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'''James Henry Fetzer''' (born December 6, 1940) is Distinguished McKnight University Professor ] at ].<ref name=Fetzer-OUP-pxi/><ref name="umn"/> In the 1960s, he resigned as captain in the ] to become an ] and ], becoming a notable authority on ], ], and theoretical foundations of ], ], and ].<ref name=Fetzer-OUP-pxi/><ref>James Fetzer, , '']'', (Spring 2013 edn), Edward N Zalta, ed.</ref><ref>Jan Woleński, "Books received: ''Philosophy, Mind and Cognitive Inquiry'' by David J Cole, James H Fetzer, Terry L Rankin; ''Artificial Intelligence: Its Scope and Limits'' by James H Fetzer", ''Studia Logica: An International Journal for Symbolic Logic'', 1992;'''51'''(2):341–43, : "I start with Fetzer's monograph because it provides a general paranorama of ] and its foundational problems. ... The book touches many foundational problems of AI belonging to ], ], ], ] and ]. Fetzer's discussions vary from very elementary...to quite advanced...".</ref><ref>James H Fetzer, , 2<sup>nd</sup> edn (St Paul MN: Paragon House, 1996).<br>Justin Leiber, , ''Minds and Machines'', 1999 Aug;'''9'''(3):435–37, p 435: "It is a delight to see this revised edition of what is possibly the best short introduction to 'philosophy and cognitive science' around today, one fully accessible to undergraduates".<br>John Heil, ''Philosophy of Mind: A Contemporary Introduction'', 2<sup>nd</sup> edn (New York: ], 2004), ch 1 "Introduction", subch 1.5 "A look ahead", § "Suggested reading", , recommends Fetzer's ''Philosophy of Cognitive Science''.</ref><ref>Donald MacKenzie, "A few from Sonnelbichl: On the historical sociology of software and system dependability", in Ulf Hashagen, Reinhard Keil-Slawik, Arthur L Norberg & Heinz Nixdorf, eds, ''History of Computing: Software Issues'' (Berlin, Heidelberg, New York: ], 2002), .</ref><ref>Ellery Eells & James H Fetzer, eds, ''The Place of Probability in Science: In Honor of Ellery Eells (1953–2006)'' (Dordrecht, Heidelberg, London, New York: ], 2010), .</ref><ref name=Atkins-bio>Stephen E Atkins, "Fetzer, James H (1940–)" , in S E Atkins, ed, ''The 9/11 Encyclopedia'', 2<sup>nd</sup> edn (Santa Barbara CA: ], 2011).</ref> '''James Henry Fetzer''' (6 Dec 1940–) is Distinguished McKnight University Professor ] at ].<ref name=Fetzer-OUP-pxi/><ref name="umn"/> In the 1960s, he resigned as captain in the ] to become an ] and ], becoming a notable authority on ], ], and theoretical foundations of ], ], and ].<ref name=Fetzer-OUP-pxi/><ref>James Fetzer, , in ], ed, '']'', (Spring 2013).</ref><ref>James H Fetzer, , in ], ed, ''Synthese Library'', Volume 132: ''Hans Reichenbach: Logical Empirist'' (]: ], 1979).</ref><ref>Jan Woleński, "Books received: ''Philosophy, Mind and Cognitive Inquiry'' by David J Cole, James H Fetzer, Terry L Rankin; ''Artificial Intelligence: Its Scope and Limits'' by James H Fetzer", ''Studia Logica: An International Journal for Symbolic Logic'', 1992;'''51'''(2):341–43, : "I start with Fetzer's monograph because it provides a general paranorama of ] and its foundational problems. ... The book touches many foundational problems of AI belonging to ], ], ], ] and ]. Fetzer's discussions vary from very elementary...to quite advanced...".</ref><ref>James H Fetzer, , 2<sup>nd</sup> edn (St Paul MN: Paragon House, 1996).<br>Justin Leiber, , ''Minds and Machines'', 1999 Aug;'''9'''(3):435–37, p 435: "It is a delight to see this revised edition of what is possibly the best short introduction to 'philosophy and cognitive science' around today, one fully accessible to undergraduates".<br>John Heil, ''Philosophy of Mind: A Contemporary Introduction'', 2<sup>nd</sup> edn (New York: ], 2004), ch 1 "Introduction", subch 1.5 "A look ahead", § "Suggested reading", , recommends Fetzer's ''Philosophy of Cognitive Science''.</ref><ref>Donald MacKenzie, ''Mechanizing Proof: Computing, Risk, and Trust'' (Cambridge MA: ], 2001), pp , , & discuss Fetzer's contributions, while & identify citations of Fetzer.<br>Donald MacKenzie, "A view from Sonnelbichl: On the historical sociology of software and system dependability", in Ulf Hashagen, Reinhard Keil-Slawik, Arthur L Norberg & Heinz Nixdorf, eds, ''History of Computing: Software Issues'' (Berlin, Heidelberg, New York: ], 2002), : "Conversely, the claims of the formalizers have been fiercely contested by computer scientists Richard DeMillo, Richard Lipton and Alan Perlis, as well as by philosopher James H Fetzer".</ref><ref>Ellery Eells & James H Fetzer, eds, ''The Place of Probability in Science: In Honor of Ellery Eells (1953–2006)'' (Dordrecht, Heidelberg, London, New York: ], 2010), .</ref><ref>James H Fetzer , "Corroboration", in ] & Jessica Pfeifer, eds, ''The Philosophy of Science'', Volume One: A–M (New York: ], 2006), .</ref><ref name=Atkins-bio>Stephen E Atkins, "Fetzer, James H (1940–)" , in S E Atkins, ed, ''The 9/11 Encyclopedia'', 2<sup>nd</sup> edn (Santa Barbara CA: ], 2011).</ref>


In the 1990s, Fetzer became a leading ], too, especially alleging government conspiracies and investigating the 1963 ],<ref name=Atkins-bio/><ref name="Bugliosi"/> the 2002 death of ],<ref name=Glower/><ref name=Zarembka/><ref name=deHaven-Smith/> and the ].<ref name=Atkins-bio/><ref name=911Conspiracy/> As cofounder of ] but sometimes hurting his own credibility,<ref name=Atkins-bio/><ref name=Byford/> Fetzer has made especially strong and controversial allegations against the ], ], and ], mostly lately concerning ] in the ].<ref name=Atkins-bio/><ref name=Byford/><ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/6368341.stm | work=BBC News | title=We're all conspiracy theorists at heart |author=Jaya Narain | date=16 Feb 2007 | accessdate=5 May 2010}}</ref><ref name="Pope">{{cite news |title=Scholars join ranks of Sept 11 conspiracy theorists |author=Justin Pope |authorlink= |url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qvs0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=EE8KAAAAIBAJ&pg=3851%2C1721553 |agency=Associated Press |newspaper=Bangor Daily News |location=Bangor ME |date=7 Aug 2006 |page=A3 |accessdate=16 Jul 2012}}</ref><ref name=Mosedale>{{cite news |title=The man who thought he knew too much |author=Mike Mosedale |authorlink= |url=http://www.citypages.com/2006-06-28/news/the-man-who-thought-he-knew-too-much |newspaper=City Pages |publisher= |location=Minneapolis |date=28 Jun 2006 |page=1 |accessdate=29 Jul 2012 |ref=harv}}</ref><ref name=Ziabari/> In the 1990s, Fetzer became a leading ], too, especially alleging government conspiracies and investigating the 1963 ],<ref name=Atkins-bio/><ref name="Bugliosi"/> the 2002 death of ],<ref name=Glower/><ref name=Zarembka/><ref name=deHaven-Smith/> and the ].<ref name=Atkins-bio/><ref name=911Conspiracy/> As cofounder of ] but sometimes hurting his own credibility,<ref name=Atkins-bio/><ref name=Byford/> Fetzer has made especially strong and controversial allegations against the ], ], and ], mostly lately concerning ] in the ].<ref name=Atkins-bio/><ref name=Byford/><ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/6368341.stm | work=BBC News | title=We're all conspiracy theorists at heart |author=Jaya Narain | date=16 Feb 2007 | accessdate=5 May 2010}}</ref><ref name="Pope">{{cite news |title=Scholars join ranks of Sept 11 conspiracy theorists |author=Justin Pope |authorlink= |url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qvs0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=EE8KAAAAIBAJ&pg=3851%2C1721553 |agency=Associated Press |newspaper=Bangor Daily News |location=Bangor ME |date=7 Aug 2006 |page=A3 |accessdate=16 Jul 2012}}</ref><ref name=Mosedale>{{cite news |title=The man who thought he knew too much |author=Mike Mosedale |authorlink= |url=http://www.citypages.com/2006-06-28/news/the-man-who-thought-he-knew-too-much |newspaper=City Pages |publisher= |location=Minneapolis |date=28 Jun 2006 |page=1 |accessdate=29 Jul 2012 |ref=harv}}</ref><ref name=Ziabari/>
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===Senator Wellstone=== ===Senator Wellstone===


In 2002, just weeks before an imminently close election, ] ] died in a small ].<ref name=Glower/><ref name="Diaz">{{cite news |title=Conspiracy theories thrive after Wellstone plane crash |author=Kevin Diaz |authorlink= |url=http://www.realnews247.com/conspiracy_theories_thrive_after_wellstone_plane_crash.htm |agency= |newspaper=Star Tribune |location=Minneapolis |date=3 Jun 2003 |accessdate=1 Aug 2012}}</ref> Conspiracy theories about it abounded.<ref name=Glower>Karl K Glower, ''Legal and Ethical Considerations for Public Relations'', 2nd edn (Waveland Press, 2008), : "The case of ''Bieter v Fetzer'' illustrates the process used by the courts. The case arose after the 2002 death of US Senator Paul Wellstone in an airplane crash. There was no immediate explanation for the crash of the small plan, but because the crash occurred a week before an election (in which Wellstone was involved in a tight race for his senatorial seat), conspiracy theories abounded. One of the conspiracy theorists was James Fetzer, a university professor. Fetzer published articles in an alternative newspaper in which he suggested that high-ranking Republicans in the George W Bush administration were behind Wellstone's death. Bieter, a former prosecutor and Republican, started an Internet chat group to refute Fetzer's claims. In response, Fetzer alleged in the chat group that Bieter had been deprived of his right to practice law and had been charged with sexual harassment. Bieter sued Fetzer for defamation. The court of appeals found that the conspiracy debate was a real controversy and that by forming the chat room to discuss and refute Fetzer's claims, and by holding himself up as an authority in the debate, Bieter became a limited purpose public figure. The defamatory statements to the effect that Bieter had been deprived of his ability to practice law were related to the controversy because they called into question his credibility as an expert".</ref> Fetzer wrote articles in an alternative newspaper incriminating top members of the ], allegedly seeking ] control,<ref name=Glower/>{{sfn|Mike Mosedale|2006|p=5}} perhaps using an ] to mediate the plane crash.<ref name="Diaz"/> Thus becoming embroiled in a dispute with a Republican former prosecutor, Fetzer was sued for defamation.<ref name=Glower/> A court of appeals found Fetzer's statements legitimately relevant to the conspiracy debate, a genuine controversy.<ref name=Glower/> In 2004, with ], Fetzer coauthored a book on it.<ref name=Jacobs-Fetzer>] & James H Fetzer, ''American Assassination: The Strange Death of Senator Paul Wellstone'' (Brooklyn NY: Vox Pop, 2004), .<br>, ''AssassinationScience.com'', 2013.</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dailylobo.com/index.php/article/2005/10/author_makes_case_for_murder?&cp=1 |title=Author makes case for murder |newspaper=New Mexico Daily Lobo |date=31 Oct 2005 |author=Eva Dameron}}</ref> They incriminated principally ], ] and ], failed to merit legal prosecution, yet claimed that not their aim—identifying causes.<ref name=Jacobs-Fetzer/> Some have found their argument strong,<ref name=Zarembka>Four Arrows, ] Don T Jacobs, "The military drills on 9-11: 'Bizarre coincience' or something else?" pp 119–143, in Paul Zarembka, ed, ''The Hidden History of 9/11'', 2<sup>nd</sup> edn (New York, Toronto, London, Melbourne: ], 2008), .</ref> or there at least noteworthy evidence of an intra-government role.<ref name=deHaven-Smith>Lance deHaven-Smith, ''Conspiracy Theory in America'' (Austin TX: ], 2013), pp , .</ref> In 2002, just weeks before an imminently close election, ] ] died in a small ].<ref name=Glower/><ref name="Diaz">{{cite news |title=Conspiracy theories thrive after Wellstone plane crash |author=Kevin Diaz |authorlink= |url=http://www.realnews247.com/conspiracy_theories_thrive_after_wellstone_plane_crash.htm |agency= |newspaper=Star Tribune |location=Minneapolis |date=3 Jun 2003 |accessdate=1 Aug 2012}}</ref> Conspiracy theories about it abounded.<ref name=Glower>Karl K Glower, ''Legal and Ethical Considerations for Public Relations'', 2<sup>nd</sup> edn (Waveland Press, 2008), : "The case of ''Bieter v Fetzer'' illustrates the process used by the courts. The case arose after the 2002 death of US Senator Paul Wellstone in an airplane crash. There was no immediate explanation for the crash of the small plan, but because the crash occurred a week before an election (in which Wellstone was involved in a tight race for his senatorial seat), conspiracy theories abounded. One of the conspiracy theorists was James Fetzer, a university professor. Fetzer published articles in an alternative newspaper in which he suggested that high-ranking Republicans in the George W Bush administration were behind Wellstone's death. Bieter, a former prosecutor and Republican, started an Internet chat group to refute Fetzer's claims. In response, Fetzer alleged in the chat group that Bieter had been deprived of his right to practice law and had been charged with sexual harassment. Bieter sued Fetzer for defamation. The court of appeals found that the conspiracy debate was a real controversy and that by forming the chat room to discuss and refute Fetzer's claims, and by holding himself up as an authority in the debate, Bieter became a limited purpose public figure. The defamatory statements to the effect that Bieter had been deprived of his ability to practice law were related to the controversy because they called into question his credibility as an expert".</ref> Fetzer wrote articles in an alternative newspaper incriminating top members of the ], allegedly seeking ] control,<ref name=Glower/>{{sfn|Mike Mosedale|2006|p=5}} perhaps using an ] to mediate the plane crash.<ref name="Diaz"/> Thus becoming embroiled in a dispute with a Republican former prosecutor, Fetzer was sued for defamation.<ref name=Glower/> A court of appeals found Fetzer's statements legitimately relevant to the conspiracy debate, a genuine controversy.<ref name=Glower/> In 2004, with ], Fetzer coauthored a book on it.<ref name=Jacobs-Fetzer>] & James H Fetzer, ''American Assassination: The Strange Death of Senator Paul Wellstone'' (Brooklyn NY: Vox Pop, 2004), .<br>, ''AssassinationScience.com'', 2013.</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dailylobo.com/index.php/article/2005/10/author_makes_case_for_murder?&cp=1 |title=Author makes case for murder |newspaper=New Mexico Daily Lobo |date=31 Oct 2005 |author=Eva Dameron}}</ref> They incriminated principally ], ] and ], failed to merit legal prosecution, yet claimed that not their aim—identifying causes.<ref name=Jacobs-Fetzer/> Some have found their argument strong,<ref name=Zarembka>Four Arrows, ] Don T Jacobs, "The military drills on 9-11: 'Bizarre coincience' or something else?" pp 119–143, in Paul Zarembka, ed, ''The Hidden History of 9/11'', 2<sup>nd</sup> edn (New York, Toronto, London, Melbourne: ], 2008), .</ref> or there at least noteworthy evidence of an intra-government role.<ref name=deHaven-Smith>Lance deHaven-Smith, ''Conspiracy Theory in America'' (Austin TX: ], 2013), pp , .</ref>


===Alleged anti-Semitism=== ===Alleged anti-Semitism===

Revision as of 17:53, 25 October 2013

James H. Fetzer
BornJames Henry Fetzer
(1940-12-06) December 6, 1940 (age 84)
Pasadena, California, USA
NationalityAmerican

James Henry Fetzer (6 Dec 1940–) is Distinguished McKnight University Professor Emeritus at University of Minnesota Duluth. In the 1960s, he resigned as captain in the United States Marine Corps to become an historian and philosopher of science, becoming a notable authority on Carl G Hempel, scientific explanation, and theoretical foundations of cognitive science, artificial intelligence, and computer science.

In the 1990s, Fetzer became a leading conspiracy theorist, too, especially alleging government conspiracies and investigating the 1963 Kennedy assassination, the 2002 death of Senator Paul Wellstone, and the 9/11 attacks. As cofounder of Scholars for 9/11 Truth but sometimes hurting his own credibility, Fetzer has made especially strong and controversial allegations against the G W Bush administration, Israeli government, and Obama administration, mostly lately concerning foreign policy in the Middle East.

Childhood and family

Fetzer was born in Pasadena, California, on December 6, 1940, to a father who worked as an accountant in a welfare office in Los Angeles County, yet grew up in a neighboring city, Altadena.

After his parents' divorce, Fetzer moved to La Habra Heights, California, with his brother, mother, and stepfather. Once she passed away when he was age 11, he lived with his father and stepmother.

During military service in the 1960s, Fetzer married yet divorced four years later, meanwhile having a son. He married a different woman in the 1970s while teaching at the University of Kentucky.

Education and career

Having graduated from South Pasadena High School, he studied philosophy at Princeton University and graduated magna cum laude in 1962. His undergraduate thesis on Carl G Hempel won The Dickinson Prize. He then joined the United States Marine Corps, and was second lieutenant in an artillery unit. In the early 1960s, he was stationed on Okinawa, Japan.

In 1966, soon after promotion to Captain, he resigned to enter graduate school. Having attained a master's degree from Indiana University, he studied at Columbia University a year, then returned to Indiana University and in 1970 attained PhD in history and philosophy of science.

As assistant professor at University of Kentucky since 1970, he received the UK Student Government's first Distinguished Teaching Award. Having left Kentucky in 1977, he taught at University of Virginia, University of Cincinnati, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and University of South Florida. In 1987, he became full professor at University of Minnesota Duluth, was appointed Distinguished McKnight University Professor in 1996, and remained until retirement in June 2006. In 1990, he received the Medal of the University of Helsinki.

Fetzer has published over 100 articles and 20 books on philosophy of science, computer science, artificial intelligence and cognitive science. He is an authority on Carl G Hempel's contributions to philosophy of science. Fetzer founded the international journal Minds and Machines, which for eleven years he edited, and founded the academic journal Studies in Cognitive Systems, which he was series editor of. He founded the Society for Machines & Mentality. Two of his most recent books are on the evolution of intelligence and on philosophical aspects of "the Christian Right's crusade against science".

Conspiracy claims

Interested in government conspiracies since the 1963 assassination of United States President John F Kennedy, Fetzer has edited three collections of expert assessments of it. Don "Four Arrows" Jacobs and Fetzer investigated the 2002 airplane crash that killed US Senator Paul Wellstone and alleged it an assassination. Fetzer edited the first book from Scholars for 9/11 Truth, an organization co-founded by Fetzer in 2005. With fellow 9/11 dissenters, he is an editor of Veterans Today.

In America, he has frequently lectured and appeared on radio and television, including Jesse Ventura's America and Hannity & Colmes, but claimed American press to be under "massive control". As a critic of the United States foreign policy, he is highly esteemed in Iranian news media, where he has claimed "that the US Constitution has been tattered, torn and shredded", while "the United States has become the laughing stock for every serious student of international affairs".

Alleging treason and oath violations, he called for military overthrow of the Bush administration, a position that hurt his mainstream credibility, as did his apparent fixation on Jews in United States government. Atop backing allegations that the 7/7 London bombings in 2005, the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting in 2012, and the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013 were acts of governments' covert terrorism, he initially suggested Israeli involvement at Sandy Hook, but later claimed that no children even died there. Fetzer has claimed evidence that all six lunar landings were faked.

JFK assassination

Supposedly, Fetzer took interest in the Kennedy assassination after watching Oliver Stone's film JFK in 1991. He has published dozens of articles against the Warren Commission's report, and became "a familiar and controversial figure in the JFK research community". Having claimed that about six gunmen fired, Fetzer has asserted that after the first gunshot, driver William Greer aided assassination by halting Kennedy's limousine, "such an obvious indication of Secret Service complicity in the assassination" that it "had to be edited out" the Zapruder film, which Fetzer alleged to be "massively edited", while radiographs and forensic evidence were severely tampered with or withheld.

Although putatively debunking Kennedy assassination conspiracy theories, Vincent Bugliosi found Fetzer "good and sincere", "the editor of the only exclusively scientific books (three) on the assassination". Josiah Thompson, author of Six Seconds in Dallas, found that Fetzer has posed claims thought "off the wall" by other assassination researchers. According to Fetzer, the CIA, the American Mafia, anti-Castro Cubans, Texas oil industry, the military–industrial complex, as well as Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, and J. Edgar Hoover, may have been involved in the assassination plot. Fetzer thesis reinforces Peter Dale Scott's conception of "deep politics", and the view that understanding either the Kennedy assassination or 9/11 is enhanced by examining both.

9/11 attacks on WTC

On December 15, 2005, James Fetzer along with Steven Jones, a physics professor at Brigham Young University, founded Scholars for 9/11 Truth, rejecting the public conclusions of the 9/11 Commission and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Over divergent approaches, Jones left in December 2006 and the next month founded Scholars for 9/11 Truth and Justice. Jones sought more presumably scientific grounding, whereas Fetzer's speculations were more extreme. Scholars for 9/11 Truth, under Fetzer's leadership, is more radical. The groups allege that United States government's political agenda aided or abetted the attacks, and most members of both groups maintain that World Trade Center's buildings fell by controlled demolitions.

Fetzer alleged a role by President George W Bush's administration, and claimed that only the American military–industrial complex, possibly colluding with Israeli government, had such demolition competence. It has been claimed that Scholars for 9/11 Truth lacked any relevant experts, such as engineers, whereas all who have investigated have concluded that collapses of all three buildings—1, 2, and 7—were due to the jet crashes into buildings 1 and 2. Yet for being "just one of many Americans who have questioned the teeming inconsistencies surrounding 9/11", Fetzer was praised in Islamic Post as an "American patriot". Scholars for 9/11 Truth, and related, have been criticized by some Westerners for dangerously distracting from more crucial issues, such as American neoconservative preparedness to hegomonize the 9/11 events, long foreseen even without such conspiracy.

Senator Wellstone

In 2002, just weeks before an imminently close election, Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone died in a small airplane's crash. Conspiracy theories about it abounded. Fetzer wrote articles in an alternative newspaper incriminating top members of the Republican political party, allegedly seeking Senate control, perhaps using an electromagnetic pulse to mediate the plane crash. Thus becoming embroiled in a dispute with a Republican former prosecutor, Fetzer was sued for defamation. A court of appeals found Fetzer's statements legitimately relevant to the conspiracy debate, a genuine controversy. In 2004, with Don "Four Arrows" Jacobs, Fetzer coauthored a book on it. They incriminated principally Dick Cheney, Karl Rove and Donald Rumsfeld, failed to merit legal prosecution, yet claimed that not their aim—identifying causes. Some have found their argument strong, or there at least noteworthy evidence of an intra-government role.

Alleged anti-Semitism

In 2007, Fetzer asserted that "if it turns out that only unconventional methods" explain such devastation of the World Trade Center, the likely culprit is the American military–industrial complex as the only entity besides Israeli government with such means. Later, however, Fetzer identified the two entities as effectively inseparable. Although not as crude and racist as the rhetoric of David Duke, Fetzer's assertions have been likened to those made by Duke in the weeks following the 9/11 attacks. Fetzer has complained that alleging anti-Semitism is a handy ploy to neutralize 9/11 dissent, rather.

Anti-Defamation League has suggested that Fetzer is indeed anti-Semitic in focusing on "American government officials of Jewish background". As to Israel's role in Palestine, Fetzer asserted, "It is not anti-Semitic to object to the expansion of illegal settlements, the starvation and killing of the Palestinian people, or the butchering of a peace activist with a bulldozer!". Yet largely for suggesting that Jews in United States government have dual loyalty, Fetzer became marginalized as an oddity even within the 9/11 Truth movement. In 2012, Fetzer interviewed neo-Nazi activist and Holocaust denier Ernst Zündel, posed by Fetzer as "persecuted & imprisoned for research on WWII".

Middle Eastern affairs

Although Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been demonized by the White House and America news media, Fetzer has espoused the stance in Ahmadinejad's UN General Assembly speech calling for a "U.N. fact finding group to investigate 9/11". For Iran's third International Conference on Hollywoodism, held in 2013 in Tehran, Fetzer was listed as a partner. Visiting Iran, Fetzer was sought by local news media.

Interviewed by Iran Review, Fetzer called United States' policy toward Iran "a form of collective punishment that was ruled to be a violation of international law by the Nuremberg Tribunals after World War II". Fetzner claimed confusion at how the Obama "administration can disregard the findings of its own intelligence agencies in dealing with a foreign power", for "the fact is that in 2007, 16 American intelligence agencies concluded that Iran was not pursuing a nuclear weapons program. The findings were reaffirmed in 2011".

Even back in America, Fetzer has been interviewed remotely by Press TV, a news agency sponsored by Iran's government. On it, he alleged that the Bush administration helped Israel destabilize the Middle East, while United States foreign policy hypocritically stockpiles nuclear weapons, permits Israel to as well but secretly, and yet threatens Iran by alleging a secret nuclear weapons program that Iran lacks but, if it had, would help stabilize the Middle East.

He also alleged that Al-Qaeda was contrived by United States government, similarly waging false flag tactics to overthrow Syria's government, whose "troops are routing the rebels" and had "no reason to use" the gas employed the day before a United Nations inspection team arrived, "a preposterous time for Assad to use chemical weapons, which he doesn't need", whereas the "rebels on the other hand appear to have been supplied with the gas by Saudi Arabia in promotion of an Israeli agenda".

Publications

Philosophy of Science:

  • James H. Fetzer. (December 31, 1981). Scientific Knowledge: Causation, Explanation, and Corroboration. Springer. ISBN 90-277-1335-9.
  • edited by James H. Fetzer. (1985). Sociobiology and Epistemology. Springer. ISBN 90-277-2005-3. {{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  • Definitions and Definability: Philosophical Perspectives. 1991. ASIN B000IBICGK.
  • James H. Fetzer (1992). Philosophy of Science (Paragon Issues in Philosophy). Paragon. ISBN 1-55778-481-7. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  • ed. by James H. Fetzer (1993). Foundations of Philosophy of Science: Recent Developments (Paragon Issues in Philosophy). Paragon. ISBN 1-55778-480-9. {{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  • Charles E. M. Dunlop; James H. Fetzer. (1993). Glossary of Cognitive Science (A Paragon House Glossary for Research, Reading, and Writing). Paragon. ISBN 1-55778-567-8. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  • James H. Fetzer. (1997). Philosophy and Cognitive Science (Paragon Issues in Philosophy). Paragon. ISBN 1-55778-739-5. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  • Minds and Machines: Journal for Artificial Intelligence, Philosophy, and Cognitive Science, Vol. 7, No. 4. Kluwer. 1997. ASIN B000KEV460. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  • edited by James H. Fetzer. (2000). Science, Explanation, and Rationality: The Philosophy of Carl G. Hempel. Oxford. ISBN 0-19-512137-6. {{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  • James H. Fetzer. (2001). Artificial Intelligence: Its Scope and Limits. Springer. ISBN 0-7923-0548-5. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  • Computers and Cognition: Why Minds are Not Machines. Springer. January 8, 2002. ISBN 1-4020-0243-2.
  • ed. by James H. Fetzer (2002). Consciousness Evolving (Advances in Consciousness Research). John Benjamins. ISBN 1-58811-108-3. {{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  • James H. Fetzer (2005). The Evolution of Intelligence: Are Humans the Only Animals With Minds?. Open Court. ISBN 0-8126-9459-7.
  • James H. Fetzer (December 28, 2006). Render Unto Darwin: Philosophical Aspects of the Christian Right's Crusade Against Science. Open Court. ISBN 0-8126-9605-0.

Conspiracy Theories:

  • edited by James H. Fetzer. (1997). Assassination Science: Experts Speak Out on the Death of JFK. Open Court. ISBN 0-8126-9366-3. {{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  • ed. by James H. Fetzer. (2000). Murder in Dealey Plaza: What We Know Now that We Didn't Know Then. Open Court. ISBN 0-8126-9422-8. {{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  • ed. by James H. Fetzer (2003). The Great Zapruder Film Hoax: Deceit and Deception in the Death of JFK. Catfeet Press. ISBN 0-8126-9547-X. {{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  • Four Arrows (aka Don Trent Jacobs) & James H. Fetzer. (2004). American Assassination: The Strange Death Of Senator Paul Wellstone. Vox Pop. ISBN 0-9752763-0-1. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)

References

  1. ^ James H Fetzer, ed, Science, Explanation, and Rationality: Aspects of the Philosophy of Carl G Hempel (New York: Oxford University Press, 2000), p xi.
  2. ^ Sarah Lederer (February 2009). "James Fetzer's home page". James H Fetzer at University of Minnesota Duluth. Retrieved February 2, 2009.
  3. James Fetzer, "Carl Hempel", in Edward N Zalta, ed, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, (Spring 2013).
  4. James H Fetzer, "Reichenbach, reference cases, and single case 'probabilities' ", in Wesley C Salmon, ed, Synthese Library, Volume 132: Hans Reichenbach: Logical Empirist (Dordrecht: D Reidel Publishing, 1979).
  5. Jan Woleński, "Books received: Philosophy, Mind and Cognitive Inquiry by David J Cole, James H Fetzer, Terry L Rankin; Artificial Intelligence: Its Scope and Limits by James H Fetzer", Studia Logica: An International Journal for Symbolic Logic, 1992;51(2):341–43, p 341: "I start with Fetzer's monograph because it provides a general paranorama of AI and its foundational problems. ... The book touches many foundational problems of AI belonging to epistemology, psychology, philosophy of language, philosophy of science and computer science. Fetzer's discussions vary from very elementary...to quite advanced...".
  6. James H Fetzer, Philosophy and Cognitive Science, 2 edn (St Paul MN: Paragon House, 1996).
    Justin Leiber, "James H Fetzer, Philosophy and Cognitive Science, Second Edition: Revised and Expanded, Paragon Issues in Philosophy", Minds and Machines, 1999 Aug;9(3):435–37, p 435: "It is a delight to see this revised edition of what is possibly the best short introduction to 'philosophy and cognitive science' around today, one fully accessible to undergraduates".
    John Heil, Philosophy of Mind: A Contemporary Introduction, 2 edn (New York: Routledge, 2004), ch 1 "Introduction", subch 1.5 "A look ahead", § "Suggested reading", p 14, recommends Fetzer's Philosophy of Cognitive Science.
  7. Donald MacKenzie, Mechanizing Proof: Computing, Risk, and Trust (Cambridge MA: MIT Press, 2001), pp 18, 205, 244 & 323 discuss Fetzer's contributions, while 388 & 421 identify citations of Fetzer.
    Donald MacKenzie, "A view from Sonnelbichl: On the historical sociology of software and system dependability", in Ulf Hashagen, Reinhard Keil-Slawik, Arthur L Norberg & Heinz Nixdorf, eds, History of Computing: Software Issues (Berlin, Heidelberg, New York: Springer-Verlag, 2002), p 112: "Conversely, the claims of the formalizers have been fiercely contested by computer scientists Richard DeMillo, Richard Lipton and Alan Perlis, as well as by philosopher James H Fetzer".
  8. Ellery Eells & James H Fetzer, eds, The Place of Probability in Science: In Honor of Ellery Eells (1953–2006) (Dordrecht, Heidelberg, London, New York: Springer, 2010), pp xi-x.
  9. James H Fetzer , "Corroboration", in Sahotra Sarkar & Jessica Pfeifer, eds, The Philosophy of Science, Volume One: A–M (New York: Taylor & Francis Group, 2006), pp 178–79.
  10. ^ Stephen E Atkins, "Fetzer, James H (1940–)" pp 181–83, in S E Atkins, ed, The 9/11 Encyclopedia, 2 edn (Santa Barbara CA: ABC-CLIO, 2011).
  11. ^ Vincent Bugliosi (2007). Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. pp. 506, 508, 974, 986, 1498. ISBN 9780393045253. Retrieved July 15, 2012. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  12. ^ Karl K Glower, Legal and Ethical Considerations for Public Relations, 2 edn (Waveland Press, 2008), p 72: "The case of Bieter v Fetzer illustrates the process used by the courts. The case arose after the 2002 death of US Senator Paul Wellstone in an airplane crash. There was no immediate explanation for the crash of the small plan, but because the crash occurred a week before an election (in which Wellstone was involved in a tight race for his senatorial seat), conspiracy theories abounded. One of the conspiracy theorists was James Fetzer, a university professor. Fetzer published articles in an alternative newspaper in which he suggested that high-ranking Republicans in the George W Bush administration were behind Wellstone's death. Bieter, a former prosecutor and Republican, started an Internet chat group to refute Fetzer's claims. In response, Fetzer alleged in the chat group that Bieter had been deprived of his right to practice law and had been charged with sexual harassment. Bieter sued Fetzer for defamation. The court of appeals found that the conspiracy debate was a real controversy and that by forming the chat room to discuss and refute Fetzer's claims, and by holding himself up as an authority in the debate, Bieter became a limited purpose public figure. The defamatory statements to the effect that Bieter had been deprived of his ability to practice law were related to the controversy because they called into question his credibility as an expert".
  13. ^ Four Arrows, aka Don T Jacobs, "The military drills on 9-11: 'Bizarre coincience' or something else?" pp 119–143, in Paul Zarembka, ed, The Hidden History of 9/11, 2 edn (New York, Toronto, London, Melbourne: Seven Stories Press, 2008), p 134.
  14. ^ Lance deHaven-Smith, Conspiracy Theory in America (Austin TX: University of Texas Press, 2013), pp 138, 237.
  15. ^ "The 9/11 Conspiracy: The Scamming of America", Open Court Publishing Co website, 2013.
    James Fetzer, ch 2 "Thinking about 'conspiracy theories': 9/11 and JFK" pp 43–74 & Peter Dale Scott, ch 8 "JFK and 9/11: Insights gained from understanding both" pp 195–220, in J H Fetzer, ed, The 9/11 Conspiracy: The Scamming of America (Chicago: Open Court Publishing Co, 2007).
    Peter Dale Scott, Deep Politics and the Death of JFK (Berkeley, Los Angeles, London: University of California Press, 1996).
    Peter Dale Scott, The Road to 9/11: Wealth, Empire, and the Future of America (Berkeley & Los Angeles: University of California Press, 2008).
  16. ^ Jovan Byford, Conspiracy Theories: A Critical Introduction (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011), pp 109–110, notes on p 162.
  17. Jaya Narain (February 16, 2007). "We're all conspiracy theorists at heart". BBC News. Retrieved May 5, 2010.
  18. ^ Justin Pope (August 7, 2006). "Scholars join ranks of Sept 11 conspiracy theorists". Bangor Daily News. Bangor ME. Associated Press. p. A3. Retrieved July 16, 2012.
  19. ^ Mike Mosedale (June 28, 2006). "The man who thought he knew too much". City Pages. Minneapolis. p. 1. Retrieved July 29, 2012. {{cite news}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  20. ^ Kourosh Ziabari, "Anti-Iran sanctions (no 5) James H Fetzer: Anti-Iran sanctions violate international law" (exclusive interview with James H Fetzer), Iran Review, 6 Mar 2013.
  21. ^ Mike Mosedale 2006, p. 2.
  22. ^ Mike Mosedale 2006, p. 3.
  23. ^ Four Arrows & James H Fetzer, American Assassination: The Strange Death of Senator Paul Wellstone (Brooklyn NY: Vox Pop, 2004), p 148.
    "Book description", AssassinationScience.com, 2013.
  24. ^ "Jess Ventura's America for November 22, 2003". MSNBC. November 22, 2003. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  25. "Scholars for 9/11 Truth—past events"
  26. ^ According to SC/HGH, "US attack on Syria violation of international law: James Fetzer", Press TV (Iran), 2 Sep 2013, Fetzer alleged that Syrian rebels were supplied with gas weaponry by Saudi Arabia via American/Israeli false flag activity to attribute the chemical warfare to Syrian government; Fetzer speculated that the Obama administration might combine this with blackmail of US Congresspersons, via secrets culled by National Security Administration's illegal buggings of French Foreign Ministry's New York offices, to override National Security Council's refusal to authorize a US war with France against Syria; Fetzer expressed "hope that the French are going to display enough awareness and intelligence to not be taken in by this obvious gambit even though the American people may still succumb because of their gullibility and the massive control of the American press".
  27. ^ SC/PR, "Overwhelming hypocrisy coming from US on nuclear weapons: James H Fetzer", Press TV (Iran), 14 Aug 2013; SC/HGH, "US losing world respect due to hypocrisy in ME: Fetzer", Press TV (Iran), 14 Oct 2013.
  28. John Gravois, "Professors of paranoia?: Academics give a scholarly stamp to 9/11 conspiracy theories", The Chronicle of Higher Education, 2006 June 23;52(42).
  29. Nick Kollerstrom w/Jim Fetzer, "Sandy Hook: Analogies with the London 7/7 bombings", Veterans Today, 6 Jan 2013.
  30. Jim Fetzer, "Some 'hard lessons' from the Boston bombing", James Fetzer blog, 20 Apr 2013.
  31. Michael C Moynihan (December 12, 2012). "Newtown conspiracy theories: Obama, Iran, and other culprits". The Daily Beast. Retrieved January 9, 2013. The Sandy Hook massacre appears to have been a psy op intended to strike fear in the hearts of Americans by the sheer brutality of the massacre, where the killing of children is a signature of terror ops conducted by agents of Israel.
  32. Radio Fetzer, (Where???)
  33. "Did America land men on the moon?: The moon landing hoax" (MP3) (Interview). Interviewed by Sterling Harwood. May 2, 2013. Retrieved May 3, 2013. {{cite interview}}: Unknown parameter |callsign= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |city= ignored (|location= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |name= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |program= ignored (help)
  34. Penny Cockerell (November 22, 2003). "JFK 40 years later: America still has questions; assassination theories don't fade away". Spartanburg Herald. Spartanburg SC. Associated Press. p. A6. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
  35. Mike Mosedale 2006, p. 4.
  36. ^ Stephen E Atkins, "Scholars for 9/11 Truth and Scholars for 9/11 Truth and Justice" pp 385–87, in S E Atkins, ed, The 9/11 Encyclopedia, 2 edn (Santa Barbara CA: ABC-CLIO, 2011).
  37. David Dunbar & Brad Reagan, eds, Debunking 9/11 Myths: Why Conspiracy Theories Can't Stand Up to the Facts (New York: Hearst Books, 2006), p 28.
  38. IP, "Dr Jasser betrays American muslims, promotes Islamophobia", Islamic Post, 4 Apr 2012.
  39. Philip E Wegner, " 'The dead are our redeemers': Culture, belief, and United 93" pp 81–92, in Derek Rubin & Jaap Verheul, eds, American Multiculturalism After 9/11: Transatlantic Perspectives (Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 2009), note 7, p 90: "I'd like to take this opportunity to offer a brief aside on the real dangers of conspiracy theorists such as those making up the movement Scholars for 9/11 Truth. It wasn't as if neoconservatives needed to stage the events of 9/11—its inevitability was widely recognized by political analysts and popular cultural texts.... Rather, the real lesson of these events was that the neoconservatives were prepared for its occurrence, and ready to hegemonize it in particular directions, in a way that any left opposition was not".
  40. ^ Kevin Diaz (June 3, 2003). "Conspiracy theories thrive after Wellstone plane crash". Star Tribune. Minneapolis. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
  41. Mike Mosedale 2006, p. 5.
  42. Eva Dameron (October 31, 2005). "Author makes case for murder". New Mexico Daily Lobo.
  43. David Duke, the onetime Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, has been a neo-Nazi activist.
  44. ^ Unsigned, "Decade of deceit: Anti-semitic 9/11 conspiracy theories 10 years later", § "Jim Fetzer", ADL Archive, 30 Aug 2011.
  45. Michael Shermer, Why People Believe Weird Things (New York: Henry Holt and Co, 2002), pp 199–200, briefly summarizes Zündel's public stances.
  46. "Ernst Zündel: Persecuted & imprisoned for research on WWII", Radio Fetzer, Aug 2012.
  47. Jerry Mazza, "Even your best friends won't tell you: Ahmadinejad's UN General Assembly speech", James Fetzer blog, 25 Sep 2010.
  48. Others included Kevin Barrett as well as former U.S. Senator Mike Gravel.
    Unsigned, "Iran 'Hollywoodism' conference partners with U.S. & international anti-Semites, conspiracy theorists", Official Blogs from the Anti-Defamation League, 5 Feb 2013.
    Joshua Keating, "Mike Gravel on movies, sanctions, and what we can learn from Iran", Foreign Policy blog, 22 Feb 2013.
  49. SC/HGH, "Bush aided Israel in destabilizing ME: James Fetzer", Press TV (Iran), 6 Oct 2013.
  50. ^ MSK/HJL, "West unsuccessful in toppling Syria's Assad: James Fetzer", Press TV (Iran), 14 Mar 2013.
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