Creative Speculation
Related: About this forumThe CIA coined the term "conspiracy theory" and what arguments to use against it.
Specifically, in April 1967, the CIA wrote a dispatch which coined the term conspiracy theories
and recommended methods for discrediting such theories.
The dispatch was marked psych short for psychological operations or disinformation
and CS for the CIAs Clandestine Services unit.
Summarizing the tactics which the CIA dispatch recommended:
Claim that it would be impossible for so many people would keep quiet about such a big conspiracy
Have people friendly to the CIA attack the claims, and point back to official reports
Claim that eyewitness testimony is unreliable
Claim that this is all old news, as no significant new evidence has emerged
Ignore conspiracy claims unless discussion about them is already too active
Claim that its irresponsible to speculate
Accuse theorists of being wedded to and infatuated with their theories
Accuse theorists of being politically motivated
Accuse theorists of having financial interests in promoting conspiracy theories
In other words, the CIAs clandestine services unit created the arguments for attacking conspiracy theories as unreliable in the 1960s as part of its psychological warfare operations
William Seger
(11,040 posts)MrMickeysMom
(20,453 posts)The kind of people that this is likely to irritate have problems with a lot of things that rub up against their myth. That's because these people excel at rubbing up against themselves.
William Seger
(11,040 posts)Used as an adjective, "correct" means "conforming to fact or truth; free from error; accurate." The OP title claims that "the CIA coined the term 'conspiracy theory' and what arguments to use against it." Since the CIA did not "coin the term" or the arguments which refute JFK conspiracy theories, those claims are erroneous and inaccurate; they do not conform to fact or truth. Such a distortion of reality perfectly fits the definition of "disinformation" and the clear and deliberate purpose of doing so fits the definition of "propaganda" in its most nefarious form.
So here we have a nice little microcosm of what "really irritates some people" about conspiracy theorists, but your self-pleasuring commentary on it does at least provide some (voyeuristic?) amusement.
frankfacts
(80 posts)Maybe they heard a civilian say it and stole it.
nationalize the fed
(2,169 posts)Last edited Wed Feb 25, 2015, 10:44 PM - Edit history (1)
Here's a "Conspiracy Theory" for ya- 19 Arabs, some on watch lists, managed to hijack 4 airplanes with box cutters on the same day at the same time and crashed 2 of them into 2 buildings in NY causing 3 to collapse. Edit to add: One of them flew towards the center of "The Biggest Superpower on Earth" for over half an hour and then crashed into the "Defense" headquarters. Not a single picture of this aircraft has been made public. Not a single one.
But Our Leaders Wouldnt Do That
While people might admit that corporate executives and low-level government officials might have engaged in conspiracies they may be strongly opposed to considering that the wealthiest or most powerful might possibly have done so.
But powerful insiders have long admitted to conspiracies. For example, Obamas Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Cass Sunstein, wrote:Of course some conspiracy theories, under our definition, have turned out to be true. The Watergate hotel room used by Democratic National Committee was, in fact, bugged by Republican officials, operating at the behest of the White House. In the 1950s, the Central Intelligence Agency did, in fact, administer LSD and related drugs under Project MKULTRA, in an effort to investigate the possibility of mind control. Operation Northwoods, a rumored plan by the Department of Defense to simulate acts of terrorism and to blame them on Cuba, really was proposed by high-level officials .
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2015/02/con.html
Obama confidants spine-chilling proposal
Cass Sunstein wants the government to "cognitively infiltrate" anti-government groups
Glenn Greenwald
Cass Sunstein has long been one of Barack Obamas closest confidants. Often mentioned as a likely Obama nominee to the Supreme Court, Sunstein is currently Obamas head of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs where, among other things, he is responsible for overseeing policies relating to privacy, information quality, and statistical programs. In 2008, while at Harvard Law School, Sunstein co-wrote a truly pernicious paper proposing that the U.S. Government employ teams of covert agents and pseudo-independent advocates to cognitively infiltrate online groups and websites as well as other activist groups which advocate views that Sunstein deems false conspiracy theories about the Government. This would be designed to increase citizens faith in government officials and undermine the credibility of conspiracists. The papers abstract can be read, and the full paper downloaded, here. ...
http://www.salon.com/2010/01/15/sunstein_2/
No doubt some of Sunstein's "infiltrators" are very very busy