Conspiracies

[squigg58]

Originally Posted by MrInBetween

Please tell us more!

I'd rather not spoil things by giving details, but I've always been fascinated by conspiracy theories; in particular how they start and how they're perpetuated. So, having had the idea in the back of my mind for years, I decided to do a practical experiment! I joined in the discussions on a website, and made it known that I was waiting for some information from a "secret" source who was working on a "secret" project, and this information would prove the existence of a particularly juicy conspiracy! In the meantime I gained credibility by agreeing with all the usual stuff, then dropped the bombshell! It was, of course, completely fabricated, but more to the point it was actually easy to disprove! In essence, it defied the laws of physics at a level which would be understood by your average schoolboy! Not only that but I made a point of contradicting myself!!

What absolutely fascinated me was that nobody questioned it!

I actually revealed very little information, but I did include a key word (a made up name for the programme!) which I could then use as a search tool as on numerous occasions I'd noted that the same things appeared, word for word, on other sites. It took less than a week for my fabricated story to spread! More than one contributor claimed they'd heard rumours about the (imaginary) government project long before I'd even made it up! However, as the story got repeated, the "facts" were distorted. I became the person who worked on the project! A well-know scientific expert, no less!

I'd discussed the idea years ago with a work colleague, so I got him to go onto the first website and basically rubbish the story. (I didn't want to do it myself as I don't know if it's possible to spot duplicate identities, and I wanted someone to use a different writing style. We had thought it through!!). He pointed out the blindingly obvious flaws in my "science" (which could easily be checked) and highlighted the fact that I'd contradicted myself. He was called some very rude names, and somewhat ironically, was accused of "just believing what he was told", despite the fact that I'd never even mentioned any official cover-story for the imaginary project!!

Now, I'm not saying that all conspiracy theories are fabrications, or that everyone who happens to believe a particular conspiracy theory is as gullible, blinkered or dim-witted as the bunch on the website I spoofed (which was fairly mainstream, by the way, so not a bunch of paranoid freaks!), but it was a bit of an eye-opener ... and good fun!!

Go on ... give it a go! You know you want to!

[Nobody1]

Originally Posted by squigg58

I'd discussed the idea years ago with a work colleague, so I got him to go onto the first website and basically rubbish the story. (I didn't want to do it myself as I don't know if it's possible to spot duplicate identities, and I wanted someone to use a different writing style. We had thought it through!!). He pointed out the blindingly obvious flaws in my "science" (which could easily be checked) and highlighted the fact that I'd contradicted myself. He was called some very rude names, and somewhat ironically, was accused of "just believing what he was told", despite the fact that I'd never even mentioned any official cover-story for the imaginary project!!

I think you've conspired. But that's just a theory of mine.

[squigg58]

Originally Posted by Nobody1

I think you've conspired. But that's just a theory of mine.

You could probably argue it either way. I discussed the general idea of creating a spoof conspiracy theory with a friend years ago, but I made up the whole thing myself and only told my friend about it after I'd done all the work. His only involvement was to test if my story had been swallowed by pointing out that I was talking rubbish!

Mind you, if I have conspired, that's fine by me. It would actually be quite appropriate!

[squigg58]

Originally Posted by qwerty007

Just finished 'Skunk Works' (great book, BTW)

I thought you'd enjoy "Skunk Works"!

Originally Posted by qwerty007

Therein lies the rub.

Just because it isn't public knowledge, doesn't mean it isn't real - either.

Absolutely. There are always going to be lots of things which are classified, so they do exist but the information isn't in the public domain. Nobody would argue with that.

However, if we don't know, then logic says we can only speculate. For me, it's then a case of looking at the basis for the speculation, and how far we take it.

Just picking up on your example of stealth; if an aircraft shows up on radar, there is some scientific logic in the suggestion that it might be possible to reduce the amount by which the radar is reflected. After all, the radar energy is in the form of a wave, as is light and sound. You can reduce the amount by which light is reflected by painting something black (so it absorbs the light), and you can reduce the amount by which sound is reflected by using a sound-absorbing material. Therefore, in theory, it should be possible to absorb, rather than reflect, radar energy. That wasn't the first stealth technology used, but radar-absorbent coatings are now a reality.

Basically, that's how science works. You look at the fundamental principles and speculate as to how those principles can be applied to particular systems.

Of course, there were perfectly rational reasons for keeping the stealth projects secret; the point being that "secret" does not equate to "evil"!

When the topic is less well defined, such as "people talking to each other" ... well, we can really let our imaginations run wild ... but again, "secret meeting" does not equate to "evil plot"! I've been in more brain-storming sessions that I've had hot dinners (and I've had a fair few of them!) and one of the key principles is that any ideas can be thrown into the pot, regardless of how ridiculous or impractical they may be, and no idea should be instantly dismissed; the reason being that one seemingly silly idea can trigger a good idea. I wouldn't discuss any of those ideas outside the meeting because people would jump to the wrong conclusions or assume that every idea thrown into the pot was going to happen. A case in point ... one brainstorming session involved a discussion about the high cost of manufacturing at a particular factory. One of many ideas put on the table was to close the factory and move production to another site. Another idea was to invest in the factory. Imagine if I'd walked out of the meeting and told people that. Which of those two ideas would people have picked up on? They'd be worried about their jobs! "Evil management. They'll never spend money here. They'll just put us on the scrap-heap!" To a certain extent it's human nature. (The final decision was to invest.)

Now imagine a similar free and open discussion at the Bilderburg Meeting. The subject is global finance. Someone throws the idea of a global currency into the pot. If the discussions were made public, what do you think the following day's tabloid headlines would be? Here it would be something along the lines of "Euro-bankers to scrap British Pound!"

Imagine if the subject was global security, and someone posed the question "Who'd take over in North Korea if Kim Jong-un died?". If that was made public, certain sections of the public and the press would assume there was a plan to bump him off, and the end result would lie somewhere between a major diplomatic incident and all-out war!

Sometimes it's best to keep the public out of the loop!

Originally Posted by qwerty007

On a side note:

Wasn't it hugely ironic how a Russian discovery (Wave Patterns in a....blah blah blah) gave the Americans the breakthrough for stealth?

Yup ... and the titanium for the SR-71 being secretly sourced from Russia ... but don't tell Palo!

[DTravel]

Originally Posted by billybunter

The Rockefeller's publicly thanked the press for NOT reporting the Bilderburg group. Dodgy group deciding who's next to die.

Wouldn't a public statement like that defeat the purpose of what they were thanking the press for?

[palo5]

Originally Posted by squigg58

...
Yup ... and the titanium for the SR-71 being secretly sourced from Russia ... but don't tell Palo!

We knew all about it, Comrade. We conspired to make most of them crash. Don't you remember?

[billybunter]

Originally Posted by DTravel

Wouldn't a public statement like that defeat the purpose of what they were thanking the press for?

Goggle it listen/watch it. I don't tell lies.

[billybunter]

I did it for you

http://rense.com/general17/quote.htm

[squigg58]

Originally Posted by billybunter

I did it for you

http://rense.com/general17/quote.htm

I Googled it too ... it's halfway down the page in the box marked "Disputed"!

With regard to the claimed quote ... "Skepticism is in order for the accuracy or attribution of alleged remarks from these exclusive meetings, particularly those which could be manifestations of either satire, sarcasm — or outright fraudulance."

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/David_Rockefeller

[billybunter]

Yes Squiggs everything is made up; a spoof. You are right.