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Title: Ridicule of Conspiracy Theories Focuses On Diffusing Criticism of the Powerful
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URL Source: http://www.georgewashington2.blogsp ... nspiracy-theories-focuses.html
Published: Feb 12, 2010
Author: Washington's Blog
Post Date: 2010-02-12 06:41:06 by Ada
Keywords: None
Views: 1424
Comments: 112
The label "conspiracy theory" is commonly used to try to discredit criticism of the powerful in government or business. For example, just this week - after Tony Blair was confronted by the Iraq Inquiry with evidence that he had used lies to sell the Iraq war - Blair dismissed the entire Iraq Inquiry as simply being part of Britain's "obsession with conspiracy theories". (Not only did Blair know that Saddam possessed no WMDs, but the French this week accused Blair of using of ‘Soviet-style' propaganda in run-up to the Iraq war). Of course, the American government has been busted in the last couple of years in numerous conspiracies. For example, William K. Black - professor of economics and law, and the senior regulator during the S & L crisis - says that that the government's entire strategy now - as during the S&L crisis - is to cover up how bad things are ("the entire strategy is to keep people from getting the facts").Similarly , 7 out of the 8 giant, money center banks went bankrupt in the 1980's during the "Latin American Crisis", and the government's response was to cover up their insolvency. And the government spied on American citizens (even before 9/11 ... confirmed here and here), while saying "we don't spy". The government tortured prisoners in Iraq, but said "we don't torture". In other words, high-level government officials have conspired to cover up the truth. And Tom Brokaw notes: All wars on based on propaganda. A concerted effort to produce propaganda is a conspiracy. Acceptable Versus Unacceptable Conspiracy Theories Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme was a conspiracy. The heads of Enron were found guilty of conspiracy, as was the head of Adelphia. Numerous lower-level government officials have been found guilty of conspiracy. See this, this, this, this and this. Time Magazine's financial columnist Justin Fox writes: Some financial market conspiracies are real ... Most good investigative reporters are conspiracy theorists, by the way. Indeed, conspiracies are so common that judges are trained to look at conspiracy allegations as just another legal claim to be disproven or proven by the evidence. But - while people might admit that corporate executives and low-level government officials might have engaged in conspiracies - they may be strongly opposed to considering that the wealthiest or most powerful might possibly have done so. Indeed, those who most loudly attempt to ridicule and discredit conspiracy theories tend to focus on defending against criticism involving the powerful. This may be partly due to psychology: it is scary for people to admit that those who are supposed to be their "leaders" protecting them may in fact be human beings with complicated motives who may not always have their best interests in mind. And see this. For example, Obama's current head of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs - and a favored pick for the Supreme Court (Cass Sunstein) - previously: Defined a conspiracy theory as "an effort to explain some event or practice by reference to the machinations of powerful people, who have also managed to conceal their role." He has called for the use of state power to crush conspiracy allegations of state wrongdoing. See this, this and this. Similarly: Michael Kelly, a Washington Post journalist and neoconservative critic of anti-war movements on both the left and right, coined the term "fusion paranoia" to refer to a political convergence of left-wing and right-wing activists around anti-war issues and civil liberties, which he claimed were motivated by a shared belief in conspiracism or anti-government views. In other words, prominent neocon writer Kelly believes that everyone who is not a booster for government power and war is a crazy conspiracy theorist. Similarly, psychologists who serve the government eagerly label anyone "taking a cynical stance toward politics, mistrusting authority, endorsing democratic practices, ... and displaying an inquisitive, imaginative outlook" as crazy conspiracy theorists. This is not really new. In Stalinist Russia, anyone who criticized the government was labeled crazy, and many were sent to insane asylums. Using the Power of the State to Crush Criticism of the Government The bottom line is that the power of the state is used to crush criticism of major government policies and actions (or failures to act) and high-level government officials. Pay attention, and you'll notice that criticism of "conspiracy theories" is usually aimed at attempting to protect the state and key government players. The power of the state is seldom used to crush conspiracy theories regarding people who are not powerful . . . at least to the extent that they are not important to the government.
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#60. To: Critter (#57)
That is a convenient way to plug holes in the "inside job" conspiracy theory.
it's there now, but i remember a kerfluffle a couple years ago about it disappearing... it could be that they did a little trial of taking it down, but so many people had downloaded it and made a fuss about it that they had to put it back up in an attempt to save face. i dont ever remember NOT finding that quote, on the PNAC website, when i looked for it, though. Rebuildi ng America’s Defenses: Strategy, Forces and Resources for a New Century PNAC page number 51
That is a convenient way to ignore evidence of an inside job.
It would be easy for the FBI to release the security videos they took from the gas station across the road the evidently had a good view of exactly what happened. The video was taken by the FBI within minutes of the attack. And no I am not going to spoon feed you this - any honest person can easily find it on their own. Leaves you out, I am sure.
"Satan / Cheney in "08" it's pretty plain to see that the israelis are degenerating into downright psychopathy... for instance, here's mr dror in the jewish forward, who says that all jews must abandon their morals in defense of israel... When Survival of the Jewish People Is at Stake, There’s No Place for Morals ...which is kind of a joke, seeing as how it's obvious that radical zionist jews were racial supremacist psychopaths from day one. what does that have to do with 9/11? what does that have to do with the dancing israelis, who, by their own admission, were dispatched on 9/11 to "document the event"?
Sir, you are free to reject reality with as much gusto as you can muster. It is not gusto, my friend. I am asking you to demonstrate a positive.
9. The presented pictures of the 9-11 hijackers don't match the purported terrorists. And there is no security video from any of the four major airports that shows any of the alleged perps going through ticketing process. Evidently all the cameras were inop that day! Horray! Seems my liquor has much better security videos that the US airports. We have on store for thirty days a record of anyone who comes close to our front door.
"Satan / Cheney in "08" And there is no security video from any of the four major airports that shows any of the alleged perps going through ticketing process.
that's my high school choir director. he's good friends with both of these guys...
Airport Video No Video Shows Hijackers Boarding Targeted Flights Until 2004, the only video available to the public showing the alleged hijackers at any airport was a clip from a security camera at the Portland, Maine airport showing Mohammed Atta and Abdulaziz Alomari going through security. 1 The public has not been treated to any video showing any of the alleged hijackers at Boston Logan Airport, the origin of Flights 11 and 175, or Newark Airport, the origin of Flight 93. Video allegedly showing four hijackers boarding Flight 77 at Dulles Airport was released by a law firm representing some survivors' families in July of 2004, on the same day that the Kean Commission released its report. 2 At a time when most convenience stores across the country had security cameras, Logan, a major international airport, supposedly had no security cameras in its departure lounges. 3 According to Michael Taylor, president of American International Security Corp, the Newark airport does have video cameras in its departure lounges. So does Dulles International Airport. 4 However, the FBI has refused to release any video from these airports that might prove that the alleged hijackers boarded the flights. http://911research.wtc7.net/planes/evidence/airportvideo.html
"Satan / Cheney in "08" That Muslim radicals purchased tickets, boarded the planes and hijacked them has already been demonstrated over the past 8 years in everything from news reports to evidence presented at the Moussaoui trial. What hasn't been demonstrated is that 9/11 was an inside job.
That site is as credible as prison planet.
are you going to post transcripts of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's confessions, as he was being waterboarded for the 183rd time?
Portland, Maine And this is all you have. All that you can reasonably be expected to come up with at a moment's notice, I'll grant you that. But you won't find much more. We want to see hijackers in the airports that the fated flights took off from. Here is Atta, LATE because the Portland flight is late, on his way to his historic mission. A mission that was years in the planning. He should be Johnny-on-the-spot as purported ringleader of this operation, and here he is lollygagging around Portland. And what is his car doing at Logan? We would like some reasonable explanation of these facts almost ten years on. And lots of us would like to see these guys getting on a plane at the gate or at least walking through the airports of origin on video which it seems is too classified to date for us to even get a still of.
So MC what time is in in your video?? 5:45 or 5:53?? Or maybe both?
"Satan / Cheney in "08" you dont seem to be willing to admit the beauty of this operation: everybody does what they're told to do, even if it violates the constitution and basic human decency, because the neocon octopus is so powerful. "you need a patsy for 9/11, mr rumsfeld, mr cheney, mr perle, mr zakheim...?" "no problem, sir, we'll have a confession in a couple minutes... please wear your raincoat and galoshes, sir."
Perhaps you can provide me a list of sites that are approved by you.
"Satan / Cheney in "08" That's not what you want. You want to cling to your conspiracy theory because it allows you to wallow in a self righteous "I know the TRUTH" attitude. 9/11 "truth" is the vehicle by which you feel superior to others.
9/11 "truth" is the vehicle by which you feel superior to others. With that, as far as I am concerned, your credibility is shot.
"Satan / Cheney in "08" 5:45 or 5:53?? Or maybe both? The only reasonable explanation for these two different time stamps is that two different time lapse vcrs were looped together, each recording the video simultaneously, with each having their time and date generator set to different times. The "24h" on each time stamp was generated by a VCR recording in the 24hr mode, meaning 24 hours of video condensed onto a 2 hour tape. The video passed through one vcr which added its time stamp, then fed the other vcr which added its time stamp and recorded both time stamps.
Time stamp's not the issue here. with respect.
I'm not surprised that you can't see the juvenile level of self righteousness that every "truther" proudly displays.
nope. the problem is: nobody knows the truth except the perps and their accomplices. the most likely suspects are people who had the most motive, means, opportunity, character and prior convictions. those people also had the most motive, means, opportunity, character and prior convictions to destroy evidence, manipulate the investigation, and propagandize the public into acceptance of the official theory... ...not to mention the fact that they also had the motive, means, opportunity, and character to terrorize potential troublemakers into compliance by mailing them anthrax letters.
In the past, some folks have concluded that the two different times are proof that the video was doctored. Having worked in the CCTV field for 25 years, I am fairly certain that it was just a case of redundant VCRs. Tom questioned the two times. I was just inserting my 2 cents. With respect. :)
With that, as far as I am concerned, your credibility is shot. Fer the record, this is where the ad hominem slinging began on this thread. Forget "truth." Just give me some facts. I don't feel or want to feel superior to anyone. I just want some facts so that I won't feel that my gevernment is making a fool of me. Let's see if we can keep this civil.
Copy. Gotcha. ; )
The hijackers moves have been documented from the time Atta was in Hamburg, Germany. There is ample evidence of their movements in the US leading up to 9/11 including where they lived, the flight training they took and money transfers they received. One of the hijackers even bought the plane tickets using his Visa card. I don't believe you want any facts which is why you cling to a conspiracy theory. There is nothing that will satisfy you. You WANT to believe in 9/11 "truth."
aha... so you must be saying that these hijackers, who were completely superfluous to the operation, were patsies, that the israelis and israeli americans knew about the operation ahead of time, and allowed the hijackers to pull it off because, as the neocons noted in september of 2000, they needed a new pearl harbor to get their PNAC land and oil acquisition project off the ground. i can see that, but it seems more likely that the ringleaders could have picked their patsies, staged the operation, and then immediately obliterate every shred of common sense with a nonstop media blitz that assigned blame on the patsies, as the neocons cleaned up any rough spots in the execution of the operation. later, they could torture confessions out of other patsies who would substaniate the official conspiracy theory and provide cannon fodder for the neocons' show trials. so far it's worked, but it's too bad that so many people are skeptical... and it looks like, sooner or later, the government is gonna have to enforce the official conspiracy theory at gunpoint. but that's okay, too... there's nothing like shooting a few million people to get morale back up where it belongs. just ask the russians and chinese.
Everything you say is true. I was waiting for the inevitable "There is nothing that will satisfy you." I've told you what will satisfy me. I want someone to put these guys on these planes. Having followed these arguments for years, I haven't seen anyone do that. And I'd advise you to stay away from arguments relating to the training of these guys because our fingerprints are all over that.
It's inevitable because it's true. Nothing will satisfy a 9/11 "truther."
I'm still waiting. Put these guys on the planes.
Turtle, is that you???
Click for Privacy and Preparedness files Alex Jones is the Robert Tilton of the conspiracy world. ~Mister Clean Live free or No, I think he is Jeff Gannon: That's rich. If it's Turtle, his truck's not firing on all cylinders this morning.
He posted the same kinds of topics and responses. As much as I disagree, at least they don't get into name calling like some do. IMO it's possible that they are one and the same. Just going back and reading pings to and from each other, they have similar styles. One could have been a sock puppet that took on a life of its own. It's all very conspiratorial... Or maybe they are not the same. If it is, I don't expect an admission, just denials of a conspiracy, like on 9/11 ;)
Click for Privacy and Preparedness files Alex Jones is the Robert Tilton of the conspiracy world. ~Mister Clean Live free or It's inevitable because it's true. Nothing will satisfy a 9/11 "truther." and all it takes are a few words from baalzabush to satisfy a bushbot liar.
What would it take to convince you? Video of them entering the plane and taking their seats?
Nope.
and while they are at it, they might as well release the videotapes of the plotters boarding the plane at Logan.
How do you know such a video even exists?
How do you know such a video even exists? that's right! MC's handlers could have already destroyed all of the tapes in question.
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Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/LatestBut, once again, I am not a psychopath, and have trouble thinking like one.
#61. To: PSUSA (#58)
(Edited)
Seems to me I remember them taking that off of their website.
Further, the process of transformation, even if it brings revolutionary change, is likely to be a long one, absent some catastrophic and catalyzing event – like a new Pearl Harbor.
#62. To: Mister Clean (#60)
That is a convenient way to plug holes in the "inside job" conspiracy theory.
The only real restraint on gummints is people who say "live free or die" ... and mean it. - Enderby
#63. To: Mister Clean (#48)
(Edited)
#64. To: Mister Clean (#60)
(Edited)
#65. To: Mister Clean (#54)
Sir, you have none of these to offer in evidence.
#66. To: randge (#52)
8. There is no documentation (per the FBI [Mueller] to link the purported 9- 11 terrorists to the events of the day!
#67. To: tom007 (#66)
#68. To: Mister Clean (#67)
(Edited)
#69. To: Mister Clean (#67)
#70. To: randge (#65)
I am asking you to demonstrate a positive.
#71. To: tom007 (#69)
http://911research.wtc7.net/planes/evidence/airportvideo.html
#72. To: Mister Clean (#70)
#73. To: Mister Clean (#67)
#74. To: Mister Clean (#67)
#75. To: Mister Clean (#71)
(Edited)
#76. To: Mister Clean (#71)
That site is as credible as prison planet.
#77. To: randge (#73)
We would like some reasonable explanation of these facts almost ten years on.
#78. To: Mister Clean (#77)
hat's not what you want. You want to cling to your conspiracy theory because it allows you to wallow in a self righteous "I know the TRUTH" attitude.
#79. To: tom007, Mister Clean (#74)
So MC what time is in in your video??
The only real restraint on gummints is people who say "live free or die" ... and mean it. - Enderby
#80. To: Critter (#79)
#81. To: tom007 (#78)
With that, as far as I am concerned, your credibility is shot.
#82. To: Mister Clean (#77)
(Edited)
You want to cling to your conspiracy theory because it allows you to wallow in a self righteous "I know the TRUTH" attitude.
#83. To: randge (#80)
The only real restraint on gummints is people who say "live free or die" ... and mean it. - Enderby
#84. To: Mister Clean (#81)
(T)hat's not what you want. You want to cling to your conspiracy theory because it allows you to wallow in a self righteous "I know the TRUTH" attitude. 9/11 "truth" is the vehicle by which you feel superior to others.
#85. To: Critter (#83)
Tom questioned the two times. I was just inserting my 2 cents. With respect. :)
#86. To: randge (#84)
Just give me some facts.
#87. To: Mister Clean (#86)
(Edited)
#88. To: Mister Clean (#86)
#89. To: randge (#88)
I was waiting for the inevitable "There is nothing that will satisfy you."
#90. To: Mister Clean (#89)
#91. To: Mister Clean (#89)
die kill ~~ Me
#92. To: PSUSA (#91)
Turtle, is that you???
The only real restraint on gummints is people who say "live free or die" ... and mean it. - Enderby
#93. To: PSUSA (#91)
(Edited)
Turtle, is that you???
#94. To: randge (#93)
die kill ~~ Me
#95. To: randge (#89)
(Edited)
I was waiting for the inevitable "There is nothing that will satisfy you."
computer counted ballots are ballots that have been counted in secret, and with all probability not the way one voted.
#96. To: randge (#90)
Put these guys on the planes.
#97. To: PSUSA (#91)
Turtle, is that you???
#98. To: tom007 (#63)
It would be easy for the FBI to release the security videos they took from the gas station across the road the evidently had a good view of exactly what happened.
#99. To: Ada (#98)
and while they are at it, they might as well release the videotapes of the plotters boarding the plane at Logan.
#100. To: Ada (#99)
and while they are at it, they might as well release the videotapes of the plotters boarding the plane at Logan.
computer counted ballots are ballots that have been counted in secret, and with all probability not the way one voted.
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