20 REASONS WHY THE PUBLIC ARE BLIND TO THE JFK CONSPIRACY, AND MANY OTHERS.

[Guest]

1). CONFIRMATION BIAS 
The tendency to process information by looking for, or interpreting, information that is consistent with one's existing beliefs. We all do this and it's the hardest one to resist. How many of us have read JFK books one after another, without purchasing any that make the contrary case to our beliefs? 

2). GROUPTHINK
Groupthink is a phenomenon that occurs when a group of individuals reaches a consensus without critical reasoning or evaluation of the consequences or alternatives. Groupthink is based on a common desire not to upset the balance of a group of people. It's significantly easier to fall in line with the herd and not risk being ostracised for expressing different ideas and theories. There is less risk and it allows us to be intellectually lazy and feel safe in our group views. For anyone doubting this, see the Soloman Asche experiments proving the case. 

3). COGNITIVE DISSONANCE
Cognitive dissonance is a theory in social psychology. It refers to the mental conflict that occurs when a person's behaviours and beliefs do not align. It may also happen when a person holds two beliefs that contradict one another. The state is fundamentally good, you vote for their representatives, but, the state seems to have been involved in the JFK assassination. One of them can't be true, which is it? If it can happen with JFKA, why can't it happen again, and again in different ways? We face the same mental conflict each time where we default back to the state as the good guys that we voted for. What if they are not? 

4). DOUBLETHINK
The acceptance of contradictory ideas at the same time, especially as a result of political indoctrination. The word comes from George Orwell in 1949 in his book titled "1984". This can only happen if people have abandoned critical thinking and their trust in those who supply them with information is completely blind. 
ie We're going to bomb democracy into Iraq because they might be linked to 9/11, destroy the country, kill a million Iraqi's, steal their oil, and it's going to make American's safer. 

5). PATRIOTISM AND THE FLAG
With societies heavily conditioned by the flag and the nation, if the perpetrators of a conspiracy are seen as patriots, it is very hard for the average person to see any wrong in them. This is the exact reason Presidents and candidates are photographed with the flag. It cements that they are the same as us in the public psyche. We are much more likely to vote for a candidate who talks of his sacrifices in the military and how much he loves this nation. Just about everyone watching Fox has a firearm and flag, ready to defend the nation. Perceived patriots are the last people suspected of a conspiracy, they are seen as loyal. 

6). PHILANTHROPY 
It's in the PR handbook if you are a wealthy elite or political candidate. You must be seen as charitable and doing good in society. JD Rockefeller famously got reporters to film him giving dimes to children for the news. The public perception was that he was a kind old man, and not a guy using his foundation to fund eugenics movements and further spread his influence in business, science and academia. The playbook is the same whether it's the Carnegie, Rockefeller, Clinton or the Gates Foundations. Donors are private, you get tax breaks and it goes under the guise of doing something good. If the accused in a conspiracy is appearing to give lots of wealth away, regardless of our financial naivety as to how much they are making, we find it abhorrent that a perceived kind person is being accused of conspiracy or impropriety. Again, we need to cast emotions aside and examine the facts. 

7). RELIGION
This is waning for children now but, many of us grew up entirely indoctrinated by religion, sitting through a school assembly of conditioning and brainwashing. We came out of it with morality and conscience. Every election we hear how devout a candidates faith is and how important it is to him/her as a guiding force. We can't help but think that's wonderful, something they have in common with us. When such a person is accused of a conspiracy or corruption, we can't even comprehend it as they have the same religious values as us. Our mind seldom lets us accept the notion of their guilt. 

8). INTELLIGENCE QUOTIENT 
If your IQ is less than 90, you can't even polish someone's boots in the US Army. The average IQ is 100. If your IQ is low, you're going to have to see a conspiracy step by step with your own eyes to believe and accept it. If your IQ is 95, you're not going to have the same faculties as someone who has an IQ of 167 to see and understand a conspiracy taking place. Some things will occur to one person, that another can never be able to comprehend. That's life. 

9). REPETITION OF LIES
A wise man once said, that if a lie is told enough times, it becomes the truth. This is a fundamental rule of propaganda and psychological warfare. Unfortunately, some of us are more susceptible to this than others. If the perpetrators of a conspiracy have the media on their side, most of the population will nod like psychiatric patients who are high as a kite. After some time, the proportion of the population who believe otherwise will be very small. Maybe the same proportion that was put in gulags or executed in the Soviet Union, Maoist China, Cambodia and North Korea. When intellectuals are speaking out against the state, worry. 

10). RELEVANT LIFE EXPERIENCE
Most of us don't have the first clue how ruthless it is in business, or an inkling of the tricks and deceptions used to achieve in that world. There are many tricks and cons that people in that world use to achieve their goals, that they see every day. When they catch a rival using them, they laugh, an acknowledgement they are in the game. The masses are completely asleep to such deceptions, they play out time and time again. They'll leave the average person thinking they just got a deal, the reality is they had their pants pulled down. Even Machiavelli's "The Prince" doesn't cover a fraction of these tricks but, it's certainly worth a read. I live in a tax haven, I listened to a ruthless proprietor of an offshore trust company negotiating with a local painter (decorator). The finance guy was conning the decorator something chronic, I called across the bar to the decorator "Dave, you could get £500 more for that", the other guy called me the FC-word combo. Don't assume because you are smart in your field that you understand the array of skills educated elites use. If you think you're immune to being conned by a conspiracy, you'll need to be seriously switched on and familiar with the techniques, most of us aren't. 

11). PSYCHOLOGY DEFICIENCY
If you don't understand why you do the things you do or, why human beings do the things they do, what hope do you have or identifying a conspiracy? You need a basic understanding of human psychology to evaluate the behaviour and actions of a possible conspirator. You can't see behavioural patterns if you don't know what to look for. This is absolutely vital education.

12). IGNORANCE OF HISTORY
History is cyclical, it repeats itself. "Those who are ignorant of history are destined to repeat it". In my opinion, if you're very well-read in historical terms, it equips you almost as well as the psychology. You'll see patterns, the same moves, repetition and be conscious of when a conspiracy is happening in real-time. If you're unaware of history, your chances of identifying a conspiracy are close to zero. Human history may be short in the scheme of the age of the planet but, there is plenty to educate yourself and observe the same surreptitious behaviour over and over again. 

13). LACKING THE BIGGER PICTURE
It's no secret as with IQ, there is a disparity in human beings when it comes to the attributes to do certain things. Some of us will be strong at one thing and incompetent at another. Most of us will look at world events in isolation, with a myopic view and no context. A small proportion of people will be very good at seeing the bigger picture, those with incredibly analytical minds. They'll see patterns, commonalities and connect things. Their very logical minds are alerted by their subconscious, that something doesn't look right or fit logic. Those people go to the end of the earth with analysis looking for answers and, they draw a conclusion that is probable and logical. Not many of us have the cognitive function to do that. Those guys will identify a conspiracy. 

14). PRODUCTION QUALITY
We are so used to CNN, SKY, FOX, BBC etc producing our news with very high production quality and a huge budget, that when we're communicated to by other sources with a modest budget who may be saying very valuable things, we instinctively doubt it because it doesn't look like what we're used to. People buy into a news brand like they would their favourite car or golf clubs, after a while, we develop blindness to everything else. Take everything on its merit and critically think, weighing up all sides. Don't be dazed and confused by special effects and fancy delivery. It's the truth that counts. 

15). VIDEO, TELEVISION, BOOKS & COMICS SHAPING THOUGHTS
From tiny children, we read comics, watch cartoons, watch TV, read books, watch films and they all have this good vs evil narrative. There is a virtuous good guy who wins, or a CIA, 007 or military guy who saves the world. Whether you realise it or not, we're conditioned to that as a reality and because it fits our moral value set, we feel good when the inevitable happy ending comes. In the exceptions where it doesn't, we feel sad, unhappy, like an injustice has taken place, it leaves us upset. All a government needs to do to perpetuate a conspiracy is propagate the message that they are on the side of the good guys, the righteous. If any conspiracy appears as well-intentioned, the public will support it, as their value set from media is geared up to do that. If you can make the victim the archetypal villain, you've done 90% of the job. We hear words like "undemocratic", "anti-freedom" and "against liberty" when it concerns countries, not pro-UK/US/Israel trade deals that exploit them and when someone is a friend of the UK, Israel or US, they're a democracy and they believe in freedom and liberty. We sit there and say; "my life is good, those guys don't believe in that, we need to change that or they'll take our freedoms away". Our media prevents us from seeing whether we are the hero or the villain in any situation. It manufactures consent for us to use taxpayers money to line the pockets of a handful of companies who do best when there is a war on the go. Our psyche is super susceptible to this manipulation and it plays out in perpetuity. 

16). ASSUMING WEALTHY PEOPLE THINK AS YOU DO
Given the American wealthy elite might be 1% of the population or less, how many of you encounter these people regularly and understand the way they think and how ruthless they are in business? You're trained to be an obedient worker, a cog in a machine that has an output for other people. Why would you assume they think the same? Because of well-polished PR and less than forthright public demeanour? Simple PR makes you think they're the good guys. 

17). FEAR
Those who get a conspiracy theory wrong, never regain their reputation amongst family, friends, work colleagues etc. You can side with the state and the state can be wrong over and over again, yet you don't lose face. For the conspiracy theorists its social suicide being on the wrong side. This prevents people from raising concerns and thinking outside of the box. 

18). THE POWER OF CELEBRITY
Whether we know it or not, we gravitate to people we like, admire and look up to. We create a bias and these celebrities are often used to deliver messages to the public. Because we have these celebs on a pedestal, corporations and governments often hire or co-opt them to enhance their message, as it's so effective. If your favourite athlete or actor says LHO killed JFK and anyone else is a tinfoil hat wearer, you're likely to go along with it. It's incredibly effective marketing. What we often don't understand is the upside for the very financially driven celebrities to jump on the bandwagon. They want to further their network and increase their earning potential and aspire to being part of the elite. Their PR agent will actively encourage them to take this line. With Insta, FB, Twitter and TikTok, and them having millions of followers, their endorsement is worth its weight in gold. 

19). THE CABAL 
We, hook, line and sinker, buy into the idea that red or blue is everything (in the UK too), we invest our emotions, hope and aspirations in these people who don't care about you or me. They're the guys that cut our healthcare, send us to some hellish foreign land to die in a ditch with a rifle, or sell us products that give us cancer. They're the guys that tell us we're destroying the environment while they profit from oil shares. They tell us we're destroying the oceans while they profit from the last saleable fish being mopped up. They tell us population is the worlds biggest problem while they have 6 kids and fly about in private jets. They tell us GM foods are healthy while they eat only organic. They drink deuterium free water while telling us ours dosed up with fluoride, is fine. Despite all this, we trust that the president or prime minister is the highest authority in the land and cannot be corrupted. This is one of the main reasons people don't see conspiracies. They believe in these demi-gods offering salvation through well-scripted dialogues organised by PR experts. Yet, we live with the very real reality of Napoleon Bonaparte's definition of madness; "people doing the same thing over and over, yet expecting different results". Every election we get a choice of Pepsi & Coke, hope & change, make America great again. 4 years later we sit there bought into the same pantomime. It never dawns on us that its theatre. That the status quo for the elites is the same, regardless of red or blue. It doesn't matter how many times they fail us, we're ready to believe in the next one who offers hope. How stupid are we really? We're like kids at a magic show seeing rabbits being pulled from hats, starry eyed and delusional. If you're not going to acknowledge the reason we only have two prominent parties, the reason we have such little choice in policy is a fix, then what hope do we have in seeing any conspiracy? 

20). WE CAN"T ACCEPT THE WORLD AS IT IS
Many of us don't like to believe the world is a bad place, that it's unfair or unjust, or that those we trust in politics could betray us. It's the red pill, the blue pill choice. Escapism is easier in the short term, but, leads to long term misery. 

Edited August 25, 2021 by Chris Barnard
Typo

[Steven Kossor]

Chris, this is the most comprehensive, clearly described summary of the stumbling blocks facing anyone who wants to understand the truth about anything.  Even things that they themselves have personally experienced/witnessed!  Nice work!!!

[Guest]

On 8/23/2021 at 2:24 AM, Steven Kossor said:

Chris, this is the most comprehensive, clearly described summary of the stumbling blocks facing anyone who wants to understand the truth about anything.  Even things that they themselves have personally experienced/witnessed!  Nice work!!!

Thanks Steven. Given all of the above, the powerful mechanisms delivering information or misinformation, as well as the modern proclivity or addiction to dopamine triggering substances, we should perhaps all consider what the reality is, or the reality we experience and perceive. 

Edited August 25, 2021 by Chris Barnard

[Matthew Koch]

@Paul Brancatoyesterday you called me a provocateur in regard to my comments in the 'Thank You Tucker!!' thread.

I interpret that to mean something similar to what a agent provocateur means aka a malicious agent of chaos on behalf of others. I would disagree with that, I don't say things that I don't mean or are untruthful to my knowledge. But I would agree that I do provocateur when people exhibit behavior that is consistent with one of the 20 things listed above. I do use the Mirror Effect in an attempt to try to break through to people, and make them aware of their cognitive dissidence or logical fallacy that is preventing them from "getting it". I don't do this to hurt people feeling or to be a meanie, in the alignment system http://easydamus.com/alignment.html I align with "Chaotic Good", so I don't really care what people think of my perceived bad behavior because 9 times out of 10 I am doing it for a good cause or reason.  I have been doing this since my punk rock days as a teenager. I do follow the golden rule and try to treat people like I've been treated, but since the moment I joined the forum I have been attacked for having the last name of the Koch brothers, I've been accused of being a racist KKK Klan member, Putin Agent, and most recently in the Tucker thread a Jewish Fascist Sympathizer. So if people are going to attack Tucker for covering the JFK assassination I'm going to push back against that because I don't see that as righteous behavior to attack someone who is trying to help your cause. And as the evidence shows.. people don't have a much of a valid reason for their Tucker and seems to be based on political bias.  

[John Cotter]

On 8/7/2021 at 8:52 PM, Chris Barnard said:

1). CONFIRMATION BIAS 
The tendency to process information by looking for, or interpreting, information that is consistent with one's existing beliefs. We all do this and it's the hardest one to resist. How many of us have read JFK books one after another, without purchasing any that make the contrary case to our beliefs? 

2). GROUPTHINK
Groupthink is a phenomenon that occurs when a group of individuals reaches a consensus without critical reasoning or evaluation of the consequences or alternatives. Groupthink is based on a common desire not to upset the balance of a group of people. It's significantly easier to fall in line with the herd and not risk being ostracised for expressing different ideas and theories. There is less risk and it allows us to be intellectually lazy and feel safe in our group views. For anyone doubting this, see the Soloman Asche experiments proving the case. 

3). COGNITIVE DISSONANCE
Cognitive dissonance is a theory in social psychology. It refers to the mental conflict that occurs when a person's behaviours and beliefs do not align. It may also happen when a person holds two beliefs that contradict one another. The state is fundamentally good, you vote for their representatives, but, the state seems to have been involved in the JFK assassination. One of them can't be true, which is it? If it can happen with JFKA, why can't it happen again, and again in different ways? We face the same mental conflict each time where we default back to the state as the good guys that we voted for. What if they are not? 

4). DOUBLETHINK
The acceptance of contradictory ideas at the same time, especially as a result of political indoctrination. The word comes from George Orwell in 1949 in his book titled "1984". This can only happen if people have abandoned critical thinking and their trust in those who supply them with information is completely blind. 
ie We're going to bomb democracy into Iraq because they might be linked to 9/11, destroy the country, kill a million Iraqi's, steal their oil, and it's going to make American's safer. 

5). PATRIOTISM AND THE FLAG
With societies heavily conditioned by the flag and the nation, if the perpetrators of a conspiracy are seen as patriots, it is very hard for the average person to see any wrong in them. This is the exact reason Presidents and candidates are photographed with the flag. It cements that they are the same as us in the public psyche. We are much more likely to vote for a candidate who talks of his sacrifices in the military and how much he loves this nation. Just about everyone watching Fox has a firearm and flag, ready to defend the nation. Perceived patriots are the last people suspected of a conspiracy, they are seen as loyal. 

6). PHILANTHROPY 
It's in the PR handbook if you are a wealthy elite or political candidate. You must be seen as charitable and doing good in society. JD Rockefeller famously got reporters to film him giving dimes to children for the news. The public perception was that he was a kind old man, and not a guy using his foundation to fund eugenics movements and further spread his influence in business, science and academia. The playbook is the same whether it's the Carnegie, Rockefeller, Clinton or the Gates Foundations. Donors are private, you get tax breaks and it goes under the guise of doing something good. If the accused in a conspiracy is appearing to give lots of wealth away, regardless of our financial naivety as to how much they are making, we find it abhorrent that a perceived kind person is being accused of conspiracy or impropriety. Again, we need to cast emotions aside and examine the facts. 

7). RELIGION
This is waning for children now but, many of us grew up entirely indoctrinated by religion, sitting through a school assembly of conditioning and brainwashing. We came out of it with morality and conscience. Every election we hear how devout a candidates faith is and how important it is to him/her as a guiding force. We can't help but think that's wonderful, something they have in common with us. When such a person is accused of a conspiracy or corruption, we can't even comprehend it as they have the same religious values as us. Our mind seldom lets us accept the notion of their guilt. 

8). INTELLIGENCE QUOTIENT 
If your IQ is less than 90, you can't even polish someone's boots in the US Army. The average IQ is 100. If your IQ is low, you're going to have to see a conspiracy step by step with your own eyes to believe and accept it. If your IQ is 95, you're not going to have the same faculties as someone who has an IQ of 167 to see and understand a conspiracy taking place. Some things will occur to one person, that another can never be able to comprehend. That's life. 

9). REPETITION OF LIES
A wise man once said, that if a lie is told enough times, it becomes the truth. This is a fundamental rule of propaganda and psychological warfare. Unfortunately, some of us are more susceptible to this than others. If the perpetrators of a conspiracy have the media on their side, most of the population will nod like psychiatric patients who are high as a kite. After some time, the proportion of the population who believe otherwise will be very small. Maybe the same proportion that was put in gulags or executed in the Soviet Union, Maoist China, Cambodia and North Korea. When intellectuals are speaking out against the state, worry. 

10). RELEVANT LIFE EXPERIENCE
Most of us don't have the first clue how ruthless it is in business, or an inkling of the tricks and deceptions used to achieve in that world. There are many tricks and cons that people in that world use to achieve their goals, that they see every day. When they catch a rival using them, they laugh, an acknowledgement they are in the game. The masses are completely asleep to such deceptions, they play out time and time again. They'll leave the average person thinking they just got a deal, the reality is they had their pants pulled down. Even Machiavelli's "The Prince" doesn't cover a fraction of these tricks but, it's certainly worth a read. I live in a tax haven, I listened to a ruthless proprietor of an offshore trust company negotiating with a local painter (decorator). The finance guy was conning the decorator something chronic, I called across the bar to the decorator "Dave, you could get £500 more for that", the other guy called me the FC-word combo. Don't assume because you are smart in your field that you understand the array of skills educated elites use. If you think you're immune to being conned by a conspiracy, you'll need to be seriously switched on and familiar with the techniques, most of us aren't. 

11). PSYCHOLOGY DEFICIENCY
If you don't understand why you do the things you do or, why human beings do the things they do, what hope do you have or identifying a conspiracy? You need a basic understanding of human psychology to evaluate the behaviour and actions of a possible conspirator. You can't see behavioural patterns if you don't know what to look for. This is absolutely vital education.

12). IGNORANCE OF HISTORY
History is cyclical, it repeats itself. "Those who are ignorant of history are destined to repeat it". In my opinion, if you're very well-read in historical terms, it equips you almost as well as the psychology. You'll see patterns, the same moves, repetition and be conscious of when a conspiracy is happening in real-time. If you're unaware of history, your chances of identifying a conspiracy are close to zero. Human history may be short in the scheme of the age of the planet but, there is plenty to educate yourself and observe the same surreptitious behaviour over and over again. 

13). LACKING THE BIGGER PICTURE
It's no secret as with IQ, there is a disparity in human beings when it comes to the attributes to do certain things. Some of us will be strong at one thing and incompetent at another. Most of us will look at world events in isolation, with a myopic view and no context. A small proportion of people will be very good at seeing the bigger picture, those with incredibly analytical minds. They'll see patterns, commonalities and connect things. Their very logical minds are alerted by their subconscious, that something doesn't look right or fit logic. Those people go to the end of the earth with analysis looking for answers and, they draw a conclusion that is probable and logical. Not many of us have the cognitive function to do that. Those guys will identify a conspiracy. 

14). PRODUCTION QUALITY
We are so used to CNN, SKY, FOX, BBC etc producing our news with very high production quality and a huge budget, that when we're communicated to by other sources with a modest budget who may be saying very valuable things, we instinctively doubt it because it doesn't look like what we're used to. People buy into a news brand like they would their favourite car or golf clubs, after a while, we develop blindness to everything else. Take everything on its merit and critically think, weighing up all sides. Don't be dazed and confused by special effects and fancy delivery. It's the truth that counts. 

15). VIDEO, TELEVISION, BOOKS & COMICS SHAPING THOUGHTS
From tiny children, we read comics, watch cartoons, watch TV, read books, watch films and they all have this good vs evil narrative. There is a virtuous good guy who wins, or a CIA, 007 or military guy who saves the world. Whether you realise it or not, we're conditioned to that as a reality and because it fits our moral value set, we feel good when the inevitable happy ending comes. In the exceptions where it doesn't, we feel sad, unhappy, like an injustice has taken place, it leaves us upset. All a government needs to do to perpetuate a conspiracy is propagate the message that they are on the side of the good guys, the righteous. If any conspiracy appears as well-intentioned, the public will support it, as their value set from media is geared up to do that. If you can make the victim the archetypal villain, you've done 90% of the job. We hear words like "undemocratic", "anti-freedom" and "against liberty" when it concerns countries, not pro-UK/US/Israel trade deals that exploit them and when someone is a friend of the UK, Israel or US, they're a democracy and they believe in freedom and liberty. We sit there and say; "my life is good, those guys don't believe in that, we need to change that or they'll take our freedoms away". Our media prevents us from seeing whether we are the hero or the villain in any situation. It manufactures consent for us to use taxpayers money to line the pockets of a handful of companies who do best when there is a war on the go. Our psyche is super susceptible to this manipulation and it plays out in perpetuity. 

16). ASSUMING WEALTHY PEOPLE THINK AS YOU DO
Given the American wealthy elite might be 1% of the population or less, how many of you encounter these people regularly and understand the way they think and how ruthless they are in business? You're trained to be an obedient worker, a cog in a machine that has an output for other people. Why would you assume they think the same? Because of well-polished PR and less than forthright public demeanour? Simple PR makes you think they're the good guys. 

17). FEAR
Those who get a conspiracy theory wrong, never regain their reputation amongst family, friends, work colleagues etc. You can side with the state and the state can be wrong over and over again, yet you don't lose face. For the conspiracy theorists its social suicide being on the wrong side. This prevents people from raising concerns and thinking outside of the box. 

18). THE POWER OF CELEBRITY
Whether we know it or not, we gravitate to people we like, admire and look up to. We create a bias and these celebrities are often used to deliver messages to the public. Because we have these celebs on a pedestal, corporations and governments often hire or co-opt them to enhance their message, as it's so effective. If your favourite athlete or actor says LHO killed JFK and anyone else is a tinfoil hat wearer, you're likely to go along with it. It's incredibly effective marketing. What we often don't understand is the upside for the very financially driven celebrities to jump on the bandwagon. They want to further their network and increase their earning potential and aspire to being part of the elite. Their PR agent will actively encourage them to take this line. With Insta, FB, Twitter and TikTok, and them having millions of followers, their endorsement is worth its weight in gold. 

19). THE CABAL 
We, hook, line and sinker, buy into the idea that red or blue is everything (in the UK too), we invest our emotions, hope and aspirations in these people who don't care about you or me. They're the guys that cut our healthcare, send us to some hellish foreign land to die in a ditch with a rifle, or sell us products that give us cancer. They're the guys that tell us we're destroying the environment while they profit from oil shares. They tell us we're destroying the oceans while they profit from the last saleable fish being mopped up. They tell us population is the worlds biggest problem while they have 6 kids and fly about in private jets. They tell us GM foods are healthy while they eat only organic. They drink deuterium free water while telling us ours dosed up with fluoride, is fine. Despite all this, we trust that the president or prime minister is the highest authority in the land and cannot be corrupted. This is one of the main reasons people don't see conspiracies. They believe in these demi-gods offering salvation through well-scripted dialogues organised by PR experts. Yet, we live with the very real reality of Napoleon Bonaparte's definition of madness; "people doing the same thing over and over, yet expecting different results". Every election we get a choice of Pepsi & Coke, hope & change, make America great again. 4 years later we sit there bought into the same pantomime. It never dawns on us that its theatre. That the status quo for the elites is the same, regardless of red or blue. It doesn't matter how many times they fail us, we're ready to believe in the next one who offers hope. How stupid are we really? We're like kids at a magic show seeing rabbits being pulled from hats, starry eyed and delusional. If you're not going to acknowledge the reason we only have two prominent parties, the reason we have such little choice in policy is a fix, then what hope do we have in seeing any conspiracy? 

20). WE CAN"T ACCEPT THE WORLD AS IT IS
Many of us don't like to believe the world is a bad place, that it's unfair or unjust, or that those we trust in politics could betray us. It's the red pill, the blue pill choice. Escapism is easier in the short term, but, leads to long term misery. 

Great stuff, Chris.

[John Cotter]

11 hours ago, Matthew Koch said:

@Paul Brancatoyesterday you called me a provocateur in regard to my comments in the 'Thank You Tucker!!' thread.

I interpret that to mean something similar to what a agent provocateur means aka a malicious agent of chaos on behalf of others. I would disagree with that, I don't say things that I don't mean or are untruthful to my knowledge. But I would agree that I do provocateur when people exhibit behavior that is consistent with one of the 20 things listed above. I do use the Mirror Effect in an attempt to try to break through to people, and make them aware of their cognitive dissidence or logical fallacy that is preventing them from "getting it". I don't do this to hurt people feeling or to be a meanie, in the alignment system http://easydamus.com/alignment.html I align with "Chaotic Good", so I don't really care what people think of my perceived bad behavior because 9 times out of 10 I am doing it for a good cause or reason.  I have been doing this since my punk rock days as a teenager. I do follow the golden rule and try to treat people like I've been treated, but since the moment I joined the forum I have been attacked for having the last name of the Koch brothers, I've been accused of being a racist KKK Klan member, Putin Agent, and most recently in the Tucker thread a Jewish Fascist Sympathizer. So if people are going to attack Tucker for covering the JFK assassination I'm going to push back against that because I don't see that as righteous behavior to attack someone who is trying to help your cause. And as the evidence shows.. people don't have a much of a valid reason for their Tucker and seems to be based on political bias.  

Matthew, don't let the name calling get to you. There's a Chinese proverb about it: "Those who throw mud are losing ground".

[Guest]

12 hours ago, Matthew Koch said:

@Paul Brancatoyesterday you called me a provocateur in regard to my comments in the 'Thank You Tucker!!' thread.

I interpret that to mean something similar to what a agent provocateur means aka a malicious agent of chaos on behalf of others. I would disagree with that, I don't say things that I don't mean or are untruthful to my knowledge. But I would agree that I do provocateur when people exhibit behavior that is consistent with one of the 20 things listed above. I do use the Mirror Effect in an attempt to try to break through to people, and make them aware of their cognitive dissidence or logical fallacy that is preventing them from "getting it". I don't do this to hurt people feeling or to be a meanie, in the alignment system http://easydamus.com/alignment.html I align with "Chaotic Good", so I don't really care what people think of my perceived bad behavior because 9 times out of 10 I am doing it for a good cause or reason.  I have been doing this since my punk rock days as a teenager. I do follow the golden rule and try to treat people like I've been treated, but since the moment I joined the forum I have been attacked for having the last name of the Koch brothers, I've been accused of being a racist KKK Klan member, Putin Agent, and most recently in the Tucker thread a Jewish Fascist Sympathizer. So if people are going to attack Tucker for covering the JFK assassination I'm going to push back against that because I don't see that as righteous behavior to attack someone who is trying to help your cause. And as the evidence shows.. people don't have a much of a valid reason for their Tucker and seems to be based on political bias.  

I genuinely think Paul, didn’t mean it in a malicious way, though there are plenty of provocateurs here, I think we tolerate our fair share of it. This reply is relevant in this thread, because once you understand how its done, its incredibly easy. The list above provides some insight into human psychological weaknesses and susceptibilities. The frustrating thing is; many here think this list of 20 can only exist in their opponents. Which just makes me shake my head. 
 

Matt K,  does at times mirror the opposition in tactics, as I have done too. Sometimes that’s the only way to make them see that their methods are not acceptable. It can’t be all one sided. The truth is if people want intellectual debate, then they should play ‘clean’. At some stage the 10-15% is going to respond In kind to the 90-85%, here. We should all welcome conversations that stretch our minds and try to be respectful. It’s tremendously frustrating for logical minds to converse with emotional minds. 

Matt K, I think you are much maligned here and many want to put you in some neat little stereotype box, where they can use a handbook of criticisms that they use as a blanket policy on anyone that doesn’t exactly align with them. The truth is that you are very bright and you have probably read more about the JFK case than most of people here. You are very much a free-thinker in many respects. Free-thinkers in human history are no strangers to being attacked for having views that don’t align with the mob. JFK is one of those ‘free-thinkers’ too. Unfortunately, in todays age, whether someone is listened to, liked, supported or praised, is largely due to what colours he wears or which political ideology he identifies as. That is a tragedy for nations or humanity, that can surely only lead us into some very dark times. 

[Guest]

The above list is unintentionally hilarious and reveals an astonishing lack of awareness of the actual scientific literature.

There has been a massive amount of research since 2007 concerning the psychological profile of individuals prone to a conspiracy mindset. The research cuts across every branch of psychology as well as sociology and other disciplines. It has identified quite clearly the characteristics typical of individuals prone to a conspiracy mindset. The profile isn’t inevitably pathological (although in some cases it certainly is), but it is distinct and not entirely flattering.

The phrase in the thread title, “BLIND TO THE JFK CONSPIRACY, AND MANY OTHERS,” is rather telling. Uh-huh: Many others. We’re talking about a conspiracy-prone mindset.

Part of the unintentional humor is that the poster fails to realize at least half of the factors he identifies cut in precisely the opposite direction from what he suggests. What he appears to regard as aberrant, if not pathological, influences are regarded outside conspiracy world as entirely normal and positive. THE LIST ITSELF speaks volumes about the conspiracy-prone mindset.

Below are a handful of articles from reputable sources just off the first page of Google results. There are pages and pages and pages of such results. You will be hard-pressed to find any studies as to “Why Educated, Intelligent, Critical-Thinking Individuals Nevertheless Resist Wild Conspiracy Theories.”

Stop kidding yourselves, people. Sure, actual conspiracies do occur. But there is also a very definite conspiracy-prone psychological profile, and it is evident IN SPADES on this forum.

You might do yourself a very great favor if you became familiar with the literature. It might help you avoid pitfalls in your own thinking, recognize absurdity and hucksterism when you see it, and evaluate conspiracy theories on less of an “oh, wow, far out, gee-whiz!” basis.

People Drawn to Conspiracy Theories Share a Cluster of Psychological Features

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/people-drawn-to-conspiracy-theories-share-a-cluster-of-psychological-features/

Who believes in conspiracy theories? A meta-analysis on personality correlates

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0092656622000423

Who believes in conspiracies? New research offers a theory

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/09/180925075108.htm

New psychology research uncovers why people with “Dark Tetrad” personality traits are more likely to believe conspiracy theories

https://www.psypost.org/2021/06/new-psychology-research-uncovers-why-people-with-dark-tetrad-personality-traits-are-more-likely-to-believe-conspiracy-theories-61088

Bored to fears: Boredom proneness, paranoia, and conspiracy theories

https://nature.berkeley.edu/garbelottoat/wp-content/uploads/brotherton-2015.pdf

[Guest]

10 minutes ago, Lance Payette said:

The above list is unintentionally hilarious and reveals an astonishing lack of awareness of the actual scientific literature.

There has been a massive amount of research since 2007 concerning the psychological profile of individuals prone to a conspiracy mindset. The research cuts across every branch of psychology as well as sociology and other disciplines. It has identified quite clearly the characteristics typical of individuals prone to a conspiracy mindset. The profile isn’t inevitably pathological (although in some cases it certainly is), but it is distinct and not entirely flattering.

The phrase in the thread title, “BLIND TO THE JFK CONSPIRACY, AND MANY OTHERS,” is rather telling. Uh-huh: Many others. We’re talking about a conspiracy-prone mindset.

Part of the unintentional humor is that the poster fails to realize at least half of the factors he identifies cut in precisely the opposite direction from what he suggests. What he appears to regard as aberrant, if not pathological, influences are regarded outside conspiracy world as entirely normal and positive. THE LIST ITSELF speaks volumes about the conspiracy-prone mindset.

Below are a handful of articles from reputable sources just off the first page of Google results. There are pages and pages and pages of such results. You will be hard-pressed to find any studies as to “Why Educated, Intelligent, Critical-Thinking Individuals Nevertheless Resist Wild Conspiracy Theories.”

Stop kidding yourselves, people. Sure, actual conspiracies do occur. But there is also a very definite conspiracy-prone psychological profile, and it is evident IN SPADES on this forum.

You might do yourself a very great favor if you became familiar with the literature. It might help you avoid pitfalls in your own thinking, recognize absurdity and hucksterism when you see it, and evaluate conspiracy theories on less of an “oh, wow, far out, gee-whiz!” basis.

People Drawn to Conspiracy Theories Share a Cluster of Psychological Features

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/people-drawn-to-conspiracy-theories-share-a-cluster-of-psychological-features/

Who believes in conspiracy theories? A meta-analysis on personality correlates

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0092656622000423

Who believes in conspiracies? New research offers a theory

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/09/180925075108.htm

New psychology research uncovers why people with “Dark Tetrad” personality traits are more likely to believe conspiracy theories

https://www.psypost.org/2021/06/new-psychology-research-uncovers-why-people-with-dark-tetrad-personality-traits-are-more-likely-to-believe-conspiracy-theories-61088

Bored to fears: Boredom proneness, paranoia, and conspiracy theories

https://nature.berkeley.edu/garbelottoat/wp-content/uploads/brotherton-2015.pdf

Thanks for proving my point, Lance. I appreciate it. Which of the 20 do you identify as? 🙂 

Edited February 24, 2023 by Chris Barnard

[Greg Doudna]

Chris could you comment on how to distinguish true conspiracies from false ones? For example, Obama birtherism is a conspiracy theory. How would you apply your twenty points in the case of Obama birtherism?

Which segues back to the JFK assassination since there is not just one but dozens of JFK assassination conspiracy theories. Which one or ones are you talking about specifically, and which ones are you not talking about specifically? How do your twenty points assist in distinguishing good ones (true ones) from bad ones (flimflam and delusional thinking)?

Welcome back Lance! 

[Guest]

3 hours ago, Greg Doudna said:

Chris could you comment on how to distinguish true conspiracies from false ones? For example, Obama birtherism is a conspiracy theory. How would you apply your twenty points in the case of Obama birtherism?

Which segues back to the JFK assassination since there is not just one but dozens of JFK assassination conspiracy theories. Which one or ones are you talking about specifically, and which ones are you not talking about specifically? How do your twenty points assist in distinguishing good ones (true ones) from bad ones (flimflam and delusional thinking)?

Welcome back Lance! 

Hi Greg,

I find your response tangential, vague or at cross-purposes to my list of psychological reasons that often inhibit, or prevent people from seeing things as they are. 

To save us both precious time; do you have any particular criticisms of the list of 20 reasons? Or, are you in agreement with the list? 
 

[Matthew Koch]

6 hours ago, Greg Doudna said:

Chris could you comment on how to distinguish true conspiracies from false ones? For example, Obama birtherism is a conspiracy theory. How would you apply your twenty points in the case of Obama birtherism?

Which segues back to the JFK assassination since there is not just one but dozens of JFK assassination conspiracy theories. Which one or ones are you talking about specifically, and which ones are you not talking about specifically? How do your twenty points assist in distinguishing good ones (true ones) from bad ones (flimflam and delusional thinking)?

Welcome back Lance! 

The fact that Hillary Clinton Campaign staff started it, like they did the Steele Dossier, is a good start as to it being that it's fake conspiracy. Then when the long form came out, people attached to the conspiracy claimed it was fake and had photo shop layers which would be cognitive dissonance denial. 

Other than the Secret service agent did it theory no one here on this forum really pushing the fake ones like the Driver did it..

 

[Pat Speer]

2 hours ago, Matthew Koch said:

The fact that Hillary Clinton Campaign staff started it, like they did the Steele Dossier, is a good start as to it being that it's fake conspiracy. Then when the long form came out, people attached to the conspiracy claimed it was fake and had photo shop layers which would be cognitive dissonance denial. 

Other than the Secret service agent did it theory no one here on this forum really pushing the fake ones like the Driver did it..

 

Wait. It appears that you are going out of your way to blame Hillary for the hoax that helped bring Trump to power. Will you at least agree that Donald pushed this issue for attention, and to send a wink-wink nudge-nudge to the Republican base that it was okay to doubt the "American-ness" of a mixed-race guy born and mostly raised in Hawaii?

Or do you think he had the best of intentions?

[Greg Doudna]

5 hours ago, Chris Barnard said:

Hi Greg,

I find your response tangential, vague or at cross-purposes to my list of psychological reasons that often inhibit, or prevent people from seeing things as they are. 

To save us both precious time; do you have any particular criticisms of the list of 20 reasons? Or, are you in agreement with the list? 
 

You have a list but you do not explain its relationship to the claim in your title that they apply to "the" JFK assassination conspiracy theory. For example, the JFK assassination conspiracy theory that the Mob killed JFK of Blakey/HSCA: only a few on this forum accept it. I don't know if you do, but most here do not. Which of your twenty points in terms of explanatory power applies in explanation to what you call in your title "being blind" to the JFK conspiracy theory that the Mob did it? 

You are omitting a point 21: some people reject conspiracy theories because they believe them not to be true, based on their assessment of the evidence. Why did that not make your list of 20 points?

Now if you mean your 20 points to assume a prior premise, as applying only to being blind to conspiracy theories which are indeed true ... a logical prior ... which conspiracy theory do you mean, specifically, with reference to "the" JFK conspiracy?

Please be specific. Otherwise this is just shadow boxing in air. 

You haven't explained how your 20 points apply to any specific JFK assassination theory because you haven't said which one you mean.

Also, if conspiracy is understood as meaning two or more persons plotting to commit a crime, then 100 percent of people believe in conspiracies because everyone believes there are Mob hits, and every contract killing is a criminal conspiracy, that is, a conspiracy. It all goes to cases, which ones then. 

But back to your 20 points. Which of your 20 points do you believe apply in explanation of the fact that most on this forum are resistant to the Mob conspiracy killing of JFK?

Edited February 25, 2023 by Greg Doudna

[Greg Doudna]

20 minutes ago, Pat Speer said:

Wait. It appears that you are going out of your way to blame Hillary for the hoax that helped bring Trump to power. Will you at least agree that Donald pushed this issue for attention, and to send a wink-wink nudge-nudge to the Republican base that it was okay to doubt the "American-ness" of a mixed-race guy born and mostly raised in Hawaii?

Or do you think he had the best of intentions?

Background note Pat: Matthew is falsely claiming that the origin of Obama birtherism came out of the Hillary Clinton campaign back in 2007-2008, when Obama and Hillary were rivals for the Democratic nomination. That precedes Trump getting on board with promoting birtherism (still believed by half of Trump voter incidentally, according to polling). I  researched the Hillary-origin claim and the claim is baseless. The fact that after birtherism got started one or two Clinton staffers forwarded it opportunistically on facebook or whatever, or that grassroots Democrats partisan to Hillary may have, does not cut it as evidence implicating Hillary or her campaign, and the Clinton campaign overtly sought to dampen that sort of thing from its staffers. The actual basis for the argument I have usually heard if one were to press the point is that a former deputy attorney general in Pennsylvania, Phil Berg, who filed the first legal action associated with birtherism, claimed he was a supporter of Hillary Clinton. Neither Hillary nor her campaign had anything to do with that. 

If there was a hidden hand in birtherism (probably was) the smoke surrounding it suggests it was coming from the right seeking to discredit a potential and then actual Democratic nominee in the general election. (I do not believe either McCain or Romney or their campaigns had anything to do with promoting birtherism either. Unlike Trump, each of those two Republicans had some conscience about things.)