What Is A Conspiracy Theory? - Perspectives on 911
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What is a conspiracy theory? - Perspectives on 9/11
Let’s break it down:
Conspiracy |kənˈspirəsē|
noun ( pl. -cies)
a secret plan by a group to do something unlawful or harmful
Theory |ˈθēərē; ˈθi(ə)rē|
noun ( pl. -ries)
a supposition or a system of ideas intended to explain something, esp. one based on general principles independent of the thing to be explained
So, a ‘Conspiracy Theory’ would be:
A supposition of a secret plan, as an explanation for certain events based on general principles.
So, concerning the events of 9/11, and using this clear definition, the official explanation of events must be a conspiracy theory. Most of the governments of the world and the mainstream media suppose that a small group of Islamist extremists concocted a secret plan to fly hijacked aircraft into the World Trade Center buildings, The Pentagon and perhaps the White House, and carried it out. This is a theory of conspiracy, and has been taken as fact by unquestioning media and the majority of the Earth’s population.
However, these conspiracy theorists do not base their theory on general principles, but on hearsay, assumption and in some cases, racism. This conspiracy theory has been debunked thoroughly by groups such as Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth.
What I would like to discuss, however, is the dangerous nature of these conspiracy theorists. One of their favourite methods of diverting attention away from their flawed ideas, is the insinuation that questioning them would be offensive to 9/11 victims families and/or disrespecting the victims themselves.
“What he said was offensive” - An apparently upset Barack Obama, a particularly famous conspiracy theorist.
“People who believe in conspiracies about 9/11: you make me sick” - An young man on the blogging website Tumblr, referring to those who question the official story. Considering that the official story is also a conspiracy theory, it is notable that this individual fails to see the irony in his post.
“Pretty shallow post considering 9/11 is approaching” - The user MurcielagoHeart, on HubPages.com, commenting on an article questioning the official story of 9/11. Another example of a conspiracy theorist resorting to guilt tactics, as he cannot participate in a debate of facts and general principles.
“If was a family member of one of the victims of 9/11, I would be so angry that you even got to air” , another conspiracy theorist with no sense of irony, an Australian radio host, Jon Faine, speaking to his guest Kevin Bracken, who was suggesting that in order to have some perspective on Australia’s involvement in the conflict in Afghanistan, one needed to investigate the cause, that is, 9/11. This host promptly found himself embarrassed by his own poll: 76% of his listeners thought that Mr Bracken’s comments were reasonable.
If one wanted to give the conspiracy theorists a taste of their own medicine would tell them that any critically minded individual would find all of the above statements ridiculous and/or offensive, especially to people who live in New York, 84% of whom find issue with the official story of 9/11.
Sticking to the facts, however, any critically minded individual needs only 10 minutes to be convinced that there needs to be a new, independent investigation into the events surrounding 9/11. 10 minutes which are best served watching this video by the excellent Anthony Lawson:
It is especially important to stick with inconsistencies and impossibilities when dealing with a situation as complicated as 9/11, and with all of the conspiracy theorists hanging around. it is difficult to remain focused. There is no need to envisage elaborate conspiracies like extremist Muslims, who live in a cave, who can’t fly, but manage to pull off perfect maneuvers in the right direction, hitting the buildings with laser-guided accuracy; one just needs to examine the most tangible and provable inconsistencies of the story of that day, and let everything else fall in to place. Let the facts make the story, not the other way round!
What I am trying to get at here with my pithy commentary is that conspiracy theories only seem to be called so when they are not supported by authority. We all accept Adolf Hitler’s conspiracy against the population of Europe, because that is an approved conspiracy, it’s a conspiracy fact. We, as a whole, don’t accept a conspiracy against the population of the world involving areas of our governments because, “that would never happen”. I sometimes get annoyed that people make this blatant misstep in logic, but I can’t really blame them. It is only normalcy bias: the belief that things are okay because you want them to be.
Don’t be afraid of this information and don’t call me a conspiracy theorist. Look at the information as objectively as you can. What does logic tell you, and more importantly, what does your gut tell you?
N.B.
Whether I believe the US got to the moon, nor who I believe killed Kennedy factors into this debate, so don’t try it.
- Enforced education - A ridiculous idea that we take ...
Why spend tax money on truancy patrol when school is clearly not worthwhile to young people anymore?
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Thanks for breaking it down objectively. The simple truth is that the 9/11 "conspiracy theory" is far more plausible than the official story. If we apply Occam's Razor, the NIST, FEMA, and the 9/11 Commission reports seem ridiculous. I am always amazed that people respond that the conspiracy theory is disrespectful to the families of the victims. The victims' family members started the 9/11 Truth Movement! Anyway, great hub. Voted up and interesting.
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@ripplemaker
I have indeed and thank you very much.
@Chasuk
The true believers seems to get all the attention as a laughing stock: 'at least we're not as crazy as them'. However, this is close-minded behaviour. Accepting the possibility of everything whilst maintaining healthy skepticism towards everything may sound like a paradox, but it is necessary in a world of half-truths, straight out lies and red-herrings.
@Jonesy0311
I don't intend to try and figure out exactly what happened that day, all I need to know is that the official story doesn't make sense. If we can get to the bottom of that, everything else *should* fall into place.
@innersmiff: You write, " Accepting the possibility of everything whilst maintaining healthy skepticism towards everything may sound like a paradox, but it is necessary in a world of half-truths, straight out lies and red-herrings."
Agreed, 100%.
911 conspiracy theorists have uploaded videos in YouTube explaining how those ulterior motives of political bigwigs in the US disastrously changed the political and security climate of the world.
As a seafarer, we cannot go ashore the US homeland and other parts of the world without observing the security alert being implemented in every port of discharge or loading areas.
I had a very amusing incident outside one of the stores in Texas, wherein a kid told the security that I was taking photographs of the store. I reasoned out that we're just taking souvenir photos along with fellow seamen. If not for a Filipino worker at the store, my camera will be confiscated due to the prevailing 9/11 effects.
Most of the US residents are not too trusty with transient workers, like us, these days.
I know what my inner feeling tells me about 09/11 and it saddens me to think what my heart says. :( I voted thumbs up on this!
We use the word conspiracy every time we have a question and are not entitled to an appropriate answer. The Cold War featured more terrorism then any justification for today's so called war on terror or a reason to give up my rights for the Patriot Act. Why was all the evidence cleaned up in days and where is the evidence such as a blown up aircraft sitting in a hangar today? I could go on asking questions all day and that is all I am really doing. The real question is why are we not entitled to real answers? I am no conspiracy freak but a lot of people have died and our nation is going bankrupt and we all want to know was it worth it? Perhaps, we should consider the War on drugs as a great example. It was no conspiracy at WATTS or during Iran Contra that our best drug dealers were fighting the War on Drugs.
@travel man
That is quite ridiculous. In 1984 by George Orwell, the children have been indoctrinated to rat on all adults, including their parents, for any kind of mildly suspicious behaviour. That book becomes more relevant every day, and it's scary.
@AEvans
The subconcous always knows when something is up. Trust it. Thank you for the thumbs up.
@SanXuary
Questions. All we are doing is askinh questions. The war on
drugs is a great example. But then to have questions about the war on drugs means you're a conspiracy theorist (or a stoner).
Very good and thoughtful writing. And good point about using one conspiracy as fact while ignoring others. Although I am of the belief that things happened pretty similarly to the way they are stated, I still find it very frustrating that so many people have made this an opportunity to stereotype and become acceptable racists - this I am not cool with. Great article!
I am always glad when I find someone to disagree with who won't call me a loon! Thanks Robert.
Chasuk Level 5 Commenter 8 months ago
Take an event, explain that it was done covertly by a powerful group -- especially for nefarious purposes -- and you have both a conspiracy theory and a conspiracy theorist.
The term "conspiracy theory" isn't derogatory, in itself. Yes, it is often used dismissively, but I understand why.
In my circle of friends, some are quite conspiratorially-minded. It is sort of a continuum. At one end sit the hardened skeptics -- nothing is going to convince them, not even solid evidence. At the other end sit the true believers -- nothing is going to dissuade them, not even solid contrary evidence. Most of us sit in the middle.
The true believer gets all of the attention, because the true believer frequently believes that George Bush is a reptile, that Obama is the Anti-Christ, that the government still has Roswell aliens on ice somewhere, that Jesus was an extraterrestrial, and a whole host of unconventional things that have little likelihood of being true. Some manage to believe all of those things simultaneously.
I'm not mocking these beliefs -- a few MIGHT be true -- but if you believe too many unlikely things (unlikely on a continuum of "It indisputably happened" to "No freaking way") then you are going to lose credibility with most of those in the middle and all of those at the opposite end. Further, you are going to become newsworthy, and not in the positive sense. You are going to become newsworthy in the same manner as the woman in the tabloid who claims that she had great sex with Big Foot, and you are going to be lumped with that demographic, deserved or not.