W. Niederhut Posted October 6, 2021 Share Posted October 6, 2021 I was having a good day today, before reading this ridiculous front page article at the Washington Post. I could feel my blood pressure rising as I read it. War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Oswald was a Lone Assassin... 😬 (Re-printing the first section for WaPo non-subscribers.) Will you fall into the conspiracy theory rabbit hole? Take our quiz and find out. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/interactive/2021/conspiracy-theory-quiz/ October 6, 2021 Who believes in conspiracy theories? Statistically speaking: almost everyone. A team of researchers recently showed several thousand Americans a list of 20 common conspiracy theories and asked if they believed them. These included false conspiracy theories about the John F. Kennedy assassination, 5G cellular wireless technology, Barack Obama’s birth certificate, covid-19 and climate change. The result: Nine in 10 Americans believed in at least one conspiracy theory. The study — led by Adam Enders of the University of Louisville and Joseph Uscinski of the University of Miami — surveyed a representative sample of 2,023 Americans in March 2020 and 2,015 more in October 2020. This article uses questions from their surveys to test your knowledge — and your credulity. So, can you tell fact from fiction, or will you fall down the rabbit hole? Scroll down to find out. 1/6 Let’s get started: Which of the statements below is true? Jeffrey Epstein, the billionaire accused of running an elite sex trafficking ring, was murdered to cover up the activities of his criminal network. President John F. Kennedy was killed by a conspiracy rather than by a lone gunman. The FBI kept tabs on civil rights leaders such as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., attempting to find compromising information and damage his reputation. Regardless of who is officially in charge of the government and other organizations, there is a single group of people who secretly control events and rule the world together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norman T. Field Posted October 6, 2021 Share Posted October 6, 2021 No access w/o a WaPo subscription. Can you post the entire survey? Thanks. FWIW, Yes to all but the last question, of which I don't have a definitive opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W. Niederhut Posted October 6, 2021 Author Share Posted October 6, 2021 49 minutes ago, Norman T. Field said: No access w/o a WaPo subscription. Can you post the entire survey? Thanks. FWIW, Yes to all but the last question, of which I don't have a definitive opinion. My apologies, Norman. To grasp the absurdity of the article, you need to answer the quiz questions. For example, if you click "True" on the question about a conspiracy to kill JFK, you get the following WaPo response. I. Let’s get started: Which of the statements below is true? Jeffrey Epstein, the billionaire accused of running an elite sex trafficking ring, was murdered to cover up the activities of his criminal network. President John F. Kennedy was killed by a conspiracy rather than by a lone gunman. The FBI kept tabs on civil rights leaders such as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., attempting to find compromising information and damage his reputation. Regardless of who is officially in charge of the government and other organizations, there is a single group of people who secretly control events and rule the world together. Wrong. The evidence is clear: Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone to assassinate President Kennedy. But 44 percent of Americans believe this theory, and half of Americans think Epstein was murdered. A third of Americans think a secret cabal controls the world. The correct answer: The FBI surveilled the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and attempted to damage his reputation among key supporters. Percentage of people who believe the conspiracy theory about... Epstein didn’t kill himself 50% JFK killed by a conspiracy 44% One secret group controls the world35% Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W. Niederhut Posted October 6, 2021 Author Share Posted October 6, 2021 Here's the remainder of the quiz.* But you have to click on the answers to get WaPo's "correct" answers to the quiz questions. According to WaPo; 1) Oswald was definitely a lone assassin, 2) there is no "Deep State," 3) Russia didn't help put Trump in the White House in 2016-- because Robert Mueller couldn't find definitive evidence that the pardoned perjurer Paul Manafort "colluded" with Konstantin Kilimnik, etc. 4) Nor did Republicans steal the 2000 election from Al Gore. What a relief... 🤥 * 2/6 Partisanship plays a role in what people believe: Both Republicans and Democrats are prone to believe conspiracy theories that make the other party look bad. Can you pick the true statement — or will you be blinded by party loyalty? Republicans cheated their way to win the 2000, 2004 and 2016 presidential elections. Hillary Clinton conspired to provide Russia with nuclear materials. During Ronald Reagan’s presidency, government officials secretly and illegally sold weapons to Iran, and used the money to fund Nicaraguan revolutionaries. Barack Obama faked his citizenship to become president. Conspiracy theories follow a simple formula Powerful people + Use deceitful or shadowy means + Benefit themselves or harm the public Barack Obama faked his citizenship to become president. Donald Trump faked having covid-19 to help his chances at reelection. Hillary Clinton conspired to give Russia access to nuclear materials. Real-world events sometimes follow this formula as well. Example: The Reagan administration acted secretly and illegally in the Iran-contra affair, and the FBI did spy on King. But the key difference is that these real incidents are backed up by evidence, facts and witnesses. Conspiracy theories are different. They’re just theories. Most have no evidence to support them. They often connect unrelated facts to create an impression of plausibility. Yet almost everyone believes at least one. According to Enders, “One thing I notice a lot in talking to colleagues, journalists and students — people don’t realize that a lot of people just believe weird stuff. A lot of this commotion about conspiracy theories, especially in the last four or five years, is fueled by this complete misunderstanding of the basic contours of public opinion.” Story continues below advertisement 3/6 Conspiracy theorists commonly seize on subjects that most people have little expertise in, such as health and science, and therefore cannot easily be debunked. Half of Americans believe one of the claims in the list below, but only one is backed by evidence. Which of these is true? The dangers of genetically modified foods are being hidden from the public. The U.S. government secretly dosed Americans with LSD in an attempt to develop mind control technology. The AIDS virus was created and spread around the world on purpose by a secret organization. The coronavirus was purposely created and released by powerful people as part of a conspiracy. 4/6 Some conspiracy theories are like astrology — entertaining nonsense that ultimately doesn’t hurt anyone. But some are bizarre, sinister or downright offensive. Which of these statements, if any, is correct? School shootings, such as those in Newtown, Conn., and Parkland, Fla., are “false flag” attacks perpetrated by the government. The number of Jews killed by the Nazis during World War II has been exaggerated on purpose. Satanic sex traffickers control the government. None of the above Some of these theories are transparently absurd: The Holocaust was not exaggerated, mass shootings were not faked, and Satan worshippers don’t control the government. But the least believable conspiracy theories can have the biggest consequences. Holocaust deniers and believers in “false flag” theories often support political violence and exhibit sociopathic personality traits. Many of the rioters involved in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol showed some allegiance to QAnon — a belief system built on conspiracy theories about Satanists. Most Americans aren’t drawn to these dark ideas — instead, they more casually rely on false theories to explain tragedies including terrorist attacks or presidential deaths; or they enjoy nasty rumors about their political opponents. The belief in one false theory does not necessarily mean the belief in an alternate reality. But it sometimes can. As Enders told us: "The political and psychological and social motivations that fuel beliefs in conspiracy theories are shared among all people.” Story continues below advertisement 5/6 Let’s try another one: Which of the three statements below is true? The U.S. government knew hundreds of Black men in Alabama had syphilis, but told them they had “bad blood” and withheld treatment as part of a medical experiment. President Donald Trump faked having covid-19 in order to help his chances at reelection. Donald Trump colluded with Russians to steal the presidency in 2016. 6/6 Conspiracy theories often help powerful people — sometimes by putting other powerful people in the crosshairs, or by playing on prejudices. Which of these statements is correct? A powerful family, the Rothschilds, through their wealth, controls governments, wars and many countries’ economies. There is a “deep state” embedded in the government that operates in secret and without oversight. Fossil fuel companies like Exxon knew about climate change for decades, but spread misinformation about the issue to deflect blame and influence environmental policies. Even reasonable people fall for conspiracy theories. During George W. Bush’s presidency, half of Democrats said Bush let the 9/11 attacks happen so he could start wars. Two-thirds of Republicans believe the “big lie” — that the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump. These theories have consequences. Since the 2020 election, Republicans have pursued election “audits” — recounts aimed at casting doubt on Joe Biden’s win. Other conspiracy theories, such as anti-vaccine narratives, threaten public health. Eventually, you’ll run into a conspiracy theory that appeals to you politically or psychologically. So be careful and double-check your sources — or you could fall down the rabbit hole, too. Story continues below advertisement Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benjamin Cole Posted October 7, 2021 Share Posted October 7, 2021 So, summing up, LHO acted alone, only nutballs say different, and the JFK Records Act is coming up for review.... I would say "thank you" to W. for posting this...but reading this WaPo stuff causes brain damage. I mean even more than I have already. What a miserable confection by the Wapo...and the real answer in life is: read and believe the Wapo! Consider.... The WaPo warned you, the voters, clearly that the Afghan government had no popular support, right? And they told you the Wuhab lab leak theory had been debunked. And that Hunter's Biden's laptop was really a Russian disinformation prop. And that Capital Police officer Brian Sicknick was murdered by racist pro-Trumpers on 1/6. And that LHO acted alone (somehow sidestepping even the weak HSCA report, that concluded there was likely a conspiracy). And, so summing up.... What is really necessary is more censorship on the internet to prevent the wrong theories from gaining traction....so says the WaPo. Information on Facebook needs to be managed, very heavily managed...and will be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Bulman Posted October 7, 2021 Share Posted October 7, 2021 7 hours ago, W. Niederhut said: Here's the remainder of the quiz.* But you have to click on the answers to get WaPo's "correct" answers to the quiz questions. According to WaPo; 1) Oswald was definitely a lone assassin, 2) there is no "Deep State," 3) Russia didn't help put Trump in the White House in 2016-- because Robert Mueller couldn't find definitive evidence that the pardoned perjurer Paul Manafort "colluded" with Konstantin Kilimnik, etc. 4) Nor did Republicans steal the 2000 election from Al Gore. What a relief... 🤥 * 2/6 Partisanship plays a role in what people believe: Both Republicans and Democrats are prone to believe conspiracy theories that make the other party look bad. Can you pick the true statement — or will you be blinded by party loyalty? Republicans cheated their way to win the 2000, 2004 and 2016 presidential elections. Hillary Clinton conspired to provide Russia with nuclear materials. During Ronald Reagan’s presidency, government officials secretly and illegally sold weapons to Iran, and used the money to fund Nicaraguan revolutionaries. Barack Obama faked his citizenship to become president. Conspiracy theories follow a simple formula Powerful people + Use deceitful or shadowy means + Benefit themselves or harm the public Barack Obama faked his citizenship to become president. Donald Trump faked having covid-19 to help his chances at reelection. Hillary Clinton conspired to give Russia access to nuclear materials. Real-world events sometimes follow this formula as well. Example: The Reagan administration acted secretly and illegally in the Iran-contra affair, and the FBI did spy on King. But the key difference is that these real incidents are backed up by evidence, facts and witnesses. Conspiracy theories are different. They’re just theories. Most have no evidence to support them. They often connect unrelated facts to create an impression of plausibility. Yet almost everyone believes at least one. According to Enders, “One thing I notice a lot in talking to colleagues, journalists and students — people don’t realize that a lot of people just believe weird stuff. A lot of this commotion about conspiracy theories, especially in the last four or five years, is fueled by this complete misunderstanding of the basic contours of public opinion.” Story continues below advertisement 3/6 Conspiracy theorists commonly seize on subjects that most people have little expertise in, such as health and science, and therefore cannot easily be debunked. Half of Americans believe one of the claims in the list below, but only one is backed by evidence. Which of these is true? The dangers of genetically modified foods are being hidden from the public. The U.S. government secretly dosed Americans with LSD in an attempt to develop mind control technology. The AIDS virus was created and spread around the world on purpose by a secret organization. The coronavirus was purposely created and released by powerful people as part of a conspiracy. 4/6 Some conspiracy theories are like astrology — entertaining nonsense that ultimately doesn’t hurt anyone. But some are bizarre, sinister or downright offensive. Which of these statements, if any, is correct? School shootings, such as those in Newtown, Conn., and Parkland, Fla., are “false flag” attacks perpetrated by the government. The number of Jews killed by the Nazis during World War II has been exaggerated on purpose. Satanic sex traffickers control the government. None of the above Some of these theories are transparently absurd: The Holocaust was not exaggerated, mass shootings were not faked, and Satan worshippers don’t control the government. But the least believable conspiracy theories can have the biggest consequences. Holocaust deniers and believers in “false flag” theories often support political violence and exhibit sociopathic personality traits. Many of the rioters involved in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol showed some allegiance to QAnon — a belief system built on conspiracy theories about Satanists. Most Americans aren’t drawn to these dark ideas — instead, they more casually rely on false theories to explain tragedies including terrorist attacks or presidential deaths; or they enjoy nasty rumors about their political opponents. The belief in one false theory does not necessarily mean the belief in an alternate reality. But it sometimes can. As Enders told us: "The political and psychological and social motivations that fuel beliefs in conspiracy theories are shared among all people.” Story continues below advertisement 5/6 Let’s try another one: Which of the three statements below is true? The U.S. government knew hundreds of Black men in Alabama had syphilis, but told them they had “bad blood” and withheld treatment as part of a medical experiment. President Donald Trump faked having covid-19 in order to help his chances at reelection. Donald Trump colluded with Russians to steal the presidency in 2016. 6/6 Conspiracy theories often help powerful people — sometimes by putting other powerful people in the crosshairs, or by playing on prejudices. Which of these statements is correct? A powerful family, the Rothschilds, through their wealth, controls governments, wars and many countries’ economies. There is a “deep state” embedded in the government that operates in secret and without oversight. Fossil fuel companies like Exxon knew about climate change for decades, but spread misinformation about the issue to deflect blame and influence environmental policies. Even reasonable people fall for conspiracy theories. During George W. Bush’s presidency, half of Democrats said Bush let the 9/11 attacks happen so he could start wars. Two-thirds of Republicans believe the “big lie” — that the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump. These theories have consequences. Since the 2020 election, Republicans have pursued election “audits” — recounts aimed at casting doubt on Joe Biden’s win. Other conspiracy theories, such as anti-vaccine narratives, threaten public health. Eventually, you’ll run into a conspiracy theory that appeals to you politically or psychologically. So be careful and double-check your sources — or you could fall down the rabbit hole, too. Story continues below advertisement Screw the WPo's answers. 2/6 Yes on 00, 04 and 16. Yes on the Nicaragua funding/weapons. Powerful people do uses deceitful and shadowy means. 3/6 The USG did experiment on citizens with acid. 4/6 None of the above. 5/6 Yes on the USG, black men and syphilis. 6/6 Yes some theories benefit the powerful, there is a deep state and Exxon knew. The Rothschilds are real, but I'm not sure how deep their continued influence is. Did i pass the reality test? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W. Niederhut Posted October 7, 2021 Author Share Posted October 7, 2021 21 minutes ago, Ron Bulman said: Screw the WPo's answers. 2/6 Yes on 00, 04 and 16. Yes on the Nicaragua funding/weapons. Powerful people do uses deceitful and shadowy means. 3/6 The USG did experiment on citizens with acid. 4/6 None of the above. 5/6 Yes on the USG, black men and syphilis. 6/6 Yes some theories benefit the powerful, there is a deep state and Exxon knew. The Rothschilds are real, but I'm not sure how deep their continued influence is. Did i pass the reality test? Ron, These Orwellian WaPo authors insist that there is only one true answer per quiz question. So, on 1) they acknowledge that the FBI "kept tabs" on MLK, but insist that Oswald was a lone assassin in Dallas. On 2) they acknowledge Iran Contra but not the GOP voter roll purges, Brooks Brothers Riot, or butterfly ballots in 2000. On 3) they acknowledge the MK-Ultra LSD experiments. 4) None of the above. 5) They acknowledge the syphilis experiments on the Tuskegee Airmen but deny Trump's campaign contacts with Kremlin officials in 2016-- Veselnitskaya, Kilimnik, Lavrov, et.al. 6) They acknowledge Exxon's climate change denial but not the existence of a "Deep State" or any Rothschild type influence on geopolitical affairs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Bulman Posted October 7, 2021 Share Posted October 7, 2021 Speaking of 1984. It's been a while since I heard this one from 1970. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Bristow Posted October 7, 2021 Share Posted October 7, 2021 After hearing Facebook's algorithms are designed for making people mad at other people, I see articles like the WoPo article in a different light. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W. Niederhut Posted October 7, 2021 Author Share Posted October 7, 2021 14 hours ago, Ron Bulman said: Speaking of 1984. It's been a while since I heard this one from 1970. Ron, Good old Randy California! Yes, indeed, Spirit and I go way back-- to 1968. I was never wild about their song, 1984, but I still listen to their old Family That Plays Together album. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norman T. Field Posted October 7, 2021 Share Posted October 7, 2021 Ah Spirit, the only bad I ever saw where the drummer is the lead guitarist's father. I'm still waiting for the WaPo to explain why they hired that Woodward guy who had no journalism education or experience away from the Pentagon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Brancato Posted October 7, 2021 Share Posted October 7, 2021 These conspiracy theory tests are circulating elsewhere. One thing they have in common is that whoever is composing them lacks critical thinking skills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Burrows Posted October 7, 2021 Share Posted October 7, 2021 On 10/6/2021 at 12:23 PM, W. Niederhut said: I was having a good day today, before reading this ridiculous front page article at the Washington Post. I could feel my blood pressure rising as I read it. War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Oswald was a Lone Assassin... 😬 (Re-printing the first section for WaPo non-subscribers.) Will you fall into the conspiracy theory rabbit hole? Take our quiz and find out. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/interactive/2021/conspiracy-theory-quiz/ October 6, 2021 Who believes in conspiracy theories? Statistically speaking: almost everyone. A team of researchers recently showed several thousand Americans a list of 20 common conspiracy theories and asked if they believed them. These included false conspiracy theories about the John F. Kennedy assassination, 5G cellular wireless technology, Barack Obama’s birth certificate, covid-19 and climate change. The result: Nine in 10 Americans believed in at least one conspiracy theory. The study — led by Adam Enders of the University of Louisville and Joseph Uscinski of the University of Miami — surveyed a representative sample of 2,023 Americans in March 2020 and 2,015 more in October 2020. This article uses questions from their surveys to test your knowledge — and your credulity. So, can you tell fact from fiction, or will you fall down the rabbit hole? Scroll down to find out. 1/6 Let’s get started: Which of the statements below is true? Jeffrey Epstein, the billionaire accused of running an elite sex trafficking ring, was murdered to cover up the activities of his criminal network. President John F. Kennedy was killed by a conspiracy rather than by a lone gunman. The FBI kept tabs on civil rights leaders such as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., attempting to find compromising information and damage his reputation. Regardless of who is officially in charge of the government and other organizations, there is a single group of people who secretly control events and rule the world together. I have come to agree with Donald Trump on one particular issue, because, for once, he was telling a truth. Of course, being Donald Trump he was using the "truth" to manipulate and deceive, but that's a discussion for another time and place. I don't recall his exact words, and I will never use the phrase "MSM" again, because it's merely a euphemism. But the gist of Trump's quote was that THE CORPORATE PRESS is the enemy of the people. It absolutely has come to that point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Clark Posted October 7, 2021 Share Posted October 7, 2021 I still think the moniker should be embraced; take the sting out of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Boylan Posted October 8, 2021 Share Posted October 8, 2021 4 hours ago, W. Niederhut said: Ron, Good old Randy California! Yes, indeed, Spirit and I go way back-- to 1968. I was never wild about their song, 1984, but I still listen to their old Family That Plays Together album. Love the band. Randy California aka Randy Wolfe was given the name by Jimi Hendrix. Randy played in Jimmy James and the Blue Flames when he was 16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_James_and_the_Blue_Flames Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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