Conspiracy Theories

[Nakosis]

"Everybody wants to believe in conspiracy theories because it helps life make sense," he said on the podcast. "It helps us believe that somebody is in control, that somebody is calling the shots."
Edward Snowden searched the CIA's networks for proof that aliens exist. Here's what he found - CNN

According to Edward Snowden. Do you think he is right?

 

[Nakosis]

It’s probably just random flux or luck, but that doesn’t make it feel less weird. As the psychologist Rob Brotherton argues in Suspicious Minds, “Our ancestors’ legacy to us is a brain programmed to see coincidence and infer cause.” And what that means, Brotherton says, is that “sometimes, it would seem, buying into a conspiracy is the cognitive equivalent of seeing meaning in randomness.”
The Reason Conspiracy Videos Work So Well on YouTube

 

[SigurdReginson]

"Everybody wants to believe in conspiracy theories because it helps life make sense," he said on the podcast. "It helps us believe that somebody is in control, that somebody is calling the shots."
Edward Snowden searched the CIA's networks for proof that aliens exist. Here's what he found - CNN

According to Edward Snowden. Do you think he is right?

Hmmm... I suppose everyone is susceptible to drawing conclusions, and this does give a sense of comfort. Yah, I'd agree with him for the most part.

The problem with drawing conclusions, though, is that it becomes easier to do it the more that you do it. When you talk to people who are into conspiracy theories, this becomes very apparent very quickly when they start rattling off a list of their beliefs and how they are all intertwined.

When you compromise your epistemological toolset with untested things, it makes it easier to accept other untested things.

 

[Deidre]

Trump believes that Covid19 is/was a hoax. Would that be his conspiracy theory?

 

[Tambourine]

Absolutely. A lot of people would readily accept the most bonkers ideas, if it meant turning away from the terrifying idea that there is no overarching purpose to the universe or life in general, and that our existence is ultimately insignificant.

 

[Eddi]

Do you think he is right?

Yes, I think he probably is right

But that doesn't mean some of them aren't true, and that anything that even resembles a conspiracy is false

 

[Revoltingest]

Trump believes that Covid19 is/was a hoax. Would that be his conspiracy theory?

People say this a lot. But I've yet to see any evidence of it.
Ref...
Did President Trump Refer to the Coronavirus as a 'Hoax'?

It's a "conspiracy theory" unless there's compelling evidence,
in which case it becomes a "conspiracy", "plot", or "agenda".

 

[Onoma]

I for one, welcome our new interdimensional reptilian alien overlords

 

[Revoltingest]

I for one, welcome our new interdimensional reptilian alien overlords

I serve the giant ant overlords.

 

[SigurdReginson]

People say this a lot. But I've yet to see any evidence of it.
Ref...
Did President Trump Refer to the Coronavirus as a 'Hoax'?

It's a "conspiracy theory" unless there's compelling evidence,
in which case it becomes a "conspiracy", "plot", or "agenda".

Interesting! I've often heard that "democrat hoax" line from people. Spin is spin and splicing is splicing.

Democratic Ad Twists Trump's 'Hoax' Comment - FactCheck.org

 

[Revoltingest]

Interesting! I've often heard that "democrat hoax" line from people. Spin is spin and splicing is splicing.

Democratic Ad Twists Trump's 'Hoax' Comment - FactCheck.org

It's a lot easier to demonize someone if their quotes are misrepresented.
Another one is Al Gore claiming he invented the internet.
That one's fake too.
Gotta be fair to both Dems & Pubs.

 

[Nimos]

"Everybody wants to believe in conspiracy theories because it helps life make sense," he said on the podcast. "It helps us believe that somebody is in control, that somebody is calling the shots."
Edward Snowden searched the CIA's networks for proof that aliens exist. Here's what he found - CNN

According to Edward Snowden. Do you think he is right?

Partly right, some people might want to. But for the most part I think, it's the lack of explanation that causes people to believe in them.

This is from a 9/11 conclusion:
It bears repeating that fires have never caused the total collapse of a steel-framed high-rise before or since 9/11. Did we witness an unprecedented event three separate times on September 11, 2001? The NIST reports, which attempted to support that unlikely conclusion, fail to persuade a growing number of architects, engineers, and scientists.

Obviously when a normal person read this, that never in history have a steel framed high-rise building collapsed due to fire. And when you then read that a large number of architects, engineers etc. doubt that explanation. But also, it makes you wonder, what educations have learned from this?

Like when an aircraft crashes the amount of time spend figuring out what happened is a lot, so they can learn and improve the aircrafts, so one can wonder how much engineers etc have learned from the 9/11.

Now, for me as a "common" person and not an expert in this at all. It makes me wonder why so many engineers, architects and scientists question this, yet there doesn't really seem to be a good explanation.

I have no clue if its a conspiracy theory and personally I don't care all that much, but I do find it vital information, if we suddenly learned that steel framed high rise building where lots of people live, can completely collapse due to fire. In regards to how we build buildings I would consider it just as important to examine as that of an airplane crash.

 

[Valjean]

Nakosis said: ↑
Do you think he is right?

That government investigations found no evidence of space aliens, and that we really did land on the moon?
I've no reason to doubt him.

 

[Nakosis]

Question that comes to my mind is, is God a conspiracy theory?

If you can see the correlation, a series of necessary events which got us to where we are at now. We can look back a see that all of these events had to happen otherwise we would not have the current situation.

Because of this, there is a general feeling that it was all orchestrated which means planned by someone. Instead of a series, well I don't want to say random but unplanned events. Things happened which was not driven by an intelligent willful operator. However, because each event was necessary, it seems planned. So in being planned it requires a planner.

 

[Nakosis]

That government investigations found no evidence of space aliens, and that we really did land on the moon?
I've no reason to doubt him.

More why humans seem more accepting of these stories even though there is no evidence.

 

[stvdv]

Question that comes to my mind is, is God a conspiracy theory?

Depends how your definition of God is

 

[Nakosis]

Depends how your definition of God is

The planner of the universe?

 

[sun rise]

In spite of the political twist that some have given it, the psychological problem can afflict anyone. I disagree with 'everyone' in the OP though. Some manage to keep their heads.

Dylan's Ballad of a Thin Man "And you know something is happening but you don't know what it is" is a precursor. When there's uncertainty and resulting fear, people want to diminish the unease by finding something concrete as a reason.

Add to that our living in a "Future Shock" world and people are ripe to fall into paranoia in the clinical sense.

We have to also add the merchants of fear we see today who 'market' ready-made conspiracy theories that can be 'bought' easily.

 

[Stevicus]

"Everybody wants to believe in conspiracy theories because it helps life make sense," he said on the podcast. "It helps us believe that somebody is in control, that somebody is calling the shots."
Edward Snowden searched the CIA's networks for proof that aliens exist. Here's what he found - CNN

According to Edward Snowden. Do you think he is right?

I guess it would mainly depend on what it is, but the crux of most conspiracy theories is basically a proposition that politicians or government officials might be lying about things. People who mock or cavalierly dismiss conspiracy theories out of hand are as much as claiming that "politicians never lie."

Another thing I've noticed is that many people are quick to believe any conspiracy theory about other governments (particularly about the SU during the Cold War), yet concurrently believed that our government could do no wrong.

On the other hand, there's something almost defeatist about conspiracy theories, since they make the government seem soooooo powerful, as if no mere mortals could ever hope to oppose them and survive. Conspiracy theories strike fear into the hoi polloi and keep them in line.

For me personally, I don't actually believe most conspiracy theories (although some theories about JFK are intriguing). However, I don't really care that much about them either, and I can't understand why anyone else would.

The only exception I would make would be the anti-vaxxers, since that kind of talk can harm people.

But I have no cause to defend the government's reputation if someone accuses them of hiding aliens or assassinating presidents or faking the moon landings. It's no skin off me either way, and it doesn't really hurt anybody. The worst that might happen is that people might lose faith in the government, or they might be more skeptical when it comes to claims made by the government.

 

[Heyo]

Question that comes to my mind is, is God a conspiracy theory?

According to Richard Carrier at least Jesus is a conspiracy theory. That's why I can't take him fully serious.