Conspiracy Theory Explained

Dean Esmay has a rather good how-to guide for spotting conspiracy theories.

1) Conspiracy Theorists rely on evidence that they themselves have carefully put together, even though none of them are experts in the subject. They then ask you to draw your own conclusions, even though you're not an expert either.

2) In events with huge numbers of eyewitnesses, it is entirely normal for there be people who are confused, misremember things, contradict themselves, or contradict each other. You see it every day: people don't even agree with each other on what they just saw on the news last night, let alone some big scary event where things are blowing up and people are screaming and running for their lives. But such normal contradictions are used by Conspiracy Theorists as evidence that something is very deeply wrong.

3) Conspiracy Theorists also require that very large numbers of people–hundreds, even thousands–are involved in carefully plotted and carefully timed events, and then all (or mostly all) keep their mouths shut, and continue to hide the "real truth."

4) Conspiracy Theorists tend to have an explanation for everything, or to expect you to. In real life there are often ambiguities and things people don't quite understand. This is normal, but the Conspiracy Theorist uses it, again, as evidence that something is very deeply wrong.

5) Conspiracy Theorists have an overpowering narrative to explain the whole thing which involves something very sinister, such as world domination, spreading an Empire, swinging an election, exterminating Jews, blacks, white Christians, or whatever.

This handy guide is part of a discussion on one of the more loony conspiracies going on out there right now. That somehow the events of 9/11 were a vast conspiracy. What's frightening to me is that people swallow this nonsense. I overheard some guy in a restaurant expounding this exact theory not long ago. The guy he sitting with had a look on his face that pretty well showed he thought the other guy was insane. I found that encouraging.

As dean points out, yes there was a conspiracy carried out that sunny fall day. A conspiracy by Islamist extremists against all of us here in America. To try to blame it on someone else is to ignore reality.