Conspiracy Theories: Who Needs Them?

From the Hartwell Files, 2000

CONSPIRACY THEORIES: WHO NEEDS THEM?

For those who understand, no explanation is necessary. For those who do not, no explanation is possible.

I have a confession to make: I am not a believer in conspiracy theories. Beliefs and theories may be useful to those lacking in firsthand knowledge of what it's like to be a target of the perpetrators of conspiracies. But who needs a theory when you have become a living testament to the horrors of political persecution?

Theories can never replace firsthand experience; any more than beliefs can replace knowledge and understanding. Thus, I'd like to share some of that knowledge and understanding with anyone willing to listen. There is only one requirement for such listening: an open mind.

My own knowledge and understanding were earned the hard way --up close and personal-- as one of the living targets of political persecution by the conspirators. So here I will present some of my own testimony. My own life experience. NOT stories parroted from reading spy thrillers. NOT armchair philosophizing. And most certainly NOT gleaned from someone else's conspiracy theories.

Recently I was the recipient of some e-mail messages on the topic of conspiracy theories from Kevin Gagan, a student at Leeward Community college in Hawaii. Kevin first contacted me by responding to some articles I wrote which he received from Newshawk. In these messages, Kevin made it clear that he is "not a believer" in the New World Order conspiracy. >From reading some of my writings, he seems to have assumed I am a "conspiracy theorist". Kevin also informed me that my fellow journalist, "JQ [John Quinn] is largely in the business of speculative slander....." And, he advised me: "You too, if you're a believer in world-wide conspiracies."

In another letter to NewsHawk recipient Bob Ammann and copied to me, Kevin states: "I urge you to take extreme care with how you view the opinions and writings of the eternal doomsayers, fear mongers and (one world) conspiracy theorists of this world. They contribute almost nothing of benefit to society."

He further states that "Conspiracies do exist but not on the levels to which the theorists would want you to believe." Apparently he was admonishing Mr. Ammann to beware of what he calls the "propaganda" being spread by writers such as myself and John Quinn.

Kevin Gagan has spoken .... So listen up folks! For those who have ears to hear: Caveat Emptor!

Kevin Gagan spices up his letter to Ammann with a quote from Friedrich Nietzsche: "He who fights with monsters must take care lest he become a monster."

First of all, I must admit I've never been a fan of Nietzsche --one of the idols of Adolph Hitler. And I don't need a long-dead philosopher to tell me what it's like to engage in a real life battle with monsters. Nor for that matter, do I need the unsolicited advice of a college student, most likely still wet behind the ears. For me, fighting the monsters has been a lifelong mission of nearly half a century. And I might add that the fight was not only for my own freedom; but for my very survival.

Far be it from me to contradict the profound wisdom of Gagan or Nietzsche: But in my humble opinion, as far as I can tell, there's no substitute for plain old personal experience. "Speculative slander"? Sorry Kevin, wrong again: It's not my cup of tea. Speculation has never played a part in disseminating my own testimony, nor in my work as an investigative journalist for over 20 years.

And slander is a nasty business; since it involves perpetrating lies, it's against my principles. Not to mention that it provides grounds for a civil lawsuit for damages. I simply document the events and --whenever possible-- name the names. And let the chips fall where they may.

As far as my work being of "no benefit to society", I can only hope to God that's not true. Otherwise I will have wasted the better part of a lifetime.

Just as one example, while serving --without pay-- as a press representative for Amnesty International, I had the deep satisfaction of seeing my efforts --and those of my colleagues-- to "benefit society" pay off, as political prisoners of foreign tyrannical governments, most often incarcerated in filthy dungeons for years on end, were set free, one by one.

I have to wonder what kind of "society" Kevin thinks he's living in. Or who he thinks is running the show. In fact, it's a society in which conspiracies abound. Yes Sir! WORLD-WIDE conspiracies. Conspiracies whose aim is to deprive people of their freedom and individual rights and to enslave them physically, mentally and spiritually by various forms of oppression and mass mind control.

And if these conspiracies are NOT WORLD-WIDE , then I am expecting at any moment to see flying pigs take wing into the wild blue yonder. I don't consider myself a "doomsayer", nor a "fear monger". But yes indeed, sure enough, I am a muckraker. It's hard work, but I'm good at it, if I do say so myself. And if have to get down in the trenches to rake that muck, so be it. It's a dirty job, but someone's got to do it.... So, let the good times roll!

I make no claims to being a philosopher. Who has time to philosophize? I'm too busy fighting the monsters.

POLITICAL PERSECUTION IN THE USA:
THE CASE OF BARBARA HARTWELL

Now, for all those conspiracy theorists out there, here's a juicy tale of cloak-and-dagger conspiracy you can take to the bank. (And I will too, if only I can get my hands on the rest of the documents I need to prove it.) I was born in 1951. My father was a "translator" (read cryptographer) in Military Intelligence, the Army unit called G-2 which was the precursor to the NSA (known in intelligence circles as "No Such Agency".)

My maternal grandfather was an attorney, recruited by OSS, precursor to CIA. The U.S. Government Intelligence Community was a family legacy from which there was seemingly no hope of escape. Several other family members --including myself-- were recruited into CIA. I was chosen for this dubious honor in early childhood, without my own knowledge or consent. I was trained and utilized as an intelligence operative under the auspices of the infamous CIA MK ULTRA mind control program and an operation known as Phoenix .

Talk about conspiracies: I was born and bred to be part and parcel of them! Coming from the most highly classified projects of CIA black ops, I don't think a "conspiracy theory " would be of much use in describing the massive violations of human rights to which I have been an eyewitness --and of which I have been a victim.

So instead, I'll tell you a little about the specific types of harassment and political persecution to which I have been subjected, especially since I broke out of the government-sponsored black programs. The conspirators have certainly worked overtime on my case: They have dogged my heels like the hounds of hell.

In 1997 I managed to escape from 2 years of "motel hell" where I was held under covert "house arrest" by CIA. For years beforehand and especially while living in the motels I was constantly bombarded with electronic microwave/pulse beam, laser and sonic weaponry. I was poisoned and drugged numerous times. As a result of these poisonings and attacks (with so-called "non-lethal" weapons ) I nearly died on several occasions. I was also --more than once-- drugged and abducted by government agents, thrown into the back of a car with a hood forced over my head to prevent me from seeing their faces or seeing where I was taken for interrogation.

In the past 6 years I have lost 6 cars, as a result of vandalism by hired goons and arranged car "accidents" . The perps cut the breaklines; slashed the tires; drained the oil; punctured the radiators; disabled the electrical systems. On one occasion quite a few years ago, I barely managed to jump from a car dragging my son out with me, just before it burst into flames. We watched from a distance as the car burned down to a blackened frame.

I am blind in one eye as a result of an implant (courtesy of the perps' amazing technology) being jammed into and severing my optic nerve when I sustained a serious head trauma after yet another car "accident" in 1986. I am disabled by a heart condition; as well as other serious chronic illnesses. I have severe back and neck injuries from the arranged car crashes. And let's not forget the post traumatic stress disorder common to most survivors of mind control and black ops.

As you might understand, I am debilitated much of the time and have difficulty functioning in what most people would consider any "normal" way. Lord knows, I'm shell-shocked! Probably for life. In a very real sense, I am a "disabled veteran".

But there's a big problem: I can't collect disability benefits from the government that used and abused me for years. These bastards recruited me, indoctrinated me, trained me, and utilized me. They enslaved me "in service to my country ". After many years of enduring the slavery of a totally co-opted life, I finally broke out of black ops by breaking the mind control programming. Not an easy feat. I accomplised this only through blood, sweat and tears, a fighting spirit and the Grace of God.

I told them they could go to hell --where they are already heading in a hand-cart! Guess what happened? Was there freedom in sight? Was there a light at the end of the tunnel? Hell, no! Now I became a "security risk" ; a "loose cannon"; a "renegade agent" . "Beyond salvage" as they like to say in the Agency. That's exactly what I overheard them say through a haze of drugs when they thought I was unconscious, after one of their abductions: "Beyond salvage".

Beyond salvage? You'd think they were talking about a sunken ship, not a human being. But such is the mentality of the Criminally Insane Agency. Naturally, they will deny that any of it ever happened. They would deny that I was ever born if they could get away with it! Try though I might I just can't get my hands on those classified files. My own files! Even my childhood medical records were conveniently destroyed in a fire and I was told by a CIA family member that if I wanted my passport renewed, I'd just have to put up with getting these childhood vaccinations all over again. After all, the records of previous vaccinations had been destroyed.

Gee, those pesky vaccinations! But I think I'll pass on having any more needles --filled with God knows what-- shoved into my veins. I guess --for the time being-- I'll just stay right here in the good ol' U.S.A.

In trying to mount a search for my government files, in an attempt to collect evidence for the events of my elusive past, I've been repeatedly advised to "leave well enough alone". Trouble is, nothing is "well" in my life, much less "well enough". Just "some friendly advice", say the spooks. National Security, don't you know? Plausible Deniability, the black ops mantra. Deny, deny, deny! And when in doubt, if all else fails...well then, just deny!

I have been living in abject poverty for years, unable to work regular hours or outside my home due to serious disability. Unable to get medical care, since I have no money and no health insurance. Living in constant anxiety, never knowing from month to month if I can scrape up enough money to pay the rent. For years I have been forced out of one home after another, running for my life, all the while fending off the spooks and goons with their high tech war toys. I'm kind of tired. Know what I mean?

To add to the heartbreak and tragedy, I have been abandoned and/or betrayed by most of my family members and former friends. Most of these people say they don't believe I am telling the truth about the persecution and harassment or the attempts of the perpetrators to "neutralize" me. And yes, you guessed it....as they walk away, sadly shaking their heads, I can hear them say that I am nothing but I a "paranoid conspiracy theorist".

Some of my family members still work for CIA. A few months ago, I sent an e-mail to some CIA family members, stating that I "would have killed the bastards, one by one", had they ever subjected me to the type of sexual assaults they perpetrated on a friend of mine. My CIA [family] just freaked out! I was told --through a third party-- that they "would have no choice but to report me to the Agency" for --get this-- "threatening to kill Federal agents".

My statement was HYPOTHETICAL-PAST TENSE and made solely in reference to my own self defense in the potential event of a violent crime. But I guess they thought it was their patriotic duty to inform CIA of my plotting and subversive activities. Semper Fidelis! Now, if y'all still don't believe in a conspiracy, just a few more little anecdotes to round out my "theory".

September 1997: An F-15 military fighter jet, buzzing directly over the house at roof-top level, creating a sonic boom fit to raise the dead. It also made a pass over the house of a man who at that time was my bodyguard. It was spotted over West Point, flying too low to be tracked by radar. When the incident was reported to the FAA, the cooperative man who tried to help me investigate this outrage was immediately "transferred" out of the Albany office. Never to be heard from again.

May 1995: A SWAT team breaks down the door of a private investigator and electronic surveillance expert while his wife is home alone. Flak jackets. Automatic weapons. The goons told the woman they were there responding to a 911 call for a threatened "suicide attempt". A call she had never made. Her husband was a man who had helped me collect evidence of phone taps and electronic bugs in my home and office and helped me document military signals emanating from an underground facility in Pine Bush, NY. A "defunct" CIA Special Operations training facility.

Folks, this is only the tip of the iceberg! But I'm getting tired of sitting at this computer and by now I can only hope you've got at least a small piece of the BIG picture. There's a lot more to tell, but being a "dead woman walking" I don't know just how much longer I'll live to tell it.

Could it possibly be a conspiracy? Forget it. Conspiracy theories...Who the hell needs them?

Barbara Hartwell

2000