Ex-Friend: Loughner Was Influenced By Conspiracy Theory Movie Zeitgeist [View All]

[RamboLiberal]

In the same Good Morning America interview in which he said that Jared Lee Loughner "wasn't on the left, he wasn't on the right," former Loughner friend Zach Osler mentioned a documentary film called Zeitgeist, which he says heavily influenced the alleged Tucson gunman.

Osler, who George Stephanopoulos described as perhaps "Loughner's last close friend," said, "I really think that this Zeitgeist documentary had a profound impact upon Jared Loughner's mindset, and how he viewed the world that he lives in."

And though by Osler's account he and Loughner stopped hanging out two years ago, and there's no way of knowing what Loughner thinks of the documentaries today, there are a few resonances between the film and the online videos attributed to Loughner.

Zeitgeist: The Movie, produced in 2007 by a man named Peter Joseph, is actually the first film in what's now a trilogy. A sequel, Zeitgeist: Addendum, came out in 2008, and a third film, Zeitgeist: Moving Forward, was scheduled to be released over the weekend. Together, they form the foundation for The Zeitgeist Movement, which, according to the movement's website, "works globally to spread information about a new social system called a Resource Based Economy." The website claims 420,000 people have registered as part of the movement, and says "estimates" put the number of online views of the original Zeitgeist: The Movie at over 100 million. (In March 2009, The New York Times reported on a "Z-Day" event in New York City.)

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/01/ex-friend_loughner_was_influenced_by_conspiracy_th.php?ref=fpa

PUBLIC STATEMENT FROM THE CREATOR OF THE“ZEITGEIST FILM SERIES”, PETER JOSEPH:

RE: THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA ASSOCIATION CREATED BETWEEN “ZEITGEIST” AND THE TUCSON MURDERS.

It has come to my attention that various mainstream news organizations are
beginning to run an association between my 2007 performance piece/film,
“Zeitgeist: The Movie” and the tragic murders conducted by an extremely
troubled young man in Tucson, Arizona. They are also slowly beginning to
bleed the obvious line between my 2007 documentary work, my film series as
a whole and The Zeitgeist Movement, which I am the founder. Frankly, I find
this isolating, growing association tremendously irresponsible on the part
of ABC, NBC and their affiliates - further reflecting the disingenuous
nature of the America Media Establishment today.

It appears to have begun with a comment on NBC news referencing my film
along with other “influential” films as well, such as Richard Kelly's
film “Donnie Darko” and then spreading to ABC News where it singled out
"Zeitgeist: The Movie" and the Series itself, stating:

“Osler pointed to an online documentary series called "Zeitgeist" as a
possible influence on the man.

The series rails on currency-based economics.

"I really think that this 'Zeitgeist' documentary had a profound impact on
Jared's mindset and how he viewed that world that he lives in," Osler
said.”

Let it be known that the former friend of Loughner, Zack Osler, who states the association on camera, is noted to have been out of contact with Loughner for two years. Yes, two years. So, the lack of integrity of ABC's reporting - to amplify a comment by a person who had not even been in contact with Loughner for such a long period of time - is truly poor, manipulative journalism. ABC goes on to imply that my film work was somehow an inspiration in real time even though, again, this testimony is based on interactions occurring two years prior. Needless to say, the disposition for such a horrible act of violence by anyone simply cannot be accurately assumed by behavior from 2 years prior, regardless.

http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com/tucson.html