Disturbing reason why a person wants to leave America

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nodak Years ago I gave up arguing with the conspiracy theorists. I don't have any idea where their paranoia comes from. If you point out a lack of hard evidence for their particular theory that in itself becomes evidence of a massive conspiracy to cover up the evidence. Life's too short to try to deal with all that crap.

Years ago, pre-internet and pre-computer card catalogs, I had someone insist to me that there was a big cover-up of Nikola Tesla and his 'free energy' experiments. And their 'proof' was that they went to a large city library, and there wasn't a single entry under "Telsa".

I shook my head, and asked if they tried looking under "Tesla T-e-s-l-a, not T-e-l-s-a". Blank stare. I guess they were thinking I must be part of the conspiracy.

This is a true story.

-ERD50

[brewer12345]

Nutjobs are everywhere in all walks of life. No reason why a physician cannot be a nutjob.

My brother is an increasingly successful entrepreneur. He is active in international trade, owns a stake in a another business in Asia, has his products nationally distributed, etc. He is absolutely convinced that 9/11 was an inside job instigated by the Fed. There is nothing I can say or show him that will convince him otherwise, even though I know from personal experience that the vast majority of organizations that these sorts of conspiracies focus on are far too incompetent to pull any of this stuff off.

[ls99]

Singapore, fine city. They have a fine for everything.

Me thinks there is a conspiracy of conspiracy theorists attemting to subvert free thinking.

As Amethyst said, it is a good place of the doctor. He will discover soon the limits of freedom.

[FUEGO]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ls99 As Amethyst said, it is a good place of the doctor. He will discover soon the limits of freedom.

Some people find freedom to be so enslaving - so many choices to make, so much independence, relatively little rules. They just need proper guidance.

Signed,

Your Benevolent Dictator.

[ls99]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FUEGO Some people find freedom to be so enslaving - so many choices to make, so much independence, relatively little rules. They just need proper guidance. Signed, Your Benevolent Dictator.

[gozer]

I've always thought that people who came up with government conspiracy theories were giving our government way to much credit. Too me it seems they are much to disorganized to actually pull something like this off.

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gozer I've always thought that people who came up with government conspiracy theories were giving our government way to much credit. Too me it seems they are much to disorganized to actually pull something like this off.

+1

[Redbugdave]

I choose not to worry about things that do not affect me, or something I cannot do anything about. But, sometimes I still worry a little bit, can't help it. You need to take a rational view of the situation, size things up and get on with life. I prefer to be on the happy side and hang around with those kind of people, and not bog myself down with negative stuff. I think tin foil hats are too uncomfortable.

[Midpack]

Not sure if mental illness correlates well with intelligence. Most of the most evil people in history were/are intelligent if not very intelligent. And the fine line between genius and madness has been explored for generations.

Some of the most practical/productive/smartest people I've known didn't have an advanced/college education, and some of the most useless people I've known have had advanced degrees, even doctorates.

[omni550]

I have a close relative who is into conspiracy theories. She's well-educated, but still persists in believing all of this stuff. After numerous conversations and fruitless discussions, I've come to the conclusion that she is one of those people who must like having a certain part of their brain titillated (the worry bead?). She must get some sort of payoff (titillation) and it doesn't require that she take any action.

I also wonder if this isn't somewhat a first world problem. Living here in comfort and safety, one can have the luxury of thinking (speculating? fantasizing? ) about these things; whereas in some other parts of the world, people have much more critical day-to-day (such as food, shelter, safety, etc.) issues with which they need to deal.

And, as OP noted, some people have relocated elsewhere and have run from their obligations. Professed belief in conspiracy theories would provide a great cover.

omni

[HFWR]

Just in time...

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/26/ma...ories.html?hpw

Quote:

Our access to high-quality information has not, unfortunately, ushered in an age in which disagreements of this sort can easily be solved with a quick Google search. In fact, the Internet has made things worse. Confirmation bias — the tendency to pay more attention to evidence that supports what you already believe — is a well-documented and common human failing. People have been writing about it for centuries. In recent years, though, researchers have found that confirmation bias is not easy to overcome. You can’t just drown it in facts.

[Major Tom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nodak Life's too short to try to deal with all that crap.

Hear, hear!

[Gumby]

My prescription for the doctor? "Mind the door on the way out, it'll leave a nasty bruise."

[kyounge1956]

There's a book, Voodoo History, about conspiracy theories and why people believe them

[killingme]

There have been conspiracy theories forever and the entire media, news, internet, blogs etc. doesn't help with the way it slants the news or tries to make news. It's gotten to the point where people react first rather than get the information themselves and sort through it. Give a conspiracy and I can find dozens of articles, OP eds and blogs for and against so if I am gullible enough or predisposed one way or another I can find subjective support for that...or maybe I'm the gullible one?!?!??!

[marko]

Quite frankly, DW and I are have been having similar discussions about moving. Not about conspiracies but about the change in culture in the US.

We know of three different couples who, once their kids got of school age left the US (New Zealand, Singapore, Australia) .

No conspiracy theorists or anything, they just don't like the evolving US culture for their kids. "It's no longer the country I grew up in" was one quote.

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by marko No conspiracy theorists or anything, they just don't like the evolving US culture for their kids. "It's no longer the country I grew up in" was one quote.

So true.

The country I grew up in had no cure for polio, separated eating, living and schooling according skin color, and faced the very real possibility of global nuclear war.

Those were the good old days...

[marko]

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo So true. The country I grew up in had no cure for polio, separated eating, living and schooling according skin color, and faced the very real possibility of global nuclear war. Those were the good old days...

As noted, the people I quoted have pre-school children, so they're in their late 20's/early 30's. They don't recall these things.

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by marko As noted, the people I quoted have pre-school children, so they're in their late 20's/early 30's.

Early-onset curmudgeonhood strikes again...

[Redbugdave]

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo So true. The country I grew up in had no cure for polio, separated eating, living and schooling according skin color, and faced the very real possibility of global nuclear war. Those were the good old days...

Very good points Wahoo. The head of the household could make enough for a family to live on, the wife stayed home and raised the kids.

And the other people had to work if they wanted to eat...