From Philip Stahl (Copernicus): brane-space.blogspot/2014/11/top-ten-ways-to-test-conspiracy-claims.html A major section of the Skeptics Society pamphlet I referenced yesterday is headed Top 10 Ways to Test Conspiracy Theories’ – which like the dime store psychology content (on p. 4), ends up as just useless The authors could as well ask readers to use tea leaves. Anyway, let’s look at what’s on offer: 1)Proof of conspiracy supposedly arises from connecting the dots. But if no evidence supports the connections the conspiracy is likely false. In principle, this only works if the evidence is somehow manifest– either through some visual (film, photo) material, mathematical computations - such as Richard Charnin’s computations of JFK assassination witness deaths, or securing once classified CIA files. But in many historical conspiracies either none of these were available at the time the conspiracy was carried out (e.g. the bombing of Cubana Airliners flight CU-455 off the Barbados coast in Oct. 1976), or were only uncovered in the aftermath (e.g. Iran-Contra, Watergate, BCCI) so the investigator must indeed connect dots. ------ 4) The conspiracy involves large numbers of people who would all need to keep quiet about their secrets. Dispensed easily, along the lines of dispensing (3). Again, who is to say what constitutes “large numbers of people” ? If 75 was enough to make Iran –Contra work to the extent it did was that too much? Hardly! Was 94-95 too much to make the Kennedy assassination work – as it has for over 50 years now – thanks to the many useful idiots in the media and beyond who make up rationalizations to try to explain it away? As for keeping secrets, killing witnesses is an excellent way to achieve that end which is why Richard Charnin’s book (analyzing JFK witness deaths) and website material is so important to disabuse those who opt to don the pseudo-skeptic robe. In other words, learn before bloviating about what limits you believe attend to the claim!
Posted on: Fri, 26 Dec 2014 12:33:29 +0000
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