More on Conspiracy Theories
While we're on the subjects of conspiracies -- including IRS conspiracies (or, more accurately, conspiracy theories) -- for good academic-level (but accessible) articles about conspiracy theories, Michael Shermer's latest is a good start. Also, try Wikipedia's rather comprehensive view of IRS conspiracy theories.
The problem with conspiracy theorists is that they rarely believe in only one conspiracy. If you believe that, say, the US government is ruled by reptile-like aliens, it is not a big deal to believe the moon landing was faked -- and if "they" can do that, surely you can believe "they" can convince everybody to pay taxes despite the fact that there is no law requiring it.
Ah well.
Labels: conspiracy theory
posted by Avital Pilpel @ 9:38 AM
3 Comments:
Very true. I have seen innocent people hearing about one particular conspiracy (for example, the NAU), believing it, and then getting sucked in so that a year later they were full blown tax deniers, truthers and birthers arguing to other conspiracists that the reptilian alien stuff should be deemphasized because the sheeple weren't ready for the truth.
The odd thing about most conspiracy theorists is they will argue until their faces are blue they rarely do anything besides argue. If I believed that the government had a hand in 9/11 it would be difficult to continue living under a government that could do such a monstrous thing. I might move to another country or get off the "grid" in some way. The ongoing conspiracies are like warm blankets for them. Could be a way of feeling self important and on the inside of important events. Anyway this activity has little to do with reality and all to do with filling a deep seated psychological need on the part of the "believer." It is somewhat like a case of OCD.
Conspiracy isn't a theory. It's a crime.
"If I believed that the government had a hand in 9/11 it would be difficult to continue living under a government that could do such a monstrous thing. I might move to another country or get off the "grid" in some way."
That's as clear an explanation as I've seen of why so many people cannot deal with the notion of the U.S. Military sponsoring the murder of American civilans. It's much easier to laugh like a hyena than to have to actually think about your alternatives in such a world.
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