Conspiracy Theories...

[0rganism]

[wli]

1. the evidence says what it says

[methinks2]

2. identify yourself

do you know the password? :hide:

[KoKo]

3. Your poll was very hard to answer. #'s 4, 5 & 6 were hard for me

to chose from. I picked #5...but think that the term "Conspiracy Theory" has the same bad connotation as "Liberal" does these days.

All evidence should be checked and all possibilities considered. Whatever evidence is there should be tracked down and sifted and verified. Unfortunately Poltical Gamesmanship goes for an easy answer when in fact the answer is more complex therefore when more information is needed what turns on discovery is immediately classified as "Conspiracy Theory" by one side or the other...depending on whose ox is being gored by the information.

Most of the "fringe stuff" get's pushed aside by those with "rational, inquiring minds" so what's left after a few years grows in strength probably because there's truth in whatever the "theory was." And those who deny that want to always attack folks who offer further evidence as "Conspiracy Theorists."

The whole Bush Administration has such ties far back to the US arms industry in the late 19th Century that anything that's discussed about them has had a history of not being reported or if it is reported it's discounted as "Conspiracy Theory."

The whole Bush Family and it's ties is a "Conspiracy" going way back. And a REAL ONE that those in power have enjoyed and so they trash those who try to put out the truth. :shrug:

[0rganism]

4. the choices aren't mutually exclusive

I'm glad to see that you were still able to pick a response.

I agree with you about the negative connotations. I think just about everyone would, whether they think them to be deserved or undeserved. That's one reason I'm interested in the results: just how iconoclastic are we over here, anyway?

[0rganism]

5. bumping for the Friday night paranoids

[annabanana]

6. howsabout...Consipracy "Exposers"

Why do so many people seem to asume that there's no such things as conspiracies? Or that "theories" are inherently false?

[0rganism]

8. I'd say it's about a varying threshold of credibility

People don't have any trouble believing that Al Qaeda conspired to organize simultaneous hijackings in a grand attack on the WTC and other government buildings. That's a conspiracy theory and consensus reality merged to become one.

(note that I'm not saying anything about the truth value, one way or another)

[Sparkly]

7. Great topic and poll, Organism!!

The term "conspiracy theory" seems to be used by the rightwing quite liberally lately (along with "angry" and "desperate"). It's part of their arsenal for dismissing and marginalizing Democrats who seek the truth!

Anyway, I like your poll and the way it gets us thinking about that phrase. :hi:

[0rganism]

9. Thanks!

Many Bothan spies died to bring you this information.

Seriously, I think there are conspiracy theories damn near everyone believes (cf my reply to annabanana) and conspiracy theories that very few can stomach. But the phrase itself has been thoroughly marginalized.