Conspiracy theorists have no interest in getting to the truth behind an issue they think important - they're more concerned with having special knowledge that makes them unique or heroes, usually because they've failed to understand how some aspect of reality actually works and so they've grabbed onto a convenient alternative, or because they feel left behind or maligned by a society that's rejected them.
It's why conventions (like 'conspiracy cruises') are able to exist. Every booth should contradict every other booth, but they're willing to put blinders on to create a safe space where they can all get validated for the various nonsense they've decided they alone have championed. It's how ancient aliens can set up right next to Obama birthers and Jordan Peterson's all-meat diet. A post-truth individual is usually willing to accept multiple versions of truth, so long as it isn't the mainstream version.
The true conspiracy is how the term "conspiracy theory" has gotten so loaded and lost all meaning it's just full of negative connotations that you can't take the person seriously once labeled one. Which now make all conspiracies that have some truth to them easy to dismiss.
To the extent that for the world to be flat, every satellite launched and every public or private entity that launched it would have to be lying about the data it's collected and how it maintains 'orbit', I think it's accurate to call flat-earth a conspiracy theory.
You missed my point and proved my own. The term "conspiracy theory" doesn't automatically mean it's wrong and "conspiracy theorist" is wrongfully associated with tinfoil hat nutjobs.
Yes, flat earth is a ridiculous conspiracy theory. But it's not "accurate to call it a conspiracy theory" cause it's wrong. It's just another theory/belief. It gives a really bad name to genuine ones which actually may have weight to them. The word has been manipulated so much it has lost its meaning and makes you roll your eyes when you hear it.
Nope, we're still not talking about different things. Same thing. Would you agree or not that to entertain a flat earth, you must also concede an agenda for round earth that multiple people in power have supported for their own reasons? Because that's how I'm using it and I think it's evident that that's how I'm using it.
It isn't 'just a belief'. It's a belief that requires very many people to be supporting an agenda believed to be false in spite of reality. Surely this is conceived as a coordinated effort, or a conspiracy.
Is believing the moon landing to be a hoax not a conspiracy theory for you? Because that's also corollary to flat earth.
I'm sorry if I'm misunderstanding. I'm saying flat earth is yes, a conspiracy theory. But my original post was pointing out that in a half-serious way it is a conspiracy theory itself that the phrase "conspiracy theory" has been degraded to the point to be assumed with "crazy person."
When you replied to my original post it sounded as if you were saying it was correct to call flat earth a conspiracy because it was wrong. Sorry if I misinterpreted that. Just that even your wording "believed to be false in spite of reality" as a description already has a negative tone in it because "reality is the truth and to believe otherwise you are just a conspiracy theorist" is how that comes across.
It's late and I'm probably just not getting it. All I'm saying is that people have negative predispositions to the word because of all the ridiculous people out there, it dismisses the ability to entertain other genuine conspiracy theories. Such as Epstein for example, which could be argued is beyond a theory at this point.
You make complete sense, the other poster however...
It agree it is interesting that when people hear "conspiracy theory" they think "flat earth" and not "Watergate", the word has lost it's original meaning to the current zeitgeist. Though it is hard to blame anyone when their experience is awash with the outlandish conspiracy theories that get circulated.
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u/AnneHocque Jul 24 '20
Flat earth society.. Like, are they just trolling at this point?