious. His sponsers have a real interest in what alex is predicting.

Ruppert, is very suspect to me. Mainly because his peak oil theory is incorrect, in his own word. Also I get a bad vibe from him, since he admits he is from the people we should suspect.

Encountering people like Mae Brussell, Dave McGowen, only enhance this perspective.

[MWB]

Ruppert's the guy that was conned by a criminal:

http://counterknowledge.com/2009/01/911 ... -vreeland/

Not to mention that the break-in that caused him to "escape" to Venezuela was staged (as confirmed by those who were close to him).

Don't believe a word that comes from his mouth. He's probably compromised.

[Wombaticus Rex]

Don't believe a word that comes from his mouth. He's probably compromised.

That's a good warning label for every single other human on the planet, too.