> Conspiracy Theory 101. > > There is a reason Bob, why I have begun to equate some of your verbose > ramblings as conspiracy theory. Not the least of which is because you > believe the financial crisis IS a conspiracy and some shadowy person, > group > or country has brought it on. But let's look at some of the > characteristics > on Conspiracy Theorists (CT).
You mischaracterize my conviction on this point. I don't know why, on Sept 18, 2008, computerized trades suddenly siphoned half a trillion dollars from US *money markets* in the span of 2 hrs. Neither do you. One congressional representative mentioned this fact on CSPAN in reference to the subsequent panic recently in January, much like Sen. Feinstein inadvertently blew Pakistan's cover in our ME operations, but otherwise not a peep about it in the news. No "who knew what, when" catcalls, no inquiries, no investigations. Meanwhile, Waxman wants to study ways to control the internet in the spirit of the "fairness doctrine", and an important China finance representative has announced how much "we hate you guys"--a phrase Reuters censored after the fact. Barney Frank wants to know why executives fly private airplanes (for any other purpose than to attend Obama's inauguration), but nobody wants to know exactly what transpired that day to precipitate the panic that has caused the US government suddenly to pledge more trillions of dollars in six months than Bush blew in eight years. Curious, that---that's all. I don't know what it means, but I wish somebody was trying to find out. > > 1) Extreme language. CTs tend to describe their theories using > pejorative and extreme language. It is rarely an 'issue' or an 'event'. > It > is almost always a world-changing, massive coverup of enormous > proportions > that a great number of people are involved in. It is never an accident > etc See the above. > 2) Secret Knowledge. CTs love to sprout the fact that they know > something the rest of us don't. They have access to some hidden wisdom > that > us lesser mortals don't. These sources are usually discredited > websites, > anonymous 'official' sources etc. When added to the paranoid who > believe > they are hearing from God it becomes cultish. Almost always their facts > are > without a shred of credibility. But some are legit... which leads us > to... See the above. > 3) CT interpretation of facts 101. CTs love to interpret facts and > theories according to their latest idea or theory. When a fact can have > several possible interpretations CTs will invariably use the one that > supports their theory despite the fact that this interpretation is the > least > likely and defies statistical probablility. They claim to be seeking > after > truth but in reality are seeking confirmation of their own theory and > nothing more. See the above. > 4) CTs always predict doom and disaster. Never joy and happiness. > There > is never a conspiracy to feed the poor or cure cancer etc. The entire Democrat party during Bush's last 5 years fits this description. > 5) CTs will abuse those who query them. Often the abuse is > astonishingly rough. Like your calling me names, impugning my character, calling my motives into question, and otherwise trying to puff yourself up as some kind of arbiter of what is reasonable? > 6) CTs never have just one theory. They always support a whole host > of > them. If you are a 911 CT then you probably don't believe in the moon > landings either. I believe neither of those conspiracy theories. > 7) CTs are usually poorly educated. But this doesn't stop them from > making grandiose statements on the viability of the Lunar Lander or on > complex engineering or scientific issues. IN fact the less educated > they > are, the more they sprout. If you think this point applies to me, that explains why you think Julio is normal. > 8) The 'black helicopters'. CTs always believe some or all of the > following. The New World Order, Illuminati, Zionist conspiracy, > families > ruling over governments and of course the famed silent 'black > helicopters'. > Aliens are also a regular feature. If I was afraid of black helicopters I would not share my opinions with anybody, least of all so openly, and at risk of personal derision, not to mention persecution in Henry Waxman's committee, over the Internet. > 9) CTs love guns and the right for all to have them and the > necessity > for self -defence. (I don't understand this one but it is a common > trait) I don't own a gun. I have only recently considered buying one. > 10) The difference CTs and Religious Paranoids (a diagnosed > illness) is not much between. Add an antichrist here and a few narrow-minded > and > theologically inaccurate interpretations there and voila... a RP > (Religious > paranoid) is born. And if we are unlucky, so is a cult. You will know what a cult is when the fruits of Obama's deeds are manifest. > 11) CTs are often survivalists. I wouldn't last five minutes in the woods. > 12) They are verbose. Bob, this is not a particular rant at you ok? > BUT > CTs have a habit of writing vast quantities of material, mostly > repetitive > and all of it pretty much in line with the above points. It is as if > they > seek to convince by the sheer volume of words rather than the > information > contained therein. OK, you got 1 out of 12 points. I am verbose, and I try too hard to reason with idiots. This is not a particular rant at you ok? > > That about covers it but there are more that could be added. Bob, some > of > your posts fit the bill. Not all thats for sure. But I'd be pretty > uncomfortable if so many of the above fit me. One out of twelve? Go fish. - Bob _______________________________________________ Post Messages to: [email protected] Subscription Maintenance: http://leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profox OT-free version of this list: http://leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profoxtech Searchable Archive: http://leafe.com/archives/search/profox This message: http://leafe.com/archives/byMID/profox/[email protected] ** All postings, unless explicitly stated otherwise, are the opinions of the author, and do not constitute legal or medical advice. This statement is added to the messages for those lawyers who are too stupid to see the obvious.
