Cornell professor, and long-time Zero Hedge friend, David Collum recently appeared on an episode of the Quoth the Raven podcast to talk all things conspiracy. Collum is an economic commentator, chemist, Betty R. Miller Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Cornell University and is known for writing his “Year in Review”, which appears here on Zerohedge at the end of every year.
On the episode, host Chris Irons notes that Collum’s appearance was prompted by a recent Tweet he put out, in defense of being a conspiracy theorist which sparked a massive social media response and outpouring of reactions, both pro and con.
I am a "conspiracy theorist". I believe men and women of wealth and power conspire. If you don't think so, then you are what is called "an idiot". If you believe stuff but fear the label, you are what is called "a coward".
— Dave Collum (@DavidBCollum) July 19, 2019
On the podcast, Collum and host Chris Irons tap into every major conspiracy theory over the last couple of decades, as well as several current events and the world of finance.
Some highlights:
Collum Thinks Jeffrey Epstein Could Have Been Working For “Powerful People” And “Setting People Up”
The discussion starts with analysis of the current Jeffrey Epstein fiasco and Collum ponders what “can of worms” could open for Bill Clinton and Donald Trump as a result of Epstein going to trial and documents relating to his indictment coming to light.
“It’s going to be bi-partisan,” Collum says about the Epstein allegations. “Epstein was working for powerful people, to get dirt on powerful people. Epstein wasn’t just a dirtball, he was setting people up,” he continues.
Collum comments:
“Nowadays getting photographed on a boat with a blonde sitting on your lap doesn’t even cause you to lose a vote. Now they gotta get you with something much dirtier. I think that’s where the underage kids come in. I think Epstein has been building a portfolio of dirt, like J. Edgar Hoover.”
“What if that crazy ass pizzagate conspiracy turns out to be true?” he asks.
* * *
Collum Doesn’t Buy The 9/11 Narrative – “Physics Tells Me There’s Problems”
Collum then discusses why he doesn’t believe the mainstream narrative behind the 9/11 attacks. He cites physics, Building 7 and the lack of video footage of the plane crashing into the Pentagon as two of the big reasons that he questions the official story.
“I think there’s problems with 9/11, but no one wants to say that because they’re embarrassed to say that. But the laws of physics tell me there’s problems. I don’t give a shit about the squibs or Larry Silverstein saying they decided to pull the building. When I watch two towers come down perfectly and I go ‘chaos theory alone says they should have gone asymmetric and stopped tumbling’…”
Collum continues:
“”I can’t believe Building 7 should have fallen. There’s really not a shred of footage of the plane hitting the pentagon. Not one frame. The official frame isn’t a frame. If someone’s got the footage, let me see it.”
* * *
Collum Doesn’t Believe the Las Vegas Shooter Story – “There Were People Saying ‘You’re All Going To Die'”
Dave also weighs in at length on the Las Vegas shooting, questioning with the host why a motive was never found, how somebody could get rich playing video poker as the shooter was alleged to have, whether or not there were character actors on the news after the event and what happened to the security guard who was involved and only gave one quick interview on the Ellen show before “relocating” to Mexico.
“There’s about 150 things that just don’t add up,” Collum says about the Steven Paddock Las Vegas narrative.
He speaks about the security guard from the day of the shooting:
“You got Jesus the security guard. He gets shot in the f*cking leg then all of a sudden goes off the radar. Then he disappears and the word is that he’s gone to Mexico. The explanation is that he had a vacation planned. Then he comes back with a cane and comes back – and does one interview with Ellen Degeneres.”
Collum also talks about other mysterious occurrences from the day of the shooting:
“There were people saying there was a couple walking around the infield saying ‘You’re all going to die in 45 minutes’ – and then they got escorted out. And then, ‘boom boom boom’, a lot of them died!”
Collum and the host also take a little bit of time talking about JFK, the moon landings, negative interest rates and the effect of Central Bank policy on the global economy.
It is my sincere desire to provide readers of this site with the best unbiased information available, and a forum where it can be discussed openly, as our Founders intended. But it is not easy nor inexpensive to do so, especially when those who wish to prevent us from making the truth known, attack us without mercy on all fronts on a daily basis. So each time you visit the site, I would ask that you consider the value that you receive and have received from The Burning Platform and the community of which you are a vital part. I can't do it all alone, and I need your help and support to keep it alive. Please consider contributing an amount commensurate to the value that you receive from this site and community, or even by becoming a sustaining supporter through periodic contributions. [Burning Platform LLC - PO Box 1520 Kulpsville, PA 19443] or Paypal
-----------------------------------------------------
To donate via Stripe, click here.
-----------------------------------------------------
Use promo code ILMF2, and save up to 66% on all MyPillow purchases. (The Burning Platform benefits when you use this promo code.)
These are all conspiracy theories that I’m open to – especially Epstein & the Las Vegas shooting. Something’s not right with that New Zealand shooting either. I watched that video several times before it got yanked and it seemed phony to me. Where they lose me is when they start with the flat earth stuff.
Totally agree, Iska. Even on a local level, things are used to support a narrative and then memory holed. A recent example: Some poor soul from FL flew to CO, purchased a shot gun, and killed herself near Mt. Evans. The word got out that she was deep into the Columbine shootings and damn near all the schools along the Front Range closed for the day, as she was at large. There was much fear in the kids and their parents that day. Funny, this happened within a week of CO’s “red flag ‘law’,” passing. Once her body was found, the story slipped away. Similar to the STEM shooting in May: Once the two loonie toons were in court and their non-conforming identity was made public, it too was memory holed. I’m such there are hundreds or thousands of similar stories.
NZ shootings hoaxed and faked.
Nobody is turning in their big bad semiautomatic rifles (far less than 1%)
Agree completely.
But, more importantly, what’s your take on sloths, hedehogs, and koalas?
Had not known of this guy Collum. Seems quite rational.
Collum is actually a good pal of James Howard Kunstler, they’ve done a number of podcasts together over the years on JHK’s website. All of them worth a listen, as well as are most of Kunstler’s conversations and interviews. And Kunstler claims to be “allergic” to conspiracy theories.
https://kunstler.com/writings/podcast/
Cuntsler’s buddy,,,,,,,,,,,,,well, you just lost me then.
I thought being cool and informed was not compatible with being an IVY LEAGUE PROFESSOR.
I always question whether writers/personalities are limited hangouts or softball-misdirection writers (like Pat Buchanan who is one of the preeminent apologists for the system, and writes as if working within the system is still possible and rational.)
Is Dave just another limited hangout who tells you 98% hard-to-deny truths, but leaves out the critical last 2%, like sharpen your pitchforks and load your magazines. I don’t know.
To get a better sense of Collum’s persona (and razor sharp wit) read his Year in Review published annually on the PeakProsperity site (https://www.peakprosperity.com/2018-year-in-review/).
He’s smart, pulls no punches and is fearless. Not your standard ivy league prof.
If I’m not mistaken last years edition was also published on TBP.
https://www.theorganicprepper.com/people-epstein-could-bring-down/
I like the article’s content but the formatting and font put me off.
I was a government editor… black font on white paper only. Color photos by special request. Haha… back in the olden days.
Of course powerful people manipulate the rabble. Where on gods green earth do you not see the strong prey on the week? Another reason voting is an exercise in self immolation. If THEY can rig the game and/or hit the reset button-like they did on jfk-the table is tilted and with every vote you condemn yourself to being played and dominated.
Put me in the Conspiracy Buff column, I have never made a secret of it, despite my faithful detractors.
Street Shitter
Give it a rest, Stevie. We live with cognitive dissonance everyday. It’s not like we are totally stupid as Hollywood makes us out to be. Nope, we are now totally adept at holding two opposed ideas in mind while still being able to function. The things we can’t prove, we call conspiracy. The things we don’t want to disprove, we call faith. You must never confuse the two, that way lies madness.
Hollywood Rob
Well ec, I don’t really think that you can speak for anybody else being as you are exactly as stupid as I make you out to be.
Ditto
The main problem with the “conspiracy theorist” term is that it is used to describe any person who questions the official narrative for some particular event, even if the “conspiracy theorist” doesn’t have any theory for what actually did happen, and if they do have a theory it doesn’t involve a conspiracy. For example, the official explanations of 9/11 and the Las Vegas shooting have enough holes in them to drive several Mack Trucks through. I know they are bullshit, but I don’t have my own theories about what happened (other than some possibilities that have been suggested by other people). The only way to find out what actually happened is to conduct a thorough unbiased investigation, but that almost never happens for any major incident nowadays, mainly because the investigations become too politically charged, and there are too many people working to keep the truth from coming out.
A lot of people don’t question the official narrative for events because they are (somewhat justifiably) reluctant to become labeled a “conspiracy theorist”. It would be good if a different term was commonly used to describe people who question the official narrative of events, such as “official narrative skeptic”. It would also be good if there was a term commonly used to describe gullible people who don’t question the official narrative of events, no matter how ludicrous the narrative is, such as “fucking retard”. But TPTB are never going to allow that because it is too advantageous for them to be able to depict anyone who questions the official narrative of something as “a tin foil hat-wearing nut job conspiracy theorist”.
P.S. Dave Collum mentions the main smoking gun that tells any thinking person that the official narrative of 9/11 is bullshit – Building 7 collapsed into its own footprint at free fall speed. There is only one thing that can cause that – controlled demolition. (The fact that Building 7 wasn’t hit by a plane is basically irrelevant. Even if it was hit by a plane it wouldn’t have collapsed into its own footprint at free fall speed without controlled demolition).
“The only way to find out what actually happened is to conduct a thorough unbiased investigation, but that almost never happens for any major incident nowadays, mainly because the investigations become too politically charged, and there are too many people working to keep the truth from coming out.”
That sounds like a conspiracy theory.
I too question a few issues with 9-11. Look at the initial impact damage at the Pentagon, particularly before the wall / roof fell in. Does not match what a 757 would do. We also never saw the engines removed. The shafts in those things should have survived (physics).
Immediately after 9/11 I saw on national news, a video from a security camera of a local business (I think it was a gas station,) clearly showing a low flying metal object (cruise missile ??) flying past and hitting the Pentagon. Definitely not a 757. Saw it once and never again shown. Am I the only person to have seen this?
Well understanding that our beloved authorities lie to us once in a while is half the battle…
Mush- Bingo…. If only the sheep could understand that they have been played, the house of cards of the pirate class would crumble.
The paranoid person is one who knows a very little bit about what is actually going on.
– Ho Li Fuk
To paraphrase Kipling’s “If”:
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you, …
…
You may have seriously misjudged the situation.
Building 6, why does nobody mention building 6 ?
1. The U.S. government staged the Las Vegas attacks to take your assault rifles away.
2. Just before that the Trump administration renewed the Pentagons 1033 program to arm police to the teeth with? You guessed it, assault rifles and other military hardware.
The U.S. government is simultaneously taking your means of defending yourself from them while increasing their means of creating the offensive weaponry against you.
Also:
Look on Stephens neck on the picture on the right, notice the 13 tattoo? And no tattoo on the DEAD MAN on the left photo?
Why do they keep showing a picture of Stephen Paddock from 15 or so years ago like the one above? He was a senior citizen at 64 years old. Is this some sort of psyop? Or do they not want you to see the discrepancies of the 13 tattoo on his neck?
https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/3tUM3le_A4yP3d7n2HpZvg–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjtzbT0xO3c9MTI4MDtoPTk2MA–/http://media.zenfs.com/en-GB/homerun/newsweek_europe_news_328/0e21a21c2bc09eebb40425931e91b510
Trump is coming for your guns after 2020!
There was also numerous helicopters with no running lights and one near the lower roof of the Mandalay hovering for a bit. The Saudis have exclusive ownership of the top floors that never got searched or evacuated. Shots fired at various other casino locations while the videos were quickly disappeared. A guy (Saudi prince) being escorted out of the Tropicana right after. Lots of strange things that happened that have all been memory holed.
Here’s who is behind every last ‘conspiracy’ on the planet:
annuit coeptis novus ordo seclorum- him and his seed ! Understand him, and understand the U.S. Government !
The problem is: many on the right don’t want to believe that things are as bad as they are. Or they do believe it and have faith that ‘God’ will right all that is wrong. The cognitive dissonance is a way for them to keep from making major changes in their live and thereby society.