conspiracy theories

Jesse Walker on conspiracy theories

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:57:00 GMT

Source: www.rawillumination.net --- Thursday, May 23, 2013
Jesse Walker has an excellent post at Reason's Hit and Run blog poking holes in a New York Times piece on conspiracy theories (written by Maggie Koerth-Baker, Boing Boing's science correspondent.) A taste of Walker's piece: Virtually everyone who has any political beliefs at all believes in at least one conspiracy theory. Imagining conspiracies is just part of how human beings tend to perceive the world: It's where our drive to find patterns meets our capacity for being suspicious, particularly when we're dealing with other nations, factions, subcultures, or layers of the social hierarchy. This habit manifests itself across the political spectrum, and it always has. And it is intensified by the fact that conspiracies, unlike many of the monsters that haunt us, do sometimes actually exist. Walker has a book about all this coming out soon that I can't wait to read. Skimming through Koerth-Baker's piece, I got the name of a California history professor who writes about conspiracy theories, Kathryn S. Olmsted . When I Googled her, I found this book. a 2009 tome entitled Real Enemies: conspiracy Theory and American Democracy, World War I to 9/11. Jesse says her book is quite good, and so is her Challenging the Secret Government. Bonus link: Jesse Walker reviews the new Dan Brown. Excerpt: Brown's been around long enough by now that we should know better than to enter his books expecting graceful language or a reliable guide to the ...

Conspiracy Theories

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:00:00 GMT

Source: mindprod.com --- Thursday, May 23, 2013
Investigation of conspiracy theories. ...

Media Tactic: Label All Opposing Views As ‘Conspiracy Theories’

Thu, 23 May 2013 01:04:04 GMT

Source: usapartisan.com --- Wednesday, May 22, 2013
See on Scoop.it – Liberty Revolution What does the mainstream media do when they don’t want to discuss a real issue? Deem it a crazy ‘conspiracy theory’! See on www.storyleak.com ...

Why Rational People Buy Into Conspiracy Theories

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:30:41 GMT

Source: theinterrobang.com --- Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Psychologists are beginning to unravel the mystery behind this brand of American political paranoia. “The best predictor of belief in a conspiracy theory is belief in other conspiracy theories.” Read more at nytimes.com. ...

Why Rational People Buy Into Conspiracy Theories (The New York Times)

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:20:42 GMT

Source: now.dartmouth.edu --- Wednesday, May 22, 2013
The “Times” points to the work of Dartmouth’s Paul Whalen and Brendan Nyhan. ...

Noam Chomsky, a Conspiracy Theorist of the Highest Magnitude: Defining Conspiracy Theory, What are the Theories Behind the Conspiracies?

Wed, 22 May 2013 18:26:18 GMT

Source: www.thepeoplesvoice.org --- Wednesday, May 22, 2013
by chycho One of the main problems with our society is that words have lost their meaning . In spoken languages, the tone of a word can be used to make inferences that may be completely unrelated to the meaning of the word. This is especially true when dealing with propaganda. When certain people or organizations want to dismiss an argument, they tend to phrase words in such a way that makes them appear illogical or treacherous if given credence. One of these words is “conspiracy”, and when put together with the word “theory” it becomes the infamous phrase “conspiracy Theory”. Let’s take a look at the definition of these two words and try to figure out why they have been used to discredit not only people, but history, data, and facts. The legal definition of conspiracy is “an agreement between two or more persons to commit an illegal or unlawful act, or to achieve a legal act but by illegal or unlawful means.” A theory is “a concept that is not yet verified but that if true would explain certain facts or phenomena.” Read more » Original post blogged on b2evolution . ...

We believe conspiracy theories to feel in control. But they have the exact opposite effect.

Wed, 22 May 2013 16:12:08 GMT

Source: braindead.tumblr.com --- Wednesday, May 22, 2013
We believe conspiracy theories to feel in control. But they have the exact opposite effect. : Believing George W. Bush helped plan the Sept. 11 attacks might make you feel in control, it doesn’t actually make you so. Earlier this year, Karen Douglas, a University of Kent psychologist, along with a student, published research in which they exposed people to conspiracy theories about climate change and the death of Princess Diana. Those who got information supporting the theories but not information debunking them were more likely to withdraw from participation in politics and were less likely to take action to reduce their carbon footprints. Alex Jones, a syndicated radio host, can build fame as a conspiracy peddler; politicians can hint at conspiracies for votes and leverage; but if conspiracy theories are a tool the average person uses to reclaim his sense of agency and access to democracy, it’s an ineffective tool. It can even have dangerous health implications. For example, research has shown that African-Americans who believe AIDS is a weapon loosed on them by the government (remembering the abuses of the Tuskegee experiment) are less likely to practice protected sex. And if you believe that governments or corporations are hiding evidence that vaccines harm children, you’re less likely to have your children vaccinated. The result: pockets of measles and whooping-cough infections and a few deaths in places with low child-vaccination ...

What kinds of conspiracy theories do rational people accept as truth?

Wed, 22 May 2013 16:00:00 GMT

Source: www.facebook.com --- Wednesday, May 22, 2013
What kinds of conspiracy theories do rational people accept as truth? Why Rational People Buy Into conspiracy theories www.nytimes.com Psychologists are beginning to unravel the mystery behind this brand of American political paranoia. ...

Conspiracy theories are a mythologization of capitalism

Wed, 22 May 2013 14:45:23 GMT

Source: www.teemingbrain.com --- Wednesday, May 22, 2013
From an essay published on May 21 at The New Inquiry and bearing the teaser line “Just because we can hear the black helicopters doesn’t mean they don’t exist”: The modern conspiracy theory is a mythologization of capitalism. That humanity writhes in the grip of a power alien to itself is so palpable that the [...] ...

‘Re-Education’ Counseling Ordered For Pop Singer Lauryn Hill Over ‘Conspiracy Theories’ By Judge Following IRS Trial

Tue, 21 May 2013 23:05:14 GMT

Source: freewestradio.com --- Tuesday, May 21, 2013
from BIN This story is straight out of ‘Orwellian’s New America’ paradigm. Reclusive singer Lauryn Hill has been ordered by a judge to undergo counseling to deal with her ‘conspiracy theories’ following Hill being sentenced to three months in jail followed by three months of home confinement for refusing to pay a half-million dollars to the IRS. Hill is married to Rohan Marley, the son of the late great reggae singer Bob Marley and plans on releasing a new album ‘The Return’ in the near future. An interesting new video below. First, from IBTimes .: Fugees singer Hill, 37, was sentenced to three months’ jail followed by three months’ home confinement for failing to pay $500,000 to the taxman in the United States. During her trial, Hill was ordered by the judge in Newark, New Jersey to undergo counselling because of her conspiracy theories – including that artists are being oppressed by a plot involving the military and media. A short while before Hill was arrested last year, she penned a diatribe against the music industry where in the rant she blasted pop music and the entire music industry. Many people have shared that the music industry in America is ‘illuminati’; is this more proof? Is re-education and counseling over ‘conspiracy theories’ the ‘new normal’ in America? “Over-commercialisation and its resulting restrictions and limitations can be very damaging and distorting to the inherent nature of the individual.” During her ...

Conspiracy theories are now circulating about the Moore Oklahoma tornado

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:22:26 GMT

Source: politicartoons.livejournal.com --- Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Alex Jones on the possible government involvement : Jones... explained that "natural tornadoes" do exist; and he's not sure if a government "weather weapon" was involved in the Oklahoma disaster, Jones warned nonetheless that the government "can create and steer groups of tornadoes." According to Jones, this possibility hinges on whether people spotted helicopters and small aircraft "in and around the clouds, spraying and doing things." He added, "if you saw that, you better bet your bottom dollar they did this, but who knows if they did. You know, that's the thing, we don't know." Bonus Fun: (this has to be satire, right? ) 1.Prior to 3pm there, millitary [sic] and police went door to door in the area that is now completely demolished. They told all residence to leave the area and head north. 2. On there way out they saw multiple bulldozers and wrecking ball like machines moving into their neighborhoods. 6. One of my friends heard a self-proclaimed zionist talking to a shapeshifting white guy. They said that all the earthquake in oklohoma [sic] lately are a result of massive underground contruction [sic]. they were talking about how the Jewish race wishes to expand rapidly and that they are building massive Jewish settlements and Palestinian slave labor camps under Oklohoma [sic]…the reason… supposedly ak-la ham aer, which sound like oklohoma [sic], means “Jews are the best, screw the rest” in hebrew. ...

Video: Jay Carney Compares Questions About Scandals To Birther Conspiracy Theories

Tue, 21 May 2013 19:20:25 GMT

Source: buzzfeed.com --- Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Facing questions about the recent slate of scandals to hit the White House, the press secretary invokes birtherism. Carney: "We could go down the list of questions. We could say what about the president's birth certificate, was that legitimate?" Source: youtube.com ...

Why some people buy into conspiracy theories and others don't...

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:29:00 GMT

Source: reasonableconversation.blogspot.com --- Tuesday, May 21, 2013
An interesting study has been released by Fairleigh Dickinson University on the subject of conspiracy theories. In short, conspiracy theories appeal to some people more than they appeal to others. Generally speaking, if you tend to believe in things like conspiracies you tend to keep on believing in other things like tbat being possible. On the other hand, if you don't believe generally in conspiracy theories, you tend not to believe the new conspiracy theories that come across your path. There's a lot of interesting findings in the report which you can read in full by clicking on the link below: Why Rational People Buy Into conspiracy theories - NYTimes.com ...

Article on the psychology of conspiracy theories (from NYTimes)

Tue, 21 May 2013 11:39:19 GMT

Source: metabunk.org --- Tuesday, May 21, 2013
I found this article interesting and relevant to Metabunk: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/26/ma...eories.html?hp ...

Eureka: Why Rational People Buy Into Conspiracy Theories

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:00:01 GMT

Source: www.nytimes.com --- Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Psychologists are beginning to unravel the mystery behind this brand of American political paranoia. ...

More on conspiracy theories and the big lie

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:17:00 GMT

Source: oswaldbastable.blogspot.com --- Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Remember Y2K and how the world was going to scream to a halt? Didn't happen and I doubt that it would have caused more than a few minor hiccups. IT companies did very well out of it, though, Various pandemics that failed eventuate. This is an ongoing one. Man-made global warming, AKA climate change when that didn't pan out. Running out of oil by 2000AD- an old one but somehow this too was wrong. The world would be destroyed by AIDS- another old one that was also a fizzier. Spot any trends here? All of these made various groups a lot of money. And showed other snake-oil salesman that P.T. Barnum was right- there is a sucker born every minute... ...

Are conspiracy theories just moral panics?

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:59:53 GMT

Source: metabunk.org --- Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Political theorist Michael Barkun believes that the allure of conspiracy theory can be summed up in three main points: "The appeal of conspiracism is threefold. First, conspiracy theories claim to explain what others can't. They appear to make sense out of a world that is otherwise confusing. Second, they do so in an appealingly simple way, by dividing the world sharply between the forces of light and the forces of darkness. They trace all evil back to a single source, the conspirators and their agents. Finally, conspiracy theories are often presented as special, secret knowledge unknown or unappreciated by others. For conspiracists, the masses are a brainwashed herd, while the conspiracists in the know can congratulate themselves on penetrating the plotters' deceptions." [Source: Interview with Michael Barkun http://www.publiceye.org/antisemitism/nw_barkun.html ] What is common with all conspiracy theories is that they tend to strengthen among fundamentalists (regardless of creed). This well illustrates the point that conspiracy theorists operate very much like a cult. Alarmist cults generate and feed off moral panics which give 'credibility' to their theories. conspiracy theory is a modern day moral panic the likes of which we have seen numerous times in history. There are many examples of such moral panics, here are examples from just the 20th century: Communism Stalin's purges Jewish conspiracy Jazz music Waltz dance Comic bo ...

Moon Landing Faked!!! Why People Believe in Conspiracy Theories

Tue, 21 May 2013 03:53:18 GMT

Source: www.scientificamerican.com --- Monday, May 20, 2013
Did NASA fake the moon landing? Is the government hiding Martians in Area 51? Is global warming a hoax? And what about the Boston Marathon bombing…an “inside job” perhaps? [More] ...

Do you believe in any conspiracy theories?

Tue, 21 May 2013 01:25:50 GMT

Source: roxytherepublican.tumblr.com --- Monday, May 20, 2013
Well, I believe lots of “politically incorrect” things about the jew, but those things are hardly mere “conspiracy theories” when one looks at the enormous mounds of evidence with an objective mind. ...

Oklahoma School Conspiracy Theories in 5...4...3...2...1...

Mon, 20 May 2013 21:18:39 GMT

Source: forums.randi.org --- Monday, May 20, 2013
Per @MichelleMalkin Quote: #PrayforOklahoma RT @AP BREAKING: Police: Elementary school in Oklahoma City suburb takes direct hit from mile-wide tornado -RJJ So what is it going to be, Clayton? Gub'mint trying to take away our tornados? ...