Evening all, I have something that I'd like to bring up with you all. Atheism, for me, is a very cut and dry, very delineated school of thought that begins and ends with the lack of belief in a deity. With that, there is still room for some rather silly trains of thought. The brightest and best of these have to be conspiracy theories. I've seen people who are firm 6's and 7's in the Dawkin's scale who believe everything from 9/11 Trutherism, belief in homeopathy, the less religious elements of Reptilian conspiracies, and the like. Do you have any ideas that could be described or have been described as a conspiracy theory? If so, what are they, and what proof do you have?
As for myself? I used to be a lunar hoax muppet.
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Conspiracy theories are very odd, and alot can be right and most are wrong, some conspiracies more respectable then others. The moon landing, 9/11 and the holocaust deniers create damage to my brain with their deep penetration of sheer stupidity, but some arent so bad nor popular.
con·spir·a·cy
kənˈspirəsē/
noun
a secret plan by a group to do something unlawful or harmful.
"a conspiracy to destroy the government"
Conspiracy is merely an illegal agenda..
the·o·ry
ˈTHēərē/
noun
a supposition or a system of ideas intended to explain something, especially one based on general principles independent of the thing to be explained.
A theory is the best way to explain something.. (Scientific theory has a different definition)..
So a conspiracy theory is the best way to explain something done illegally, we could fit alot of stuff into that.
The assassination of Fred Hampton. In 1966 Fred Hampton was a rising public speaker. At the time he was able to inspire rural white labor unions to fight for justice, equal rights, and fair wages. Fred Hampton was a Black Panther Leader. J. Edgar Hoover hated and feared the Black Panthers. As the Civil Rights Movement moved through the south and gained popularity and sympathy with northern Americans of all races and economic standing, northern blacks were being abused by police departments. They were stopped and harassed without probable cause. They were beaten and denied entry or access to many public places. IN 1966 Fred Hampton was sleeping in a Black Panther flop house with four other members. The Chicago police conducted a raid, without a warrant or probable cause. The police killed everyone inside that apartment. I got this information from a PBS Independent Lens documentary title 'Black Panthers : Vanguard of a Revolution'. The "theory" is that Hoover ordered the local police to kill Hampton and the Chicago police carried out that order.
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/12/4/the_assassination_of_fred_hampton_how
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/videos/the-black-panthers-vanguard-of...
I am old enough to have lived during those times at an age that I could understand what was going on.
Interesting story.
I think Conspiracy Theories is a name that ignorant people use to describe a claim.
People are easily convinced with enough propaganda and "Conspiracy Theories" is a propaganda term.
I think there are no Conspiracy Theories but just theories/claims, some accepted, some rejected and some rejected just because the majority or the powerful do not like them and brand them as Conspiracy Theories to discredit them.
When someone mentions Conspiracy Theories, the idea that comes to my mind is; that the person did not make the proper research else he would call them supported/unsubstantiated/ridiculous/etc.. claims/theories instead of using a propaganda term, "Conspiracy Theories".
That is what my bias tells me even though I would judge his claims ignoring my bias on the matter.
Right Jeff; because you think physics and mathematics are a conspiracy.
"The assassination of Fred Hampton"
Well we know from the documents released by the citizens commission to investigate the FBI that the FBI was involved in his death. But those documents were released before I was born so the idea that the FBI was involved just seems natural to me.
Interestingly enough many, most of the personal notes by J. Edgar Hoover is still not open to the public. Hoover hated the Kennedys, hated blacks, hated unions, and even though he was a raging homosexual, hated Gays, and he really really hated women.
Hoover may have been the very worst public official that ever lived. Now think about that. We've had Nixon, 'W', Hubert Hoover, George Wallace, Reagan, Oliver North, and a whole host of others that actually committed treason, but Hoover was worse than all of them. He abused and overreached his authority to commit murder, to determine election. He used extortion against elected officials and private citizens. He made up evidence to get conviction of innocent people. He illegally spied on people. He terrorized private citizens. He ignored the existence of the Mafia and instead attacked and victimized innocent blacks.
I think there was a conspiracy to kill Robert kennedy. JFK's death could be written off, but the death of his brother seemed........... too coincidental