Conspiracy theory
From Free Talk Live
A conspiracy theory is a premise put forth by an individual or group that attempts to explain the nature of an criminal or immoral event (or sequence of events) by offering a hypothesis that involves an element of secrecy between two or more people. While the term "conspiracy theory" can correctly be applied to the allegation of any crime involving more than one person (including "official stories" issued by government officials), the popular usage of the term almost always refers to the allegations made by private individuals regarding criminal actions on the part of authority figures.
Typically, conspiracy theories suggest that secret plans were devised by individuals in powerful positions (usually in government, business or religion) and that the general public has been misled into believing a "false truth" by means of a cover-up. The proliferation of such alternate historical viewpoints has caused much debate in recent years, but the controversies have largely been relegated to non-mainstream venues due to an unwillingness or lack of interest on the part of major media outlets.
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Early Conspiracy Theories
While conspiracy theories have existed in culture in various forms since the beginning of recorded history, until recently they were mostly propagated by word of mouth and hard-to-find books. For many centuries, the masses of people have been largely unaware of most conspiracy theories, and their main exposure to them was through obscure cultural references and mildly derogatory humor. Belief in conspiracy theories has historically been associated with paranoia, delusions, and misguided anger at authority figures.
The Rise of Conspiracy Theories in the Internet Age
Advances in digital multimedia technology (recordable DVD's, podcasts, web pages, streaming videos, etc.) have brought a vast array of conspiracy theories to a new level of prominence. Audio and video presentations of conspiracy theories can now be produced and distributed at a very low cost, which means that an incredible amount of information has become available for anyone who is willing to spend the time to absorb it. While there is an abundance of freely available content, the ability to accurately discern authentic claims from those lacking credibility remains a significant challenge. Due to the suggestible nature of most people, well-produced documentaries can be convincing with very little proof offered to back their position (it should be noted that this principle is equally true of the material produced by those who are supporting the "official version" of any given conspiracy theory).
Conspiracy Theorists
People come to believe in conspiracy theories for a wide variety of reasons. People also have very different thresholds of how much credible information is required before they will come to believe in any given theory. Some people are improperly labeled as conspiracy theorist simply for asking questions about a controversial topic, but who have yet to put forth a complete (or even partial) theory. Some people, when confronted with two (or more) seemingly mutually exclusive explanations for an event, will refuse to take a position on the issue. These individuals sometimes refer to themselves as "agnostic" on the issue, borrowing the term from the controversy surrounding religious belief.
Indeed, the realm of conspiracy theory can take on the form of religious-like zealotry. Those who adopt a strong conviction in an alternative explanation of an important event will often feel the need to share these beliefs using techniques that have been employed by evangelicals of all types throughout history. A person's desire to expose their "version of the truth" is generally brought on by a genuine desire to set the record of history straight and correct any incorrect decisions that were made in light of the alleged massive deception, but may also be brought on by a desire to bring down a political opponent.
Popular portrayals of conspiracy theorists skew towards the paranoid, neurotic and insane. These (generally male) archetypes spend the most of their days and nights huddled over their computers, which are often (but not always) located in their parents' basement. While, like most stereotypes, there might be some truth to the perception, it doesn't accurately describe the modern conspiracy theorist. Many people have used the Internet to form real-life relationships with others in an effort to publicize the data that they believe will be beneficial once brought to the public attention. Others have had success in bringing their ideas to the online marketplace.
Impact on Libertarian Movement
Conspiracy theories tend to have a devisive effect on the libertarian movement. A vocal contingent of liberty-oriented thinkers actively supports distancing one's self from conspiracy theorists. Their main argument is that conspiracy theories are irrelevant (because there other, non-secret evils occurring that can be focused on instead) and are a waste of time (that could otherwise be spent helping libertarian organizations). They also feel that it gives the authority in question too much credit for being clever enough to carry out a large-scale secret operation and cover it up. Some in this group simply feel that the amount of research required to prove the conspiracy would not be worth the political gain. It is sometimes also suggested that conspiracy theorists are going to harm the movement because the public perceives them to be insane and dangerous.
Many conspiracy theorists, however, consider themselves libertarians to some degree. Though there are exceptions, many people who have come to believe in one or more major conspiracy theories have also started to notice that the current two-party paradigm in America is an illusion and that, in a free society, government corruption would be greatly reduced and these alleged crimes might be self-corrected by free markets. These individuals sometimes encounter opposition when trying to represent both libertarians and conspiracy theorists in the presence of either the aforementioned group or from someone who believes the conspiratorial allegation but is not a libertarian.
Free Talk Live's Position on Conspiracy Theorists
Virtually every host of Free Talk Live has expressed, to some extent, the feeling that researching conspiracy theories is a waste of time and money, and that uncovering the "hidden truths" behind the deception will not help advance their primary objective of reducing the size of government and establishing a liberty-oriented society.
Ian, in particular, tends to express a strong contempt for conspiracy theorists. While he usually admits that he finds conspiracy theories "interesting", he is fundamentally an conspiracy theory "agnostic" (see above) and will refuse to take a position on most related topics. "I don't believe the governments story and I don't believe the conspiracy theorists' story either" is a common utterance from Ian.
Since libertarian talk shows tend to invite alternative ideas, Free Talk Live generally confronts a conspiracy theorist at least once or twice a week. Ian routinely refers to such callers as "paranoid" and engages in mild ridicule during most phone calls, including a "cookoo" sound effect that he keeps on-queue for such occasions.
List of Some Currently Controversial Conspiracy Theories
- 9/11 Conspiracy Theories
- JFK and other Kennedy Assassinations
- CIA Drug Trafficking
- UFO and Alien Contact Cover-up
- Mind Control and Experimentation
- Government Involvement in Secret Societies and the New World Order
- Weather Modification and Hurricane/Earthquake Generation (HAARP)
