Is there a way to prevent CTers?

winnietheblue

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Hi! I've been mostly lurking here for the past 3 months. I came here looking for information to use on another forum where conspiracy theories (9/11, NWO, NAU, everything in zeitgeist...) regularly pop-up, and I am still very glad I found this place.

Anyway, I took a break from that forum for two months, and when I came back, things were worse than when I first joined. It was a shock for me because I thought things were getting better there. Now, the people who were skeptical of the conspiracy theories 6 months ago are promoting them.

Most of the people on that forum seem to feel excluded from politics. This particularly applies to the people who did a 180 on me. When I first joined that forum (a little less than a year ago) these people were trying to organize a group to get others to vote, write letters, and otherwise become more involved in the political process (at this point they still felt somewhat excluded, but thought that they might be able to change that). Back in October, I couldn't even convince them to write a letter to their own congressman, and several were already saying that the '08 elections were fixed. Has anyone else seen signs that feeling locked out of the political process contributes to people becoming CTers?

Does anyone have any ideas on how to "immunize" people against becoming a CTer? Debunking seems to work only if it is regularly applied, so I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas for teaching people to think these things out on their own.
 
Encourage them to read history books (from the book store, not Kevin's Konspiracy Klearinghouse). Most of them seem to be lacking perspective on the present.
 
winnietheblue said:
Hi! I've been mostly lurking here for the past 3 months. I came here looking for information to use on another forum where conspiracy theories (9/11, NWO, NAU, everything in zeitgeist...) regularly pop-up, and I am still very glad I found this place.

Anyway, I took a break from that forum for two months, and when I came back, things were worse than when I first joined. It was a shock for me because I thought things were getting better there. Now, the people who were skeptical of the conspiracy theories 6 months ago are promoting them.

Most of the people on that forum seem to feel excluded from politics. This particularly applies to the people who did a 180 on me. When I first joined that forum (a little less than a year ago) these people were trying to organize a group to get others to vote, write letters, and otherwise become more involved in the political process (at this point they still felt somewhat excluded, but thought that they might be able to change that). Back in October, I couldn't even convince them to write a letter to their own congressman, and several were already saying that the '08 elections were fixed. Has anyone else seen signs that feeling locked out of the political process contributes to people becoming CTers?
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Don't think so. Would be easy to find out by looking at the number of CTs around prior to universal sufferage.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to "immunize" people against becoming a CTer? Debunking seems to work only if it is regularly applied, so I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas for teaching people to think these things out on their own.
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Remove a Y chromosome.
 
I think I know now why the most rabid twoofers are blowing a gasket over HR 1955.
 
winnietheblue said:
Hi! I've been mostly lurking here for the past 3 months. I came here looking for information to use on another forum where conspiracy theories (9/11, NWO, NAU, everything in zeitgeist...) regularly pop-up, and I am still very glad I found this place.

Anyway, I took a break from that forum for two months, and when I came back, things were worse than when I first joined. It was a shock for me because I thought things were getting better there. Now, the people who were skeptical of the conspiracy theories 6 months ago are promoting them.

Most of the people on that forum seem to feel excluded from politics. This particularly applies to the people who did a 180 on me. When I first joined that forum (a little less than a year ago) these people were trying to organize a group to get others to vote, write letters, and otherwise become more involved in the political process (at this point they still felt somewhat excluded, but thought that they might be able to change that). Back in October, I couldn't even convince them to write a letter to their own congressman, and several were already saying that the '08 elections were fixed. Has anyone else seen signs that feeling locked out of the political process contributes to people becoming CTers?

Does anyone have any ideas on how to "immunize" people against becoming a CTer? Debunking seems to work only if it is regularly applied, so I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas for teaching people to think these things out on their own.
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1. Nip it in the bud. My sister and her Fiance saw Loose Change, and the minute the topic got brought up, I broke it down for them...they are no longer in the slightest bit 9/11 CTists.

2. Point them to good, logical resources. I am sure lurking here for a while, you have a list...9/11 myths, Gravy's links, 9/11debunking, etc...

3. Encourage them to be logical in how they approach everything. Make sure they understand that suspicion based on dislike or paranoia is not logical, or sound.

4. Show them how the 9/11 truth movement uses the same techniques as other, more obvious CTs such as "The Moon Landing was a Hoax" CT.

5. Try to be courteous, and non-inflammatory where possible. Do not make them feel stupid or you will alienate them.

TAM:)
 
Personally I think it's symptomatic of failures in the educational system and a mass media culture which seems to place comparatively weight on meanginful, detailed analysis. I might throw in something about the dinfranchised and isolated members of your/our community, but that's probably intrinsic to the initial point.
 
Gazpacho said:
Encourage them to read history books (from the book store, not Kevin's Konspiracy Klearinghouse). Most of them seem to be lacking perspective on the present.
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A great starting place is "Tragedy & Hope: A History of the World in Our Time," containing a respected scholar's take on this forum's topic. For him it is fact, not theory...just as it was for Thomas Jefferson: "What a conspiracy this, between Church and State!"

Read and learn. Or don't.
 
Is there a way to prevent CTers?


A) Prevent their parents from ever having sex (pre-natal pre-vention).
B) Arrange for post-natal abortions (post-natal pre-vention).
 
T.A.M. said:
1. Nip it in the bud. My sister and her Fiance saw Loose Change, and the minute the topic got brought up, I broke it down for them...they are no longer in the slightest bit 9/11 CTists.

2. Point them to good, logical resources. I am sure lurking here for a while, you have a list...9/11 myths, Gravy's links, 9/11debunking, etc...

3. Encourage them to be logical in how they approach everything. Make sure they understand that suspicion based on dislike or paranoia is not logical, or sound.

4. Show them how the 9/11 truth movement uses the same techniques as other, more obvious CTs such as "The Moon Landing was a Hoax" CT.

5. Try to be courteous, and non-inflammatory where possible. Do not make them feel stupid or you will alienate them.

TAM:)
Click to expand...
I think those are great steps for some CTists. Based solely on those I see posting here, I'm afraid those steps will fail on those whose (I don't know how else to say this but) brains aren't functioning to spec. It also will fail on those that are in it for the fame, notoriety and money.

I wonder what precentage of CTists are honestly looking for the truth. Again, based solely on what I see here, I'm afraid it's a small number.
 
T.A.M. said:
1. Nip it in the bud. My sister and her Fiance saw Loose Change, and the minute the topic got brought up, I broke it down for them...they are no longer in the slightest bit 9/11 CTists.

2. Point them to good, logical resources. I am sure lurking here for a while, you have a list...9/11 myths, Gravy's links, 9/11debunking, etc...

3. Encourage them to be logical in how they approach everything. Make sure they understand that suspicion based on dislike or paranoia is not logical, or sound.

4. Show them how the 9/11 truth movement uses the same techniques as other, more obvious CTs such as "The Moon Landing was a Hoax" CT.

5. Try to be courteous, and non-inflammatory where possible. Do not make them feel stupid or you will alienate them.

TAM:)
Click to expand...

Some very good points. I might add:
6. Encourage them to give more credibility to mainstream publications and broadcast companies and their associated websites, and to be very critical of information published by organizations or individuals promoting any political or social agenda, when looking for news or research information.
 
My experience is that most people who don't immediately suspect the Troof of being donkey-doo are so unfathomably intellectually lazy and dishonest that nothing will ever really change their minds. I've shown one of my Troofer friends direct evidence of deliberate lies in Loose Change and he replied, "yeah, I don't really feel like reading that."
 
Architect said:
Personally I think it's symptomatic of failures in the educational system and a mass media culture which seems to place comparatively weight on meanginful, detailed analysis.
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I also pin a large amount of blame on the education system.

How many times were we taught that "all opinions are equal?"
 
It's no secret that I used to date a rabid CTist, Tweeter.
You can bring your mind back from the back-allies now. ;)
 
When Bush leaves office alot of the CT junk will die down.. But no there is very little you can do.
 
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