The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories

Yesterday, I released a video debunking chemtrails in response to an obviously disturbed individual’s video.

The person refused to allow it to be posted as a response to their video. This was, of course, expected. These people will not allow their religious faith to be assaulted, at least, that was my assumption. Upon further research, there may be a better explanation:

Goertzel identified three traits as being correlated with a belief in conspiracy theories:

* anomia, the respondent stated a belief that he/she felt alienated or disaffection relative to “the system;”
* a tendency to distrust other people; and
* a feeling of insecurity regarding continued employment.

Citing Volkan, who suggested that insecure and/or discontented people very often feel a need for a tangible enemy on which to externalize their anger, Goertzel notes that conspiracy theories may serve to provide an “enemy” to blame for problems which “otherwise seem too abstract and impersonal.” He further observes that conspiracy theories also provide ready answers for the believer’s unanswered questions and help to resolve contradictions between known ‘facts’ and an individual’s belief system. The latter observation seems to be verified by the widespread acceptance within the Muslim world of the contention that the September 11 attacks were the work of Israel, in conjunction with the Bush Administration, in order to increase anti-Muslim sentiments abroad.6

Surprisingly, Goertzel found that there was no correlation between race, age, and economic status and the latter two traits. Although he did not suggest that the two latter traits mentioned above may be self-perpetuating (people who have experienced employment difficulties in the past may be more distrusting of others which, in turn, may lead to future interpersonal issues that can have a negative impact on employment), intuitive reasoning suggests that this could be possible.

In summary, I accept the published findings and opinions of Goertzel et al as being at least subjectively valid. Successful conspiracy theories are those that to some degree empower the believer against what are perceived as external forces that he/she blames for some unpleasant or undesirable facet of their lives. In addition conspiracy theories serve to absolve the individual of some degree of self-accountability since, if the individual is being “oppressed” by some powerful conspiracy, the individual’s efforts at self-advancement will always be futile and thus become nothing more than “a waste of time.” Sadly, it seems that conspiracy theories and their advocates are now deeply engrained in the popular psyche and without prospects for their ultimate refutation.

Source: The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories

Suggested Reading:

Psychology Today

San Fransisco Chronicle

The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories (Power Point Format)

Commentary

This is so sad that so many people are falling prey to these pernicious beliefs, and to those who use those beliefs to make a living…even becoming rich from them. I have tried to reason with some of these people, and found myself frustrated at their universal unwillingness to accept science, and even photographic evidence (even when identifying engine parts from a 757 inside the Pentagon for a 9/11 nut), and eventually, I was accused of being “on the payroll” of X (the Illuminati, Israel, ZOG, Karl Rove), or of being a complete idiot.

I feel like someone trying to tell cavemen that lightning is not made by the gods, that it is just a natural event. Persistent Contrails are the same thing…water vapor frozen into ice crystal in the atmosphere.

I weep for the future of mankind…and the legacy of In Search Of, and the satanic Coast to Coast AM.

Asheville IndyMedia Call Ron Paul a Liar

You know things are looking bad for your candidate when even the Socialists and Anarchists “Pile On!”

Anyway I believe my posts below from offshorebusiness.com message board this weekend explain my feelings about Ron Paul aiding James Davidson’s et.al.’s ‘naked short claim’ penny stock frauds.Further I would remind Mr.Paul that his own state is harboring penny stock criminals making the same false claims as he and his corrupt penny stock tout ‘Libertarians’.Houston attorneys John O’Quinn and James Wes Christian have dumped worthless shares of Jag Media Holdings,Endovasc of Montgomery,Texas and others while the folks at Endovasc who lied about being a Stanford University connected ‘biotech’ company(including Judge Ken Reilly),worked with a Kuala Lumpur and Dubai connected boiler room called Bellador Group and now thanks to irresponsible politicians such as Ron Paul the fraudulent claim has finally crossed the Atlantic and entered into UK penny stock lore.
So far Ron Paul supports an econic lie and fraud and does a disservice to his economiust heroe Ludwig Von Mises.And as one who was born in Texas Ron Paul makes me ashamed of that state’s corruption as epitomised by his support of this fraudulent penny stock claim used even by Saudi arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi’s GenesisIntermedia penny stock fraud that Paul Singer and Carl Ichan benefitted from but also Bernie Kerik’s Taser.So far Ron Paul comes off looking as bad as Rudy Giuliani for aiding and abetting penny stock fraud with its consequent money laundering and drug laundering potential,(ie.-Skyway Communications,etc.).

If Mr.Paul and Christopher Shay and the other House of Representatives member who wrote their scammy letter to the SEC are as ignorant as they pretend about the fraudulent ‘naked short selling’ claim'(used to divert attention from illegal insider manipulations of their own stock) then they would be doing their country a favor by resigning from the House of Representatives – and certainly not do us the further disservice of seeking higher office.
Ron Paul should pressure the appropriate offices in his own state to prosecute attorneys O’Quinn and Wes Christian for using courts and the legal system to protect their fraudulent penny stock clients and distort the legal system with lies about ‘naked shorting’ causing share collapse when in truth Endovasc of Montgomery,Texas and Jag Media Holdings and O’Quinn and Christians other penny stock criminal clients were dumping their own shares.In fact the lying Texas attorneys were dumping their clients worthless shares as well while lyting about ‘naked shorting’.

Sincerely,
Tony Ryals

Source: Asheville IndyMedia, if you have the stomach to read the whole thing. There is a payoff, however, if you are in the “9/11 Conspiracy Thing” because the author eventually gets around to connecting Ron Paul with 9/11.

Commentary

I used to think the Black Helicopter Crowd in the 90’s were strange, these guys have shown me a whole new level of strange! Perhaps even more strange than the insane people who believe the crap on Coast to Coast AM!

For example, I started ignoring Jerome Corsi after I started hearing him on Coast to Coast AM while I was prepping my web sites with new new content. Now, I have an XM Radio, and don’t have to listen any more!

Bill Clinton Delivers Smack Down To Twoofer

I am no fan of President Bill Clinton, but his reaction to a 9/11 Twoofer could not have been more eloquently stated!

The video will no longer play for me, so as I backup, I have re-uploaded it to another account:

Why The Left Must Deny September 11, 2001

In the endless Summer of Love there is no 9/11. And to tens of millions of dreamy folk on the Left, the Summer of Love never stopped. For those people there is no dangerous Ahmadi-Nejad in Tehran, threatening a fiery new holocaust for Tel Aviv and Washington, DC. There is no nuclear proliferation by mad little mass-murdering Kim Jong Il. There is no Osama Bin Laden stirring up terror cells around the world — just a poor, confused man somewhere in the mysterious, deeply spiritual East, whom we have offended in some terrible way.

For the Dreamy Left there is no history, and no fundamental human conflict. There was no Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor half a century ago — except as a terrible misunderstanding, because our parents and grandparents were just so ignorant and racist in that benighted time. There was never a Cold War, there is no necessary war ever, there is no human value worth fighting for. We have transcended all that by our saintly morality and good will. History was mostly a big misunderstanding. Reality is only an agreement. Peace and Love are forever and ever, and nobody has to do anything to make it so, except to wish for it hard enough. If everybody wants it, it will be so.

Source: The American Thinker

Hat Tip: The Freedom Fighter’s Journal

As long as I have breath, I will remember that day, and tell others about that day. I will pull out audio, video, and written accounts of that day and show my nephews, nieces, children, and grandchildren.

We must never forget.

Or else, we will end up like these idiots in (where else) AshevilleSan Fransisco:

The anti-American War Protesters all gathered in San Fransisco, and the crowd included 9/11 Truthers, International ANSWER, Communists, Idiot Ron Paul Supporters, the Revolutionary Workers Group, Vegans, Cannibis Action Network, Wonder Woman and Spiderman.

Don’t believe me? Check out Zombietime’s Photo Essay, from whom I swiped the headlining photo for this post.

Anti-Semitic and Far Left Supporters of Ron Paul

Rob Taylor has been digging around the fevered swamps of Ron Paul supporters, and has found some real nut jobs:

This time it’s the paranoid mouth breathers from Freedomtown who are putting up YouTube videos supporting Ron Paul’s fight against “neo-conservatives” and demanding “9-11 truth.”

Wow. Feedomtown has (I kid you not) a Sheeple De-programing section on their website where they ironically recycle Communist propaganda and as you would suspect promote Alex Jonesian hoaxes. It’s funny to check out Paul’s supporters, until you realize that President Paul would have people just like them in positions of power.

Imagine Secretary of State whoever telling the U.N. that we need to contain the NWO (Jews) by force if necessary. Or Ron Paul brownshirts rounding up “Zionists” for stirring up trouble in the mid east. If Paul was elected that’s exactly what would happen.

In case you want to make the case that Freedomtown isn’t anti-semitic, check out this page then try to make that argument. Yeah, I didn’t think so.

But is Freedomtown really a bunch of rabid conservatives and libertarians. No their quite far left actually, or at least their trusted anti big media sources are. A few progressive websites the “patriots” at Freedomtown think you should be reading (taken from their links page):

Source: Red Alerts

Hat Tip: Center for Vigilant Freedom Blogroll

Ron Paul’s IDIOT Supporters Captured on You Tube

These people are idiots.

Hat Tip: LGF (read the comments!)