Comments on: Conspiracy Thinking

By: ConspicuousCarl

ConspicuousCarl — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 02:54:06 +0000

Mark Erickson on 17 Aug 2012 at 8:21 am

Whatever McCain meant by the line, the example he’s using can’t be true. How could Kennedy agree to debate Goldwater in November 1963? Goldwater wouldn’t become the presidential nominee until the next summer.

Whoa, major bad logic in that unstated premise. Politicians do not have to be official nominees, or even officially announce their campaign, before they can run around doing all kinds of things. In fact, I think Mitt Romney still isn’t officially the Republican candidate according to the paperwork.

By the way, here’s a June 1963 TIME mag cover featuring Barry Goldwater snuggling an elephant with a ribbon tag line of “CANDIDATE-WATCHING IN THE GOP”:

http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19630614,00.html

By: Mark Erickson

Mark Erickson — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 12:21:32 +0000

Whatever McCain meant by the line, the example he’s using can’t be true. How could Kennedy agree to debate Goldwater in November 1963? Goldwater wouldn’t become the presidential nominee until the next summer.

By: londonskeptic

londonskeptic — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 10:06:57 +0000

The line, “I’m just asking questions” is one I hear a lot. My usual response is,

“I know, but you don’t want the answers!”

I was confronted with this line by a generally well meaning guy, regarding why the twin towers collapsed. As I don’t have too much contact with people in the UK who believe the utterly offensive idea that this was a government conspiracy, I don’t really have all the facts to hand. However I did remember some basics about the structural components (steel) of the towers, their melting points and the differences between them and similar buildings to be struck by aircraft which were composed of greater amounts of concrete.

The point is that this guy had no interest in my reasoning and my pointing to the fact that the answers are there if you look for them. Why do people not want the answers? Why do people cling to ludicrous conspiracies? Why do I think that my anecdote is a worthy reason to rant about conspiracy theorists?

I don’t know. I’m just a guy asking questions.

By: DOYLE

DOYLE — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 16:28:26 +0000

The person with a conspiracy temperment is like a child who sees in clouds sea-horses,rabbits and elephants.For a fleeting moment the animals “present”themselves visually reasonable.But then the wind stretches them and,that elephant becomes vaguer and vaguer untill it’s gone.The conspiracy moron still sees the elephant,assumes it means harm,and tries to get other to share his ardent stupidity.

By: BillyJoe7

BillyJoe7 — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 11:15:23 +0000

DLC: “There’s a rule out there somewhere about Evidence of a conspiracy is in fact proof that no such conspiracy exists, because effective conspirators would not leave evidence. Or something like that.”

The absence of evidence of a conspiracy is, in fact, proof that a conspiracy exists because effective conspirators would not leave evidence.

By: James Waite

James Waite — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 08:59:54 +0000

I think that the most interesting feature of the conspiracy theorist is the obsession. We all make incorrect assumptions, normally the idea quickly passes from our thoughts or it changes over time. The conspiracy theorist remains focused.

By: Jared Olsen

Jared Olsen — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 08:49:42 +0000

Sounds to me like McCain said “the intervention OR tragedy at Dallas”…

Jim Shaver-’ “pleasure” — I mean “nuts” ‘ – nice S or F reference!

By: Davdoodles

Davdoodles — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 02:50:08 +0000

I once saw a conspiracy theorist scratch his own nose.

The implications were terrifying.
.

By: Shelley

Shelley — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 02:47:25 +0000

Conspiracy theories simplfy life to “right,” “wrong,” “good,” and “evil.” if bad things happen to good people, then evil forces must be at play. . . Somewhere. This is so much more comforting than the understanding that sometimes awful and atrocious things happen outside of our control. If we can just explain it somehow, then it is preventable, comprehensible. And then bad things never randomly happen. There is always an explanation.

By: HHC

HHC — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 23:50:12 +0000

Does any one other than myself remember when John McCain shouted at the Republican Convention, ” We are all prisoners of war!” and Sarah Palin made a facial grimace and rolled her eyes? Guess he made more than one unique remark during the campaign.