27-03-2009, 03:23 AM
Oh, boy, am I with you on this one. :ridinghorse:
I've been using the co-incidence theorist line too and it does get them on the defensive and thinking differently.
Most of the people I know accept conspiracies as fact of life as most of the people I know are very politically active in one way or another at one time or another. The rest of the people I know are criminals of various kinds some of them perfectly respectible people. But for people who are not in this area and have illusions about the world and society and how it works it is a big hurdle to get over. They don't often see the dots let alone join them. For them the elephant in the room is just a thing to put the sofa against and hang the plasma tv on. Our whole society is based on illusions, lies and conspiracies. Let's start with Santa and the Tooth Fairy. Obama tells us 'we are in this together' like we are all the same and have the same interests and have been equally responsible for the state of things as if we are co-conspiritors with the criminals. Partners conspire to keep their affairs and internet browsing history and credit card statements secret from their significant other. Executives conspire to load their expense accounts with things they have't actually forked out for. Ditto tax lodgement forms. Bosses conspire to steal the surplus value created by their workers every day and keep it for them selves and yet tell their workers they have been paid in full for their work. Our whole capitalist system is based on that one. Advertisers and Disney tell us that if we buy this product, dress, behave this way one day our prince will come and everyone will love us. Food manufacturers tell you that it is a vanilla/chocolate/strawberry icecream and yet it has no vanilla/ chocolate or strawberry in it and is probably not even an icecream either. They conspire to hide this information by using numbers on the back of the package. There are thousands of daily examples of conspiracy big and small, some vastly significant others irrelevant. As a society it needs conspiracies and illusions because if there was an outbreak of truth it could not survive in its current form.
I've been using the co-incidence theorist line too and it does get them on the defensive and thinking differently.
Most of the people I know accept conspiracies as fact of life as most of the people I know are very politically active in one way or another at one time or another. The rest of the people I know are criminals of various kinds some of them perfectly respectible people. But for people who are not in this area and have illusions about the world and society and how it works it is a big hurdle to get over. They don't often see the dots let alone join them. For them the elephant in the room is just a thing to put the sofa against and hang the plasma tv on. Our whole society is based on illusions, lies and conspiracies. Let's start with Santa and the Tooth Fairy. Obama tells us 'we are in this together' like we are all the same and have the same interests and have been equally responsible for the state of things as if we are co-conspiritors with the criminals. Partners conspire to keep their affairs and internet browsing history and credit card statements secret from their significant other. Executives conspire to load their expense accounts with things they have't actually forked out for. Ditto tax lodgement forms. Bosses conspire to steal the surplus value created by their workers every day and keep it for them selves and yet tell their workers they have been paid in full for their work. Our whole capitalist system is based on that one. Advertisers and Disney tell us that if we buy this product, dress, behave this way one day our prince will come and everyone will love us. Food manufacturers tell you that it is a vanilla/chocolate/strawberry icecream and yet it has no vanilla/ chocolate or strawberry in it and is probably not even an icecream either. They conspire to hide this information by using numbers on the back of the package. There are thousands of daily examples of conspiracy big and small, some vastly significant others irrelevant. As a society it needs conspiracies and illusions because if there was an outbreak of truth it could not survive in its current form.
"The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways. The point, however, is to change it." Karl Marx
"He would, wouldn't he?" Mandy Rice-Davies. When asked in court whether she knew that Lord Astor had denied having sex with her.
“I think it would be a good idea” Ghandi, when asked about Western Civilisation.
"He would, wouldn't he?" Mandy Rice-Davies. When asked in court whether she knew that Lord Astor had denied having sex with her.
“I think it would be a good idea” Ghandi, when asked about Western Civilisation.