Re: Moon Landing Hoaxed?
Most of "conspiracy theory" promotopn guys businesses like any other---people making a business and money out of creating doubts, playing on gulllible people who don't know any better it seems to me.
Found an interesting article that rings true:
"Conspiracy theory fanatics present all the symptoms of religious fanatics. Here are some of them:
1.A conspiracy theorist has "seen the light", so to speak. That is, he has seen the Truth, which the majority of other people haven't.
2.A conspiracy theorist has the absolute, irrefutable, unshakable CONVICTION that he knows the Truth, only the Truth, and nothing but the Truth. There's absolutely no doubt in his mind that what he believes is the Truth.
3.The conspiracy theorist will say things like "there's NO WAY these photos are not faked" and "there's NO WAY this is something else than controlled demolition", etc. He is absolutely sure and certain at all possible levels that he knows the truth.
4.There's absolutely nothing you can say that will convince the conspiracy theorist otherwise. You can refute every single claim he makes to absolute smithereens with hard scientific easy-to-understand facts, and that will not move his conviction even a fraction of an inch. Not even a shadow of a doubt will cross his mind at any point.
5.The doctrine which the conspiracy theorist believes is based on a series of books, web pages and "documentaries" made by some other conspiracy theorists (which are completely akin to prophets), and every single word in these works is considered the absolute Truth by the conspiracy theorist. Every single claim, no matter how small or how ridiculous, is the absolute Truth. Not a single claim is considered dubious or unimportant.
6.The conspiracy theorist has the irresistible urge to spread the Truth to others, the lost lambs who wander in darkness and still don't know the Truth, who haven't seen the light, and who must be converted.
Spreading the Truth is in no way limited to the Internet. Like the most vocal religious movements, also conspiracy theorists will organize protest marches and parades, where they will disturb the peace of completely unrelated events, they will get into TV shows to spread their convictions, they will preach to individuals at their workplaces and other places, etc, etc.
7.Trying to discuss critically the views of the conspiracy theorist will always cause a tirade of contempt and arrogant religious mongering. Trying to rationally argue against any of the claims of the conspiracy theorist is a completely futile endeavor. There's just no convincing the conspiracy theorist.
8.Like all religions, conspiracy theorists also have their big enemies. The Government is the enemy number one. The scientifical community is just an evil organization under the control of the Government, part of the system, and thus cannot be trusted.
9.Like some religions, also conspiracy theorists will twist and bend science for their own purposes, and quote science and writings of scientists completely out of context, changing the original meaning, to support their claims. When actual scientists show how the "science" of the conspiracy theorists is completely flawed, the conspiracy theorists will discredit the scientists because they are just part of the system.
Basically any scientist who opposes their views is delusional, incompetent and part of the system and thus not to be trusted, while any scientist (or anyone claiming to be a scientist) who agrees with the conspiracy theory is immediately credible and competent, and will be much quoted." ~ from
Conspiracy Theory Religions
