You say that like it’s a bad thing. Conspiracy theories aren’t human failings. They’re not personality disorders. They’re theories about a world that, yes Virginia, has its share of conspiracies. May I suggest we not oblige The Powers That Be by marginalizing even rigorous, informed and alert, critical thinking this way?
OK, seriously, I think we probably have about the same level of trust in government. However, I believe in the truth of the adage about not attributing to malice that which can be attributed to stupidity, or at best, to human nature (not that there is a big difference). Government employees, based on my contact with them, are just regular people. They try to do a good job at whatever it is they're doing, maybe, and then go home to play with their kids, or get drunk, or whatever. Most conspiracy theories require a lot of people (who are unlikely to give a shit) to work together toward an implausible goal. Reality is usually more boring than conspiracy theories, and bad outcomes are usually the result of blind collective stupidity, greed, or indifference.
The people you may be talking to in government, and you're right, most of them are just like non government people (Except for the employees at the DMV's and Immigration, power tripping whack jobs), are not the kinds of people you would be talking to if they were in special ops, like wet ops, or HUMINT, or in international affairs. These are NOT normal people....and they are very secretive and they do stick together. It doesn't take thousands of co-conspirators to do something on a pretty big scale. Take the Gulf of Tonkin, or the USS Liberty. All lies, all covered up. The machinations of organizations, totally oblivious to the plot, just follow through on orders, orders that are often compartmentalized.
Sure. Anyone that's ever been in a parade knows better than to believe any eleborate plan, let alone conspiracy, will work. On a personal level. However, there are also professionals in this world. Whatever we think we know about the human condition, if you think the surface stories about the deaths of X, JFK, MLK, and RFK are the whole story, that's adorable.
Here's the thing (I'm replying briefly to both of you because baby is sick and I haven't slept so I'm lazy). I'm 100% behind the idea of government agencies not wanting us to know the truth when it's inconvenient (or in general). And I understand that there is a professional class of liars working hard to keep the apocryphal, official story afloat. This is just another example of our "Democracy" at work (I like to refer to the "most transparent administration ever" when I have a chance). However, I'm very skeptical about the ability of the government to keep high-profile lies uncovered for a very long time in a capitalist, Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/etc. society. Look at Assange, Manning, Snowden, and all the other anonymous whistleblowers that have surfaced in the last decade (the same transparent administration in the parenthesis above was also going to strengthen whistleblower protections lol). Either their actions are part of the "conspiracy", or, more likely, they show that in our current society it is extremely difficult for the government to keep a high-profile lie hidden for a very long time. I don't believe any of the official stories (I learned this a long time ago in a shitty country far, but not so far, away), but I also have a hard time believing that the government is able to keep a high profile secret for decades given how profitable it is for the truth to come out.
Conspiracy theories will exist regardless of how much information is put out. Confirmation bias is one of the strongest forces in the human psyche.
You say that like it’s a bad thing. Conspiracy theories aren’t human failings. They’re not personality disorders. They’re theories about a world that, yes Virginia, has its share of conspiracies. May I suggest we not oblige The Powers That Be by marginalizing even rigorous, informed and alert, critical thinking this way?
OK, seriously, I think we probably have about the same level of trust in government. However, I believe in the truth of the adage about not attributing to malice that which can be attributed to stupidity, or at best, to human nature (not that there is a big difference). Government employees, based on my contact with them, are just regular people. They try to do a good job at whatever it is they're doing, maybe, and then go home to play with their kids, or get drunk, or whatever. Most conspiracy theories require a lot of people (who are unlikely to give a shit) to work together toward an implausible goal. Reality is usually more boring than conspiracy theories, and bad outcomes are usually the result of blind collective stupidity, greed, or indifference.
The people you may be talking to in government, and you're right, most of them are just like non government people (Except for the employees at the DMV's and Immigration, power tripping whack jobs), are not the kinds of people you would be talking to if they were in special ops, like wet ops, or HUMINT, or in international affairs. These are NOT normal people....and they are very secretive and they do stick together. It doesn't take thousands of co-conspirators to do something on a pretty big scale. Take the Gulf of Tonkin, or the USS Liberty. All lies, all covered up. The machinations of organizations, totally oblivious to the plot, just follow through on orders, orders that are often compartmentalized.
Sure. Anyone that's ever been in a parade knows better than to believe any eleborate plan, let alone conspiracy, will work. On a personal level. However, there are also professionals in this world. Whatever we think we know about the human condition, if you think the surface stories about the deaths of X, JFK, MLK, and RFK are the whole story, that's adorable.
Here's the thing (I'm replying briefly to both of you because baby is sick and I haven't slept so I'm lazy). I'm 100% behind the idea of government agencies not wanting us to know the truth when it's inconvenient (or in general). And I understand that there is a professional class of liars working hard to keep the apocryphal, official story afloat. This is just another example of our "Democracy" at work (I like to refer to the "most transparent administration ever" when I have a chance). However, I'm very skeptical about the ability of the government to keep high-profile lies uncovered for a very long time in a capitalist, Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/etc. society. Look at Assange, Manning, Snowden, and all the other anonymous whistleblowers that have surfaced in the last decade (the same transparent administration in the parenthesis above was also going to strengthen whistleblower protections lol). Either their actions are part of the "conspiracy", or, more likely, they show that in our current society it is extremely difficult for the government to keep a high-profile lie hidden for a very long time. I don't believe any of the official stories (I learned this a long time ago in a shitty country far, but not so far, away), but I also have a hard time believing that the government is able to keep a high profile secret for decades given how profitable it is for the truth to come out.
There is nothing wrong about hypotheses. The problem is when people hold on to them regardless of the evidence.
Absence of evidence isn't evidence of absence.
Right! That's how I became a follower of the Invisible Pink Unicorn and the Flying Spaghetti Monster! :)
I'd buy either of those lock, stock and barrel before The Warren Commission Report.