By Daniel Tencer

In a 2008 academic paper, President Barack Obama's appointee to head the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs advocated "cognitive infiltration" of groups that advocate "conspiracy theories" like the ones surrounding 9/11.

Cass Sunstein, a Harvard law professor, co-wrote an academic article entitled "Conspiracy Theories: Causes and Cures," in which he argued that the government should stealthily infiltrate groups that pose alternative theories on historical events via "chat rooms, online social networks, or even real-space groups and attempt to undermine

Originally posted by Sean48
reply to post by ProtoplasmicTraveler

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I would like some new OS people here on ATS,

I think we all but converted the few we had already.

Originally posted by Nematode
reply to post by NuclearPaul

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It's just a distraction, keep us busy and continue to point fingers like it's a game.

They have databases for a lot of things, are you sure they don't already have the name NuclearPaul, next to a scary pope face in one right now?

[edit on 14-1-2010 by Nematode]

Our main though far from exclusive focus – our running example – involves conspiracy theories relating to terrorism, especially theories that arise from and post-date the 9/11 attacks. These theories exist within the United States and, even more virulently, in foreign countries, especially Muslim countries. The existence of both domestic and foreign conspiracy theories, we suggest, is no trivial matter, posing real risks to the government’s antiterrorism policies, whatever the latter may be. Terrorism-related theories are thus a crucial testing ground for the significance, causes, and policy implications of widespread conspiracy theorizing. As we shall see, an understanding of conspiracy theories has broad implications for the spread of information and beliefs; many erroneous judgments are a product of the same forces that produce conspiracy theories, and if we are able to see how to counteract such theories, we will have some clues about how to correct widespread errors more generally.

Originally posted by schrodingers dog
reply to post by ProtoplasmicTraveler

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Man, this paper that this guy has written is really something:

papers.ssrn.com...

I just downloaded the whole thing and am reading it now ... very interesting stuff.

Ty for this story.

Cass Sunstein for Souter slot?

WASHINGTON – The announced retirement of Supreme Court Justice David Souter could result in Barack Obama's nomination of a man who has been an outspoken proponent of tough restriction on gun sales and ownership, a ban on hunting, animal rights and what has been characterized as a "Fairness Doctrine" for the Internet.

Cass Sunstein, a law professor friend of the president and his current nominee to be regulatory czar, is on a list of eight possible names, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, to replace Souter in an article in Atlantic Monthly.

Originally posted by GoldenFleece
reply to post by ProtoplasmicTraveler

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PT, my guess is that you'll be one of the first to be "cognitively infiltrated" (that's gotta hurt)