In the Dutch media there wqs a discussion today about an opinion poll about support for conspiracy theories organized by a Dutch university research group. The researchers used the same arguments as in the NYT piece. If you ask sensible questions and don't believe the official narrative you must be crazy and have low self worth.
Why Rational People Buy Into Conspiracy Theories
MAGGIE KOERTH-BAKER
New York Times, May 21, 2013
Phi Beta Iota: The only useful part of the NYT article is this first comment by a sane person:
- Pat Nyack, NY. Part of the conspiracy cohort is made up of those of us who grew up during Watergate; the lies told about the number of enemy deaths during the Viet Nam war; the actions of major corporations in places like Chile in the 70's and 80's. Some of us stood in public spaces in the heart of our universities with the guns of the National Guard trained on us. These were all factual happenings, many uncovered and reported on by this very paper. Our childhood was built upon the illusion that America was mostly just a large Mayberry. These revelations shook our basic beliefs right to the ground. It's hard to step back from that cliff once you've been pushed to the edge of it.
Authorities Never Have “Issues with Authority”
May 21, 2013
It’s simple. Authorities invented the idea that other people have issues with authority.
Psychiatrists rank right up there among the elitists setting the standards. They, for example, have concocted a little fictional doodad called Oppositional Defiance Disorder. And magically, they never accuse their professional colleagues of having it. No.
Why should they? They amuse themselves by deciding when civilians are overly defiant and need pacification (drugs).
But we’re also talking about character structure here, because psychiatrists turn out to be exactly the people who want to slap labels like ODD on others. They like that. So they labor in universities and hospitals and earn their degrees and state-issued licenses, knowing that soon they will have that power.
Having gained it, there is nothing to be defiant about. They’re sitting on top of the heap, which they call science.
It’s quite a racket.
Full post below the line — both humorous and frightening.
Continue reading “Berto Jongman & Jan Rappoport: Question Authority? You Must Be Crazy.”