A review of Piotr Tarczyński's book 'Oślizgłe macki, wiadome siły. Historia Ameryki w teoriach spiskowych'—a magnum opus on American conspiracism.
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In my opinion, Slimy Tentacles, Known Forces by Piotr Tarczyński is an absolute magnum opus on the subject of American conspiracy theories. I would dare to say that it is an outstanding work not only in the Polish market but also internationally. Many English-language studies on my shelf do not delve as deeply into the sources of history and the foundations of the US statehood as the Polish author does. It is, of course, a must-read for anyone wishing to understand the contemporary world.
However, this is not an easy read, especially for someone expecting “fireworks” or a collection of sensational anecdotes. Tarczyński presents us with a work structured almost like a scientific dissertation, dense with historical references. It is a complete and well-thought-out work from which we learn not only about the conspiracies themselves but, above all, about the racial, religious, and fearful issues that continue to shape the politics of the United States to this day.
History Written by Paranoia
What immediately stands out and distinguishes Tarczyński’s work from typical lexicons about Bigfoot is his chosen criterion. The author does not indulge in creating an encyclopedia of oddities, which many authors who generate books on conspiracy theories offer. Instead of a boring list (a separate chapter on UFOs, another on Jews), we get a coherent political narrative. Conspiracy theories are not an end in themselves here, but a lens through which we view the foundations of US statehood. This allows us to understand why contemporary politics look the way they do.
Tarczyński applies a ruthless and deliberate filter: he is only interested in what had a real impact on the country’s fate. That is why the book does not contain gossip about the attack on Kim Kardashian or celebrity trifles. No one bases their politics on them. Slimy Tentacles focuses on the “meat”: the delusions that caused wars and changed election results. The racial issues that are prominent today have their roots in the origins of US statehood and have changed little. The author, in line with the best practices for approaching conspiracy theories, avoids the superiority trap by noting the meanders of their formation and the individual’s immersion in prejudice and miasmas of thought. He does not try to simply “debunk” to ridicule “stupid foil-hatters.” Instead, with surgical precision, he dissects the social anxieties to which these stories respond. Contrary to many authors I read, this is done in an excellent manner.
Conspiracy as “Common Sense”
Since the inception of the dadalo.pl project, I have observed the paradoxical role of Anglo-Saxon common sense. In a world supposedly dedicated to rationality, it is “common sense” that often becomes the fuel for new conspiracy theories, leading to the undermining of facts and the defense of paranoia. That is why the most powerful intellectual “spark” of this book for me is the collision with our intuition. We are used to treating conspiratorial thinking as the domain of madmen, yet Tarczyński puts forward a bold thesis: it is a “bastard of the Enlightenment” and the American cult of reason.
I admit it sounds like a paradox, but it has deep meaning and is understandable to those familiar with philosophy, i.e., the theory of ideas and the history of concepts. In the 18th century, when the USA was born, Newtonian science taught that nothing happens without a cause. Our understanding of the world is based on direct experience. If a force acts on a falling apple, it must also act on society. Americans transferred this mechanism to politics: a revolution or a crisis is not the result of chance (or God), but the effect of the deliberate actions of specific people. The book proves that conspiracy theories serve to organize chaos. They provide simple “cause-and-effect” answers, satisfying our need to rationally—albeit only seemingly—grasp reality. This reference to the philosophy of history is absolute, and its substantive explanation is the greatest value of this book. It explains the pitfalls of thinking and our immersion in culture.
The Pop Culture Feedback Loop
As a disinformation analyst, I was particularly interested in the media thread. Tarczyński perfectly pinpoints the moment when mass culture stopped merely reflecting anxieties and began to actively program our imagination. Let’s be honest… Americans (and increasingly, we too) get their knowledge of the system from movies, not from textbooks. It was the paranoid cinema of the 70s and the series The X-Files that taught millions of people systemic distrust and the conviction that the official version is always a lie. Now, this visual layer has been taken over by YouTube and, very often, podcasts (like Joe Rogan, whom I have discussed).
We are dealing with a classic feedback loop here. Niche pamphlets that were once read by a handful of eccentrics have entered the mainstream thanks to pop culture. “YouTube University” has only accelerated this process. The author’s conclusions are brutal but undeniably accurate: Donald Trump is not the creator of the post-truth era. He is its logical product. The result of the conspiracy theories he grew up on and which the media, in pursuit of sensationalism, have normalized. That is why I personally share Tarczyński’s pessimism about the direction of the USA, and perhaps the rest of the world.
Where to Listen to the Author?
If my post has whetted your appetite for an analysis of the American soul, it is worth buying the author’s book and additionally supplementing your knowledge with three interviews with Piotr Tarczyński. Each has a different character and emphasizes different themes.
Podcast Amerykański (American Podcast) — for fans of “hard” history This is a “home” conversation with co-host Łukasz Pawłowski, but in an audio-only podcast format. It’s great for evening listening when your eyes need a rest. The two delve into details, wondering if the Declaration of Independence was itself a conspiracy theory. They analyze the evolution of American fear: from fear of an external enemy (King George, the Pope) to panic about an internal enemy (their own government).
Tygodnik Polityka — for those looking for a political synthesis A conversation with editor Janusz Wróblewski, this is for those interested in the contemporary threat to democracy. It is here that the thesis of Trump as a “product” rather than a creator of conspiracy theories resonates most strongly. Tarczyński assesses the state of American democracy quite pessimistically, pointing to the most serious consequences of magical thinking in politics.
Imponderabilia (Karol Paciorek) — for pop culture fans The most casual of the conversations, full of humor. Karol Paciorek excellently navigates pop culture threads, asking about the influence of series and films on our distrust of authority. It is in this interview that the theme of contemporary “doing your own research” on the internet is most prominent.
Oślizgłe macki, wiadome siły. Historia Ameryki w teoriach spiskowych, Piotr Tarczyński, Znak Literanova Publishing, 2025. The book is available from the publisher’s bookstore.