interesting article in the latest economist on conspiracy theories. would link it, but it’s sub only:
Conspiracy theories
That’s what they want you to believe
Dec 19th 2002
From The Economist print edition
Why are conspiracy theories so popular?
WHO crashed those planes into the World Trade Centre? Israel, obviously. Mossad must have known that their country would profit from a surge in American hostility towards the Arabs, who were set up to take the rap. Shortly after September 11th 2001, the consensus on the Arab street was that only the Israeli secret service could have managed such deadly precision. Corroboration was quickly found in a report that 4,000 Jews who worked in the twin towers had been secretly warned to stay away that day.*
This was not the only interesting theory bandied around the souks. The doyen of Egyptian pundits, Hassanein Heikal, blamed the Serbs, noting that they were mad about losing Kosovo. Others fingered home-grown, Oklahoma-style extremists, or a plot by America’s military-industrial complex, ever hungry for new enemies to boost defence budgets.
One fellow in a Cairo café told The Economist that the culprit was clearly not al-Qaeda, but rather something called al-Gur. Was this, perhaps, a terror network still more murderous than the Bin Laden gang? No. On closer listening, it transpired that the evil al-Gur was bent on avenging not some wicked Yankee geo-blunder, but the theft of the 2000 American presidential election.
mcadams.posc.mu.edu/home.htm A must-visit for any open minded person who thinks Oswald was a patsy. Careful debunking of all the myths. I think you, too, may enjoy a browse, Flipper. Merry Xmas.
Thank you very much for posting a sensible, worthwhile addition. I, too, recently read a site about conspiracy theories. The problem is that many people are only too eager to expose inconsistencies, but do not realize that their theories themselves are often riddled with them.
Another good conspiracy theory is that NASA staged the moon landings. i.e. men never walked on the moon. There are said to be numerous inconsistencies in the photographs and film footage and a few other technical things to prove it. This web site goes into a lot of detail.
Any other good ones?
(I must admit I tend toward believing in this conspiracy theory)
My current favorite conspiracy theory is the one that Saddam is sitting on a pile of nuclear weapons and we’ve got so much proof of it that we can hardly know where to store it all.
[quote=“The economist”] So why does America do it? It must be a conspiracy by the Zionist lobby, or perhaps a plot to divide and rule Arabs to control their oil, or part of a Christian crusade against Islam.
[/quote]
yea… crazy arabs… wherever do they get such silly notions
It fails to state that Africa is full of Western companies repatriating minerals and other valuables from Africa. The explotation of this for countless years and tinpot leaders supported by the west is the reason Africa will always be poor.
The article is interesting but I don’t think it tells us anything we don’t already know.
It quotes a conspiracy as to why the US supports Israel but doesn’t give us the official line. Actually what is the official line? Why does the US give billions of taxpayers money to Israel? Why does America support Israel like it does? What are the reasons?
The fact that politicians and journalists actually state that there is a Jewish lobby of sorts acting in US politics throws the thing wide open.
I think the term conspiracy theory is used by the media to immediately ridicule in what some cases could be a vailid arguement. Obviously there are beliefs that are boardering on insane.
But if the Operation Northwoods campaign had started in the 1960s in the US, and people would have said that it was a conspiracy, they would have been ridiculed. And to say you don’t believe the official line doesn’t mean you are clinging to some crazy notion or you are a conspiracy nut.
What if someone was to say that the official line concerning 9/11 is the conspiracy. I don’t believe the official line - there are too many flaws and weak evidence.
Yes, let’s not forget about the famed Jewish lobby. Actually, I believe they are one among many. Think Greek lobby, Taiwan lobby, etc. Also, Egypt gets just as much as Israel (aid money I believe). So why would the United States continue to support the only democracy, the only nation in the Middle East where human rights are respected and protected, the only nation that has rule of law, the only nation that has something to trade other than oil, must be a conspiracy.
As to Africa, the old exploitation myths have long since been debunked. Look at the nations with the least “exploitation” and you will find the poorest nations in Africa. Should be the other way around no?
Africa is poor because it always has been poor. It is becoming relatively poorer because it is not growing while other nations are growing at 2 percent to 8 percent per year. This is why South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, etc. which were poorer than many mineral rich countries in the 1950s and 1960s are far richer today. Two percent over two decades makes a mighty big difference. Throw in corruption, lack of infrastructure (which has deteriorated in many places over the past forty years) and lack of human and investment capital and you have a difficult problem. Again, I am sure oil companies are interested in Nigeria and Angola and Gabon and I am sure the commercial interests at various embassies actively lobby to get their nations’ companies lucrative contracts, but to assume that foreign policies of liberal democratic Western republics is held hostage to oil companies and other vested interests is a bit naive and/or cynical.
Fred Smith are you saying Israel is the only nation that respects human rights? If so it sounds like you have come from a ten hour reading session at the Anti-(democracy)Deformation league website. To belive that you would believe the world is flat. web.amnesty.org/web/web.nsf/pages/IOT_home
What exactly is their rule of law - ride a tank into a town and shoot to kill?
Just because there is a democracy means nothing. I think some nations would be better suited if there was no democracy.
Africa has been exploited for generations and it will always be the way, whether the country has oil reserves, gold, diamonds, uranium, platinum, etc etc. Who benefits from this?
So I guess that makes me niave or cynical to believe that.
I wonder why Gaddafi nationalized all his countries oil companies that were in the hands of foreigners. Then he was accused of being a lunatic by the same foreign states that lost all their assets. If he would have kept the satus quo he maybe would be seen as an ally to the west today.
I can’t believe what I recently found at #4 on Fortune magazine’s list of the most powerful lobbies in Washington DC when I went looking into it recently. No wonder those conspiracy theories keep popping up with misinformation like this being perpetuated by irresponsible journalists.
Do you think there’s any possible connection with this bogus list and this latest tripe from that conspiracy mill BBC?:
All I have to say is thank god for CNN. You won’t find any lies like this there ever feeding the fantasies of those conspiracy nuts.
Top Lobbying Groups in Washington DC:
After winning the presidency, the Grand Old Party may not get everything it wants, but a new Washington establishment has undoubtedly taken hold with George W. Bush. This year’s Power 25 survey–FORTUNE’s list of Washington’s most powerful lobbying groups–reflects the change. For the first time in four years, the Power 25 has a new No. 1: the heavily Republican National Rifle Association.
1 National Rifle Association of America 2
2 AARP 1
3 National Federation of Independent Business 2
4 American Israel Public Affairs Committee 4
5 Association of Trial Lawyers of America 6
6 AFL-CIO 5
7 Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America 7
8 National Beer Wholesalers Association 19
9 National Association of Realtors 15
10 National Association of Manufacturers 14
[quote=“cake”]Western companies repatriating minerals[/quote] I think you mean “buying”. Open up trade, so Western countries can “repatriate” other goods too. Who complains about semiconductors “repatriated” from South Korea? (Corrupt governments is a separate issue to trade.)
[quote=“cake”]Why does the US give billions of taxpayers money to Israel? Why does America support Israel like it does?[/quote] Because the British left the UN with a mess. The US supported them, as it feared an Arab massacre of Jews. Remember Egypt’s desire to destroy Israel? Had there been genocide, no doubt it would have appalled YOU. Yes or No?
[quote=“cake”]http://www.limitstogrowth.org/WEB-text/aztlan.html[/quote] Intolerant rantings on immigration. Fruitcake, you are posting a lot of websites with links to nationalist or racial purist agendas - Fortuyn, the Mishima thing, now this. Anything you want to get off your chest?
[quote=“cake”]Western companies repatriating minerals… and tinpot leaders supported by the west is the reason Africa will always be poor.[/quote] Your world is a simple one, Fruitcake. Read “The Quest for Growth” by William Easterly (I think that’s the title/author). Intelligent skepticism of World Bank policy. But, No. Its not all the West’s fault.
[quote=“cake”]What if someone was to say that the official line concerning 9/11 is the conspiracy. I don’t believe the official line - there are too many flaws and weak evidence.[/quote] I hear the WTC towers are intact in a hangar in Edwards Air force Base.
Hoik! Hoik! Wooskettetty-bong-bong. Jubbah-mubbah-nubbah DOOF! DOOF!
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