MIke Ruppert - Tracker of Truth

THIS is exactly how Mike would want to be remembered, I'm sure. Thanks, Rice Farmer!

In Memoriam

Michael C. Ruppert: Detective

By Rice Farmer

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18 April, 2014

I knew Mike was a troubled man, but doubted he would end his own life. I was wrong. But it’s not my intent here to dwell on the dark topic of his suicide, or speculate on what drove him to it. Here I want to say a few words about this man’s method and legacy, and how they affected me.

One time years ago I stumbled on a website called “From the Wilderness.” Most of you are at least familiar with the name. It is still archived here, and I encourage people to dig through the articles if you have time. Anyway, this discovery turned out to be a defining experience for me. I immediately became a fan and subscribed to the newsletter.

All journalism should be “investigative,” but as everyone here is aware, nearly all of what passes for news and commentary is pap and propaganda. Most journalists are willingly or not what Stephen Colbert called “stenographers” because they more or less take dictation from the government and corporations. So the first thing that attracted me to FTW was the gritty muckraking style. Also, there seemed to be no hesitation to take on dangerous topics (dangerous in the sense of hazardous to one’s health). But the most interesting feature was the “detective” approach, and I soon found out why when I read that Mike had been a detective with the LAPD. This approach infused his work, and indeed, those who have read his magnum opus Rubicon know that its major sections include “Motive,” “Means,” and “Opportunity,” while the final chapter is “Summation: Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury.” He was always the detective, amassing his evidence and presenting it to us for our consideration and judgment. Further, he liked to build his case on verifiable facts rather than on speculative evidence that might easily be thrown out or refuted in a court of law (imagined or actual). He wanted to know who was where, when they were there, what they did and said there, and what documented connections they had to other people. And you can see that in his work, especially in Rubicon. In exchanges of emails with Mike I learned more about how his mind worked — how he picked through information to discard useless and bogus items, and focused on what appeared to be truly useful.

It was this style and approach that I found especially attractive and beneficial. I think we all need a “lens,” so to speak, through which to view the world and make things come into sharper focus. Needless to say, there is no one size that fits all, just as everyone’s glasses are different, and not everyone will benefit from this in the same way. But Mike’s “detective’s eye,” as I came to call his method (he seemed diffident about having the term applied to himself) turned out to be the lens that has proved most effective for me. And for that I am very grateful.

My one really big disappointment is that I never got to meet Mike in person. I feel a double loss because he’s gone, and also because I’ve been cheated out of that meeting. It suppose I could blame Mike for that lost opportunity, but try as you might, you can’t get into another person’s head, so I won’t even attempt to speculate on what dark forces took over his mind, and ultimately robbed me of that opportunity.

An associate remarked to me the other day that the best tribute I can give Mike is to continue scanning the news and producing a list as I do now. I guess he’s right. So for as long as I can, I’ll keep using that “detective’s eye” to filter the news and try to get a handle on what’s happening in the world.