Your Most Annoying Conspiracy Theories?

[hopeful skeptic]

I was polishing my magic wand today (no jokes, please) and imagining what it might be like if I could wave it about and erase the most annoying conspiracy theories out there. By "annoying," I mean those theories that no amount of reasoned examination, contrary evidence or implacable logic can dissipate.

I have a couple that come immediately to mind:

1. The 9/11 "truth" [sic] movement. No matter how much direct, unquestionable evidence and hard logic one hurls at its proponents, this rather lucrative and ratings-garnering blather just won't go away. Poor Alex Jones - this dead horse is his only ride.

2. The "Secret Government." Whether suppressing the "truth" about free-energy, UFOs, the moon landings, mass alien abductions, the War on Terror, 9/11, peak oil, water depletion, solid-fuel automobiles, the JFK/RFK/MLK murders, the Masons, etc., these nefarious minions of the Dark Side have moved about the planet in their black helicopters and dark suits, pulling hidden levers and pressing unseen buttons for centuries - all without leaving a shred of evidence anywhere behind them. Puh-leeze.

Face it: our governments are clumsy, oafish and incompetent. And they have nukes.

3. The so-called "Moon Landing Hoax." Reasonable rebuttal of this nonsense should have nailed this conspiracy into its coffin long ago, but it keeps clawing its way out of the grave, no matter how much logic, direct evidence and science you throw at it. Spooky, really.

Yours?

[CapnG]

Out of that list, Moon hoax. 9/11 and Secret government I buy... up to a point.

The one I wish would stop is what I call the "omniconspiracy". You know, the one that says all the other conspiracies are "true but wrong because the REAL motivation behind them is X"? David Icke springs to mind. I'm afraid my standard issue eospohagus can only swallow so much.

BTW, Hopeful Skeptic, I'm forced to wonder what you're "hopeful" of? That all the topics we're discussing here are bunk and that life really is as bland and pointless as it seems? Doesn't sound espescially "hopeful" to me...

[paulkimball]

Originally Posted by hopeful skeptic

I was polishing my magic wand today (no jokes, please) and imagining what it might be like if I could wave it about and erase the most annoying conspiracy theories out there. By "annoying," I mean those theories that no amount of reasoned examination, contrary evidence or implacable logic can dissipate.

The inappropriately named 9/11 Truth Movement would be at the top of my list, by far.

I would also add the "Zionists are out to control the world" conspiracy theories that underline much of the conspiracist thinking.

My least annoying conspiracy theory would be the JFK assassination.

Paul

[hopeful skeptic]

Originally Posted by CapnG

BTW, Hopeful Skeptic, I'm forced to wonder what you're "hopeful" of? That all the topics we're discussing here are bunk and that life really is as bland and pointless as it seems? Doesn't sound espescially "hopeful" to me...

A misinterpretation, I'm afraid. I'm hopeful that I'll someday see definitive evidence for UFOs, since that's the only "paranormal" subject for which I think some hope might reasonably be held out. In fact, I'm not sure UFOs are really "paranormal" in nature at all - at least not as that term is generally understood by the public.

You don't buy Reptilians?

[CapnG]

Originally Posted by hopeful skeptic

You don't buy Reptilians?

Intially no, although if you've seen our Prime Minister (Stephen Harper) you'd see someone who'll make you reconsider. That man has the deadest eyes I've ever seen a living human. *shudder*

It's a good point though, NOTHING is actually "paranormal" or "supernatural", there are simply aspects of nature and levels of physics we simply don't understand yet.

[hopeful skeptic]

Originally Posted by CapnG

Intially no, although if you've seen our Prime Minister (Stephen Harper) you'd see someone who'll make you reconsider. That man has the deadest eyes I've ever seen a living human. *shudder*

I always thought Democratic "strategist" James Carville could serve as David Icke's best evidence for Reptilians. Even Carville's wife calls him "Serpent Head." Spooky.

Hadn't thought of Harper, though. Priceless.

[Rick Deckard]

What annoys me the most are people who think that their governments would never lie to them...

...I don't find any conspiracy theory 'annoying'. I find some are more probable than others.

[CapnG]

Originally Posted by Rick Deckard

What annoys me the most are people who think that their governments would never lie to them...

...I don't find any conspiracy theory 'annoying'. I find some are more probable than others.

As I said in another thread, conspiracy theories are only "theories" until they become facts at which point they're relabelled as "plots" and relegated to historical footnotes, stripped of mystery and intrigue.

[Rick Deckard]

Originally Posted by CapnG

As I said in another thread, conspiracy theories are only "theories" until they become facts at which point they're relabelled as "plots" and relegated to historical footnotes, stripped of mystery and intrigue.

What troubles me is that some conspiracy theories are more plausible than the 'official' version of events...I don't buy the 'official' version of the JFK assassination for 1 minute. There are soooooo many holes in that story...perhaps caused by another 'magic' bullet?

Question - what happens when the conspirators investigate themselves?

Answer - they find no conspiracy.

[CapnG]

Originally Posted by Rick Deckard

Question - what happens when the conspirators investigate themselves?

Answer - they find no conspiracy.

Indeed. There's also the scalar nature of conspiracies to consider, ie: the more implausible it sounds, the less likely the public will believe it, making it all the more likely to succeed.