Conspiracy Theories.... Let's start one!

[Anthony G Williams]

There's actually an article in the current New Scientist magazine about conspiracy theories, why they are believed, and how to start one!

Apparently the most gullible groups are those most detached from power in society - the poor, ethnic minorities and so on. One example: 20% of African-Americans believe that HIV was created in a laboratory and distributed by the US government to restrict the growth of the black population.

A summary of the guidelines:

1. Pick a big, bad organisation as the target

2. Choose a dramatic, newsworthy event as the basis.

3. Construct your theory from carefully selected information designed to link your target organisation with the event. Reinterpret evidence in your favour whenever you can, and create uncertainty by questioning official evidence.

4. Prepare your defence, including accusing those who deny your story of being involved in the conspiracy. Be flexible over the details, but keep the core story going.

[Allegra]

Originally Posted by Anthony G Williams

A summary of the guidelines:

1. Pick a big, bad organisation as the target

2. Choose a dramatic, newsworthy event as the basis.

3. Construct your theory from carefully selected information designed to link your target organisation with the event. Reinterpret evidence in your favour whenever you can, and create uncertainty by questioning official evidence.

4. Prepare your defence, including accusing those who deny your story of being involved in the conspiracy. Be flexible over the details, but keep the core story going.

Excellent! Lemme try -

1. The Bush Administration?

2. War at Iraq?

3. & 4. Hmmm...now my mind made an interesting turn - don't these two sound like the Bush administration's policy making methods?

[Joel007]

I made a conspiracy theory when I wasa in school and had it posted on the net by a teacher for a demonstration. The basic idea was when the school systems in England moved from a 3 tier to 2 tier system, the government had organised this to increase sales of drugs to younger kids (moving them in with the the upper school addicts).
By the next day it had been linked with 3 celebrities and several government officials, and was one of the top theories

[HardScienceFan]

i have a theory that Justin Timberlake's record company keeps silent about his real name: Melvin Prlwitzkovski

[Neal Asher]

The Hubbert peak of oil production having been passed, all governments know that the oil is going to run out soon. They subsequently sowed rumours about human-caused global warming, very specifically aimed at CO2, and created the IPCC in an attempt to prepare us for a future without oil. This is on the basis that fear of planetary destruction is a better motivator than the fear of no petrol in the pumps in twenty years time.

[Anthony G Williams]

Originally Posted by Neal Asher

This is on the basis that fear of planetary destruction is a better motivator than the fear of no petrol in the pumps in twenty years time.

There's a flaw in that - most people can't relate to planetary destruction. Even if they believe it, they don't believe that they can do anything practical about it so it just makes them depressed and apathetic. But they can sure as heck relate to not having any petrol for their cars, although 20 years may be too long a time period.

[Anthony G Williams]

Originally Posted by Allegra

Excellent! Lemme try -

1. The Bush Administration?

2. War at Iraq?

3. & 4. Hmmm...now my mind made an interesting turn - don't these two sound like the Bush administration's policy making methods?

Well, some conspiracy theories turn out to be true - like the Iran/Contra affair!

[Rosemary]

Originally Posted by nixie

Trying too? we already do

Well, that's what you are being lead to believe! We all know that the Chronicles is slowly but steadily being over-run by sun tanned and well read Aussies!

[Neal Asher]

Originally Posted by Anthony G Williams

There's a flaw in that - most people can't relate to planetary destruction. Even if they believe it, they don't believe that they can do anything practical about it so it just makes them depressed and apathetic. But they can sure as heck relate to not having any petrol for their cars, although 20 years may be too long a time period.

Oh I didn't say it was a working approach - it is one designed by governments so obviously it doesn't really work, but they feel it can be used as a justification for huge taxes.

[Interference]

Originally Posted by HardScienceFan

i have a theory that Justin Timberlake's record company keeps silent about his real name: Melvin Prlwitzkovski

The real Justin Timberlake died in a motor cycle accident on his way to try and stop Britney's wedding. The accident involved a bus and some Simon and Garfunkel music, but no one knows if the music was coming from the bus or not.

Mervin Prlwitzkovski is, as some of you already know, the (then) youngster who was severely crippled during the filming of one Mickey Mouse Club routine in which an igloo set with (Goofy and Donald fishing in full inuit regalia) collapsed and the steel support scaffolding fell on the hapless Mervin. JT was actually a ringer who took over from him for three weeks in order to avoid the scandal and inevitable safety questions, before Mr Timberlake emerged from the shadows as an entertainer in his own write.

Following JT's own accident, Todd Shea of Attica, N.M., was recruited to play the remaining gigs on his tour but he, too, fell foul of a terrible accident involving an ice-cream truck and some traffic cones. The ice-cream/cone incident left Todd with frostbite and a toe had to be amputated, making his dance style more like Justin's in some respects, but far better in others. However, it was the cone that jammed in his ear that put 'paid' to the scam.

Since then, Justin Timberlake has been impersonated by Paul McCartney (July 27th, 05), small-time entertainer Jarrod Fawlkes (November 05 - July 06 - Jarrod was assassinated in mistake for President GW Bush in another conspiracy theory), Erich Walsberg III (Aug 06 - Dec 06 - lost while sailing in the North Sea) and Freddy Starr (Jan 07 - present).

The poor luck surrounding the Justin Timberlake Franchise was further exacerbated when rumours of a reunion between whoever is playing him at the time and Britney Spears (AKA Billy Shears) hit the newswires last week.

This information is culled from articles appearing in Newsweek, Time and Hello magazinem, one of which may have featured someone who might have looked like the man we think of as Justin Timberlake.

[Nesacat]

Where do the sun-tanned and well-read Australians fit in all this??

[Interference]

Originally Posted by Nesacat

Where do the sun-tanned and well-read Australians fit in all this??

Sorry, I thought it was obvious from the name: Mervin Prlwitzkovski was - is - an undercover Australian whose task, along with Captain McBoing-Boing the Kangaroo, was to infiltrate the Disney Empire, effect a regime change and make their future film productions more literate, credible and all-over sun-tanned.

The duo's failure, and Timberlake's subsequent popularity, is a loss to both the film and music industries and the audiences they supposedly serve, but this was nevertheless an important factor in continued world peace and democracy through the 90s. Had they succeeded in their attempted infiltration, the Iron Curtain might well have been raised once more, this time in full glorious Technicolor (tm) - a kind of Technicolor Dream Curtain, just to keep out decadent Western cartoons and Michael Jacksonesque dance routines. As it was, the attempt failed and the world remains at peace - except for where the wars are ...

[Nesacat]

... ah so that is what happened to the Technicolour Dream Coat. Wonder what Joseph is wearing now?

[HardScienceFan]

coconuts are a conspiracy
I mean,really

Hairy nuts,haven't we got enough of those already?

[Interference]

Originally Posted by Nesacat

... ah so that is what happened to the Technicolour Dream Coat. Wonder what Joseph is wearing now?

Joseph? Don't you mean ... Jason Donovan?

(dramatic chords) Da-da-da-daaaa!