They're out to get us!

[Keroin]

There is no shortage of conspiracy theories out there but there are two that seem to keep cropping up around me lately. What I can’t understand is how otherwise intelligent, rational people fall for this stuff.

Do I believe that people in positions of wealth and power do things, in secret, to serve their best interests, and then actively seek to hide their actions from the general public? Of course, I’m not blind. Watergate, Iran-Contra, even the Madoff scandal are all good examples of this. But all of the aforementioned ‘conspiracies’ have tangible, provable evidence of their existence.

I guess what’s gotten me riled is that I find some of these conspiracies highly offensive, the chief culprit being this Zeitgeist movie, which purports that 9/11 was a plot by the US government, and not by Al-Qaida members. I was appalled to learn that this movie was played on the CBC. To me, anyone who buys into that movie is essentially spitting on the people who lost their lives that day.

“Chem trails” is another conspiracy theory I keep hearing about and one that is easily explained away by hard science. Why do people insist on clinging to these crazy ideas and such flimsy pseudo-science?

Why do people believe in conspiracy theories?

I’m just baffled.

 

[chy_girl]

Why do people believe in conspiracy theories?

Because the bigger and badder the conspiracy theory, the less people have to worry about how their own personal and social actions have contributed to the problem?

Or there simply aren't enough tinfoil hats in the world.

 

[Primalex]

I guess what’s gotten me riled is that I find some of these conspiracies highly offensive, the chief culprit being this Zeitgeist movie, which purports that 9/11 was a plot by the US government, and not by Al-Qaida members. I was appalled to learn that this movie was played on the CBC. To me, anyone who buys into that movie is essentially spitting on the people who lost their lives that day.

Why do you find the theory offensive?

I can only find things offensive, where I see or believe some kind of truth. If I know it's not true, then I don't even waste another second thinking about it.

What about the thought that basically the government did create Al-Qaida? They supported and used them to fight in Afghanistan twenty years ago. Is this thought offensive, too?

 

[Cattypuss]

I was appalled to learn that this movie was played on the CBC. .

I'm surprised by this. Don't you want your national broadcasting corporation to be impartial? I know I want mine (the BBC) to be as impartial as possible.

 

[YourCaptor]

What is Chem trails?

 

[graceanne]

And some people still believe that the world is flat, and that the holocaust never happened.

Don't worry about what people think. They don't do it very often.

 

[chy_girl]

I'm surprised by this. Don't you want your national broadcasting corporation to be impartial? I know I want mine (the BBC) to be as impartial as possible.

Yes, but to get impartial over here, it takes three different news sources and average brain function. After that the person needs to pick through the crap for the facts and use said brain for free thought.

It's surprisingly uncommon.

 

[ThorkelGriersen]

Irrationality

The best analysis of all of these absurd beliefs is in a book by the late Carl Sagan, the Cornell astronomer, entitled The Deamon Haunted Universe.

He deals not only with superstition v science, but the ways in which the media is biased --i.e. the principal value, especially on TV, is the sensational. Absurd theories can always be peddled as audience grabbers.

SNARK: My favorite line from the book is from a lady who asks, "How much do you think that the aliens would charge to keep the people whom they have been abducting?"

 

[Sir_Winston54]

There is no shortage of conspiracy theories out there but there are two that seem to keep cropping up around me lately. What I can’t understand is how otherwise intelligent, rational people fall for this stuff.

<snippage> Why do people insist on clinging to these crazy ideas and such flimsy pseudo-science?

Why do people believe in conspiracy theories?

I’m just baffled.

I think much of many people's willingness - or eagerness - to embrace conspiracy theories is their inability to accept
that they

• (individually) have little or no power in the universe,
• can do little or nothing to affect the major events of their times, and
• are single pixels in the big picture, without whom that big picture would be affected not at all.

It's much easier to believe that there is some omnipotent group pulling all the strings than it is to accept that they have not taken advantage of their native intelligence and abilities to *be* able to affect the world other than *perhaps* their own teensy-tiny little corner of it.

 

[Netzach]

There is no shortage of conspiracy theories out there but there are two that seem to keep cropping up around me lately. What I can’t understand is how otherwise intelligent, rational people fall for this stuff.

Do I believe that people in positions of wealth and power do things, in secret, to serve their best interests, and then actively seek to hide their actions from the general public? Of course, I’m not blind. Watergate, Iran-Contra, even the Madoff scandal are all good examples of this. But all of the aforementioned ‘conspiracies’ have tangible, provable evidence of their existence.

I guess what’s gotten me riled is that I find some of these conspiracies highly offensive, the chief culprit being this Zeitgeist movie, which purports that 9/11 was a plot by the US government, and not by Al-Qaida members. I was appalled to learn that this movie was played on the CBC. To me, anyone who buys into that movie is essentially spitting on the people who lost their lives that day.

“Chem trails” is another conspiracy theory I keep hearing about and one that is easily explained away by hard science. Why do people insist on clinging to these crazy ideas and such flimsy pseudo-science?

Why do people believe in conspiracy theories?

I’m just baffled.

The decline of education, and the need for people to feel special when they're being cut off from mainstream channels of power. If you're feeling cut off from the government "the moon landing was faked" or other such shit allows you to define yourself as a real expert, really in the know, even if you're just essentially ridiculous with no hard data in support.

 

[rida]

For an insight on many of those people's thinking, check out:
www.godlikeproductions.com/forum1/01/05/10/pg1

a bb full of conspiracy theory, alien conspiracy, chem trail and so forth
it can be entartaining at time, especially when they have exact date and time predictions and then nothing happens

 

[DVS]

Sorry...guess they got me.

 

[DVS]

For an insight on many of those people's thinking, check out:
www.godlikeproduction.com ( or maybe is godslikeproductio.com )

a bb full of conspiracy theory, alien conspiracy, chem trail and so forth
it can be entartaining at time, especially when they have exact date and time predictions and then nothing happens

godlikeproductions.com

 

[Keroin]

I'm surprised by this. Don't you want your national broadcasting corporation to be impartial? I know I want mine (the BBC) to be as impartial as possible.

There's impartial and then there's irresponsible. I believe airing that movie was irresponsible, especially considering so many people believe anything they see on TV must be fact.

What is Chem trails?

You know the contrails left behind by jets? There's a conspiracy theory that they contain chemicals that are being purposely sprayed into the atmosphere. The kind of chemical varies from theorist to theorist.

 

[midwestyankee]

You know the contrails left behind by jets? There's a conspiracy theory that they contain chemicals that are being purposely sprayed into the atmosphere. The kind of chemical varies from theorist to theorist.

Well, I've heard that God does the same thing every day with all those innocent looking cumulonimbus trails, too.

 

[BiBunny]

I don't think I'm stupid or sheltered or uneducated, and I believe that lots of things aren't as they seem or as they're sold to us. I'm not a black-helicopter-chasing, tinfoil-hat-wearing lunatic, but a lot of things certainly don't add up.

And I am ready for the Revolution. Screw you people. *Takes shotgun and goes back in bunker*

 

[Keroin]

Or there simply aren't enough tinfoil hats in the world.

*snort*

The best analysis of all of these absurd beliefs is in a book by the late Carl Sagan, the Cornell astronomer, entitled The Deamon Haunted Universe.

He deals not only with superstition v science, but the ways in which the media is biased --i.e. the principal value, especially on TV, is the sensational. Absurd theories can always be peddled as audience grabbers.

SNARK: My favorite line from the book is from a lady who asks, "How much do you think that the aliens would charge to keep the people whom they have been abducting?"

Carl Sagan was one of my favourites. The book is "Demon Haunted World - Science as a Candle in the Dark" and it is a book I frequently reccomend to people who try to convince me of alien abductions, psychic powers, etc. I love how he demonstrated that science is not about removing wonder and mystery but simply about focusing on what is wondrous and mysterious in reality.

I think much of many people's willingness - or eagerness - to embrace conspiracy theories is their inability to accept
that they

• (individually) have little or no power in the universe,
• can do little or nothing to affect the major events of their times, and
• are single pixels in the big picture, without whom that big picture would be affected not at all.

It's much easier to believe that there is some omnipotent group pulling all the strings than it is to accept that they have not taken advantage of their native intelligence and abilities to *be* able to affect the world other than *perhaps* their own teensy-tiny little corner of it.

Very well explained SW.

 

[graceanne]

I don't think I'm stupid or sheltered or uneducated, and I believe that lots of things aren't as they seem or as they're sold to us. I'm not a black-helicopter-chasing, tinfoil-hat-wearing lunatic, but a lot of things certainly don't add up.

And I am ready for the Revolution. Screw you people. *Takes shotgun and goes back in bunker*

That's pretty much my feeling. I think there are some conspiracies, but I think some people look too hard for them (my mother comes to mind). For instance, I don't think that govt really cares what I buy at safeway, so I'm safe getting a safeway card. If I were doing something that I shouldn't, then I'd be worried, but honestly they don't have the man power to watch every person in America's spending habits.

Which is why my mom uses my safeway card.

 

[Sharpened]

OK, here's what we've got: the Rand Corporation, in conjunction with the saucer people under the supervision of the reverse vampires are forcing our parents to go to bed early in a fiendish plot to eliminate the meal of dinner. We're through the looking glass, here, people...

 

[Netzach]

I don't think I'm stupid or sheltered or uneducated, and I believe that lots of things aren't as they seem or as they're sold to us. I'm not a black-helicopter-chasing, tinfoil-hat-wearing lunatic, but a lot of things certainly don't add up.

And I am ready for the Revolution. Screw you people. *Takes shotgun and goes back in bunker*

Oh there's plenty of bullshit being sold people, but being able to think critically and analyze data is what separates critical from tin foil hat.

 

[midwestyankee]

Oh there's plenty of bullshit being sold people, but being able to think critically and analyze data is what separates critical from tin foil hat.

Or maybe just a better sense of fashion?

 

[caela]

That's pretty much my feeling. I think there are some conspiracies, but I think some people look too hard for them (my mother comes to mind). For instance, I don't think that govt really cares what I buy at safeway, so I'm safe getting a safeway card. If I were doing something that I shouldn't, then I'd be worried, but honestly they don't have the man power to watch every person in America's spending habits.

Which is why my mom uses my safeway card.

I agree with this. Certainly I think our (and most other) government covers things up and is probably doing a lot of shit I wouldn't approve of. I don't think they care what I buy when I go grocery shopping but neither would I be surprised if it turned out that they had some massive computer program designed to filter credit card transaction looking for certain types of things being bought.

Mostly I just don't care. I tend to consider conspiracy theories to be a good source of amusement....but then I also don't think my life and activities would actually be interesting to the gov't either. No reason for them to be out to get me so why should I worry about it???

They might be after some of you guys though so you'd better be careful and make sure your tinfoil hats fit!!!

 

[RawHumor]

I guess what’s gotten me riled is that I find some of these conspiracies highly offensive, the chief culprit being this Zeitgeist movie, which purports that 9/11 was a plot by the US government, and not by Al-Qaida members. I was appalled to learn that this movie was played on the CBC. To me, anyone who buys into that movie is essentially spitting on the people who lost their lives that day.

“Chem trails” is another conspiracy theory I keep hearing about and one that is easily explained away by hard science. Why do people insist on clinging to these crazy ideas and such flimsy pseudo-science?

Why do people believe in conspiracy theories?

I’m just baffled.

I adore you now... but I don't know what Chem trails is.

 

[RawHumor]

You know the contrails left behind by jets? There's a conspiracy theory that they contain chemicals that are being purposely sprayed into the atmosphere. The kind of chemical varies from theorist to theorist.

Ahhhh... I've never heard this one before. Interesting.

 

[ImOnIt]

And some people still believe that the world is flat, and that the holocaust never happened.

Don't worry about what people think. They don't do it very often.

My first and continued reaction was that it was a joke site. It may even be a very serious, long lasting joke.



I've been on voice chat with people who believe strange things, and god damn... zero critical thinking skills. I talked to/ listened a man for an hour who was part of a society who wanted to eliminate industry, "make robots do everything" because "all of the worlds ills are created by money" and "everything (ie- goods) would be freely distributed to everyone".

Yeah.