“Everyone loves a conspiracy.”
– Dan Brown
Linky Friday: A Conspiracy, That’s What This Is
[Co1] On the web, it’s often hard to tell conspiracy theory from facts—and either way, speculating about which celebs are immortal vampires and which are secretly lizards is mostly harmless fun (and excellent meme fodder).
[Co2] “Most conspiracy theories reside permanently in the murky corners of the internet. QAnon is the rare breakout hit.”
[Co3] The primary question of this essay is to explore whether this crusade against Dungeons and Dragons can be categorized as a conspiracy theory.
[Co4] Has there ever been a benign conspiracy or are they always sneaky? The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific concepts
[Co5] There is no name that looms larger in the imagination of the fringe right than George Soros. In conspiracy lore, Soros has single-handedly supplanted the Rothschilds as the rich, Jewish head of a shadow operation primed to create a one-world government, eradicate the white race, and…turn the “freakin’ frogs gay.”
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izmJepISIeg&w=560&h=315]/
[Co6] The OG: “Unsealed Clinton Docs Shed Light on ‘Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy'”
[Co7] If there is a question that endures across generations of television watchers, it is, “why the f*ck did the Howells pack so many f*ckin’ clothes for a run-of-the-mill three-hour tour of the Hawaiian islands?”
[Co8] Right-wing conspiracy nuts refuse to let go of their Seth Rich fantasy.
[Co10] What conspiracy belief comes down to is a theory based on the assumption that things go wrong because they are planned that way. Frustrated by failure they begin to search for a villian.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40VQ2ui_O3Q&w=560&h=315]
[Co11] The Christian conspiracies that keep evangelicals on Trump’s side
[Co12] Marine, 3 civilians accused in $1.5 million Parris Island razor blade conspiracy, theft
[Co13] Profiling a Conspiracy Theorist: Why Some People Believe
[Co14] Who believes in conspiracies? New research offers a theory: People with certain personality traits and cognitive styles are more likely to believe in conspiracy theories
[Co15] Here is a roundup of some of the wildest, most believable, and, might we add, unproven conspiracy theories that claim Tupac is alive and well.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXvBjCO19QY&w=560&h=315]
[Co16] I have a conspiracy theory about free birthday desserts at restaurants[Co17]
[Co18] The Elite Legal World’s ‘Conspiracy of Silence’: What do the Kavanaugh hearings reveal about many of our top law schools, professors, judges and former clerks? A self-interested blindness, where every incentive works in favor of those with the most power.
[Co19] What a headline: Riverdale Actor Denies Conspiring With Courtney Love to Murder Frances Bean’s Ex-Husband
[Co20] Noted conspiracy theorist Alex Jones apparently isn’t taking his de-platforming well and has been reduced to…well, just watch.
I see Alex Jones is picking on someone his own size and intelligence for once. I present to you, Alex Jones screaming at manure. #InfoWarsArmy #tyt #tytlive #TuesdayThoughts #TuesdayMorning #TuesdayMotivation pic.twitter.com/ot44YJ6wLu
— ????????? Lib™? (@AtheisticLib) October 23, 2018
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xxgRUyzgs0&w=560&h=315]
Speaking broadly across many of these, the conspiracy theory nuts give those of us with an actual conspiracy a bad name.Report
Co7: Actually, the traditional question was “Ginger or Mary Ann?” Mary Ann was the correct answer.Report
Co5: The Right has always been particularly disturbed by very wealthy liberals as being class traitors.Report
Co4: Technically, the founding of America was pretty conspiracy-adjacent.Report
Co4: A surprise birthday party is a benign conspiracy.Report
fair pointReport
Benign?
An horrible vile conspiracy seems more appropriate. Possibly that is an idiosyncratic view.Report
It depends. If there is merely cake and gifts and a mild surprise, I’ll allow it.
If instead it’s a “let’s humiliate the person by giving them boxes of adult diapers and a cane and have black-and-grey decorations including tombstones,” that seems more malign to me.
(I turn 50 in February and am seriously considering leaving town the two weekends nearest my birthday just in case. I have to be at work on the actual DAY but I do not think any of my co-workers are aware. At least I hope they are not)
Better example of a benign conspiracy: a few years back, one of my friends on a fiber-arts-related board got wind of my birthday and inspired many, many people to send me birthday cards. I was literally getting at least one card a day for the entire month. At first it was baffling but it quickly became hilarious and then I realized what had happened. I THINK I know who perpetrated it….Report
I negotiated “No Surprise Parties” into our wedding vows… that and no Valentines day.
It cost me in other areas, but totally worth it.Report
I think it depends on the ability of the recipient to handle surprises. Egg-shell plaintiff and all that.Report
Possibly also, an addict’s intervention.Report
One of the interesting things about being a Jew is that there are tens or hundreds of millions of people that believe you to be the source of all evil in the world. The number of anti-Semitic conspiracy theorists most likely outnumber the world’s entire Jewish civilization. Anti-Semitic conspiracy theories are flexible. We are capitalists Communists, anti-white, anti-people of color, anti-religion, pro-religion, and anti-male or anti-female at the same time.Report
It is amazing throughout history the consistency of anti-Semitism. Almost without exception when their is an evil to be found in human history some element of it is either directed towards, or blamed on, the Jewish people. And continues to be so, sadly.Report
You’d think, if you Jews were behind so much power and money, you’d not have to worry about being beaten and killed by so many.Report
Speaking of anti-Semitism
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/27/us/active-shooter-pittsburgh-synagogue-shooting.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=HomepageReport