Among the Truthers
This is an extremely interesting book which examines the various conspiracy theories that have developed in the U.S. The range of these is quite large, many of them centering around the events of 9/11, ranging from those conspiracies that have at least a nugget of truth in them (which is more than one would expect) all the way to those which are literally 'far out' such as the one that says alien lizard overlords run the world. The book shows that conspiracy theories are not new by any means. The author traces specific ones back to the middle of the 1700's, although he also notes that it is possible that some may actually date back thousands of years. One of the things that helps keep these theories alive is the growing split in the opinions of people in this country. The beliefs are becoming more and more polarized which actually makes conspiracy theories easier to start and to gain adherents. Adding to this is the growing distrust in the mass media and what they are saying, and the polarization of the mass media itself. The author also points out that arguing facts with a 'true believer' in a conspiracy theory is a total waste of time as the 'true believer' will not accept those facts as disproving their position. They have a strong tendency to rewrite or ignore historical facts that don't fit their preconceived beliefs. |
