"The Conspiracy Theory Detector" / Michael Shermer

[James H. Fetzer]

http://www.scientificamerican.com/articl...y-director

10. JimFetzer
04:06 PM 12/4/10

Michael Shermer must be the least skeptical "skeptic" in history. He not only buys the official account of the assassination of JFK but even the official account of 9/11! I await his announcement that Julius Caesar did not die as the result of a conspiracy. According to Shermer, after all, for a conspiracy to exist, it must involve superhuman powers and large numbers of persons who would all have to maintain their silence.

To the best of my knowledge, there are no "conspiracies" of this kind.

He doesn't seem to realize that conspiracies only require two or more individuals collaborating in bringing about an illegal end, They are as American as apple pie. I earned my Ph.D. in the history and philosophy of science. I have published three books on the death of JFK. I am the Founder of Scholars for 9/11 Truth. I organized its first conference, published its first book, and produced its first DVD.

I also debated Michael Shermer on the "Free Beer and Hot Wings" show 11 September 2007. Listen to Part I here: http://twilightpines.com/media/Shermer_F..._11_07.mp3
and Part II here:
http://twilightpines.com/media/Shermer_F..._11_07.mp3

Michael comes across as a very nice, soft spoken man, but most of his remarks about conspiracies are simply wrong. They are factually challenged and poorly reasoned. I say that as someone who spent 35 years teaching logic, critical thinking, and scientific reasoning. And I would be glad to debate Michael again about any of these things.

On the nature of conspiracy theories, consider:

"Thinking about 'Conspiracy Theories': 9/11 and JFK"
http://www.scholarsfor911truth.org/fetzerexpandedx.htm

"Birds of a Feather: Subverting the Constitution at Harvard Law"
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Birds-o...1-980.html

"Conspiracies and Conspiracism"
http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/...6047.shtml

For more about JFK and RFK:

"JFK and RFK: The Plots that Killed them, The Patsies that Didn't"
http://www.voltairenet.org/article165721.html

"RFK: Outing the CIA at the Ambassador"
http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/...6464.shtml

"JFK: What We Know Now"
http://www.opednews.com/articles/JFK-Wha...2-863.html

For more about 9/11:

"Why doubt 9/11?"
http://twilightpines.com//index.php?opti...&Itemid=46

"Was 9/11 an 'inside job'?"
http://twilightpines.com/JF-BuenosAires/...Aires.html

"Are Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan justified by 9/11?"
http://noliesradio.org/archives/21621/

[John Kowalski]

The "Skeptics" are selectively skeptical. I have visited a number of their websites and they seem to walk in lock-step when conspiracies are the issue.
They reject them outright without presenting much evidence to support their beliefs. They also ignore the very rules of logic and fact they claim to uphold.

John

[James H. Fetzer]

The situation is absurd. These are either the world's most gullible skeptics or
they are running a disinfo op according to the principle that the best way to
control the opposition (the truth) is to lead it (by promulgating the false).

The "Skeptics" are selectively skeptical. I have visited a number of their websites and they seem to walk in lock-step when conspiracies are the issue.
They reject them outright without presenting much evidence to support their beliefs. They also ignore the very rules of logic and fact they claim to uphold.

John