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AIBU?
To think conspiracy theorists are an infuriating mix of arrogance, stupidity and lazy thinking
EmperorTomatoRetchup · 29/09/2018 21:37
Having thought I'll leave it, I'll leave it, I found myself arguing with a conspiracy theorist.
Christ alight these people are utterly lacking in any sort of critical thought. This tool was trotting out one of the most popular of the conspiracy theories - 911 as an inside job, Madelline McCann was murdered by her parents, moon landings were faked, Diana was bumped off by Mi5 etc. and they seemed to be impervious to any of the logical flaws in their argument, that researching a matter didn't mean watching YouTube videos made by fellow conspiricists spouting unsourced, unreferenced nonsense and claiming that non adherents were 'sheeple' buying 'the official line'.
To take the example jokingly referenced on another thread, the Paul McCartney is dead conspiracy theory, how many people coroners, doctors ambulance staff, Paul's family and friends, would have had to be bought off in order to allow him to be replaced by a lookalike who could be trained to speak, act, play musical instruments left handed and pass for one of the world's most famous men in the full glare of the media . In 50 years not a single person involved in this dastardly plan, not a single one of this vast army of people cooped into it has blown the whistle despite their being unparalleled financial rewards for doing so.
No musicologists have detected a change in composition or playing or singing style. No one asking what happened to the bloke who became fake Paul', might their family not be curious as to why their son/brother disappeared off the face of the earth in the late 60s.After going to such extraordinary lengths the Beatles so desperate to cover up this audacious act, left a series of clues in their songs as a signal to their fans.
AIBU to think that this combination of scepticism, lack of critical thought, logic, probability twinned with overwhelming arrogance is infuriating and wonder how I should deal with these fuckers in future? Especially when any attempts to point out the flaws in their arguments are taken as signs you are one of the sheeple or a Co conspirator.
SinisterBumFacedCat · 30/09/2018 00:00
I think there are very often fairly big events hapen that people struggle to a) comprehend and b) really don't want to happen to themselves and this is where conspiracy theories come in. So with Diana it was not surprising that someone driving over the alcohol limit being chased by paparazzi on motorbikes will crash, however because Diana died and the subsequent public mourning the explanations doesn't quite match u to the event so people start making up shit about Prince Philip. In MM case it's such a horrendous thing to imagine that people refuse to believe the parents aren't in some way responsible even through momentary neglect that they can safely say it will never happen to themselves (magic talisman). And then when MN delete MM threads it works conspiracy theorist up into a frenzy, rather than come to the rather more bland and obvious conclusion that throwing suspicion against grieving parents with no proof is a pretty fucking horrible thing to do. I think when I heard thee was a conspiracy theory about Sandy Hook being faked I finally realised most conspiracy theories are utter bullshit made up by sad idiots to justify their own ridiculous views.
EmperorTomatoRetchup · 30/09/2018 00:07
I remember in louis therouxs documentary there was a woman who knew too. There must have been evidence that was ignored by someone powerful
Must there? Or the sadder, simpler more prosaic truth , that a cunning preditaory paedophile selected powerless victims who were very unlikely to be believed even if they did get the opportunity to report.
Iscreamforbenandjerrys · 30/09/2018 00:16
The US government poisoned booze during the prohibition killing est 10,000 people. They tested LSD on their civilians.
The lied to black men about treating their syphilis so they could watch the progression of the symptoms.
The US government stole dead babies to test radiation on. 
There never were any weapons of mass destruction and our government knew it.
We should never have blind faith in governments, history proves this. However Diana should have worn a seatbelt, the Queen is not a reptile, Finland is where Finland is meant to be and the earth is most definitely not flat.
David Kelly, lost Russians in space, Pope John Paul I and JFK I'm not convinced we were told the whole story.
Illuminati stories are far fetched but wtf happens at Bohemian Grove and how many world changing decisions have been made there? I don't buy into the occult ideas, even with the cloaked men surrounding a 40-foot owl statue as they burn an effigy symbolising care 
. I do think a secretive, men only, ultra exclusive glorified scout camp holiday camp that has attracted the uber rich and powerful, including many US presidents, sounds a little dodgy.
EmperorTomatoRetchup · 30/09/2018 00:16
the flat earthers are great! The mental gymnastics are a thing to behold...like explaining gravity while denying gravity exists. It's hilarious...as long as you don't take the argument too seriously.
I think it is the tendency for that to drift into more poisonous conspiracy theories like anti vax or holocaust denial as you have an inbuilt tendency to reject established knowledge and sources.
BertieBotts · 30/09/2018 00:43
Something that always sticks in my mind and I will never forget. I was reading the book The Psychopath Test and the author went to a meeting of conspiracy theorists (I forget why, now, in the context of the book) who were arguing that the London 7/7 bombings were faked. During the meeting, I can't remember if they met a survivor or were watching video of a survivor who was describing her horrific experience during the attack. The author was really moved and upset by her testimony and said that you couldn't fail to feel these kind of emotions as what she was describing was so human and traumatic - but the conspiracy theorists in response, rather than connecting with her story were pointing out inconsistencies like - well - you mentioned a specific handrail but those handrails aren't present in that class of underground train, or similar - he just said it was totally bizarre and chilling. I think this was an illustration of how psychopathic behaviour works, the kind of separation of emotion from life, though he wasn't suggesting all conspiracy theorists are psychopaths.
EmperorTomatoRetchup · 30/09/2018 00:44
The US government poisoned booze during the prohibition killing est 10,000 people
Not so. Poisonois was added to industrial alcohol to make it undrinkable, that industrial alcohol was stolen by mobsters and was used for drinking purposes, unbeknownst to them it contained poison. It was never intended for human consumption.
EmperorTomatoRetchup · 30/09/2018 01:10
I'm not saying that it's a conspiracy theory per se, as there's Ellen ents of truth in iybut the clickbaity , US government deliberately poisoned its citizens (and no one is sure where the 10,000 figure comes from) and adulterated alcohol never intended for human consumption stolen and sold for human consumption by gangsters doesn't generate the same traffic.
MarcieBluebell · 30/09/2018 01:14
Or the sadder truth, that a cunning preditaory paedophile selected powerless victims who were very unlikely to be believed even if they did get the opportunity to report.
But my statement that, powerful people might have known, isn't mutually exclusive to yours.
Honestly I don't know much about it but just saying apparently it was known.
Cornettoninja · 30/09/2018 07:44
Thing is there’s form for the basis of a lot of conspiracy theory’s. I forget the details but the USA did sink one of their own warships to justify an an attack and then there is Mk ultra. It’s slightly naive imho to think current powers don’t have agendas that are not known to us. History is riddled with corrupt power.
It’s not healthy how obsessed some people become. Interesting though.
I’ve just listened to a podcast about flatearthers. One guy in America is an ardent flatearther and rejects the physics and science behind space travel yet in a quest to see for himself built himself a bloody rocket (and it worked well for an ametur attempt).
Dude taught himself rocket science and still doesn’t believe in it!
user1497863568 · 30/09/2018 08:04
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glintandglide · 30/09/2018 08:08
I don’t believe in CT’s generally- although I agree many of these aren’t CTs theories and just beliefs - like what you think happened with an unsolved murder.
What I don’t understand though, is people who Claim a conspiracy wouldn’t be possible because of all the people who would have to be involved and comply. You can see how many times exactly that has happened in history and there is no doubt it continues today. Official secrets are released after 100 years and you can see that they are par for course of any government.
Ifailed · 30/09/2018 08:16
user1457017537 Along with the Sex Pistols, other bands that appeared on TOTPs also were aware of Saville. I know someone who appeared on it as a bass player in a one-hit-wonder band who watched Saville inviting young women to his dressing room and one of the floor workers telling them not to go after he had gone. It was known about in music circles, but was suppressed. I would love to see that properly investigated and those who protected him outed.
AlecTrevelyan006 · 30/09/2018 08:25
If anyone has a spare I thoroughly recommend this radio 4 documentary
Jerremy Thorpe: The Silent Conspiracy
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04wz633
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