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The elements which underpin some conspiracy theories

Reader comment on item: Did a Conspiracy Theory Just Collapse?

Submitted by Dave (United States), Aug 18, 2022 at 15:03

The Sandy Hook conspiracy theory serves the interests of dire hard Second Amendment enthusiasts, since outright denial of the event is one way to avoid facing the ugly truth that legal gun ownership can sometimes lead to mass killings. The glaringly obvious physical evidence in this case shows just how far people will go to fantasize on behalf of their cause. This lawsuit verdict is constructive because now the pro-gun crowd will be encouraged to come up with some real solutions to such recurring tragedies beyond blaming gun-control advocates.

The Russia, Russia, Russia hearings about Trump's imputed collusion with Russia to win in 2016 were a lot murkier, but they showed just how far the Trump haters were willing to go discredit their target's success. Here, a better approach would have been forget the gimmicks, and instead to have simply criticized Trump's consistent praise of Vladimir Putin, and to have honestly debated the Democrats' reasons for their electoral failure. Trump's embrace of the stolen 2020 election conspiracy is the other side of the same coin. In this case, his belief in his inherent superiority has impeded his ability to accept his loss and introspectively face the reasons for it. Republicans would do well to have that discussion before history repeats itself.

Perhaps some of the strongest convictions exist among those who want to eliminate Israel. Here, we see Holocaust denial from Islamists in Iran, as well as from Mahmoud Abbas of the PA, dating back to his PhD thesis from his days at Patrice Lamumba University. There is also the related conspiracy theory that Jews have no historical connection to Israel, that Solomon's Temple never existed. It would be much better to face these realities and deal with them in a civilized way, but that's probably asking too much from the winged monkey crowd.

Fear, ignorance, denial and frustrated outcomes are some ingredients of conspiracies. Please read Dr. Pipes's book on conspiracies (on Amazon): "Conspiracy: How the Paranoid Style Flourishes and Where It Comes From". It goes into it all much more deeply and is fun to read.

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Daniel Pipes replies:

Thank you for the plug. It was NOT fun to write.

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Reader comments (14) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
1"Conspiracy Theories" Never Die [167 words]RobertOct 1, 2022 12:30287013
Dear Mr Pipes,please do not compare apples and pears. [120 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Amos ZotAug 21, 2022 09:24285427
Why I can believe that 2020 US elections may have been rigged? [540 words]PrashantAug 21, 2022 13:13285427
Mister Pipes when I read your comment , I thaught of a very known painting of Magritte "This is not an apple". [134 words]Amos ZotAug 21, 2022 15:06285427
Searching for Good Apples to Make a Decent Political Apple Pie - Tainted Technology Does Not Fare Well Here [139 words]M ToveyAug 22, 2022 10:33285427
2An innocent NYT quote that infuriated me. [324 words]PrashantAug 19, 2022 12:08285283
1jpost op-ed on NYT minimizing Jewish claim to Temple Mount [158 words]DaveAug 19, 2022 19:15285283
A timely note [47 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
DavidAug 19, 2022 04:53285252
Another book? [123 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
NicholasAug 18, 2022 15:54285224
Conspiracies - Remaining Theoretical Until Becoming Actionable [254 words]M ToveyAug 22, 2022 19:03285224
Following the Money Trail to the Source of Conspiracies - Only Those That Have Demonstrated Financial Support Have a Chance of Success [236 words]M ToveyAug 28, 2022 18:16285224
1The elements which underpin some conspiracy theories [348 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
DaveAug 18, 2022 15:03285222
Your comment made me smile ear to ear [69 words]PrashantAug 19, 2022 01:20285222
Travesty Exposed - Slim Consolation for Those Whose Lives Cannot Ever Retrieve the Losses of This Lifetime [324 words]M ToveyAug 18, 2022 11:24285213

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