#763: Sander Hicks

Sander Hicks is the founder of Soft Skull Press (famous e.g. for publishing the somewhat controversial biography of George Bush, Fortunate Son, by James Hatfield), and Vox Pop Inc.; more importantly, he is a high-profile 9/11 truther whose views are partially summed up in his 2005 book The Big Wedding: 9/11, the Whistle-Blowers, and the Cover-Up. He has also written for various websites, including AlterNet and a variety of woo sites.

In 2006 Hicks sought election as the United States Senator from New York for the Green Party. He lost the nomination process, whereupon he left the party behind, ostensibly because he was “shocked” by its “cowardice on the 9/11 question”. He has later started his own party, the “Truth Party”, which combines perhaps somewhat utopian fiscal and environmental policies with New Age drivel and abysmally insane conspiracy theories.

Some people seems to view Hicks as among the “saner” of the 9/11 truthers. He has, for instance, rejected the “no planes” theory as bullshit, which it of course it. But that is a pretty low standard for sanity, and Hicks does wonder, for instance, whether the emergence of the theory is part of the conspiracy to make the truther movement look bad (parallel to the suggestion in this documentary). Counterpunch has a not entirely competently quality-controlled interview with him here.

Apparently Hicks did repeatedly try to confront Guiliani with the suspicion that Giuliani was forewarned of 9/11, with little success. The lack of success here is, we suppose, just more evidence that Hicks is being persecuted. Indeed, he has been attacked by the establishment, which will be obvious to you once you understand that all criticisms or critical questions directed at him are obviously orchestrated efforts by the powers that be to silence him.

Diagnosis: Paranoid rebel who won’t take orders from anyone or anything, including reality, when it comes to determining what to believe. Yet another fine example of anti-authoritarianism gone off the rails.