Capitalists, Spies and Aliens: Conspiracy Theories in Bulgaria
The paper claims that conspiracy theories in Bulgaria are organized as a milieu rather than as a genre, and that, depending on their intensity, conspiracy theories can perform heterogeneous functions, which range from justification of political claims and popular mobilization to entertainment. Build...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Stefan cel Mare University of Suceava
2017-11-01
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| Series: | Messages, Sages and Ages |
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| Online Access: | http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/msas.2017.4.issue-2/msas-2017-0005/msas-2017-0005.xml?format=INT |
| _version_ | 1818006959740157952 |
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| author | Hristov Todor |
| author_facet | Hristov Todor |
| author_sort | Hristov Todor |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The paper claims that conspiracy theories in Bulgaria are organized as a milieu rather than as a genre, and that, depending on their intensity, conspiracy theories can perform heterogeneous functions, which range from justification of political claims and popular mobilization to entertainment. Building on that conceptual framework, the paper illustrates the most prominent functional types of Bulgarian conspiracy theories. The higher-intensity theories are exemplified by the narratives of corruption and of the afterlife of the former communist secret services. The lower-intensity theories are illustrated by the fortunately short-lived question if the president of the United States has been abducted by aliens. The impact of the Bulgarian conspiratorial milieu on global theories is represented by the example of the Bulgarian modifications of the traveling narrative of the conspiracy of Jewish bankers. The emancipatory potential of the conspiracy theories is demonstrated by the example of the 2011 anti-GMO protests, motivated by narratives of conspiracy between the government and transnational corporations, which derived their energy from the associated milieu of ecological concerns. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T05:08:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-854048a3ae4b485897bdb19354072a7e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1844-8836 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T05:08:32Z |
| publishDate | 2017-11-01 |
| publisher | Stefan cel Mare University of Suceava |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Messages, Sages and Ages |
| spelling | doaj.art-854048a3ae4b485897bdb19354072a7e2022-12-22T02:10:38ZengStefan cel Mare University of SuceavaMessages, Sages and Ages1844-88362017-11-014271710.1515/msas-2017-0005msas-2017-0005Capitalists, Spies and Aliens: Conspiracy Theories in BulgariaHristov Todor0The University of Sofia, Faculty of Slavic Philology, 15 Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd., Sofia1000, BulgariaThe paper claims that conspiracy theories in Bulgaria are organized as a milieu rather than as a genre, and that, depending on their intensity, conspiracy theories can perform heterogeneous functions, which range from justification of political claims and popular mobilization to entertainment. Building on that conceptual framework, the paper illustrates the most prominent functional types of Bulgarian conspiracy theories. The higher-intensity theories are exemplified by the narratives of corruption and of the afterlife of the former communist secret services. The lower-intensity theories are illustrated by the fortunately short-lived question if the president of the United States has been abducted by aliens. The impact of the Bulgarian conspiratorial milieu on global theories is represented by the example of the Bulgarian modifications of the traveling narrative of the conspiracy of Jewish bankers. The emancipatory potential of the conspiracy theories is demonstrated by the example of the 2011 anti-GMO protests, motivated by narratives of conspiracy between the government and transnational corporations, which derived their energy from the associated milieu of ecological concerns.http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/msas.2017.4.issue-2/msas-2017-0005/msas-2017-0005.xml?format=INTconspiracy theoryBulgariamilieuGilles DeleuzeFélix Guattari |
| spellingShingle | Hristov Todor Capitalists, Spies and Aliens: Conspiracy Theories in Bulgaria Messages, Sages and Ages conspiracy theory Bulgaria milieu Gilles Deleuze Félix Guattari |
| title | Capitalists, Spies and Aliens: Conspiracy Theories in Bulgaria |
| title_full | Capitalists, Spies and Aliens: Conspiracy Theories in Bulgaria |
| title_fullStr | Capitalists, Spies and Aliens: Conspiracy Theories in Bulgaria |
| title_full_unstemmed | Capitalists, Spies and Aliens: Conspiracy Theories in Bulgaria |
| title_short | Capitalists, Spies and Aliens: Conspiracy Theories in Bulgaria |
| title_sort | capitalists spies and aliens conspiracy theories in bulgaria |
| topic | conspiracy theory Bulgaria milieu Gilles Deleuze Félix Guattari |
| url | http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/msas.2017.4.issue-2/msas-2017-0005/msas-2017-0005.xml?format=INT |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT hristovtodor capitalistsspiesandaliensconspiracytheoriesinbulgaria |