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Jeff wrote:MacCruiskeen wrote:Jamey Hecht:THE TERM ‘CONSPIRACY THEORY’
This phrase is among the tireless workhorses of establishment discourse. Without it, disinformation would be much harder than it is. “Conspiracy theory” is a trigger phrase, saturated with intellectual contempt and deeply anti-intellectual resentment. It makes little sense on its own, and while it’s a priceless tool of propaganda, it is worse than useless as an explanatory category.
http://www.911inquiry.org/Presentations/JameyHecht.htm
Hecht's paper is brilliant. It was the highlight for me of the conference.
Conspiracy is a hypothesis, not a theory. The theory is Deep Politics.
dicksteele (1000+ posts) Fri Aug-10-07 12:03 PM
USA quietly withdraws from international study comparing math and science students.
MSNBC: The United States has quietly withdrawn from an international study comparing math and science students.
SNIP>
The study, called TIMSS (Trends in Mathematics and Science Study)
Advanced 2008, measures how high-school seniors are doing in algebra,
geometry, calculus and physics with students taking similar subjects
around the globe. In the past, the American results have been shockingly poor.
In the last survey, taken in 1995, students from only two countries—
Cyprus and South Africa—scored lower than U.S. school kids.
Conspiracy theorists suggest that the U.S. government withdrew
from the study without making any announcement because it anticipated
another poor showing. “Maybe they don’t want to hear more bad news,”
says John Ewing, executive director of the American Mathematical Society.
More at link:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20205125/site/newsweek /
(Personal note- I just LOVE the way anyone who questions
the reason for this is a called a "conspiracy theorist".
Getting more Fair & Balanced by the day, NBC!)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/di ... 89x1558810
Blair: Iraq oil claim is 'conspiracy theory'
Matthew Tempest, political correspondent
Wednesday January 15, 2003
Guardian Unlimited
Tony Blair today derided as "conspiracy theories" accusations that a war on Iraq would be in pursuit of oil, as he faced down growing discontent in parliament at a meeting of Labour backbenchers and at PMQs. ...
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/foreigna ... 73,00.html
Conspiracy is a hypothesis, not a theory. The theory is Deep Politics.
“Conspiracy theory” is a trigger phrase, saturated with intellectual contempt and deeply anti-intellectual resentment. It makes little sense on its own, and while it’s a priceless tool of propaganda, it is worse than useless as an explanatory category.
shorter OED:
conspiracy: 1 a secret plan by a group to do something unlawful or harmful. 2 the action of conspiring.
CONSPIRACY - 18 U.S.C. 371 makes it a separate Federal crime or offense for anyone to conspire or agree with someone else to do something which, if actually carried out, would amount to another Federal crime or offense. So, under this law, a 'conspiracy' is an agreement or a kind of 'partnership' in criminal purposes in which each member becomes the agent or partner of every other member.
In order to establish a conspiracy offense it is not necessary for the Government to prove that all of the people named in the indictment were members of the scheme; or that those who were members had entered into any formal type of agreement; or that the members had planned together all of the details of the scheme or the 'overt acts' that the indictment charges would be carried out in an effort to commit the intended crime.
Also, because the essence of a conspiracy offense is the making of the agreement itself (followed by the commission of any overt act), it is not necessary for the Government to prove that the conspirators actually succeeded in accomplishing their unlawful plan.
What the evidence in the case must show beyond a reasonable doubt is:
First: That two or more persons, in some way or manner, came to a mutual understanding to try to accomplish a common and unlawful plan, as charged in the indictment;
Second: That the person willfully became a member of such conspiracy;
Third: That one of the conspirators during the existence of the conspiracy knowingly committed at least one of the methods (or 'overt acts') described in the indictment; and
Fourth: That such 'overt act' was knowingly committed at or about the time alleged in an effort to carry out or accomplish some object of the conspiracy.
http://www.lectlaw.com/def/c103.htm
A conspiracy theory is an explanation of an event or situation that invokes an unwarranted conspiracy
—Wikipedia in July, 2018
A conspiracy theory is an explanation of an event or situation that invokes a conspiracy—generally one involving an illegal or harmful act supposedly carried out by government or other powerful actors—without credible evidence.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines conspiracy theory as "the theory that an event or phenomenon occurs as a result of a conspiracy between interested parties
MacCruiskeen » Thu Aug 09, 2007 1:08 pm wrote:Jamey Hecht:THE TERM ‘CONSPIRACY THEORY’
This phrase is among the tireless workhorses of establishment discourse. Without it, disinformation would be much harder than it is. “Conspiracy theory” is a trigger phrase, saturated with intellectual contempt and deeply anti-intellectual resentment. It makes little sense on its own, and while it’s a priceless tool of propaganda, it is worse than useless as an explanatory category.
http://www.911inquiry.org/Presentations/JameyHecht.htm
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