“Truth? You can't handle the truth!”

[Theblazeuk]

https://medium.com/@darren_cullen/conspiracy-theory-left-right-and-wrong-85739fbb6611#.e5ism7rqy

Good article about the proliferation of conspiracy theories from the right to the left over the course of the 20th century.

[The Legendary Shark]

The opening sentence of this article states, "...neoliberal myths that support the West's oppression of the developing world and help secure corporate domination at home." The ways in which the World Bank, B.I.S. and other bodies subjugate and exploit the "developing world" are well documented, as are the involvement of such bodies as the C.I.A. in destabilising non-Westernised governments. Such agreements as TTIP, the contents of which are kept secret from the public it purports to help, are attempts to "secure corporate domination at home." To arbitrarily label such things as "myths" gives away the shallowness of this article from the outset.

The phrase "conspiracy theory" has come to mean other than the meaning of its two constituent words. It means nutcase, idiot, fool, fantasist, moron, paranoiac. It is this straw man meaning that Cullen does a good job of demolishing here. He makes the fundamental mistake of lumping all things from false flag operations to alien lizard overlords together into a single belief system. If one believes that the Gulf of Tonkin incident was a false flag operation undertaken for industrial/political reasons then one must also believe the world is run by shape-shifting extradimensional lizard people. This is simple guilt by association.

If one examines the phrase "conspiracy theorist" properly, it becomes apparent what its actual meaning is. Police detectives, for example, are conspiracy theorists. They perceive a crime and then construct theories (to be tested in court) as to who conspired to commit that crime. Doctors are a form of conspiracy theorist; they perceive an ailment or illness and construct theories to explain the factors "conspiring" to cause that illness.

To use the former interpretation, it is easy to demolish the very idea of a conspiracy theorist. To use the latter interpretation makes it harder.

When David Icke proposes ancient alien interaction with human beings based on ancient texts and symbols, that's not a conspiracy theory - it's creative interpretation and connection of data and must be treated as such, at least until he shows us a humanoid lizard in a cage.

When the families of victims gathered data and evidence pointing to malfeasance by the police during and after the Hillsborough disaster, that was a conspiracy theory. There was a theory about a police conspiracy to cover up the truth. This theory was tested (eventually) in court and found to be largely sound.

But for many years, as the two definitions of "conspiracy theory" were conflated, anyone who believed in a police cover up over Hillsborough was also inferred as believing in secret lizard overlords as well. It is a convenient phrase with which to win arguments through the implied dual logical fallacies of guilt by association and ad hominem - you can't take any notice of what these people say because they're conspiracy theorists.

Cullen, then, in this article takes the obviously flawed interpretation of the phrase "conspiracy theory" and tells us, rightly, just how flawed and often foolish many creative interpretations and connections of data are. Unfortunately, he ignores the actual meaning of the words "conspiracy" and "theory."

He ends by reinforcing the false left/right paradigm and admitting to the existence of "...the one conspiracy which genuinely threatens us all: neoliberal capitalism." By "neoliberal capitalism," I assume he means neoconservative corporatism. If not, it seems he's fallen into the creative interpretations and connections of data presented by governments and corporations in order to cement their positions and powers. Neoliberal capitalism actually means something quite good - modern (neo) progressive (liberal) free trade (capitalism).

This article, while not particularly insightful, does demonstrate the danger of conflating all "conspiracy theories" into a single mass and then dismissing them all based on the most ludicrous. Each claim must be examined on its own merits or lack thereof.

[M.I.K.]

The opening sentence of this article states, "...neoliberal myths that support the West's oppression of the developing world and help secure corporate domination at home." The ways in which the World Bank, B.I.S. and other bodies subjugate and exploit the "developing world" are well documented, as are the involvement of such bodies as the C.I.A. in destabilising non-Westernised governments. Such agreements as TTIP, the contents of which are kept secret from the public it purports to help, are attempts to "secure corporate domination at home." To arbitrarily label such things as "myths" gives away the shallowness of this article from the outset.

'Cept you've just completely misread that first sentence, ye twonk.

[Theblazeuk]

Examining and criticising the media narrative around world events is vital in order to unpick and dismantle neoliberal myths that support the West's oppression of the developing world and help secure corporate domination at home.

You've gone full bore on misreading the opening sentence and throwing your own slant on everything written.

[The Legendary Shark]

I don't think so. Cullen claims that the "West's oppression of the developing world" and "corporate domination at home" are supported by myths, inferring they are myths in themselves. His suggestion, which is actually sound, is that examination and criticism of the MSM narrative is vital but his conclusion, that this examination and criticism should be carried out with the purpose of unpicking and dismantling those "myths," is flawed. One unpicks and dismantles in order to reveal the truth, not in order to serve a predetermined decision - i.e., this is a myth. Until something is unpicked and dismantled, one cannot know if it's a myth or not.

[TordelBack]

Regardless of Sharky's reading, his point stands: 'Conspiracy Theory' is a term whose meaning has been completely subverted* through its application to unrelated ideas. 


As a total aside, when Trump talks about a conspiracy against him, he's exactly right: it's the mass of the people conspiring to keep him out of political office even when the annointed alternative is pretty ghastly itself: a.k.a. democracy. 




*Probably deliberately**.

**By a shadowy cabal. In an exclusive ski-resort***.

***Artificially maintained on a private Polynesian island.

[The Legendary Shark]

Regardless of Sharky's reading, his point stands: 'Conspiracy Theory' is a term whose meaning has been completely subverted through its application to unrelated ideas. 

^ This ^

Whilst I am willing to admit I may have misinterpreted the opening sentence, I have my prejudices just like anyone else, I still think that regarding something as a myth before examining it leads to problems. Perhaps Cullen thinks that "the West's oppression of the developing world" and "corporate domination at home" are real but to blanket-label everything supporting those ideas as "myths" from the outset is unhelpful.

[M.I.K.]

I don't think so. Cullen claims that the "West's oppression of the developing world" and "corporate domination at home" are supported by myths, inferring they are myths in themselves.

WHUUUUH? If someone told me you stole something of mine and I punched you in the face for it, that doesn't mean that because the information is false that the punch in the face didn't happen either. The Iraq War was waged based on false information, but nobody thinks the war itself was mythological.

But yes, the current usual intended meaning of 'conspiracy theory' is a bit wrong and has been for decades. Wouldn't disagree with that.

[I, Cosh]

*Probably deliberately**.

**By a shadowy cabal. In an exclusive ski-resort***.

***Artificially maintained on a private Polynesian island.

No such thing.

[TordelBack]

*Probably deliberately**.

**By a shadowy cabal. In an exclusive ski-resort***.

***Artificially maintained on a private Polynesian island.

No such thing.

That's what they want you to think.

[paddykafka]

Just because you're paranoid, it doesn't mean that they're not out to get you.

[The Legendary Shark]

I'm not paranoid. Nobody ever said I was paranoid! What have you heard?!

[paddykafka]

And the opposite of being Paranoid?

"I'm following somebody!" 

[The Legendary Shark]

So it's you lurking behind my privets...

[Theblazeuk]

I don't think so. Cullen claims that the "West's oppression of the developing world" and "corporate domination at home" are supported by myths, inferring they are myths in themselves.

But, no.