Iconoclast Scott Adams provides one of my favorite podcasts. He is an out of the box thinker, and recently created this list. I’ve renamed some of the levels, associating them with their primary face in culture.
1. Rupar Hoax Level
DEFINITION: You believe what your preferred news sources say and do not watch opposing news sources.
The problem? Out of context quotes placed in a tilted narrative, with no counterpoints in sight.
Named after Aaron Rupar, Vox’s far left commentator infamous for quoting politicians, especially Donald Trump, out of context in order to create negative hoaxes. 1 He promulgated a host of hoaxes such as the good people, injecting bleach, and animal immigrants hoaxes by taking quotes out of context.
2. Breitbart Anger Level
DEFINITION: You do watch various news sources, but your preferred sources are almost universally correct.
The problem? You haven’t seriously questioned or recognized the narrative your own side is spinning with.
Named after Andrew Breitbart, American conservative writer and publisher (1969–2012), most of his followers are inundated with the progressive message in the legacy media, and so are not unaware of opposing views. But many take the most conservative voices as the voice of truth.
3. Gell-Mann Amnesia Level
DEFINITION: You realize that all news is heavily spun with narratives, that biases reflect hidden priorities and agendas and not true newsworthiness. They may have real facts, but lots is spun or left out. You trust none of them.
The problem? You are still not skeptical enough – you are not aware of the involvement of government and moneyed interests playing the media like a fiddle to manipulate the public.
Coined by American author Michael Crichton in a 2002 speech, named after American physicist Murray Gell-Mann. Gell-Mann experienced that every time he read a popular article in his area of expertise, physics, he found mistakes and misrepresentations. He realized, however, that in the fields he lacked experience, he trusted what he read. He then realized that statistically, the persistent errors that he could confirm in his own domain probably existed in the other areas. This is called the amnesia effect because we often forget that our lack of knowledge means we often miss deceptive reporting.
4. Fauci Expert Level
DEFINITION: You realize that even the experts, including scientists, are corrupted by the influences of money and power, and are penalized for breaking ranks, so they typically don’t. You see that whistleblowers are criminalized.
The problem? You still don’t see the machinery behind the experts and media that are pulling the strings of not just the media, but even science itself, which is supposed to be pure and unadulterated by bias.
Named after American physician-scientist and immunologist Anthony Fauci, who served as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) from 1984 to 2022, and the chief medical advisor to the president from 2021 to 2022. He has been accused, but not conclusively proven to have been complicit in many deceptions concerning the research, origins, treatment, and personal financial gains surrounding Covid-19 and the vaccines against it.
Here are some of the main accusations made against Dr. Anthony Fauci related to COVID-19, along with who made them and sources:
- Covered up COVID-19’s origins/links to Wuhan lab:
- Sen. Rand Paul accused Fauci of covering up alleged involvement in “gain-of-function” research at the Wuhan lab (Source: Senate hearing, July 2022)
- Former State Dept investigator David Asher accused Fauci of “dismissing” lab leak theory (Source: Fox News interview, Jan 2023)
- Funded “gain-of-function” research:
- Sen. Rand Paul claimed Fauci’s agency funded “gain-of-function” research in Wuhan (Source: Senate hearings, May 2021, July 2022)
- Richard Ebright, Rutgers molecular biologist, said NIAID funded research fitting “gain-of-function” definition (Source: Washington Post, May 2021)
- Suppressed/dismissed COVID treatment options:
- Sen. Ron Johnson accused Fauci of “overriding” clinical doctors on COVID treatments (Source: Senate hearing, Jan 2022)
- Biopharmaceutical company Atea alleged Fauci worked to “stamp out” approval for their COVID nasal spray (Source: Lawsuit, Oct 2022)
- Profited from COVID-19 vaccines:
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed Fauci owned patents/profited from Moderna vaccine (Source: The Defender blog, Dec 2020)
- Dr. Joseph Mercola accused Fauci of royalties/profits from COVID vaccines (Source: Mercola website article, Oct 2021)
- Mixed messaging on masks:
- Fauci initially discouraged public from wearing masks, later recommended universal masking (Source: Various interviews, Mar-Apr 2020)
- Critics said this sowed distrust and confused the public on mask efficacy early on.
Fauci is just one example of how the experts may be coopted by ideology, politics, and money, motives that cause them to mislead the public. 2
5. Benz Machinery Level
DEFINITION: You realize that we haven’t lived in an actual free republic for some time, but since at least the time of the creation of the CIA and the election and murder of President Kennedy, various governmental agencies, the mafia, billionaires, and now even the drug cartels and China, have manipulated our public policy, elections, wars, and media in order to control the narrative, and ultimately, the money.
The problem? Well, now you know, but what can you do about it? Keep sharing the truth and hope that more people will awaken, and pursue the one true solution – limited government power.
Named after Michael Benz, author and former Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Communications and Information Technology at the U.S. Department of State, and current conservative crusader against government censorship. Currently the Executive Director of The Foundation for Freedom Online, he consistently reveals the government machinery and underhanded dealings in his channel on X.
6. Epstein Suicide Level
DEFINITION: You have become part of the machinery of corruption, and come to know too much. If you go off script or are caught, you die.
The problem? Well, no one believes you, and your life is over. Better to stay at the Benz level and NOT be part of the corruption.
Named after Jeffrey Epstein, the financier and supplier of underage girls to powerful politicians and business leaders, when his schemes began to go public, the powerful had him jailed and “suicided.” Epstein didn’t kill himself.
CONCLUSION
Once you realize that most information is a lie, you start listening to many media sources, with skepticism, but you also listen to the whistleblowers, the iconoclasts, and conspiracy nuts that seem otherwise smart – because more and more, they are proving to be correct.
My current favorite iconoclasts include Scott Adams, Bill Mahr, Russel Brand, Dinesh D’Souza, Michael Benz, Glenn Beck, Jordan Peterson, and Joe Rogan.