Georgia Guidestones

{{bronze}}[[File:Georgia Guidestones 08.jpg|thumb|right|165px|"Prize truth — beauty — love — seeking harmony with the infinite; be not a cancer on this earth; leave room for nature"]]
{{Conspiracynav}}
The '''Georgia Guidestones''' were a granite monument created in 1980 in Elberton, [[Georgia]], and demolished following vandalism via explosives in 2022.<ref>[https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/georgia-monument-called-satanic-gubernatorial-candidate-destroyed-expl-rcna37039 Georgia Guidestones monument is destroyed after explosion: The monument, dubbed "America's Stonehenge," was demolished after an explosive device was detonated at the site, authorities said.] by Tim Stelloh (July 6, 2022, 11:39 PM PDT / Updated July 7, 2022, 1:00 AM PDT) ''NBC News''.</ref> The monument consisted of four [[Astronomy|astronomically]]-aligned granite slabs, surrounding a central column, and topped by a capstone. Written on the four slabs were ten "guiding thoughts" left by the monument's anonymous sponsors. The monument was ordered by a [[pseudonym]]ous Robert C. Christian, representing "a small group of loyal Americans",<ref name=sullivan>[https://www.wired.com/2009/04/ff-guidestones/ American Stonehenge: Monumental Instructions for the Post-Apocalypse] by Randall Sullivan (Apr 20, 2009 12:00 PM) ''Wired''.</ref> who referred to themselves only as "a small group of Americans who seek the age of reason" (referring to [[Thomas Paine]]'s book on the [[Age of Enlightenment]], ''The Age of Reason''<ref>[https://www.ushistory.org/Paine/reason/ ''Age of Reason'' by Thomas Paine (1790s) ''UShisory.org''.</ref>).

Despite being designed to withstand most catastrophic events, the stones could not withstand the wrath of an irate conspiracy nut's bomb in 2022.<ref name=sullivan/><ref name=moore/>

==Inscriptions==
{{cquote|I'm not sure what the inclusion of Swahili tells us, but the inclusion of [[Hebrew]] suggested to conspiracy theorists that a [[ZOG|Zionist New World Order]] was responsible for the Guidestones. This, of course, presumes the existence of a [[International Jewish Conspiracy|Zionist New World Order conspiracy]], and it presumes that such a conspiracy would be usefully served by the erection of a random granite monument in the middle of nowhere in Georgia. [[Poe's_Law|Both presumptions strain credibility]].|||[[Brian Dunning]], ''[[Skeptoid]]''<ref name="Skeptoid">[http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4198 The Georgia Guidestones] by Brian Dunning (March 23, 2010) ''Skeptoid'' Podcast #198.</ref>}}
On each side of each of the four vertical slabs was an inscription of the ten "thoughts" in a different language, for a total of eight translations. Clockwise, from the northern stone, the languages were [[English]], Spanish, Swahili, Hindi, Hebrew, Arabic, Chinese, and Russian.

The "guiding thoughts" were as follows:<ref name="Skeptoid"/>

{{quotebox|
#Maintain humanity under 500,000,000<ref group=note>less than 10% of the current world population.</ref> in perpetual balance with nature.
#[[Eugenics|Guide reproduction wisely]] — improving fitness and diversity.
#Unite humanity with a living new language.
#Rule passion — [[faith]] — tradition — and all things with tempered [[Reasoning|reason]].
#Protect people and nations with [[Rule of law|fair laws and just courts]].
#Let all nations rule internally resolving external disputes in a world court.
#Avoid petty laws and useless officials.
#Balance personal rights with social duties.
#Prize [[truth]] — beauty — love — seeking harmony with the infinite.
#Be not a cancer on the earth — Leave room for nature — Leave room for nature.}}

From the information available on Robert C. Christian, one could surmise that he was a [[deist]]:
*He told the Guidestones' principle builder, John H. Fendley, Sr., that he represented "a small group of loyal Americans who believe in [[God]]."<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160203182236/http://archive.wired.com/images/multimedia/magazine/1705/Wired_May_2009_Georgia_Guidestones.pdf "Let These Be Guidestones To an Age of Reason" When Man Reawakens Let Him Behold… The Georgia Guidestones]  (1981) ''Elbert Granite Finishing Co.''</ref>{{rp|5}}
*He acknowledged Thomas Paine, a deist.
*He did not include text specific to any religion.
*He appealed to reason as a guiding principle.

==Crank bonanza==
{{cquote|I could also point out the ridiculousness of thinking that some sort of global Illuminati wrote down their plot for killing off 95% of humanity on a giant granite Post-It™ note, and left their secret plan somewhere no conservative would ever find it: ''rural Georgia.''|||[[John Oliver]], ''Last Week Tonight''<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEa3sK1iZxc "Rocks: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (Web Exclusive),"] ''YouTube.''</ref>}}

Some [[conspiracy theorists]] (namely [[Alex Jones]], who covers it in his movies) and miscellaneous religious folk demanded that the Guidestones be taken down, claiming that they were the blueprints for the [[New World Order]]. Because ''helping to [[cover up]]'' the warning of the impending NWO takeover would certainly ''stop'' the NWO (?). (Alas, these nutjobs finally got their wish after 40+ years of trying.) To be fair, the monument was kind of strange, but strange ≠ NWO conspiracy.

Van Smith is supposedly a "computer benchmarking expert, computer industry analyst and [[physicist]]".<ref>[http://americanloons.blogspot.com/2014/09/1159-van-smith.html #1159: Van Smith] (September 21, 2014) ''Encyclopedia of American Loons''.</ref><ref>[http://vanshardware.com/author/admin_van/ Van Smith] ''Van's Hardware Journal''.</ref> Smith is also an [[Arkansas|Arkansas]] [[Christian]] convinced that the Guidestones expressed totalitarian messages and intentionally foreshadowed the arrival of the [[Islamic]] [[Imam Mahdi|Mahdi]] as an [[Antichrist]] figure. He also believed the Georgia Guidestones were linked through encoded [[Numerology|numerological]] information to the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, which he viewed as a new [[Tower of Babel]].<ref>[http://futurequakeradio.blogspot.com/2010/02/researcher-van-smith-exposes-new-data.html Researcher Van Smith Exposes New Data on "America's Stonehenge," and Its Relevance to Current Worldwide Activities] and [http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/03/22/georgia.mystery.monument/?hpt=C2 Waiting for the End of the World: Georgia's 30-year Stone Mystery] and [https://web.archive.org/web/20110206235604/http://vanshardware.com/2011/02/a-georgia-guidestones-update A Georgia Guidestones Update]</ref>

Similarly, conservative Christian conspiracy theorist [[Mark Dice]] mentioned the Georgia Guidestones in his 2005 book ''The Resistance Manifesto'' and argued for their destruction. He believes the [[Rosicrucianism|Rosicrucian]] society — an alleged European "[[Satanism|Satanic]]" [[Gnosticism|Gnostic]] society originating in the 1600s — were responsible for the Georgia Guidestones, and that their aims were to leak these Satanic ideas written on the Guidestones into mainstream society.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140729035757/http://voices.yahoo.com/the-guidestones-georgia-conspiracy-theories-abound-1415291.html The Guidestones of Georgia: Conspiracy Theories Abound] by Joelle Rock (May 7, 2008) ''Yahoo'' (archived from July 29, 2014)..</ref> Dice also claimed that the "author" of the Georgia Guidestones text openly admitted to being a representative of the New World Order.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzARcrxKT4A Man Behind the Georgia Guidestones Speaks Out] by Mark Dice (Nov 6, 2012) ''Youtube''.</ref>

The main source of contention is with the first guiding thought. While most people at a fourth grade reading level know the word "maintain" doesn't mean the same as "cull", the NWO [[faithful]] claim it's a sure sign of [[Depopulation_conspiracy|their intent to kill 80 percent of the world's population]]. Because it's not likelier that the number chosen is just arbitrary — you know, [[Occam's_razor|like in much poetry and on much random art]]? Because it's ''far'' more likely that the entire monument was just one big, intentional surface-to-crank information missile, sent straight from [[Reptilians|the puppet masters]].

In 2008, the Guidestones were vandalized by conspiracy theorists, who splattered it with polyurethane and painted on messages that read, among other things, "Jesus Will Prevail", "[[9/11 conspiracy theories|9/11 Inside Job]]", "[[Barack Obama|Obama]] Iz{{sic}} a [[Barack Obama#Islam|Muslim]]", "Fuck the [[New World Order|NWO]]", "[[Skull and Bones]] Sucs{{sic}} Dick" and "[[Depopulation conspiracy|The Elite Want 80% of Us Dead]]".<ref>Sullivan, Randall. [https://web.archive.org/web/20090424014936/http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/magazine/17-05/ff_guidestones "American Stonehenge: Monumental Instructions for the Post-Apocalypse."] ''Wired'', April 20, 2009.</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20170309103009/http://www.prisonplanet.com/georgia-guidestones-vandalized.html Georgia Guidestones Vandalized] (December 12, 2008) ''Prison Planet'' (archived from March 9, 2017).</ref>

In early 2022, fringe GOP primary candidate for Governor of Georgia Kandiss Taylor made the demolishing of the Georgia Guidestones a foundational plank of her campaign, including it in her list of 10 Executive Orders she intended to pass as soon as she was elected<ref>Sommer, Will. [https://www.thedailybeast.com/kandiss-taylor-georgia-candidate-for-governor-builds-campaign-on-demolition-of-satanic-tablets "Georgia Guv Candidate Builds Campaign on Demolition of ‘Satanic’ Tablets."] ''The Daily Beast'', May 13, 2022.</ref> (alongside banning [[furries]] from Georgia schools). Unfortunately for her, Taylor ended up finishing a distant third behind incumbent Brian Kemp and [[Trump]]-backed David Purdue, earning only 41,027 (3.4%) votes. <ref>Petrizzo, Zachary. [https://www.thedailybeast.com/kandiss-taylor-lost-the-ga-guv-race-by-70-points-she-still-wont-concede "She Lost the GA Guv Race by 70 Points. She Still Won’t Concede."] ''The Daily Beast'', May 27,2022.</ref>

In July 2022, someone managed to destroy at least one of the four slabs using an explosive.<ref name=moore>Moore, Stephanie. [https://www.wyff4.com/article/georgia-guidestones-possible-explosion/40525569 "Part of Georgia Guidestones damaged by explosion, GBI says."] ''WYFF4'', July 6, 2022.</ref> Witnesses reported hearing an explosion or loud noise of some sort at approximately 4 AM local time, and aerial footage has shown one of the slabs reduced to rubble. The monument was subsequently demolished by authorities for "safety reasons".<ref>BBC [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-62073675 "Georgia Guidestones: 'America's Stonehenge' demolished after blast"]</ref> [[Memes]] of [[Trump]] blowing up the Guidestones appeared days and weeks before they were actually destroyed.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20220707195155/https://www.dailydot.com/debug/image-trump-bombing-georgia-guidestones/ Images of Trump bombing Georgia Guidestones spread on Truth Social weeks before they were destroyed] by Mikael Thalen (Jul 7, 2022) ''Daily Dot''.</ref>

==Identity of Robert C. Christian==
{{cquote|We establish social environments in which many talented and productive individuals are constrained to limit their reproduction, while at the same time we provide subsidies that encourage childbearing by the indigent, the lazy, the irresponsible and the inadequate.|||"Robert Christian" in his book ''Common Sense Renewed''<ref name="cnnstones"/>}}

The true identity of "Robert C. Christian" — the anonymous head of the supposed like-minded individuals — has never been revealed, and is purported to be only known by the owner of the quarry where the granite was taken from and built, and the banker who made the transaction. Many Elberton locals claim that it's most likely Ted Turner, a rich Georgian who's into [[New Age]]-type things,<ref>[https://365atlantatraveler.com/day-097-georgia-guidestones/ Georgia Guidestones: 10 Weird Things You've Got to Know] ''365 Atlanta Traveler''.</ref> but we may never know. 

A 2015 Christian documentary ''Dark Clouds Over Elberton: The True Story of the Georgia Guidestones'' managed to film a case filled with alleged correspondence between one of the contractors and "Robert C. Christian" which suggest that the stones were commissioned by a Dr. Herbert Kersten {{lived|1920|2005}}<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/16057610/the-des-moines-register/ The Des Moines Register 13 Jun 2005]</ref> of Fort Dodge, [[Iowa]]. Kersten apparently had interests in conservation and population issues, but also wrote letters to newspapers praising none other than [[David Duke]]. 

A 2024 investigation of the Georgia Guidestones by [[CNN]] interviewed two people who claimed that they knew Kersten; according to one of them, William Doan, Kersten used to brag about his friendship with transistor inventor (and notorious [[eugenicist]]) {{wpl|William Shockley||.}} <ref name="cnnstones">[https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2024/02/us/georgia-guidestones-mystery-cec-cnnphotos/ "Two mysteries surrounded the Georgia Guidestones. One may have finally been solved."] by Thomas Lake, CNN, 2024 February 16</ref> The CNN report also uncovered a rare book purportedly written by the same "Robert Christian" that created the Georgia Guidestones. The book was similarly ''very'' concerned about overpopulation like the Guidestones were, but also took some dark turns advocating a [[caste]] system due to Robert Christian's fear of {{wpl|dysgenics||.}} For instance, he advocated testing voters for knowledge and "evidence of economic productivity" before they were allowed to vote. He also advocated "rationing" health care to favor "those indivudals whose continuing lives are more valuable to society at large".<ref name="cnnstones"/>

If the above is true, this gives the stone's second point of "guide reproduction wisely" rather unfortunate implications of either purely race-based [[eugenics]], or something more akin to Shockley's IQ-and-race based eugenic babbles (what we would now call [[hereditarianism]]).<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEa3sK1iZxc "Rocks: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (Web Exclusive),"] ''YouTube.''</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ae4GArq8VNY ''Dark Clouds Over Elberton''] (2015) ''YouTube''.</ref><ref>[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-08-14-mn-369-story.html "Controversial Nobel Laureate Shockley Dies"] by Edward J. Boyer, Los Angeles Times, 1989 August 14</ref> Though if the eugenics allegation is true, why then write the inscriptions in Russian (spoken primarily by Europeans) ''and'' Swahili (spoken primarily by East Africans)?

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Georgia Guidestones in Elbert County, GA.jpg|Before the bombing, May 14, 2022
File:Capstone Languages.jpg|"Let these capstones be a guide to an age of reason"
File:Georgia Guidestones 04.jpg|Astronomical features of the stones
</gallery>

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20160203182236/http://archive.wired.com/images/multimedia/magazine/1705/Wired_May_2009_Georgia_Guidestones.pdf "Let These Be Guidestones To an Age of Reason" When Man Reawakens Let Him Behold… The Georgia Guidestones] — pamphlet by the Elbert Granite Finishing Co. (1981)
*[https://egaonline.com/sites/default/files/The%20Georgia%20Guidestones.pdf The Georgia Guidestones: Elberton's Most Unusual Granite Monument] — pamphlet by the Elberton Granite Finishing Corporation (1987)
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKOakBPOdmc The Georgia Guidestones Movie] — 2012 documentary

==See also==
*[[Overpopulation]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

[[Category:Conspiracy theories]]
[[Category:Rationalism]]

Categories: Conspiracy theories, Rationalism