'Conspiracy Theories' Article from Harvard University

Ever wonder what looking into conspiracy theories may lead to, well here we go-

The article below is written by Cass Sunstein-

en.wikipedia.org...

Yes, he is Jewish, but I'm going to ignore this ever common trend regarding influential people in US government to focus on his position and who he is.

He is currently the Administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. I highly recommend reading this article because it is a great insight into what is a very strong voice of persuasion to the government. They don't want people to think and ask questions- and the way for TPTB to do that is to make the government fearful of it's own people.

That way, we slowly lose our right to think for ourselves and ask questions, what passes as 'national security' is simply an attempt to keep control as the internet has afforded people to do their own homework and 'wake up'.

The basic summary of the article is that 'conspiracy therorists' are dangerous and ways to deal with the problem is to use agencies on website forums and chatrooms to class conspiracy theorists as 'extemists', there is even talk of the government outright banning talk of 'conspiracy' or taxing it!

Here's the article in full, from 2008-

www.scribd.com...

Many millions of people hold conspiracy theories; they believe that powerful people have worked together in order to withhold the truth about some important practice or some terrible event. A recent example is the belief, widespread in some partsof the world, that the attacks of 9/11 were carried out not by Al Qaeda, but by Israel or the United States. Those who subscribe to conspiracy theories may create serious risks,including risks of violence, and the existence of such theories raises significant challenges for policy and law

What causes such theories to arise and spread? Are they important and perhaps even threatening, or merely trivial and even amusing? What can and should governmentdo about them? We aim here to sketch some psychological and social mechanisms thatproduce, sustain, and spread these theories; to show that some of them are quite importantand should be taken seriously; and to offer suggestions for governmental responses, bothas a matter of policy and as a matter of law.

Serious stuff really because the government is increasingly aware that through the internet, people are able to see many truths and they can't afford that to be the case if their system is to keep a loyal population.

Consider, for example, the view that the Central Intelligence Agency was responsible for the assassination of President John F. Kennedy; that doctors deliberately manufactured the AIDS virus; that the 1996 crash of TWA flight 800 was caused by aU.S. military missile; that the theory of global warming is a deliberate fraud; that theTrilateral Commission is responsible for important movements of the international economy; that Martin Luther King, Jr., was killed by federal agents; that the plane crashthat killed Democrat Paul Wellstone was engineeredby Republican politicians; that the moon landing was staged and never actually occurred

Within the set of false conspiracy theories, we also limit our focus to potentially harmful theories. Not all false conspiracy theories are harmful; consider the false conspiracy theory, held by many of the younger members of our society, that a secretgroup of elves, working in a remote location under the leadership of the mysterious“Santa Claus,” make and distribute presents on Christmas Eve. This theory is false, but isitself instilled through a widespread conspiracy of the powerful – parents – who conceal their role in the whole affair. (Consider too the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy.) It is an open question whether most conspiracy theories are equally benign; we will suggest that some are not benign at all.

Very clever tactic there, very blatant as well to any half intelligent person, but you can see where the overall idea is headed right there.

And indeed, there can be no doubt that some people who accept conspiracy theories are mentally ill and subject to delusions

Think I need to go see the doctor for some magic pills to make me better, what do you think?

Those who tend to think that Israel was responsible for the attacks of 9/11, and who speak with one another, will end up with a greater commitment to that belief. Group polarization occurs for reasons that parallel the mechanisms that produce cascades.

Informational influences play a large role. In any group with some initial inclination, the views of most people in the group will inevitably be skewed in the direction of that inclination.

Not looking good for the future of the internet.

What can government do about conspiracy theories? Among the things it can do,what should it do? We can readily imagine a series of possible responses. (1)Government might ban conspiracy theorizing. (2) Government might impose some kind of tax, financial or otherwise, on those who disseminate such theories. (3) Government might itself engage in counterspeech, marshaling arguments to discredit conspiracytheories. (4) Government might formally hire credible private parties to engage in counterspeech.

I think 3 and 4 are already seen on this very forum, with people posting to discredit not just a theory, but the poster themselves. By attacking them personally, it makes people question whether they should trust the conspiracy theorist.

Also fits into the current attempt by the Government to legalise propaganda-

www.presstv.ir...

This amendment to the defense authorization bill is to combat the rise of conspiracy theories and the damage it could do to the government's image- it's designed to maintain the sheep population.

Key point here-

Consider the Oklahoma City bombing, whose perpetrators shared a complex of conspiratorial beliefs about the federal government. Many who shared their beliefs did not act on them, but a few actors did, with terrifying consequences. James Fearon and others argue that technological change has driven down the costs of delivering attacks with weapons of mass destruction, to the point where even a smallgroup can pose a significant threat.

If so, and if only a tiny fraction of believers act ontheir beliefs, then as the total population with conspiratorial beliefs grows, it becomesnearly inevitable that action will ensue.

This is where the NDAA makes sense, because everybody is now a potential threat. Basically, the government's view will be that anyone who believes a conspiracy theory could be a threat to national security. This is why they passed the NDAA and FEMA camps are popping up all over the country.

What this article demonstrates, given the author's current position in the Obama administration, is that our government is being heavily influenced by TPTB, controlled if you will- this article is propaganda, and our leaders are brought to believe something like the NDAA is needed for security because there are potentially millions of domestic terrorists. This level of influence is similar to US foreign policy which is controlled by the likes of PNAC and The Saban Center on middle east policy.

It is complete and utter infiltration and influence over the US Government.

These statements confirm my worst nightmares...

These, are very refined and ominous tactics...
S&F.

Quick close ATS... save the Nation!

Oh come on guys, he is obviously harmless. Why shouldn't the net be censored? It would appease alot of people

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www.abovetopsecret.com...



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