Question for my New ATS Friends (Kind of a Jones/Hicks Thread, but not.)

Alright,
This is my first thread, post intro, and it might not be the best but there is something that is just eating away at me and I want to discuss it.
I don't mind being called a conspiracy theorist. I actually take a little pride in it. But with that pride comes at least a grain of responsibility. Now I don't want to alienate anyone this early on, but when I hear things like the trade centers were brought down by beams from space, I tend to roll my eyes a bit. Don't get me wrong, I believe it was at least somewhat of an inside job, it's just that the theories on exactly how it happened can sometimes get a little fishy. Maybe I'm not open minded enough. However, the example I just gave doesn't really make me angry, it just serves as an example of how conspiracy theorists get a bad name, or labeled as crazy. I don't appreciate being called crazy, but if I'm lumped into a group with a bad track record, I guess I see why I'm being labeled.
The other thing I want to mention before I get to the main point is that one thing I enjoy about people who are in search of the truth is their willingness to look at things with an open mind. A lot of times this makes for pretty friendly, nonjudgmental people. When I get hit with the polar opposite of this, it really gets under my skin, and if it would stick to places like youtube, where there is a lot of garbage anyway, fine. When it starts to invade my favorite alternative news site though, it's on.
So this is what happened, and I have names but will refrain from using them, even though they deserve to be called out. I wouldn't consider myself an Alex Jones guy. Maybe 4 or 5 years ago, but honestly I feel his show is the same day in and day out and I just get burnt on it. More of a Coast listener. That's not to say I have any beef with Mr. Jones, because I don't. What I would consider myself is a huge Bill Hicks fan. He's my favorite comic ever and it's too bad that I wasn't old enough to enjoy him before he passed away. So I'm on here the other day and there is another Alex Jones is Bill Hicks thread. I don't really know why, but I look at it. The difference between this one and most of them that I've seen is that this one was very harsh and hateful. Lots of vulgar language and not only was it trashing Jones, but it was really trashing Bill Hicks as well. Which I guess makes sense if they are supposed to be the same person. Now I get people not liking Jones, and if you're one of those people you could say he stirs up fear and things of that nature, but to accuse Bill Hicks of being that way is ridiculous. Bill Hicks had an overall positive message of love and hope. So I got more upset than I should have and went to the youtube link and posted a comment regarding all the vulgarity and the idiocy of this particular theory, but I was as polite as possible about it. Well, apparently this video is made by a guy with a little youtube gang, and I got attacked from all sides. Called all kinds of names. One girl thought she was insulting me by calling me a dirty Jew. It was at that point that I just said I was done with it, they are beneath me. Although I did look at some of their videos from all their channels that they have. They post and repost to each others channels because they are always getting pulled for violations. The stuff I saw made me embarrassed to be a conspiracy theorist. It was not just ridiculous, but hateful, vulgar, and racist to the enth degree. Since then, in the last few days, they have still been popping up on ATS, but luckily they aren't getting much attention.
So after that rant, what in God's name is the point. There isn't so much a point, but a question. Let's assume that since you're here, you are a conspiracy theorist to some degree, even if just a tad. What are some of the theories you've heard that just make you cringe knowing that it gives all of us a bad name? Whether it be because they are just so ridiculous, or even worse, they are so negative that nothing positive could ever come out of them. A lot of you guys have been here quite a bit longer than me and I'm sure you've heard some wild stuff.
Thanks for reading and I look forward to reading your responses.

Originally posted by JackBateman
Alright,
This is my first thread, post intro, and it might not be the best but there is something that is just eating away at me and I want to discuss it.
I don't mind being called a conspiracy theorist. I actually take a little pride in it. But with that pride comes at least a grain of responsibility. Now I don't want to alienate anyone this early on, but when I hear things like the trade centers were brought down by beams from space, I tend to roll my eyes a bit. Don't get me wrong, I believe it was at least somewhat of an inside job, it's just that the theories on exactly how it happened can sometimes get a little fishy. Maybe I'm not open minded enough. However, the example I just gave doesn't really make me angry, it just serves as an example of how conspiracy theorists get a bad name, or labeled as crazy. I don't appreciate being called crazy, but if I'm lumped into a group with a bad track record, I guess I see why I'm being labeled.

The other thing I want to mention before I get to the main point is that one thing I enjoy about people who are in search of the truth is their willingness to look at things with an open mind. A lot of times this makes for pretty friendly, nonjudgmental people. When I get hit with the polar opposite of this, it really gets under my skin, and if it would stick to places like youtube, where there is a lot of garbage anyway, fine. When it starts to invade my favorite alternative news site though, it's on.

So this is what happened, and I have names but will refrain from using them, even though they deserve to be called out. I wouldn't consider myself an Alex Jones guy. Maybe 4 or 5 years ago, but honestly I feel his show is the same day in and day out and I just get burnt on it. More of a Coast listener. That's not to say I have any beef with Mr. Jones, because I don't. What I would consider myself is a huge Bill Hicks fan. He's my favorite comic ever and it's too bad that I wasn't old enough to enjoy him before he passed away. So I'm on here the other day and there is another Alex Jones is Bill Hicks thread. I don't really know why, but I look at it. The difference between this one and most of them that I've seen is that this one was very harsh and hateful. Lots of vulgar language and not only was it trashing Jones, but it was really trashing Bill Hicks as well. Which I guess makes sense if they are supposed to be the same person.

Now I get people not liking Jones, and if you're one of those people you could say he stirs up fear and things of that nature, but to accuse Bill Hicks of being that way is ridiculous. Bill Hicks had an overall positive message of love and hope. So I got more upset than I should have and went to the youtube link and posted a comment regarding all the vulgarity and the idiocy of this particular theory, but I was as polite as possible about it. Well, apparently this video is made by a guy with a little youtube gang, and I got attacked from all sides. Called all kinds of names.

One girl thought she was insulting me by calling me a dirty Jew. It was at that point that I just said I was done with it, they are beneath me. Although I did look at some of their videos from all their channels that they have. They post and repost to each others channels because they are always getting pulled for violations. The stuff I saw made me embarrassed to be a conspiracy theorist. It was not just ridiculous, but hateful, vulgar, and racist to the enth degree. Since then, in the last few days, they have still been popping up on ATS, but luckily they aren't getting much attention.

So after that rant, what in God's name is the point. There isn't so much a point, but a question. Let's assume that since you're here, you are a conspiracy theorist to some degree, even if just a tad. What are some of the theories you've heard that just make you cringe knowing that it gives all of us a bad name? Whether it be because they are just so ridiculous, or even worse, they are so negative that nothing positive could ever come out of them. A lot of you guys have been here quite a bit longer than me and I'm sure you've heard some wild stuff.

Thanks for reading and I look forward to reading your responses.

For those of you who like paragraphs (like me) ...here are some!

OP...you have a lot of interesting things to say...of which I need to think about some more.

The problem with the most outlandish "theories" is they are being done by people with a childlike grudge against someone, or someplace (See: People who get butt hurt by ATS et al.)

Or, they are trying to start their own following online. So they will defend to the utter end of the internet, their position.

I kind of just scanned over your OP, I see the Bill Hicks and Jones one. I never even looked into it myself. The whole "Someone impersonating someone" ideas/hypotheses/theories, (Insanity), whatever you want to call it, well, they are so highly unlikely they are not usually worth looking into.

I look at it this way, if I faked my death and I have mild or full celebrity status, there are two options.

1. No one close to me knows, but see me in my new identity and is so damn curious because there's "No way they can be so much alike"... Even the best disguise, or act, is really not enough to hide yourself from people who've known you for years.

2. The obvious option, after reading option 1, is that everyone is "in on it." Considering how fat peoples' traps are, this is so utterly implausible. People get drunk and blab. There may be some people out there capable of being water boarded and sealing their mouths the whole time, but 7/10 people will tell you their pin number with a few mojitas in their gullet.

So in any case, the wild theories being pushed, it's a silly agenda, with silly people behind it. For the most part, it's not worth arguing. If you do, state simple facts and keep it fact based. Once you get into hypotheticals or kinda, sorta, "What do you think?" rhetoric that plays on weakness, well that's how someone wins an argument that is total tripe.

OP I get what you are saying the Hicks/Jones threads really annoy me as well but not because I am a fan of either just because I really don’t have much time for people who openly embrace such ignorance.

That said however I think there are much more worthwhile things to get annoyed about on ATS, such as people who claim that the Sandy Hook victims where actors or that the Boston Bombs were just a CGI creating that duped us all. There are much more outrageous things proposed on this site other than Jones is really Hicks a CIA stooge and it’s those kind of threads that really annoy me, you know, the ones that openly disrespect people who have died in a tragedy.

reply to post by caladonea


I feel embarrassed, but I really did use paragraphs. I even looked at the preview, but when I posted, it all lumped together. Maybe I hit something I shouldn't have, I'm new. Sorry, I know it makes it difficult to read.

reply to post by JackBateman


I don't really get annoyed by any crazy theories. Conspiracy theorists will always be looked at strangely because we look at things through a different lens. Some people's lens is more...focused...than others. Those who are a little farther out there are fine. They don't have any bearing on my beliefs and you're not responsible for the outlandish things some of them say.

As far as being ragged on by ATS members for certain theories...so what? Haters are going to hate. Read any thread that mentions FEMA camps and you'll see plenty of hateful comments.

Just do your thing, OP, and ignore the haters and the conspiracies you think are over the top.

Originally posted by JackBateman
reply to post by caladonea

 

I feel embarrassed, but I really did use paragraphs. I even looked at the preview, but when I posted, it all lumped together. Maybe I hit something I shouldn't have, I'm new. Sorry, I know it makes it difficult to read.

Please don't feel embarrassed; this paragraph thing happens to many of us...at one time or another. I was just trying to be helpful.

As for you OP...there have been times on ATS when I have read something; where I just have to shake my head and wonder what else goes on in that persons mind. What makes sense to some; may be pointless to others. I also know that there have most likely been times where people may have read something I have written and did a face palm; I'm just saying.