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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: 1504
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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Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 82.
#7. To: Ada (#0)
The term conspiracy theory is an accurate description of allegations for which there is no proof.
Results 1 - 10 of about 230,000 for FBI "no evidence" bin laden
Yeah, and?
The ONLY conspiracy theory with no proof is the official conspiracy theory.
There is no PROOF of the various conspiracy theories surrounding 9/11. No PROOF that the planes were remotely piloted. No PROOF that a missile hit the Pentagon. No PROOF that Flight 93 was shot down. No PROOF that the Twin Towers were brought down by explosives and no PROOF that anyone other than Muslim radicals were involved in the planning and execution of those attacks.
There is a lot more evidence supporting the above than there is supporting the Official Conspiracy Theory.
There is a lot more evidence supporting the above than there is supporting the Official Conspiracy Theory. You are right, MC, there is no PROOF that many things occured or did not occur on the day of this tragedy. There is no PROOF because many pieces of evidence have not been probed in an open forum of inquiry, and I submit that there is no PROOF because mountains of evidence are held in SECRET. There is no PROOF, for example that there were any Arabs on those planes. I invite you to PROVE it.
I invite you to PROVE it. Ticketing information, surveillance footage, reports from the flight crew and cockpit voice recordings serve as proof.
Ticketing information, surveillance footage, reports from the flight crew and cockpit voice recordings serve as proof. Sir, you have none of these to offer in evidence. 1. There is no documented record of the purported 9-11 terrorists making a plane reservation. If so, there would be a “record locator,” complete with details. 2. There is no documented record of the purported 9-11 terrorists buying or using a ticket. (IDs required) 3. There is no hard-copy of a printed ticket ‘copy.’ 4. There is no record of the purported 9-11 terrorists on any of the passenger manifests, with all legitimate passengers being accounted for. 5. There is no record of the purported 9-11 terrorists in the autopsies. 6. There is not as much as a suggestion that the purported 9-11 terrorists had the needed pilot skills - but rather the contrary. 7. At least seven of the purported 9-11 terrorists are known to be still alive - with no questions being asked. 8. There is no documentation (per the FBI [Mueller] to link the purported 9- 11 terrorists to the events of the day! 9. The presented pictures of the 9-11 hijackers don't match the purported terrorists.
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.
And there is no security video from any of the four major airports that shows any of the alleged perps going through ticketing process.
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.
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.
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.
There are no replies to Comment # 82. End Trace Mode for Comment # 82.
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/LatestThe label "conspiracy theory" is commonly used to try to discredit criticism of the powerful in government or business.
#8. To: Mister Clean (#7)
there is no proof
#9. To: groundresonance (#8)
Results 1 - 10 of about 230,000 for FBI "no evidence" bin laden
#10. To: Mister Clean (#9)
Yeah, and?
#11. To: Critter (#10)
The ONLY conspiracy theory with no proof is the official conspiracy theory.
#13. To: Mister Clean (#11)
There is no PROOF of the various conspiracy theories surrounding 9/11. No PROOF that the planes were remotely piloted. No PROOF that a missile hit the Pentagon. No PROOF that Flight 93 was shot down. No PROOF that the Twin Towers were brought down by explosives and no PROOF that anyone other than Muslim radicals were involved in the planning and execution of those attacks.
#17. To: Critter, Mister Clean (#13)
There is no PROOF of the various conspiracy theories surrounding 9/11.
#21. To: randge (#17)
There is no PROOF, for example that there were any Arabs on those planes.
#52. To: Mister Clean (#21)
There is no PROOF, for example that there were any Arabs on those planes. I invite you to PROVE it.
#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)
#73. To: Mister Clean (#67)
#77. To: randge (#73)
We would like some reasonable explanation of these facts almost ten years on.
#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.
Replies to Comment # 82.