The politics of paranoia

A great blog that pretty much nails it on the head:

Conspiracy theories are usually hallmarked by their reliance on ambiguous, hotly disputed ‘facts’, their use of vague and blurry ‘anomalies’ that allegedly reveal the shocking truth, and, usually, the lack of a coherent, logical, internal narrative. They focus exclusively on those facts that appear to support the claim, and studiously ignore large quantities of well-substantiated and expert contrary evidence. They thrive in areas of factual ambiguity, and derive their strength from a feeble appeal to our ‘it just might be true’ suspicions.

Looking through ATS it is hard to argue with!!

Now apaprently Polyps makes his living as a cartoonist.....whcih immediiately makes him more insightful than most ppl IMO - cartoonists who do not convey a message dont' stay in work long!

but not only does he succinctly describe the symptoms of conspiracies, he also offers some insight as to why we think them up:

After decades of campaigning, CO2 levels continue to rise. After the débâcle of the 2000 US presidential elections, the blatant ignoring of the majority opposition to the invasion of Iraq, the continuing and very visible consolidation of corporate power and the subsequent dilution of democracy, it’s understandable that people are choosing to express their despair by constructing what are perhaps metaphors for our lack of political control. What better way to vent your contempt for the system than by loudly accusing it of having orchestrated the 9/11 attacks and butchered its own citizens? This has a deep emotional appeal, regardless of whether or not the facts hold water.

And he doesn't even blame the internet!!

Sorry - I completely forgot to include a link!!

Here 'tis: www.newint.org...

Originally posted by Aloysius the Gaul
Sorry - I completely forgot to include a link!!

Here 'tis: www.newint.org...

I'm sorry, I seem to have missed the reason for this thread. Perhaps there are not enough people marching around in protest groups with big signs that depict his cartoons showing the wrongs that are defiling the world?

While a coherant rant, it is still a rant and shold be shelved in that department, IMMHO.

You don't think cogent commentary & discussion on the nature and reason for conspiracy theories belongs in the "General conspiracies" forum??

I thought this is the perfect place for people to examine the nature of the phenomena

reply to post by Aloysius the Gaul


Show me the proof! Until then it's just baseless assertions. (sound familiar?)

reply to post by coyotepoet


Show you the proof of what?

reply to post by Aloysius the Gaul


Proof that there isn't a factual basis, however tenuous some theories may be, for an ongoing conspiracy. On one hand I agree with the assertions that it's human nature to look for reasons to explain challenging circumstances, on the other hand there is a lot of evidence that there is a larger conspiracy by the PTB even if their motivation is just power and money. However, my prior post was intended to point out that "proof" whether in chemtrails or conspiracies, while not necessarily immediately available doesn't negate the fact that it could be a legitimate concern.

To use a favorite Kevin Spacey quote: "The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was to convince the world he didn't exist."