Society/Culture The 12 Steps... To spotting conspiracy theories.

[Werewolf]

The posts say Planned Parenthood sells aborted fetuses (worth more when aborted late term) and donates cash to the Democrat Party.

Well well well...

 

[Chief]

Well well well...

Really?

I watched one and there were plenty of objections about vague questions, speculations, mischaracterisations of documents and testimony etc.

Discussions of organs for studies I think. It's only fragments of the interviews that I can see.

Avid anti-abortionists have described the material the way they want people to see it, using emotive language.

Maybe read up on what others have to say.

Not sure where any money has been diverted to the Democrats, because it never actually happened. From the article linked:

"While publicly, Planned Parenthood told the New York Times they turned the deal down, in video testimony of her deposition under oath, Tram Nguyen is seen admitting in that she actually intended to move forward with the financial arrangement."

This from 5 minutes of questioning in which she doesn't seem to have said that.

Don't fall for this crap.

 

[Toump Ass]

Confirmed CIA programs:

* Operation Mockingbird (The CIA using main stream media to control the masses through propaganda)

"control the masses through propaganda".

Every government/corporation on the planet will use the media to their advantage. This isn't a conspiracy. And the only thing "confirmed" about Operation Mockingbird is that it was used for surveillance of journalists.

Project Mk Ultra (Mind control using LSD and torture)

The US government investigated MK Ultra after media reports and admitted to illegal activities. And the program was halted close to 50 years ago. Not really evidence of ritual child sacrifice and paedophile rings in pizza shop basements.

Moon landings

Nope.

JFK

Doubtful.

9/11

Nah.

The Illuminati

LOL (nope).

Roswell aliens

Doubtful.

Only (recent) events I can think of involving underhanded s**t are the 2003 invasion of Iraq (weapons of mass destruction, lol) and the children overboard affair, and both of those were called out as being horse s**t at the time.

As for the incredibly complex conspiracies involving the complete cooperation from federal, state and international governments, everyone in public service (police, fire brigade, medical), all worldwide media, crisis actors, etc... lol.

 

[Kosch]

"control the masses through propaganda".

Every government/corporation on the planet will use the media to their advantage. This isn't a conspiracy. And the only thing "confirmed" about Operation Mockingbird is that it was used for surveillance of journalists.

The US government investigated MK Ultra after media reports and admitted to illegal activities. And the program was halted close to 50 years ago. Not really evidence of ritual child sacrifice and paedophile rings in pizza shop basements.

Nope.
Doubtful.
Nah.
LOL (nope).
Doubtful.

Only (recent) events I can think of involving underhanded s**t are the 2003 invasion of Iraq (weapons of mass destruction, lol) and the children overboard affair, and both of those were called out as being horse s**t at the time.

As for the incredibly complex conspiracies involving the complete cooperation from federal, state and international governments, everyone in public service (police, fire brigade, medical), all worldwide media, crisis actors, etc... lol.

Thanks news.com.au!

 

[Chief]

'We can’t get her back': When conspiracy theories 'hijack' friends and family - triple j

Conspiracy theories divide society into competing realities and the fault lines run through families and friendship groups.

www.abc.net.au

Veronica is in the process of losing a friend whose personality has become "hijacked" by hardcore conspiracy theories that originated in the US. This started about two years ago. Her friend believes in 'pizzagate', which claims that a global elite of celebrities and politicians are trafficking children to have sex with them.

"It's made it very hard for me to have a reasonable conversation," Veronica explained.

 

[Kosch]

'We can’t get her back': When conspiracy theories 'hijack' friends and family - triple j

Conspiracy theories divide society into competing realities and the fault lines run through families and friendship groups.

www.abc.net.au

Veronica is in the process of losing a friend whose personality has become "hijacked" by hardcore conspiracy theories that originated in the US. This started about two years ago. Her friend believes in 'pizzagate', which claims that a global elite of celebrities and politicians are trafficking children to have sex with them.

"It's made it very hard for me to have a reasonable conversation," Veronica explained.

It would be so much easier if we were all just robots who couldn't think for ourselves and just repeated what the nightly 'news' told us, wouldn't it Chief?

 

[Chief]

It would be so much easier if we were all just robots who couldn't think for ourselves and just repeated what the nightly 'news' told us, wouldn't it Chief?

It would be easier if most people would find a spot in the middle around reasoned skepticism. An mind that isn't so open your brains fall out.

But people have egos. People want definite answers and conclusions. People are credulous. They rationalise after the fact.

 

[Kosch]

It would be easier if most people would find a spot in the middle around reasoned skepticism. An mind that isn't so open your brains fall out.

But people have egos. People want definite answers and conclusions. People are credulous. They rationalise after the fact.

Who decides where the middle is?

 

[Chief]

Who decides where the middle is?

If it starts to look like magic, step back. If key facts don't stack up.

Pizza parlours don't have magic basements, for one.

Look at the language used to describe events.

When someone talks about "mind control" are they just talking about tricky advertising or are they talking about magic?

 

[Kosch]

If it starts to look like magic, step back. If key facts don't stack up.

Pizza parlours don't have magic basements, for one.

Look at the language used to describe events.

When someone talks about "mind control" are they just talking about tricky advertising or are they talking about magic?

100% agree that if magic is mentioned it is not a viable theory. Can you confirm where I mentioned magic from my quote about the 'Conspiracy theories' you listed.

Also who has ever mentioned a Pizza parlour with a magic basement?

Cool thank you for these

Can I suggest instead of googling 'conspiracy theories' as it will just confirm your bias, google these confirmed CIA programs:

* Operation Mockingbird (The CIA using main stream media to control the masses through propaganda)
* Project Mk Ultra (Mind control using LSD and torture)

Then explain how you still believe the CIA's or main stream medias official narrative of any of these events (Except for flat earth I do not know where that has come from).

Moon landings - Mostly likely was real - but videos could've easily have been faked.

JFK - Despised the CIA - Famously said he wanted to “splinter the CIA in a thousand pieces and scatter it to the winds.” Lee Harvey Oswald's relationship with the CIA is also of interest, as is the motive behind his death by Jack Ruby. Also look for the 1979 Select Committee on Assassination which found that there was most likely two shooters acting on behalf of a larger conspiracy. The recently released additional documents surrounding JFK's assassination are fascinating but I am extremely interested to see the ones that Trump is still withholding due to '“identifiable national security, law enforcement, and foreign affairs concerns,” which are set to be release in October 2021.

Link to 1979 Select committee report - https://www.archives.gov/research/jfk/select-committee-report
Link to 2018 additional JFK assassination documents - https://www.archives.gov/research/jfk/release


9/11 - Forget the Twin towers and focus on 7 WTC. The official narrative for the collapse of building 7 does not add up. Physicists from around the world agree it could only have been a controlled demolition. Add to that to the fact that a BBC reporter announced the collapse of Building 7 on live TV 30 mins before it actually collapsed, how do you explain that?

Link to video showing BBC journalist announcing collapse of 7 WTC on Live TV while it still stands behind her -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEsjv9vKCGc


The Illuminati - Not a 'theory' has been confirmed, search 'Bavarian Illuminati'. Other secret societies that have been confirmed - Freemasons, Knights of Malta, Skull and Bones Society etc.

Roswell aliens - Sure believe the official narrative due to lack of evidence, but I'm sure the US government/intelligence agencies would not disclose that info even if it did happen. Surely you must admit that the secrecy around Area 51 is extremely interesting. Personally I think it is used for weapons tech and would be fascinated to see what is being developed inside.

As you can see there are a lot of questions still surrounding most of these 'Conspiracy theories' so we can hardly say they have been conclusively debunked.

I do find it surprising you didn't mention Qanon.... having doubts?

 

[Chief]

100% agree that if magic is mentioned it is not a viable theory. Can you confirm where I mentioned magic from my quote about the 'Conspiracy theories' you listed.

Also who has ever mentioned a Pizza parlour with a magic basement?

Not wizards waving wands, but magical thinking:

Magical thinking - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Kosch]

Not wizards waving wands, but magical thinking:

Magical thinking - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Again please indicate where I have used 'magical thinking' to assess the gaps in the official narratives for each of the conspiracy theories you mentioned.

 

[Chief]

Again please indicate where I have used 'magical thinking' to assess the gaps in the official narratives for each of the conspiracy theories you mentioned.

All of them.

 

[Kosch]

All of them.

Come on Chief don't be a coward be specific

 

[swiftdog]

I think most conspiracy theorists see the world in black and white and don’t have the capacity to see the shades of grey. Seen a little bit floating around on the use of masks and social distancing measures. The conspiracy theory thought process seems to be as follows:
If masks work you don’t need social distancing.
If social distancing works you don’t need masks.
Having both measures in place indicates that neither measure works.
This proves that COVID is a hoax.

Would have thought most people would understand that these measures reduce the risk of transmission, not completely eradicate the risk of transmission. It’s not a difficult concept to comprehend. But the conspiracy theorist seems unable to do anything other than all or nothing all the time.

 

[Kosch]

I think most conspiracy theorists see the world in black and white and don’t have the capacity to see the shades of grey. Seen a little bit floating around on the use of masks and social distancing measures. The conspiracy theory thought process seems to be as follows:
If masks work you don’t need social distancing.
If social distancing works you don’t need masks.
Having both measures in place indicates that neither measure works.
This proves that COVID is a hoax.

Would have thought most people would understand that these measures reduce the risk of transmission, not completely eradicate the risk of transmission. It’s not a difficult concept to comprehend. But the conspiracy theorist seems unable to do anything other than all or nothing all the time.

Right.... so Chief thinks 'conspiracy theorists' are too imaginative and you don't think they are imaginative at all.

I'm starting to think you guys don't even understand what a 'conspiracy theory' is.

 

[Chief]

I think most conspiracy theorists see the world in black and white and don’t have the capacity to see the shades of grey. Seen a little bit floating around on the use of masks and social distancing measures. The conspiracy theory thought process seems to be as follows:
If masks work you don’t need social distancing.
If social distancing works you don’t need masks.
Having both measures in place indicates that neither measure works.
This proves that COVID is a hoax.

Would have thought most people would understand that these measures reduce the risk of transmission, not completely eradicate the risk of transmission. It’s not a difficult concept to comprehend. But the conspiracy theorist seems unable to do anything other than all or nothing all the time.

And it doesn't help when you have professional twits like Joe Hildebrand saying that lifting restrictions means the restrictions were never needed.

 

[Present Not Past]

Right.... so Chief thinks 'conspiracy theorists' are too imaginative and you don't think they are imaginative at all.

I'm starting to think you guys don't even understand what a 'conspiracy theory' is.

That's not what they said.
Conspiracy Theorists (and this isn't necessarily directed at you) overly exaggerate their own points of view and ignore relevant facts and evidence that challenge their theories.

 

[Kosch]

That's not what they said.
Conspiracy Theorists (and this isn't necessarily directed at you) overly exaggerate their own points of view and ignore relevant facts and evidence that challenge their theories.

It's a good point that you make and I agree with you that ignoring relevant facts and evidence that challenge 'theories' is counterproductive.

The same thing, however, can be said for those who ignore relevant facts and evidence that challenge mainstream narratives.

 

[Present Not Past]

It's a good point that you make and I agree with you that ignoring relevant facts and evidence that challenge 'theories' is counterproductive.

The same thing, however, can be said for those who ignore relevant facts and evidence that challenge mainstream narratives.

I've got no problem with people challenging mainstream narratives, but to do this well is difficult and it takes a lot of effort.
I often think that all of these silly conspiracy theories probably do more harm than good as they are usually noisy and often irrelevant and probably make it a lot harder for people to do the serious investigating.

 

[Kosch]

I've got no problem with people challenging mainstream narratives, but to do this well is difficult and it takes a lot of effort.
I often think that all of these silly conspiracy theories probably do more harm than good as they are usually noisy and often irrelevant and probably make it a lot harder for people to do the serious investigating.

I 100% agree. Unfortunately the craziest, unsubstantiated theories are always the ones that the media spreads (sensationalism = clicks) and are then the ones that the majority of the population who look no deeper than a headline get fixated on. This means that many valid questions get lost as they are too easily dismissed as being connected to a crazy 'conspiracy theory'.

 

[Chief]

That's not what they said.
Conspiracy Theorists (and this isn't necessarily directed at you) overly exaggerate their own points of view and ignore relevant facts and evidence that challenge their theories.

And there's an over-reliance on explanations involving "them", or things "they" do. There is no "they". There are pockets of collusion for personal gain or due to shared danger, or whatever, but almost always it is individuals screwing up.

Fiction like the Protocols of the Elders of Zion feeds this false idea of "they".

 

[Toump Ass]

Thanks news.com.au!

LOL you're dribbling absolute cod s**t about roswell aliens, and "controlling the population via the media" and you tell me to check News Corp

If it wasn't for Rupert Murdoch you wouldn't know what to think.

"Do your own research!" indeed.

 

[Kosch]

LOL you're dribbling absolute cod s**t about roswell aliens, and "controlling the population via the media" and you tell me to check News Corp

If it wasn't for Rupert Murdoch you wouldn't know what to think.

"Do your own research!" indeed.

 

[swiftdog]

Right.... so Chief thinks 'conspiracy theorists' are too imaginative and you don't think they are imaginative at all.

I'm starting to think you guys don't even understand what a 'conspiracy theory' is.

This seems a weird comment. I would have thought that seeing the world in black and white and imagination are two completely different constructs. Young children for instance can be highly imaginative but wouldn’t be able detect nuance

It's a good point that you make and I agree with you that ignoring relevant facts and evidence that challenge 'theories' is counterproductive.

The same thing, however, can be said for those who ignore relevant facts and evidence that challenge mainstream narratives.

I completely agree with this. The definition of “relevant” is probably the sticking point in most arguments. Pretty sure there’s been some research that suggests that people only deem evidence relevant when it already supports their point of view.