What is your favourite conspiracy theory?

[Streathamite]

You are, quite simply, an obnoxious person. Thank fuck we only have to deal with you as a computer person. Anybody meetin you in real life has my sympathy.

well, prepare for a shock. i've met him in real life, danced like a loon to his Djing. he's a top bloke - genuinely - and i know plenty others who'd agree.
Granted, he can be robust in his arguments on these boards - but ain't that what a BB is for, at least in part?

 

[TeeJay]

I don't know if the thread on the subject is archived, but I suggested they were fake well before there were official suspicions about them.

That woud be hard as there were "official suspicions" about them immediately - an investigation was announced on the day they were published (May 1st)*. An investigation was launched and by May 12th a minister announced that the conclusion was that the photos were not taken in Iraq.

* In a press conference, Sir Mike Jackson, Chief of General Staff, said: "If proven, not only is such appalling conduct clearly unlawful but also contravenes the British Army's high standards of conduct ... Again, if proven, the perpetrators are not fit to wear the Queen's uniform and they have besmirched the Army's good name and conduct." http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/3675215.stm

 

[Jazzz]

1. Because I'm a historian by background
2. The people I named generally follow proper historical principles, preferring fact and evidence based analysis, and critical assessment of a source's credibility.
3. That approach, if followed properly, should include scepticism of and detachment both from 'alternative versions' and from 'official' versions.
4. Agreeing with that approach isn't 'deferentially deferring', it just means I prefer that approach to a less rational one.
5. In other words I'm far more likely to agree with their approach than with yours which I have decided for myself appears consistently less rigourous.
6. If I disagree with them (as I have with all three, on other subjects) I'll say
so.
7. I refer you to my post (no. 39) on page two of this thread -- largely a joke (about the CIA etc.) but a good underlying point to it which is : speculation-based CTs very often (IMO) severe to discredit, hinder and make more difficult a more professional type of investigation.

<edit to add> : perhaps I should have made my original point clearer/less rushed. In quite a few long and involved CT threads, the scepticism of the three posters I named conforms much more closely to historical principles and to rationality, facts and evidence.

That approach, to me, contrasts creditably with the prevailing unquestioning credulity/gullibility of so many CT fans towards any and every sensational-sounding, 'exclusive revealing of the exclusive, covered up truth' type-CT.

That's why I want common-sensiblists like them (I should have said 'for example) to give an implausible looking 'theory' the time of day before I take much notice of it.

William, we agree on an awful lot. Particularly in taking the evidence into account and drawing logical conclusions from it. Broadly speaking I applaud your principles and I can't argue with your approach. But we differ in its application; while some might protest at the lack of evidence for a 9-11 CT I'll protest at the lack of evidence for the official theory. While some may protest about the lack of credibility of CT sites, I'll protest that our governments lie through their teeth as a matter of routine on matters of fact. The central argument applied against any CT generally runs as follows; the CT proponent who wishes to discredit the official story is held to provide his speculation as to what really happened. Then he is asked to prove it. If this cannot be done, then everyone ignores any carefully contructed arguments made against the official story, the CT is denounced for jumping on an alternative theory without sufficient evidence, and the official theory is taken as default (however much you and others protest that they are applying an equal scepticism; this is revealed by your inability to tolerate 'speculation' where one cannot commit to any theory). Displacement of the burden of proof. In fact I'll think I'll write a riposte to DF, entitled 'ten ways to argue against conspiracy theorists'

 

[TeeJay]

And are you trying to paint me as a half scottish half french person eh...?

Hold still a second...

...a bit longer...

...

...there you go!

They really don't do conspiracies like they used to eh?

 

[Spymaster]

Deleted

 

[tobyjug]

That woud be hard as there were "official suspicions" about them immediately - ]

Not in public there weren't. The anti armed forces faction on U75 had been in full swing for some time before official concerns about their validity were made. My concerns were in the first few messages.

 

[pk]

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[Spymaster]

Deleted

 

[Jazzz]

But then it would attract all sorts of nutters as well.

There's plenty of nutters here anyway... you found your way here, and there wasn't even a conspiracy forum!

 

[Blagsta]

Sollog is fairly mad

 

[pk]

deleted

 

[Jazzz]

Due to a repeated and baseless slur I'd like to remind posters that I am in fact Jewish, hardly orthodox, in fact Yom Kippur passed me by the other day, but Jewish nonetheless. And one of my ancestors was a wunder Rabbi who could perform miracles, so there.

 

[pk]

Doesn't stop you propagating endless anti-semitic conspiracy theories and websites though does it?

That's the crux of it.

That and the fact that Long Island is hugely populated...

 

[Spymaster]

Deleted

 

[pk]

deleted

 

[FridgeMagnet]

Oi. Spymaster.pk's been told to leave the personal insults out; now I'm saying the same to you.

 

[pk]

deleted

 

[Spymaster]

Deleted

 

[pk]

deleted

 

[cathal marcs]

That the Royal family and the rulers of the world are all lizards

 

[Spymaster]

Deleted

 

[FridgeMagnet]

Leave it the both of you.

 

[pk]

deleted

 

[JWH]

probably get a nice cushy private sector security job or massively well-paid private bodyguard contract in Iraq: an under-the-counter golden handshake as it were.

A myth - it doesn't work like that. Strike out the last bit and I think you've got a goer of a CT, though!

 

[JWH]

one of my ancestors was a wunder Rabbi who could perform miracles, so there.

It wasn't the old water to wine gag, was it?

But seriously, what could he do?

 

[TeeJay]

Not in public there weren't.

tobyjug - I've just quoted the Chief of General Staff on the day the photos were released deliberately choosing his words to imply that the photos were *not* proven to be genuine. I don't see how your or others' posts on u75 could really have been made "well before there were official suspicions about them" seeing as I just just proved that "official suspicions" were voiced *immediately*.

Sometimes I don't think it is worth arguing with you as you seem incapable of understanding basic logic or recognising facts that are presented very clearly, prefering to live in your own fantasy world of made up facts and self-obsessed persecution complexes.

 

[TeeJay]

A myth - it doesn't work like that. Strike out the last bit and I think you've got a goer of a CT, though!

What doesn't work like that?

Over the last few years people (typically ex-forces) have been offered vast amounts of money to act as private security guards for contractors in Iraq. The companies that recruit these people are run by ex-forces people and they often recruit their mates and people recommended to them.

"On the ground, a security guard's salary can run to as much as $1,000 a day" http://archive.corporatewatch.org/news/mercenery.htm

 

[Jazzz]

It wasn't the old water to wine gag, was it?

But seriously, what could he do?

Oh god I hope it wasn't, that brings back memories of the Paul Daniels Magic Show.

I haven't asked what miracles he performed. Maybe he chose not to exercise his powers. One of my ancestors was Rabbi Mordecai Meisl who has a synagogue in Prague named after him, but he wasn't the wunder Rabbi... I'll have to find out who he was.

Maybe he could transform into a lizard at will?

 

[fela fan]

well, prepare for a shock. i've met him in real life, danced like a loon to his Djing. he's a top bloke - genuinely - and i know plenty others who'd agree.
Granted, he can be robust in his arguments on these boards - but ain't that what a BB is for, at least in part?

Red, i don't buy this 'real life' stuff, as if somehow posters are different in daily life from who they are on urban. A pseudonym is no reason for us to believe this. [assuming this dichotomy is what you were referring to]

As someone said, if he used this kind of language away from the computer screen he'd probably be a serial visitor to the hospital. Not from me mind, i'd just turn down the other street if i saw him. Who needs such language in their lives?

 

[JWH]

What doesn't work like that?

There's a huge misconception about the amounts paid to guards. These guys were just rank and file squaddies and those guys don't get the amounts that reach the papers. It's a myth, perpetuated by the guys that quit the military but don't want to admit they were wrong.