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| conspiracy theories that turned out to be false: A Lot of People Are Saying Nancy L. Rosenblum, Russell Muirhead, 2020-02-18 How the new conspiracists are undermining democracy—and what can be done about it Conspiracy theories are as old as politics. But conspiracists today have introduced something new—conspiracy without theory. And the new conspiracism has moved from the fringes to the heart of government with the election of Donald Trump. In A Lot of People Are Saying, Russell Muirhead and Nancy Rosenblum show how the new conspiracism differs from classic conspiracy theory, how it undermines democracy, and what needs to be done to resist it. |
| conspiracy theories that turned out to be false: The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories Jan-Willem van Prooijen, 2018 Cover -- Title -- Copyright -- CONTENTS -- Preface -- 1 Psychology of conspiracy theories -- 2 When do people believe conspiracy theories? -- 3 The architecture of belief -- 4 The social roots of conspiracy theories -- 5 Conspiracy theories and ideology -- 6 Explaining and reducing conspiracy theories -- Further reading -- Notes -- References |
| conspiracy theories that turned out to be false: Secrets and Conspiracies Olli Loukola, Leonidas Donskis, 2022 This collection purports to provide a sober analysis of the much debated issues and tries to develop and outline conceptual and theoretical tools to make sense of what secrets and conspiracies truly are-- |
| conspiracy theories that turned out to be false: 63 Documents the Government Doesn't Want You to Read Jesse Ventura, Dick Russell, 2011-05-02 The official spin on numerous government programs is flat-out bullshit, according to Jesse Ventura. In this incredible collection of actual government documents, Ventura, the ultimate non- partisan truth-seeker, proves it beyond any doubt. He and Dick Russell walk readers through 63 of the most incriminating programs to reveal what really happens behind the closed doors. In addition to providing original government data, Ventura discusses what it really means and how regular Americans can stop criminal behavior at the top levels of government and in the media. Among the cases discussed: • The CIA’s top-secret program to control human behavior • Operation Northwoods—the military plan to hijack airplanes and blame it on Cuban terrorists • The discovery of a secret Afghan archive—information that never left the boardroom • Potentially deadly healthcare cover-ups, including a dengue fever outbreak • What the Department of Defense knows about our food supply—but is keeping mum Although these documents are now in the public domain, the powers that be would just as soon they stay under wraps. Ventura’s research and commentary sheds new light on what they’re not telling you—and why it matters. |
| conspiracy theories that turned out to be false: Eurabia-paperback Bat Yeʼor, 2005 This book is about the transformation of Europe into Eurabia, a cultural and political appendage of the Arab/Muslim world. Eurabia is fundamentally anti-Christian, anti-Western, anti-American, and antisemitic. The institution responsible for this transformation, and that continues to propagate its ideological message, is the Euro-Arab Dialogue, developed by European and Arab politicians and intellectuals over the past thirty years.--From publisher description. |
| conspiracy theories that turned out to be false: Creating Conspiracy Beliefs Dolores Albarracin, Julia Albarracin, Man-pui Sally Chan, Kathleen Hall Jamieson, 2021-11-25 Drawing on psychology, political science, communication, and information sciences, this book explores the birth of conspiracy theories. |
| conspiracy theories that turned out to be false: The Psychology of Conspiracy Michal Bilewicz, Aleksandra Cichocka, Wiktor Soral, 2015-05-15 Why did the third World Trade Center building (WTC7) collapse on September 11th , even though it was not struck by any aircraft? Why did Princess Diana’s drunk driver look sober as he climbed into the car minutes before their deadly accident? Could a slender birch tree really have caused the plane crash which killed the President of Poland in 2010? ‘Conspiracy thinking’ – the search for explanations of significant global events in clandestine plots, suppressed knowledge and the secret actions of elite groups – provides simple and logical answers to the social doubts and uncertainties that occur at times of major national and international crises. Contemporary social psychology seeks to explain the human motivation to create, share and receive conspiracy theories, and to shed light on the consequences of these theories for people’s social and political functioning. This important collection, written by leading researchers in the field, is the first to apply quantitative empirical findings to the subject of conspiracy theorizing. The first section of the book explores conspiracy theories in the context of group perception and intergroup relations, paying particular attention to anti-Semitic conspiracy stereotypes. It then goes on to examine the relationship between an individual’s political ideology and the degree to which they engage in ‘conspiracy thinking’. The concluding part of the book considers the explanatory power of conspiracy, focusing on the link between social paranoia and digital media, and highlighting the social, political, and environmental consequences of conspiracy theories. The Psychology of Conspiracy will be of great interest to academics and researchers in social and political psychology, and a valuable resource to those in the fields of social policy, anthropology, political science, and cultural studies. |
| conspiracy theories that turned out to be false: Real Enemies Kathryn S. Olmsted, 2009-01-02 Many Americans believe that their own government is guilty of shocking crimes. Government agents shot the president. They faked the moon landing. They stood by and allowed the murders of 2,400 servicemen in Hawaii. Although paranoia has been a feature of the American scene since the birth of the Republic, in Real Enemies Kathryn Olmsted shows that it was only in the twentieth century that strange and unlikely conspiracy theories became central to American politics. In particular, she posits World War I as a critical turning point and shows that as the federal bureaucracy expanded, Americans grew more fearful of the government itself--the military, the intelligence community, and even the President. Analyzing the wide-spread suspicions surrounding such events as Pearl Harbor, the JFK assassination, Watergate, and 9/11, Olmsted sheds light on why so many Americans believe that their government conspires against them, why more people believe these theories over time, and how real conspiracies--such as the infamous Northwoods plan--have fueled our paranoia about the governments we ourselves elect. |
| conspiracy theories that turned out to be false: Conspiracy Theories and the People who Believe Them Joseph E. Uscinski, 2019 Conspiracy theories are inevitable in complex human societies. And while they have always been with us, their ubiquity in our political discourse is nearly unprecedented. Their salience has increased for a variety of reasons including the increasing access to information among ordinary people, a pervasive sense of powerlessness among those same people, and a widespread distrust of elites. Working in combination, these factors and many other factors are now propelling conspiracy theories into our public sphere on a vast scale. In recent years, scholars have begun to study this genuinely important phenomenon in a concerted way. In Conspiracy Theories and the People Who Believe Them, Joseph E. Uscinski has gathered forty top researchers on the topic to provide both the foundational tools and the evidence to better understand conspiracy theories in the United States and around the world. Each chapter is informed by three core questions: Why do so many people believe in conspiracy theories? What are the effects of such theories when they take hold in the public? What can or should be done about the phenomenon? Combining systematic analysis and cutting-edge empirical research, this volume will help us better understand an extremely important, yet relatively neglected, phenomenon. |
| conspiracy theories that turned out to be false: Knowledge Goes Pop Clare Birchall, 2006-09-05 A voice on late night radio tells you that a fast food restaurant injects its food with drugs that make men impotent. A colleague asks if you think the FBI was in on 9/11. An alien abductee on the Internet claims extra-terrestrials have planted a microchip in her body. Julia Roberts in Porn Scandal shouts the front page of a gossip mag. A spiritual healer claims he can cure chronic fatigue syndrome with the energizing power of crystals . . . What do you believe? Knowledge Goes Pop examines the popular knowledges that saturate our everyday experience. We make this information and then it shapes the way we see the world. How valid is it when compared to official knowledge and why does such (mis)information cause so much institutional anxiety? This book examines the range of knowledge, from conspiracy theory to plain gossip, and its role and impact in our culture. |
| conspiracy theories that turned out to be false: Conspiracy Theories and the Failure of Intellectual Critique Kurtis Hagen, 2022-07-20 Conspiracy Theories and the Failure of Intellectual Critique argues that conspiracy theories, including those that conflict with official accounts and suggest that prominent people in Western democracies have engaged in appalling behavior, should be taken seriously and judged on their merits and problems on a case-by-case basis. It builds on the philosophical work on this topic that has developed over the past quarter century, challenging some of it, but affirming the emerging consensus: each conspiracy theory ought to be judged on its particular merits and faults. The philosophical consensus contrasts starkly with what one finds in the social science literature. Kurtis Hagen argues that significant aspects of that literature, especially the psychological study of conspiracy theorists, has turned out to be flawed and misleading. Those flaws are not randomly directed; rather, they consistently serve to disparage conspiracy theorists unfairly. This suggests that there may be a bias against conspiracy theorists in the academy, skewing “scientific” results. Conspiracy Theories and the Failure of Intellectual Critique argues that social scientists who study conspiracy theories and/or conspiracy theorists would do well to better absorb the implications of the philosophical literature. |
| conspiracy theories that turned out to be false: Conspiracy Theory in America Lance deHaven-Smith, 2013-04-15 Asserts that the Founders' hard-nosed realism about the likelihood of elite political misconduct—articulated in the Declaration of Independence—has been replaced by today's blanket condemnation of conspiracy beliefs as ludicrous by definition. |
| conspiracy theories that turned out to be false: The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion Sergei Nilus, Victor Emile Marsden, 2019-02-26 The Protocols of the Elders of Zion is almost certainly fiction, but its impact was not. Originating in Russia, it landed in the English-speaking world where it caused great consternation. Much is made of German anti-semitism, but there was fertile soil for The Protocols across Europe and even in America, thanks to Henry Ford and others. |
| conspiracy theories that turned out to be false: Conspiracy Theories and Other Dangerous Ideas Cass R. Sunstein, 2014 A collection of controversial essays touches upon an array of issues, from marriage equality and conspiracy theories to animal rights. |
| conspiracy theories that turned out to be false: Behold a Pale Horse William Cooper, 2012-04-11 Bill Cooper, former United States Naval Intelligence Briefing Team member, reveals information that remains hidden from the public eye. This information has been kept in Top Secret government files since the 1940s. His audiences hear the truth unfold as he writes about the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the war on drugs, the Secret Government and UFOs. Bill is a lucid, rational and powerful speaker who intent is to inform and to empower his audience. Standing room only is normal. His presentation and information transcend partisan affiliations as he clearly addresses issues in a way that has a striking impact on listeners of all backgrounds and interests. He has spoken to many groups throughout the United States and has appeared regularly on many radio talk shows and on television. In 1988 Bill decided to talk due to events then taking place worldwide, events which he had seen plans for back in the early '70s. Since Bill has been talking, he has correctly predicted the lowering of the Iron Curtain, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the invasion of Panama. All Bill's predictions were on record well before the events occurred. Bill is not a psychic. His information comes from Top Secret documents that he read while with the Intelligence Briefing Team and from over 17 years of thorough research. Bill Cooper is the world's leading expert on UFOs. -- Billy Goodman, KVEG, Las Vegas. The onlt man in America who has all the pieces to the puzzle that has troubled so many for so long. -- Anthony Hilder, Radio Free America William Cooper may be one of America's greatest heros, and this story may be the biggest story in the history of the world. -- Mills Crenshaw, KTALK, Salt Lake City. Like it or not, everything is changing. The result will be the most wonderful experience in the history of man or the most horrible enslavement that you can imagine. Be active or abdicate, the future is in your hands. -- William Cooper, October 24, 1989. |
| conspiracy theories that turned out to be false: Debunked! Richard Roeper, 2008-06 A breezy but fact-filled dissection of more than two dozen of the most popular urban legends and conspiracy theories of the 21st century. |
| conspiracy theories that turned out to be false: Greatest Conspiracy Theories Introbooks, 2018-02-19 As you know, there are many of such events which became part of those conspiracies that many people believe in and most of the people don’t. Well, what do you think people should believe in these? At first everyone does actually because obviously it interests you so much but most of them get verified as wrong at the end, not all of them but most of them. Now, here what you going to read is about what the conspiracy theory is and how many of them are really out there in the world. |
| conspiracy theories that turned out to be false: Conspiracy Theories Richard Greene, Rachel Robison-Greene, 2020-01-07 Conspiracy theories have become a major element in modern opinion formation. From the theory that the killing of President Kennedy was masterminded by a powerful conspiracy to the theory that 9/11 was an inside job, from the story that Barack Obama wasn’t born in America to the story that Donald Trump was a Russian asset, conspiracy theories have become a major element in opinion formation and an ever-present influence, sometimes open, sometimes hidden, on the daily headline news. In Conspiracy Theories, philosophers of diverse backgrounds and persuasions focus their lenses on the phenomenon of the conspiracy theory, its psychological causes, its typical shape, and its political consequences. Among the questions addressed: ● What’s the formula for designing a contagious conspiracy theory? ● Where does conspiracy theorizing end and investigative reporting begin? ● What can we learn about conspiracy theories from the three movie treatments of the Kennedy assassination (The Parallax View, JFK, and Interview with the Assassin)? ● Does political powerlessness generate conspiracy theories? ● Is conspiracy theorizing essentially an instinct that lies behind all belief in religion and all striving for a meaningful life? ● Can we find conspiracy theories in all political movements for centuries past? ● What are the most common types of fallacious reasoning that tend to support conspiracy theories? ● Is there a psychological disorder at the root of conspiracy theories? ● Why is the number of flat-earthers growing? |
| conspiracy theories that turned out to be false: American Conspiracy Theories Joseph E. Uscinski, Joseph M. Parent, 2014 Conspiracies theories are some of the most striking features in the American political landscape: the Kennedy assassination, aliens at Roswell, subversion by Masons, Jews, Catholics, or communists, and modern movements like Birtherism and Trutherism. But what do we really know about conspiracy theories? Do they share general causes? Are they becoming more common? More dangerous? Who is targeted and why? Who are the conspiracy theorists? How has technology affected conspiracy theorising? This book offers the first century-long view of these issues. |
| conspiracy theories that turned out to be false: The Paranoid Style in American Politics Richard Hofstadter, 2008-06-10 This timely reissue of Richard Hofstadter's classic work on the fringe groups that influence American electoral politics offers an invaluable perspective on contemporary domestic affairs.In The Paranoid Style in American Politics, acclaimed historian Richard Hofstadter examines the competing forces in American political discourse and how fringe groups can influence — and derail — the larger agendas of a political party. He investigates the politics of the irrational, shedding light on how the behavior of individuals can seem out of proportion with actual political issues, and how such behavior impacts larger groups. With such other classic essays as “Free Silver and the Mind of 'Coin' Harvey” and “What Happened to the Antitrust Movement?, ” The Paranoid Style in American Politics remains both a seminal text of political history and a vital analysis of the ways in which political groups function in the United States. |
| conspiracy theories that turned out to be false: A Culture of Conspiracy Michael Barkun, 2003 Unravelling the genealogies and permutations of conspiracist worldviews, this work shows how this web of urban legends has spread among sub-cultures on the Internet and through mass media, and how this phenomenon relates to larger changes in American culture. |
| conspiracy theories that turned out to be false: Escaping the Rabbit Hole Mick West, 2023-06-20 Revised and updated for the first time in 2023—Now includes strategies for debunking conspiracies regarding the coronavirus pandemic, election fraud, QAnon, UFOs, and more. The Earth is flat, the World Trade Center collapse was a controlled demolition, planes are spraying poison to control the weather, and actors faked the Sandy Hook massacre. All these claims are bunk: falsehoods, mistakes, and in some cases, outright lies. But many people passionately believe one or more of these conspiracy theories. They consume countless books and videos, join like-minded online communities, try to convert those around them, and even, on occasion, alienate their own friends and family. Why is this, and how can you help people, especially those closest to you, break free from the downward spiral of conspiracy thinking? In Escaping the Rabbit Hole, author Mick West shares over a decade’s worth of knowledge and experience investigating and debunking false conspiracy theories through his forum, MetaBunk.org, and sets forth a practical guide to helping friends and loved ones recognize these theories for what they really are. Perhaps counter-intuitively, the most successful approaches to helping individuals escape a rabbit hole aren’t comprised of simply explaining why they are wrong; rather, West’s tried-and-tested approach emphasizes clear communication based on mutual respect, honesty, openness, and patience. West puts his debunking techniques and best practices to the test with the most popular false conspiracy theories today (Chemtrails, The Coronavirus Pandemic, 9/11 Controlled Demolition, Election Fraud, False Flags, Flat Earth, The Rising of QAnon, and UFOs)—providing road maps to help you to understand your friend and help them escape the rabbit hole. These are accompanied by real-life case studies of individuals who, with help, were able to break free from conspiracism. With sections on: the wide spectrum of conspiracy theories avoiding the “shill” label psychological factors and other complications (and concluding with) a look at the future of debunking Mick West has put forth a conclusive, well-researched, practical reference on why people fall down the conspiracy theory rabbit hole and how you can help them escape. |
| conspiracy theories that turned out to be false: Handbook of Conspiracy Theory and Contemporary Religion Asbjørn Dyrendal, David G. Robertson, Egil Asprem, 2018-10-02 Conspiracy theories are a ubiquitous feature of our times. The Handbook of Conspiracy Theories and Contemporary Religion is the first reference work to offer a comprehensive, transnational overview of this phenomenon along with in-depth discussions of how conspiracy theories relate to religion(s). Bringing together experts from a wide range of disciplines, from psychology and philosophy to political science and the history of religions, the book sets the standard for the interdisciplinary study of religion and conspiracy theories. |
| conspiracy theories that turned out to be false: Conspiracies Declassified Brian Dunning, 2018-06-05 A collection of the wildest conspiracies to ever exist, from mind control experiments to lizard people, this book explores, debunks—and sometimes proves—the secret stories that don’t quite make it into the history books. What’s fact and what’s fiction? With conspiracy theories, sometimes it’s hard to get to the truth! In Conspiracies Declassified, author and expert skeptic Brian Dunning explains fifty true stories of famous conspiracies throughout history. From the moon landing hoax, to chemtrails, to the mind control dangers of fluoride, Dunning is here to sort the truth from the lies to tell you what really happened. |
| conspiracy theories that turned out to be false: A Conspiracy of Tall Men Noah Hawley, 2018-06-05 The debut literary thriller that launched the career of the bestselling author of Before the Fall and the creator of the show Fargo. Linus Owen is a young professor of conspiracy theory at a small college just outside San Francisco. His marriage is foundering and his wife, Claudia, has gone to Chicago to visit her mother. But if Claudia is in Chicago, how is it that two FBI agents show up at Linus' office and inform him that Claudia has been killed in a plane crash on her way from New York to Brazil? And why did a man named Jeffrey Holden, the vice president of a major pharmaceutical company, buy her ticket and die beside her? Enlisting the aid of two fellow conspiracy theorists, Linus heads across the country in search of answers. But as their journey progresses, it becomes frighteningly clear they've left the realm of the academic and are tangled up in a dangerous, multilayered cover-up. Finally, deep in the heart of the American desert, stunned by an ominous revelation, Linus sees he has a new mission: to try to stay alive. Part Don DeLillo, part Kurt Vonnegut, with writing that is electric, whip-smart and suspenseful at each turn, Noah Hawley draws us into a deliciously labyrinthine world of paranoia and plots. Energetic and funny...an engrossing debut. -- The New York Times |
| conspiracy theories that turned out to be false: The Epistemology of Fake News Sven Bernecker, Amy K. Flowerree, Thomas Grundmann, 2021 Fake news is an important topic of current social concern. This book is the first sustained inquiry into the epistemology of fake news. The chapters examine the meaning of the term 'fake news', discuss practices that generate or promote fake news, and investigate potential therapies for the problems it presents. |
| conspiracy theories that turned out to be false: Enemies Within Robert Alan Goldberg, 2001 From the Roswell UFO incident to the Communist threat to the rise of the Antichrist, there has been a hunger for conspiracy in America since World War II. In this enthralling book, Goldberg focuses on five major conspiracy theories of the past half century and examines why they became so popular. Illustrations. |
| conspiracy theories that turned out to be false: Taking Conspiracy Theories Seriously Matthew R. X. Dentith, 2018-11-16 This volume challenges the prima facie that conspiracy theories are irrational beliefs, and presents fresh perspectives from the philosophical community on what is becoming an issue of increasing relevance in our time. |
| conspiracy theories that turned out to be false: Conspiracy Theories David Coady, 2006 Conspiracy theories have historically had a bad reputation, with many philosophers dismissing the topic as irrational. Current philosophical debate has challenged this stance, suggesting that these theories do not deserve their bad reputation. This book represents both sides of the debate. Aimed at a broad philosophical community, including epistemologists, political philosophers, and philosophers of history, this book is a significant contribution to the growing interest in conspiracy theories. |
| conspiracy theories that turned out to be false: The Philosophy of Conspiracy Theories M R. X. Dentith, 2024-02-15 This book presents state of the art philosophical work on conspiracy theory research that brings in sharp focus on central and important insights concerning the supposed irrationality of conspiracy theory and conspiracy theory belief, while also proposing several novel solutions to long standing issues in the broader academic debate on these things called ‘conspiracy theories’. It features a critical history of conspiracy theory theory, emphasising the role of the ‘first generation’ of philosophers in conspiracy theory research. This book also includes discussions of a range of key issues such as: What counts as conspiracy theory? Who counts as a conspiracy theorist? How are these terms variously understood by academics and the wider public, and Are conspiracy theories automatically suspect, and is it ever reasonable to be a conspiracy theorist? The book then builds upon that work by looking at how people’s political views affect both the conspiracy theories they believe and their beliefs about conspiracy theories; how we might defend conspiracy theorising without endorsing mad, bad or dangerous conspiracy theories; and contains several proposals for unifying conspiracy theory research under one theoretical framework: particularism. This volume will be a key resource for philosophers and social scientists interested in recent work on the philosophy of conspiracy theory theory and its implications for conspiracy theory research. It will also appeal to members of the public, who want to know what, if anything, is wrong with these things called “conspiracy theories”. It was originally published as a special issue of Social Epistemology. |
| conspiracy theories that turned out to be false: The Killing of Osama Bin Laden Seymour M. Hersh, 2016-04-12 An electrifying investigation of the White House’ lies about the assassination of Osama bin Laden—from a Pulitzer Prize winner hailed as “the greatest investigative journalist of his era” (New Yorker). “An explosive account.” —Los Angeles Times In 2011, an elite group of US Navy SEALS stormed an enclosure in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad and killed Osama bin Laden, the man the United States had begun chasing before the devastating attacks of 9/11. The news did much to boost President Obama’s first term and played a major part in his reelection victory of the following year. But much of the story of that night, as presented to the world, was incomplete, or a lie. The evidence of what actually went on remains hidden. At the same time, the full story of the United States’ involvement in the Syrian civil war has been kept behind a diplomatic curtain, concealed by doublespeak. It is a policy of obfuscation that has compelled the White House to turn a blind eye to Turkey’s involvement in supporting ISIS and its predecessors in Syria. This investigation, which began as a series of essays in the London Review of Books, has ignited a firestorm of controversy in the world media. In his introduction, Hersh asks what will be the legacy of Obama’s time in office. Was it an era of “change we can believe in” or a season of lies and compromises that continued George W. Bush’s misconceived War on Terror? How did he lose the confidence of the general in charge of America’s forces who acted in direct contradiction to the White House? What else do we not know? |
| conspiracy theories that turned out to be false: Power, Politics, and Paranoia Jan-Willem van Prooijen, Paul A. M. van Lange, 2014-05-29 Why are people frequently suspicious of their political and corporate leaders? This book examines the psychological roots of political paranoia. |
| conspiracy theories that turned out to be false: Suspicious Minds Rob Brotherton, 2017-01-03 Suspicious Minds decodes the psychology of why we all believe in conspiracy theories--some of us just hide it better than others. |
| conspiracy theories that turned out to be false: We Never Went to the Moon: America's Thirty Billion Dollar Swindle Bill Kaysing, 2017-07-20 This is the classic We Never Went to the Moon by Bill Kaysing, which kicked off the entire moon hoax craze of the 1970s. Bill Kaysing was head of the technical presentations unit at the Rocketdyne Propulsion Field Laboratory from 1956 to 1963. This period encompassed the major planning for the engine and components of the Apollo project. During this time, Kaysing held security clearances with the U.S. Air Force and the Atomic Energy Commission. |
| conspiracy theories that turned out to be false: The Great Mental Models: General Thinking Concepts Farnam Street, 2019-12-16 The old saying goes, ''To the man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail.'' But anyone who has done any kind of project knows a hammer often isn't enough. The more tools you have at your disposal, the more likely you'll use the right tool for the job - and get it done right. The same is true when it comes to your thinking. The quality of your outcomes depends on the mental models in your head. And most people are going through life with little more than a hammer. Until now. The Great Mental Models: General Thinking Concepts is the first book in The Great Mental Models series designed to upgrade your thinking with the best, most useful and powerful tools so you always have the right one on hand. This volume details nine of the most versatile, all-purpose mental models you can use right away to improve your decision making, productivity, and how clearly you see the world. You will discover what forces govern the universe and how to focus your efforts so you can harness them to your advantage, rather than fight with them or worse yet- ignore them. Upgrade your mental toolbox and get the first volume today. AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY Farnam Street (FS) is one of the world's fastest growing websites, dedicated to helping our readers master the best of what other people have already figured out. We curate, examine and explore the timeless ideas and mental models that history's brightest minds have used to live lives of purpose. Our readers include students, teachers, CEOs, coaches, athletes, artists, leaders, followers, politicians and more. They're not defined by gender, age, income, or politics but rather by a shared passion for avoiding problems, making better decisions, and lifelong learning. AUTHOR HOME Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
| conspiracy theories that turned out to be false: Conspiracy Theories in Eastern Europe Anastasiya Astapova, Onoriu Colăcel, Corneliu Pintilescu, Tamás Scheibner, 2020-10-29 This collection of state-of-the-art essays explores conspiracy cultures in post-socialist Eastern Europe, ranging from the nineteenth century to contemporary manifestations. Conspiracy theories about Freemasons, Communists and Jews, about the Chernobyl disaster, and about George Soros and the globalist elite have been particularly influential in Eastern Europe, but they have also been among the most prominent worldwide. This volume explores such conspiracy theories in the context of local Eastern European histories and discourses. The chapters identify four major factors that have influenced cultures of conspiracy in Eastern Europe: nationalism (including ethnocentrism and antisemitism), the socialist past, the transition period, and globalization. The research focuses on the impact of imperial legacies, nation-building, and the Cold War in the creation of conspiracy theories in Eastern Europe; the effects of the fall of the Iron Curtain and conspiracism in a new democratic setting; and manifestations of viral conspiracy theories in contemporary Eastern Europe and their worldwide circulation with the global rise of populism. Bringing together a diverse landscape of Eastern European conspiracism that is a result of repeated exchange with the West, the book includes case studies that examine the history, legacy, and impact of conspiracy cultures of Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Ukraine, the former Yugoslav countries, and the former Soviet Union. The book will appeal to scholars and students of conspiracy theories, as well as those in the areas of political science, area studies, media studies, cultural studies, psychology, philosophy, and history, among others. Politicians, educators, and journalists will find this book a useful resource in countering disinformation in and about the region. |
| conspiracy theories that turned out to be false: Bad Arguments Robert Arp, Steven Barbone, Michael Bruce, 2018-09-28 A timely and accessible guide to 100 of the most infamous logical fallacies in Western philosophy, helping readers avoid and detect false assumptions and faulty reasoning You’ll love this book or you’ll hate it. So, you’re either with us or against us. And if you’re against us then you hate books. No true intellectual would hate this book. Ever decide to avoid a restaurant because of one bad meal? Choose a product because a celebrity endorsed it? Or ignore what a politician says because she’s not a member of your party? For as long as people have been discussing, conversing, persuading, advocating, proselytizing, pontificating, or otherwise stating their case, their arguments have been vulnerable to false assumptions and faulty reasoning. Drawing upon a long history of logical falsehoods and philosophical flubs, Bad Arguments demonstrates how misguided arguments come to be, and what we can do to detect them in the rhetoric of others and avoid using them ourselves. Fallacies—or conclusions that don’t follow from their premise—are at the root of most bad arguments, but it can be easy to stumble into a fallacy without realizing it. In this clear and concise guide to good arguments gone bad, Robert Arp, Steven Barbone, and Michael Bruce take readers through 100 of the most infamous fallacies in Western philosophy, identifying the most common missteps, pitfalls, and dead-ends of arguments gone awry. Whether an instance of sunk costs, is ought, affirming the consequent, moving the goal post, begging the question, or the ever-popular slippery slope, each fallacy engages with examples drawn from contemporary politics, economics, media, and popular culture. Further diagrams and tables supplement entries and contextualize common errors in logical reasoning. At a time in our world when it is crucial to be able to identify and challenge rhetorical half-truths, this bookhelps readers to better understand flawed argumentation and develop logical literacy. Unrivaled in its breadth of coverage and a worthy companion to its sister volume Just the Arguments (2011), Bad Arguments is an essential tool for undergraduate students and general readers looking to hone their critical thinking and rhetorical skills. |
| conspiracy theories that turned out to be false: I Was a Teenage JFK Conspiracy Freak Fred Litwin, 2018-09-10 Fred Litwin recounts how he became a JFK conspiracy freak at eighteen, and then slowly moved to believe that Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone assassin. I Was a Teenage JFK Conspiracy Freak demonstrates how the left and right have used the JFK assassination to drive home myths about power in America. There is also the persecution of a gay man prosecuted for conspiring to kill Kennedy, the ugly story of Oliver Stone's homophobic film JFK, an exposé of conspiracy nonsense on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, a look at how the Soviets tried to influence American public opinion that CIA was behind the murder, and the incredible secret why some JFK assassination documents must remain locked up. And a whole lot more. PRAISE FOR I WAS A TEENAGE JFK CONSPIRACY FREAK As a young man growing up in the heyday of Kennedy assassination theorizing, Fred Litwin believed a conspiracy killed JFK. And then he grew, and he studied and he researched. The result is this volume, a thorough, cogent and meticulously argued case for a lone assassin. A seasoned conspiracy skeptic will learn new things here, and a conspiracy believer open to looking at the other side could do no better than this volume. - John McAdams, Associate Professor of Political Science at Marquette University and author of JFK Assassination Logic: How to Think about Claims of Conspiracy This is a great book for conspiracy buffs-and, more important, for those who debunk such theories. Fred Litwin does a terrific job in blowing up the myriad JFK assassination scenarios, not least in completely demolishing The Fifth Estate's decades-long efforts to uncover the truth. The CBC's lead investigative show is revealed here to be more than slightly unhinged. -J.L. Granatstein, Author of Who Killed Canadian History? In Fred Litwin's marvelous book, he charts how he went from an early skeptic to someone dedicated to dissecting their arguments and carefully tearing them apart. He puts the final nail in the coffin of all the conspiracy theorists, who develop new ones as old theories are proven wrong. Everyone still concerned with JFK's death and thinks it's a mystery must read this book. They will be glad they did. -Ronald Radosh, Professor Emeritus of History at CUNY, opinion columnist for The Daily Beast and co-author of A Safe Haven: Harry S. Truman and the Founding of Israel Mr. Litwin's book is the best in many, many years in dealing with the truth about this horrendous piece of history...and exposing the fakirs, cons and opportunists who often call themselves 'historians.' A fine presentation! -Hugh Aynesworth, Author of November 22, 1963: Witness to History and JFK: Breaking the News |
| conspiracy theories that turned out to be false: The Big Black Book of Government Conspiracies Andrè RavenSkül Venås, 2019-09-05 This is a compilation of Government Conspiracies from the U.S. and the World. |
| conspiracy theories that turned out to be false: Ron Carey and the Teamsters Ken Reiman, 2024-04-09 Probes the enduring impact, and devastating fall, of one of the greatest union organizers of the 20th century In this riveting account, retired UPS driver and unionist, Ken Reiman, gives us the first in-depth portrait of Ron Carey as he rose from a local union officer in the mid-1960s, to president of what was, in 1991, the largest labor union in the United States. For many years, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters was one of this country's most corrupt unions, with close ties to organized crime. Hundreds of officers drew enormous salaries while doing no work. Pension funds were drained to build Las Vegas casinos. Ultimately many Teamster leaders were either sent to prison or killed. But because he was willing to put members first, Carey and the Teamsters were able to defeat UPS and the major trucking companies along with their many enemies in the mob, in corporate boardrooms, and in the halls of Congress. In the process Carey tangibly transformed the lives of countless workers. Drawing on transcripts from court hearings, public records, newspaper references and over fifty first-person interviews—including several off-the-record conversations—Reiman brings us the untold story of Carey’s meteoric rise and demise. |
CONSPIRACY Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
The meaning of CONSPIRACY is the act of conspiring together. How to use conspiracy in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Conspiracy.
Conspiracy - Wikipedia
A conspiracy, also known as a plot, ploy, or scheme, is a secret plan or agreement between people (called conspirers or conspirators) for an unlawful or harmful purpose, such as murder, …
CONSPIRACY | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
CONSPIRACY definition: 1. the activity of secretly planning with other people to do something bad or illegal: 2. a…. Learn more.
Conspiracy - Definition, Examples, Cases, Processes - Legal …
May 31, 2017 · A conspiracy is an agreement or plan, made between two or more people, to engage in an illegal act, to obtain an unlawful objective, or to deprive another person of his …
Conspiracy theory | Definition, Examples, & Facts | Britannica
Jun 4, 2025 · Conspiracy theory, an attempt to explain harmful or tragic events as the result of the actions of a small powerful group. Such explanations reject the accepted narrative surrounding …
CONSPIRACY definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary
A conspiracy is an agreement between a group of people which other people think is wrong or is likely to be harmful. It's all part of a conspiracy to move everything out of the town centre. He …
conspiracy noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage …
a secret plan by a group of people to do something harmful or illegal. They were charged with conspiracy to murder. He's the sort of person who sees a conspiracy around every corner. I …
What does CONSPIRACY mean? - Definitions.net
A conspiracy is a secret plan or agreement between two or more individuals or parties to commit an unlawful or harmful act, typically on a large scale. The act targeted may be carried out in …
List of conspiracy theories - Wikipedia
Conspiracy theorists claim that government agents are utilizing directed-energy weapons and electronic surveillance to harass members of the population. Theorists often cite research into …
Conspiracy | Definition, Examples & Cases | Britannica
conspiracy, in common law, an agreement between two or more persons to commit an unlawful act or to accomplish a lawful end by unlawful means. Conspiracy is perhaps the most …
CONSPIRACY Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
The meaning of CONSPIRACY is the act of conspiring together. How to use conspiracy in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Conspiracy.
Conspiracy - Wikipedia
A conspiracy, also known as a plot, ploy, or scheme, is a secret plan or agreement between people (called conspirers or conspirators) for an …
CONSPIRACY | English meaning - Cambridge Diction…
CONSPIRACY definition: 1. the activity of secretly planning with other people to do something bad or illegal: 2. …
Conspiracy - Definition, Examples, Cases, Processes
May 31, 2017 · A conspiracy is an agreement or plan, made between two or more people, to engage in an illegal act, to obtain an unlawful objective, …
Conspiracy theory | Definition, Examples, & Facts …
Jun 4, 2025 · Conspiracy theory, an attempt to explain harmful or tragic events as the result of the actions of a small powerful group. Such …
