Chat Ed : Welcome to this evening's webchat with the writer and director of CRAZY RULERS OF THE WORLD - Jon Ronson! Three years in the making, Jon Ronson’s Crazy Rulers of the World explores the apparent madness at the heart of US military intelligence and he’s here tonight to discuss the issues further with you…
Jon Ronson : Hello it's Jon Ronson here - writer and director of the series.
MCrilly : Hi Jon.
futurefjp : Jon them mad Americans
luke_powell : do you personally believe in aliens and ufo's?
lav : do u actually believe in the remote viewing?
VAC : Thank you for the fantastic programme
Jon Ronson : No to the aliens, remote viewing - probably no. They tested me and said that I was an uncommonly good psychic but I think that was wishful thinking on their part.
Drax : fantastic *series*
Rosster : SO ! Is way the paper in pocket experiment good enough to prove remote to you?
Reue : Yes, was a very interesting program
Jon Ronson : No, Rosster because I'm no expert at steering these things and I may well have given stuff away without realising it, although it was pretty impressive at the time.
Nessies Ghost : So, how many of these people are publicity hungry loons, and how many have actually been involved with the US governments alternative warfare programs?
Jon Ronson : Everyone in the series has been involved with the government in one way or another. It's hard to accept that though because we still invest in our intelligence services some scientific methodology but the fact is there is significant nuttiness running through and in times of crisis it comes to the fore I think Secret Rulers of the World was about how the craziness gets shunted to the corners in a secular administration like Clinton's and this series is about how it comes to the fore in an administration like Bush's that believe too much.
Mark Brown : Hi Jon - What made you want to investigate paranormal activities in the US Military?
Jon Ronson : It seemed like the natural sequel to 'Them' - the book about secret rulers. I'd spent five years looking at disempowered people who have strong beliefs - it seemed right to tell the story about empowered people who did too, especially because Secret Rulers ended with the bohemian grove film which was all about the Bush family's proclivity for mock human sacrifice - it seemed like the next step for me to take.
john : hi jon. what was the information that first set you on writing the book/series? was the goats?
Jon Ronson : It was having lunch with Uri Geller. He told me that he had been re-activated by the CIA! And he wouldn't tell me anything more except he said that the man who re-activated him was called Ron. So I started trying to track down Ron. It was that journey that led me to the goats. All this stuff, especially the first two films is pretty much entirely new information that had been submerged until we discovered it.
Alverick : Have you heard about the possibility of other governments trying similar experiments?
arkracer : Are other countries participating in 'remote viewing'?
higgy : Jon why does most of your work focus on the US?
JohnB : Hi John, Do you think the UK and Europe Governments are more rational or do they also invest in loonies?
spaceman : did you get any indication that we may have an equivalent section doing similar research
Jon Ronson : I know that the British in Iraq are blasting people with music as well. There was always a lot of talk of the Soviets using psychics, but I've got a feeling that Soviet research was quite hair-brained. And the Chinese use it too.
chris333 : Aren't you scared you might annoy the wrong people..
Romper Stomper : Do you have a 'File' Jon?
alter : Do you ever feel threatened yourself about pursuing this line of study?
Jon Ronson : Well they let me into Disneyworld two weeks ago so I'm not yet on a Cat Stevens type list. Of course you get paranoid, especially after you've been chased by men in dark glasses (last series).
tanz : tehee
Jon Ronson : For a while me and my producer thought we should email each other in code...like “Wednesday is the day of the big wedding”, but that actually sounds worse. I do know that Guy Savelli (the goat starer) was reporting back to special forces about us, so we were being scrutinised.
nickwebb : I hope you weren't planning an attack on Disneyworld - don't film any dust bins!
Jon Ronson chuckles at nick, I would never attack anywhere that's got a ride as brilliant as Splash Mountain!
aniseed : Jon, do you think that attaching labels such as 'crazy', 'hairbrained' etc is somehow deflecting attention from what is actually a serious and disturbing set of ideas and events which are clearly being used in very serious situations?
Jon Ronson : Yes... I like using slapstick to make serious points. And I never like wearing my heart on my sleeve.
scrivener : I must say, the goats episode was hilariously written: 'But his colleagues were literal minded men, hence General Stubblebeim's repeated attempts to walk through his wall...' Great work Jon!
Jon Ronson : Thank you scrivener :)
lefthandedsmoker : Have you attempted any goat staring yourself as part of your research?
Jon1234 : Did any goats die in the making of your series?
Jon Ronson : Funnily enough Channel 4 put me in a room with a goat for a publicity photo and I started staring at the goat and the goat started shaking!
Quasireality : ha ha
Paradox : lol
Jon Ronson : If you guys got to my website by the way there is a list of public events that I'm doing every night next week, just go to www.jonronson.com
alph : the force is with you
Jon Ronson : Definitely one hamster got sick, John1234 ;) And we might have run over a racoon in Nevada on our way from Prudence's house.
alter : Maybe goats don't like being stared at?
Jon Ronson : The goat they bought in for the photo shoot certainly didn't!
David mulligan : do you feel this work reflects a particular need in the American public? people seemed to flock to the concept of remote viewing
nickwebb : Will the programme be aired in the USA?
Jon Ronson : Secret Rulers was aired in the USA and the book 'The Men Who Stare At Goats' is being published in April over there. I think we are all like headless chickens running around, I know I am...clutching for release. What I didn't realise was how our leaders also seem to be headless chickens.
brookes : what kind of reaction did the U.S, public have to the series?
Jon Ronson : Very positive, brookes and it looks like 'Them' is going to be turned into a movie ('Them' is the book of the Secret Rulers series) - it will be heavily fictionalised. The book came out just after Sept 11th and journalists kept saying to me 'You portrayed these people as harmless buffoons - you were wrong, weren't you?'
guy : here's a chance for you to plug the book! Having seen the series why should I go and buy the book?
Moving Pictures : How does the book expand on the revelations in the series?
Jon Ronson : Because it's more controlled than the series and I'm a better writer than I am a documentary-maker and it fills in a lot of the gaps.
Marcelo Francielly : Them - you could be one of them for them, you know!
Jon Ronson : They'd never have me! I'm too whiney and neurotic.
Briskets : Have you had any more contact with Prudence?
Jon Ronson : No, Briskets. I have had contact with Jim Channon and Pete Brusso and Guy Savelli. They are all happy with the way I have told their story.
Sam : Was there anything that you weren’t allowed to show us in the series?
akimbyman : Are there any secrets you want to share with us that u couldn’t put on the show?
Jon Ronson : No, but there were things that happened off camera and things that were really good but we just couldn't fit them in, but there are all in the book.
jak : cool
Jon Ronson : It's rare to have to cut something out.
GarryW : good plug!
Jon Ronson : And Channel 4 has a very helpful lawyer who never seems like he's doing anything but helping the film.
luke_powell : what do you think of bush running the US? i feel a lot has been put to a silence after he became president years ago
SoLack : does the prospect of another four years of the Bush administration scare you?
Sarah Canham : How have your investigations left you feeling regarding the Bush administration and the US govt?
Jon Ronson : It mystifies me although I understand why he won - when Kerry kept saying 'Don't you see the rest of the world hates us?' most Americans thought 'Yeah, so what?' I thought it was a bad choice of a platform when trying to win over such an isolationist country. My hope is that he's going to try and be more statesman-like.
akimbyman : so do you suspect foul play?
susie : Do you think he got a psychic to tell him the result?
Puck : Any plans to infiltrate the secret yearly gathering of the 'rulers of the world' .......AGAIN
Jon Ronson : No, Puck, I've been doing this for about eight years now, making about twenty films on the subject and what I really want to do now is take a couple of years off from TV and instead write about everyday domestic craziness. If Secret Rulers was about the craziness on the outside and this series is about the craziness on the inside, the next book should be about the craziness in everyday life.
lefthandedsmoker : When you say domestic do you mean at your house or in the UK in general?
Jon Ronson chuckles
Jon Ronson : Mainly at my house, but I mean, things that effect people on a daily basis.
Lauren : Did anything especially in your research upset you?
Jon Ronson : Just seeing the way that good-hearted ideas can become mutated by human nature into abuses of human rights. And how people try their best to do good but it always seems to end up harming or destroying people.
Indy : Have you ever had a situation where the craziness is too much and you didn’t know what to make of it?
Jon Ronson : Indy - when I was being chased by the Bilderberg Group - as people might remember, I got so freaked out I found the British Embassy and told them that I was essentially a humorous journalist out of my depth and they said there was nothing they could do. I found that really quite alarming because I'm the sort of person that thinks that people are following me, so when it turns out that they ARE actually following me it's very unpleasant!
Chat Ed : Our half hour is almost up, so last questions now...
Moving Pictures : Do you ever get scared of attracting conspiracy theorists?
Lauren : What was your website URL again?
Jon Ronson : www.jonronson.com And the people that come to my events are split down the middle between secular liberal rationalists and conspiracy theorists. When I first realised that, I was surprised but I'm very pleased about it because I think it shows that the stuff I do isn't sneering or laughing at people and that it attracts people from both sides of the fence.
guy : Will we be seeing back on the box soon? We need you!
Micheal_Echanis : jon are your other documentaries out on dvd ?
Jon Ronson : None are out on DVD. I'm finishing off one film for Channel 4, but after that I really hope to take a long break from television and just stick to writing. I don't think you really do need me!
GJ : were there any really interesting predictions made of camera ?
Jon Ronson : GJ - no, the London Zoo one was the best one.
Doreen : OH yes we do :-)
Jon Ronson grins, oh no you don't! You just think you do in the heat of the moment! Anyway I'll still be writing and writing a lot more in fact if I'm not doing TV. I'll be painting pictures with words :)
paulH : does David Icke seem any less insane when u meet him in person?
Jon Ronson : paulH - yes! I challenge anyone to spend two weeks with David Icke and not come away thinking that twelve-foot lizards might actually rule the world!
Brian : Enjoyed your program !
Stephen : Thanks for the past few weeks!!!!
alter : Thanks Jon
Mattcresswell : Thank You!
unloop : thanks :)
mattee : cheers jon
gray : thanks jon, your weird
Sam : great programme!
Jon Ronson : Thanks very much for coming tonight and I'm doing a whole bunch of public events next week and it would be lovely to see you there.
Mathonwy : bye
Coz : good luck with the writing
Jon Ronson leaves the room
