America, a Nation of Conspiracy Theorists, page 1

posted on Jul, 21 2004 @ 08:08 AM

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www.guardian.co.uk
Bin Laden was captured long ago, Reagan's death was hushed up and the coming election has been fixed. Jonathan Raban on how the White House's obsession with secrecy has turned America into a nation of conspiracy theorists

Dinnertime is the hour of the conspiracy theory here in Seattle. I've lost count of the times I've been told - always on excellent, but unnameable authority - that Osama bin Laden is already in American hands and that the Bush administration is waiting for the right moment to announce his capture. Ronald Reagan's body was on ice for many months, and his death was only announced when it became necessary to drive Abu Ghraib off the front page. Everybody knows, or thinks they know, that the administration will manipulate the intricate bells and whistles of homeland security to ensure the president's re-election. If terrorists don't strike in the run-up to November 2 (as most people assume they will) the level of alert will be jigged up to red, arrests will be made, the country will be declared saved from an evil plot and mass casualties, and Bush will storm past Kerry in the polls.

Please visit the link provided for the complete story.

This article make a great point that in the past few years of the Bush administration almost all Americans talk about conspiracies. Whether they are bashing "nutcases" or "finding the truth" Americans seem to hold conspiracies in higher regard than we used to. Anyone remember the Black Helicopter conspiracies under the Clinton administration? Sure, maybe a few of us do, but it never did get the coverage that Bush administration conspiracies do. Heck, the Daily Show even makes mainstream jokes out of even the most underground conspiracy theories. What has America become? Paranoid.... but I believe it to be for a good reason.

[edit on 7/21/2004 by lockheed]

Faisca

posted on Jul, 21 2004 @ 08:19 AM

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Hey I think it's good that Americans are starting to attempt to find the truth for themselves, and not listen to everything the TV tells them to believe. Some people take it too far ::cough::alexjones::cough::davidicke::cough:: but I think this website is a good indication of the awareness of many Americans.

JacKatMtn

posted on Jul, 21 2004 @ 08:30 AM

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I agree with Faisca, in addition I believe the proliferation of info and disinfo on the internet has exploded the conspiracy theorists agenda.

It is a good thing to explore and seek out truth, it is an example of our freedom, something alot of Americans take for granted.

One thing it shows is there is an increased awareness of what is going on in a wide variety of worldwide issues but I have conversations with friends and family and I am surprised that there is still a majority of people out there who "don't know" and sad to say, "don't want to know".

So while my views conflict with many here, I do enjoy the information provided and discussed here, and I get to learn something new everyday and to me that is progress. Keep it up ATS!!!

SpittinCobra

posted on Jul, 21 2004 @ 08:51 AM

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Got to love america. Maybe if the people of power would stop acting shady in everything they do, then maybe we would stop think their up to something.

Gools

posted on Jul, 21 2004 @ 09:58 AM

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In a world where we are ruled by those who lie and keep secrets, of biased mass media, of military secrets, national security secrets, conflicting research results and reporting etc. it's quite healthy to be incredulous about everything we are being spoon fed.

I do not view conspiracies as such. I see them as theories (in the scientific sense) that will either be proved or disproved. Many people seeking answers to their own questions about "how the world works" will try to make sense of it by placing it into some kind of narrative. Only time and more research can change that narrative.

I think it is very healthy that a population begins to question everything. It means that they are engaged and open-minded.

Those who are quick to dismiss, seem to be the ones either threatened in their beliefs or those that like to live their lives in a black and white world where they want to be "normal" just like everybody else (i.e. conformists).

EastCoastKid

posted on Jul, 21 2004 @ 03:18 PM

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It's a good article. I saw that earlier. With so much secrecy going on how can we not 'question everything?' We MUST! We must demand answers from our elected representatives, too. If we don't, they will go on and get away with whatever they can. It's human nature.

People should turn off their tv's and get their news from internet news compendium sites. It's the only way to get the best overall picture of what's actually going on.

Skadi_the_Evil_Elf

posted on Jul, 21 2004 @ 03:42 PM

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With all the evidence out there, its hard for anyone who thinks NOT to suspect something twisted is going on.

EastCoastKid

posted on Jul, 21 2004 @ 03:48 PM

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Tell me about it! Can you imagine.. if Clinton had pulled half this shyte his a$$ would have been strung up from the Capitol building!

kogigaiden

posted on Jul, 21 2004 @ 06:17 PM

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the majority of americans are probably always going to beleive what the evening news tells them. that is good for the government that is their priority. now if only we could get every american to stop watching television and frekin wake up those damn zombies will never understand the complexities of our world and $hit damn it to hell! ignorance truely is bliss, being able to watch bill o rielly and not want to take a chainsaw to the screen must be a really nice life.

Ambient Sound

posted on Jul, 21 2004 @ 06:28 PM

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Its simple. Conspiracy Theory has replaced Religion (Jim Baker and PTL, Jerry Falwell, Pervert Priests, etc..) as something unprovable to have faith in and to be scared of.

[sarcasm] Since whatever bad that happens to you certainly can't be your fault or your bad luck, there has to be someone else to blame for all the messed up stuff going on in your world. [/sarcasm].

Bleys

posted on Jul, 21 2004 @ 06:49 PM

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Originally posted by SpittinCobra
Got to love america. Maybe if the people of power would stop acting shady in everything they do, then maybe we would stop think their up to something.

This has to be one of the most astute observations I have seen on this board. Even the appearance of wrong-doing by elected officials or CEOs taints our view and perspective. If they lie or conceal the little things...it's easy to speculate about the larger ones and a conspiracy is born.