Michael Collins Piper (born Michael Bernard Piper; July 16, 1960 – May 2015)
was an American political writer,
conspiracy theorist
A conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that invokes a conspiracy by sinister and powerful groups, often political in motivation, when other explanations are more probable.Additional sources:
*
*
*
* The term has a nega ...
and talk radio host.
Piper was a regular contributor to both ''
The Spotlight
''The Spotlight'' was a weekly newspaper in the United States, published in Washington, D.C. from September 1975 to July 2001 by the now-defunct antisemitic Liberty Lobby. ''The Spotlight'' ran articles and editorials professing a "populist and ...
'' and its successor, the ''
American Free Press
The ''American Free Press'' is a weekly newspaper published in the United States.
The newspaper's direct ancestor was ''The Spotlight'', which ceased publication in 2001 when its parent organization, Liberty Lobby, was forced into bankruptcy. On ...
'', newspapers backed by
Willis Carto
Willis Allison Carto (July 17, 1926 – October 26, 2015) was an American far-right political activist. He described himself as a Jeffersonian and a populist, but was primarily known for his promotion of antisemitic conspiracy theories and ...
and noted for their
antisemitic and
White separatist
White supremacy or white supremacism is the belief that white people are superior to those of other races and thus should dominate them. The belief favors the maintenance and defense of any power and privilege held by white people. White s ...
/
White nationalist
White nationalism is a type of racial nationalism or pan-nationalism which espouses the belief that white people are a raceHeidi Beirich and Kevin Hicks. "Chapter 7: White nationalism in America". In Perry, Barbara. ''Hate Crimes''. Greenwoo ...
themes.
Piper was described on his website as a political "progressive in the
La Follette-
Wheeler
Wheeler may refer to:
Places United States
* Wheeler, Alabama, an unincorporated community
* Wheeler, Arkansas, an unincorporated community
* Wheeler, California, an unincorporated community
* Wheeler, Illinois, a village
* Wheeler, Indiana, a ...
tradition."
["Biography and Initiatives"](_blank)
, The Piper Report; retrieved 2010-01-21.
He wrote books such as ''The High Priests of War'', in which he criticized the
neoconservative
Neoconservatism is a political movement that began in the United States during the 1960s among liberal hawks who became disenchanted with the increasingly pacifist foreign policy of the Democratic Party and with the growing New Left and count ...
s in the
Bush administration, and ''Final Judgment'', where he claimed that
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
's
Mossad, the CIA and organized crime was responsible for the
assassination of
U.S. President
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...
. He had been criticized by many organizations, including the
Anti-Defamation League, the
Simon Wiesenthal Center
The Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) is a Jewish human rights organization established in 1977 by Rabbi Marvin Hier. The center is known for Holocaust research and remembrance, hunting Nazi war criminals, combating anti-Semitism, tolerance educat ...
, and the
Middle East Media Research Institute
The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI; officially the "Middle East Media and Research Institute") is a nonprofit press monitoring and analysis organization co-founded by former Israeli military intelligence officer Yigal Carmon and ...
, which have described Piper as a promoter of
antisemitic conspiracy theories
Antisemitic tropes, canards, or myths are " sensational reports, misrepresentations, or fabrications" that are defamatory towards Judaism as a religion or defamatory towards Jews as an ethnic or religious group. Since the Middle Ages, such rep ...
and
Holocaust denial
Holocaust denial is an antisemitic conspiracy theory that falsely asserts that the Nazi genocide of Jews, known as the Holocaust, is a myth, fabrication, or exaggeration. Holocaust deniers make one or more of the following false statements: ...
.
["College Axes JFK Course", ''The Guardian (London)'', August 23, 1997.]
Early life
Piper claimed his political engagement was inspired by his older brother's experience in the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...
. He once said his late brother "never completely recovered from the physical and psychological impact of the war."
Radio show
In February 2006, he started a radio show called ''The Piper Report''. Regular guests have included Mark Glenn (critic of
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
), former candidate for Texas state legislature Barbara Samuelson, and Christopher Bollyn (who occasionally filled in for Piper).
Piper commented about the war on
Lebanon
Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...
, the
Mel Gibson affair (in which he derided Gibson for driving under the influence and for apologizing for his statements) and the battle between U.S. Senator
Joe Lieberman
Joseph Isadore Lieberman (; born February 24, 1942) is an American politician, lobbyist, and attorney who served as a United States senator from Connecticut from 1989 to 2013. A former member of the Democratic Party, he was its nominee for ...
(D-CT, later I-CT) and businessman
Ned Lamont
Edward Miner Lamont Jr. (born January 3, 1954) is an American businessman and politician serving as the 89th governor of Connecticut. He has served in this position since January 9, 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a Greenw ...
on August 8, 2006. Lamont defeated Lieberman in the Democratic primary, but lost to him in the general election. Piper defended
alternative medicine,
animal rights
Animal rights is the philosophy according to which many or all Animal consciousness, sentient animals have moral worth that is independent of their Utilitarianism, utility for humans, and that their most basic interests—such as avoiding s ...
, and the past activities of
Liberty Lobby
Liberty Lobby was a far-right think tank and lobby group founded in 1958 by Willis Carto. Carto was known for his promotion of antisemitic conspiracy theories, white nationalism, and Holocaust denial.
The organization produced a daily five-mi ...
and
Willis Carto
Willis Allison Carto (July 17, 1926 – October 26, 2015) was an American far-right political activist. He described himself as a Jeffersonian and a populist, but was primarily known for his promotion of antisemitic conspiracy theories and ...
. He was featured as a guest on
James Edwards' radio show, ''
The Political Cesspool'', which has also been accused of promoting antisemitism.
Kennedy and King assassination theories
According to Piper in ''Final Judgment: The Missing Link in the JFK Assassination Controversy'', Israeli Prime Minister
David Ben-Gurion
David Ben-Gurion ( ; he, דָּוִד בֶּן-גּוּרִיּוֹן ; born David Grün; 16 October 1886 – 1 December 1973) was the primary national founder of the State of Israel and the first prime minister of Israel. Adopting the nam ...
orchestrated the assassination after learning that Kennedy planned to keep Israel from obtaining nuclear weapons.
Piper claimed the assassination "was a joint enterprise conducted on the highest levels of the
CIA
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...
, in collaboration with organized crime — and most specifically, with direct and profound involvement by the Israeli intelligence service, the
Mossad." Piper also alleged that Jewish mobster
Meyer Lansky
Meyer Lansky (born Maier Suchowljansky; July 4, 1902 – January 15, 1983), known as the "Mob's Accountant", was an American organized crime figure who, along with his associate Charles "Lucky" Luciano, was instrumental in the development of the ...
and the
Anti-Defamation League (ADL) were linked to the murder.
[ The ADL responded with harsh criticisms, called the claims ridiculous, and denounced ''Final Judgment'' as antisemitic.
Piper wrote articles in '']American Free Press
The ''American Free Press'' is a weekly newspaper published in the United States.
The newspaper's direct ancestor was ''The Spotlight'', which ceased publication in 2001 when its parent organization, Liberty Lobby, was forced into bankruptcy. On ...
'' which alleged that the Mossad and the FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...
conspired to set up the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Piper claims this was motivated by fear of King's anti-Israel statements combined with his massive grassroots power.
Antisemitism controversy
According to his biography by American First Books, which identifies itself as promoting "white nationalism
White nationalism is a type of racial nationalism or pan-nationalism which espouses the belief that white people are a raceHeidi Beirich and Kevin Hicks. "Chapter 7: White nationalism in America". In Perry, Barbara. ''Hate Crimes''. Greenwo ...
", the ADL repeatedly challenged statements made by Piper, and called him a promoter of antisemitic conspiracy theories
Antisemitic tropes, canards, or myths are " sensational reports, misrepresentations, or fabrications" that are defamatory towards Judaism as a religion or defamatory towards Jews as an ethnic or religious group. Since the Middle Ages, such rep ...
, a Holocaust denier
Holocaust denial is an antisemitic conspiracy theory that falsely asserts that the Nazi genocide of Jews, known as the Holocaust, is a myth, fabrication, or exaggeration. Holocaust deniers make one or more of the following false statements:
* ...
, and a defender of the ''Protocols of the Elders of Zion
''The Protocols of the Elders of Zion'' () or ''The Protocols of the Meetings of the Learned Elders of Zion'' is a fabricated antisemitic text purporting to describe a Jewish plan for global domination. The hoax was plagiarized from several ...
''. The group says Piper traveled to the United Arab Emirates in 2003 to lecture on anti-Israeli and antisemitic themes. In one instance, the ADL stated that Piper had suggested that Israel was working on an "ethnic bomb" targeting only Arabs
The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...
.
Piper responded to increasing ADL criticism through his 2006 book ''The Judas Goat'', accusing the ADL of using unethical infiltration and information gathering techniques, such as the use of 'agents provocateurs
An agent provocateur () is a person who commits, or who acts to entice another person to commit, an illegal or rash act or falsely implicate them in partaking in an illegal act, so as to ruin the reputation of, or entice legal action against, the ...
'. He claimed to have begun a series of events that ultimately led to the ADL Files Controversy some years later. Writing in ''Asia Times
''Asia Times'' (), formerly known as ''Asia Times Online'', is a Hong Kong-based English language news media publishing group, covering politics, economics, business, and culture from an Asian perspective. ''Asia Times'' publishes in English and ...
'', researcher and journalist Keith Bettinger says that Piper's views are "characteristic of an effort by anti-Semites and white supremacists to repackage themselves as 'alternative media voices' claiming to tackle stories the mainstream media in the US won't touch".
Iran
Piper was invited to Iran to speak at the International Conference On Review of the Holocaust: Global Vision 2006, and personally met with Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a Holocaust denier
Holocaust denial is an antisemitic conspiracy theory that falsely asserts that the Nazi genocide of Jews, known as the Holocaust, is a myth, fabrication, or exaggeration. Holocaust deniers make one or more of the following false statements:
* ...
, during his New York City visit to address United Nations General Assembly. His book ''The New Jerusalem: Zionist Power in America'', was on sale at the conference.["Iran Opens Conference on Holocaust", ''The New York Times'', December 12, 2006.]
Death
Piper's body was discovered on May 30 or May 31, 2015 at the Budget Saver Motel in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Coeur d'Alene ( ; french: Cœur d'Alène, lit=Heart of an Awl ) is a city and the county seat of Kootenai County, Idaho, United States. It is the largest city in North Idaho and the principal city of the Coeur d'Alene Metropolitan Statistica ...
. The deputy coroner's report stated that the cause of death was a "probable Myocardial Infarction, Ischemic Cardiomyopathy and Coronary Artery Disease", and listed diabetes as another significant condition. The report indicated that toxicology results were consistent with her findings and that no autopsy was conducted. The article gave Piper's age as 54.[Jeff Selle and Maureen Dolan]
"Death raises questions: Man who died in Cd'A motel was a conspiracy theorist"
cdapress.com; accessed July 4, 2015.
Books
* ''Best Witness: The Mel Mermelstein Affair'', (1993) Center for Historical Review;
* ''Final Judgment: The Missing Link in the JFK Assassination Conspiracy'', (1993) The Wolfe Press;
* ''The High Priests of War'', (2004) American Free Press;
* ''The New Jerusalem: Zionist Power in America'', (2004) American Free Press; ASIN B000Y93216
* ''Target: Traficant, The Untold Story'', (2005) American Free Press;
* ''The Confessions of an Anti-Semite : The First -Ever Critical Analysis of the Linguistic Legerdemain Underlying the Propaganda Techniques of the New World'',
* ''The Judas Goats, The Enemy Within'', (2006) American Free Press;
* ''The Golem: a World Held Hostage'', (2007) American Free Press; ASIN B0011DZG2W
* ''The New Babylon: Those Who Reign Supreme'', (2009) American Free Press;
* ''Ye Shall Know The Truth'', (2013) American Free Press;
References
External links
Michael Collins Piper personal web site
America First Books (hosts Piper's works as ebooks)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Piper, Michael Collins
1960 births
2015 deaths
American conspiracy theorists
American Holocaust deniers
American male non-fiction writers
American political writers
American white nationalists
Place of birth missing