The true nature of conspiracy theories?

Question

1) Whats your position on the 911 conspiracy theories?

2) Was there a single point in time and/or piece of evidence that convinced you one way or the other? What was it swung you and when?

There is a % of people who just long to buy conspiracies and a % of people who just want to refute them at all costs. Generally speaking, the difference between the two extremes in general probably comes down to how much stake one has in their society; as Martin Luther King Jr once said "People who have a stake in their society, protect that society, but when they don't have it, they unconsciously want to destroy it." If that is true then rich pro government folks are more likely to deny conspiracies and poor anti government folks more likely to believe them. What I find most interesting is when successful people choose to believe and less successful people choose to disbelieve.

Answer 1

I think we all agree that 9/11 was a tragedy, that we hope will never be repeated.

People like conspiracies as they like someone/thing to blame when a tragedy happens, they like to blame authorities and organizations as they are perceived to have a enough power to do such. I also think there is an underlying factor of denial and wanting to "rebel" against something/one that are holding them back, wanting to believe they are in the knowledge. Possibly Paranoia.

Answer 2

the towers= just what it looked like, an attack. the pentagon however is different. the pivotal moment was realizing that two planes, of similar size and construction, did radically different damage. in NYC it couldn't completely penetrate a glass and steel superstructure, half was hanging outside the building. Meanwhile in DC it blew through 5 reinforced masonry walls and the building completely swallowed the entire plane through a hole that was smaller in diameter than the fuselage. Additionally, with the maneuvering the DC plane had to do, it did significantly more damage with less inertia.

Answer 3

There is only one conspiracy theory that I find to be completely unbelievable.

That is the theory documented in the 9/11 Commission report.

Few people, when fully informed, are gullible enough to buy that theory in its entirety.

The alternate theories are interesting.  They exist only because the official conspiracy theory is riddled with inconsistencies, proven errors, omissions and highly improbable coincidences.

We need a full and independent investigation to get to the truth so that all of the theories can be put to rest.

Answer 4

I'll try and keep this short.  looking down the answers I see 'The government are not that inhuman, not that crule'.  Well tell that to the people who went through the blitz of London and Coventry etc, or better still ask the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it's a mind set that think governments are human and caring, they are not, they are an entity with an agenda that kill for that agenda,  the New World Order agenda is not new, it goes back hundreds of years, to the forming of the Illuminati for the British Rothschilds, and this entity has no feelings or conscience, only an agenda.

Answer 5

They are all concocted by the government to distract from the real truth.Using confederates that are either in it for their own reasons or for money a smokescreen is created which makes it harder to reach the actual truth (not the so called truth pumped out by govt agencies.)

Answer 6

Those who profit from the status quo, will support the status quo, no matter what, and will reject, by default, anything that may taint the current power structure.

Those who don't profit from business as usual, are open minded enough to consider all of the angles.

"It's hard to get a man to understand something if his salary depends on him not understanding it." - Upton Sinclair.

Answer 7

Please define "nature" as it classifies persons who may develop a theory that is considered a "conspiracy".

Answer 8

Logic, which in terms of psychology and 'rationality' means the ability to spot patterns and pictures, to analyse relationships between facts.

If the theory / story doesn't fit the facts then I investigate to prove things one way or another... I want to know what happened and not to guess; not to accept a concocted fairytale... if there are questions I want them answering, simple as that.

Normally people start off accepting the governments view, come what may.  But if a situation is suspicious, full of coincidences and the story doesn't fit then some will question... and they do.  

In a rational situation the case is that the facts FIT the explanation - it's just that simple.  

But many people will ignore the evidence of their own experience and their own eyes if they are told to.  Hitler used this to great effect - categorising his opponents as liberals, socialists, communists... terrorists (so we shouldn't listen to them then).  

I've had an in interest in terrorism for over 25 years.... I find it surprising how many people (out of fear or prejudice) argue about stuff they have no idea about (and no interest either) using 'facts' picked off a 3 minute newscast.  People are encouraged to counter by 'categorising' others... calling someone a 'conspiracy theorist' is a classic way to do this - it's a way of invalidating everything, but it is visionaries and sceptics who question - not the complacent.

In depth reading about WW2 means I look at Pearl Harbor differently too (in that case the US government knew, but had to cover up - I believe - because of the vital nature of strategic information they received from other intel sources).  Even so I think it was a mistake to let it happen.

911?

Was immediately strange - the fact that a counter terror exercise was blamed for allowing terrorists to bypass defences either smacks of conspiracy, or of high level penetration by 'enemies of the state'.  Such a coincidence of timing is possible... but very, very unlikely.

The Pentagon damage was the clincher, it defied normal air accidents in terms of wreckage and the story did not explain very disproportionate damage between the 3 crash sites... the lack of live news from the 'secondary sites', forensic investigation and political photo opps all confirmed things were not right.

As for the WTC, normally if you damage a building on one side it falls in that direction - a basic principle of controlled demolitions.

It's sad but this follows trends, and most people are too fearful to visit them, they'd rather argue from the comfort of an armchair and a television... they are unable to even entertain such questions seriously and certainly not with an 'open mind'... the 'debate' has already been framed for them.  

People like that are what Bush relies on, simple people who are easily lead - he exploits those who trust him most of all.

Answer 9

The 9/11 truthers are essentially paranoiacs who hate their government so much they just won't believe any statements they issue.

I don't believe the 'inside job' theory, largely because I don't think the supposed conspiracy could have carried out their supposed actions secretly.  If we believe the demolition theory of 9/11 we have to believe that some US special forces group managed to plant what would have to be several hundred pounds (minimum) of explosive charges in each building without being spotted by security guards, in total secrecy and without anyone blabbing then or later since, after all, these orders would be utterly illegal under military law.  Somehow I can't see the Joint Chiefs sanctioning such an operation, if only because they wouldn't want to face indictment.

This alone should be enough to discredit the inside job theory, before we consider some of the other fantasies such as remote-controlled kamikaze airliners with missile launchers attached.   I personally thought Bin Laden's group was behind the attacks within about an hour of hearing about them and I've seen nothing to make me reconsider since.

Answer 10

Most conspiracy theories tend to aim to 'prove' the stance taken before the event by the people that produce them.

Answer 11

History always tells the truth.

No Government can afford to be found out in a vile and monstrous conspiracy.

Answer 12

i can not belive in a impossible crime. the goverment is not that good. nor that crule

Answer 13

1.  Don't believe them.

2.  Not really, I've spent a lot of time studying Pearl Harbor and how conspiracies work.  They twist facts very well.  Most 'facts' presented by the 9/11 conspiracy just don't add up in my mind, too many questions.  And I've learned to question, even conspiracies.  A lot of time conspiracy theorist say facts can't be twisted, yes they can, and so very easily that it really makes one question the mental abilities of those who believe conspiracies.

I've made many intelligent people (IT, professionals, teachers, liberals, Conservatives, etc) want to ban water.  The trick it to use DHMO (dihydrogen monoxide) instead of water.  Then list off potential harmful things about it.  Like thousands, including children die from inhaling it each year (drowning deaths).  It's used in nuclear reactors (cooling system).  A major component of acid rain (duh, water, rain).  They put it in your baby's formula (really good, shows a real threat to family, but duh, it's water).  The trick is not to say water, or that it's essential for life.  

I've had people wanting to know where to go to ban water, then I tell them.  Then I tell them its water, they get this 'no way' look, then said I must have lied to them.  I go over the facts again.  It's all in how the facts are presented, and I find conspiracies do not do a good job presenting facts.

Answer 14

The nature of the felling of the towers is indicative and explains many factors at play in present society. Hijackers, an alien will, bypassing all security points, driving the pilots to their collective destruction.

As sin and anger drives man in harshness against his own. Many former Prophets and great men were destroyed and murdered by those closest to them.

Planes crashing into the head, civilians driven by sinful and wrongdoing. Passengers making final calls to loved ones, with knowledge they were flying toward death. The entire event witnessed by media and passerby. One part of the Pentagon simultaneously destroyed. Government authorised, whereby the host and the hostilities were all complaint.

The incident is spiritually significant, yet pain and emotional fragilities s prohibit such discussion, simply accusations and counter allegation of the act of terrorism. Discuss.