Right Wing Conspiracy Theories, Pt 3

(Photo courtesy of WikiMedia.)

This is the third part of a series discussing right wing conspiracy theories. This article will discuss the issues of Common Core and education, as well as conclusions presented in Newsweek magazine's recent article, “The Plots to Destroy America,” written by Kurt Eichenwald.

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Common Core is the newest educational gimmick proposed and accepted by most states in the U.S.  Only Texas, Alaska, Minnesota, Nebraska and Virginia have not accepted the plan that was developed by the National Governor’s Association.

Typical right wing fear mongering meme.
Image Credit educationnews.org

Despite Common Core's very common beginnings as a brain-child of the nation's governors, that fact hasn't stopped conspiracy proponents from calling it “Obamacore.”  I’m not a huge fan of Common Core, but I do understand that it is meant to advance educational standards and to identify the math and literacy skills every student should possess based on their grade level.

Common Core is a topic that deserves debate, but such discussion has been destroyed by those who claim Common Core is a secret agenda to promote homosexuality brought to us by anti-religious groups.  Many Christian right-wing parents are railing against Common Core because they foolishly think it teaches anti-Christian, anti-Catholic and anti-American beliefs.

Terry Bratton, a Tea Party activist, is quoted as saying, “We don’t want our children to lose their innocence, beginning in pre-school or kindergarten, told that homosexuality is OK and should be experienced at an early age and that same-sex marriages are OK.”

Since Common Core required reading consists ONLY of the Preamble to the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence and Lincoln’s Inaugural Address, it is difficult to understand why opponents are so worried about a homosexual agenda.  

image credit Eric Owens; govtslaves,info

Then again, with images like these going around on social media, it seems clear enough where the paranoia originates from. These images are designed to provoke an emotional response (fear). Once the emotional response is triggered, many people have difficulty thinking critically. This type of emotional exploitation is not accidental. It's purposeful, and it can be easily identified as psychological manipulation by those who aren't entirely susceptible to it. 

Right wing fear-mongering has taken a toll.  Common Core may be perfectly worthwhile (even though I’m not a fan so far), but because of the more than 200 bills about Common Core filed by legislators to slow or stop the adoption of Common Core, we may never know. 

This is the same tactic the right wing uses to advance other purely partisan political agendas in Washington, including phony scandals and carrying out their non-stop partisan investigations and hearings on everything from 'Fast and Furious' to Benghazi. Unfortunately GOP representatives abuse their positions, using the power of their elected positions to 'legitimize' all kinds of conspiracy theories such as those previously mentioned, like Agenda 21 and Obamacare death panels, as well as an entire spectrum of other fringe ideas. 

The obvious tactic here is that followers of these bogus conspiracy theories can then say 'Look there was an official hearing on this," or "See, there was a bill introduced on this in Washington." The sad thing is the bills introduced and the investigations carried out are no more based in reality than the memes on social media. 

The GOP has a long history of abusing the power of government to advance bogus conspiracy theories, from McCarthyism to the John Birch Society, to the modern day Tea Party: photo credit motherjones.com

Once again, fear trumps any rational debate of pros or cons.

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has conducted research into where conspiracy theories come from.  In tracing the origins of the “Aztlan Conspiracy (which holds that Mexico plans to invade the U.S. and take back 7 southern states), it was determined that the theory started with a radical anti-immigration group consisting of about half a dozen Americans.  The idea was picked up by other groups and promoted until finally, Lou Dobbs mentioned it on CNN.

The SPLC says this is the typical life-cycle of a conspiracy theory.  A fringe group believes some farcical idea, which then spreads outward among other groups until it jumps into a more mainstream group’s awareness, circulating until it ends up being reported on national news programs.

image credit thelastofthemillenniums.com
Debunking Republican Conspiracy Theories

Once a theory appears on TV, it cloaks itself in legitimacy and upsets every attempt to discuss the real issues.  Because a conspiracy preempts logic, trying to debate an issue becomes all about trying to disprove something that isn’t real, to people who refuse to abandon their fantasies of plots and their fear of domination by shadowy overlords.

News outlets have proliferated, even as investigative journalism has declined.  But it is the impact of social media and the Internet that has caused conspiracies to spread like wildfire.  These crazy ideas are like contagions, infecting the brains of more and more people who find support in each other, and feel legitimized when the nutty conspiracy gets attention on national television.  They feel that all information that doesn’t support their theories are part of the plot against them or their ideas.

Research has shown that even intelligent people can get caught up in conspiracy theories.  While we used to write off such ideas as dumb, and those who believed in them as ignorant, it has been shown conclusively that even highly intelligent people can find confirmation of their thinking everywhere once it hits the airwaves.  At the root of this problem is that we are all prone to wanting proof of the things we want to believe in.  So even a Mensa level IQ can be swayed into belief of a theory once the theory is discussed on their news show of preference, whether or not the coverage supports the theory.

Researchers have found some very confusing things to be true about those who believe in conspiracies.  One study showed that people who believe Princess Diana was murdered in 1997 are also more likely to believe that she is still alive.  Another study showed that people who believe Osama bin Ladin was dead before Seal Team 6 raided his compound in 2011 are also more likely to believe he escaped.  The conclusion is that the ability to hold two conflicting thoughts goes to the nature of those who believe in conspiracy theories, as well as that of the theories themselves.

The only consistent way to predict who will believe in a conspiracy is whether that person believes in other conspiracies.

Let’s go back to Sarah Palin and her death panels.  A study conducted exposed participants to Palin’s allegations, then provided information showing Palin’s claim to be false.  People who dislike Palin, or who had little political knowledge, were able to conclude that her claims were false.  However, people who were politically knowledgeable and supported Palin could not be persuaded that death panels are a fantasy.  Such people grew more convinced that death panels exist the more facts were presented to the contrary.

This means some folks will just never be able to be convinced that their conspiracy of choice is false.  What to do about extreme conspiracy theorists is a matter under discussion.  In groups who might be mobilized to commit violence, it’s possible that “cognitive infiltration of extremist groups” could be effective in raising doubt among members.  The potential danger is, of course, that infiltrating such groups can backfire, adding to the legend of the conspiracy.

Kurt Eichenwald, author of the Newsweek article made light of the likelihood that, by publishing this article, Newsweek will be viewed as part of the conspiracy by those who succumb to such theories.

So, in an effort to ward off any similar accusations, I’d add the disclaimer that I am merely reporting on what is out there, and am neither promoting or mocking any specific theory.  However, I will go on record by saying, bollocks to all of them!

Read part 1 
Read part 2

image credit themindunleashed on facebook

Right Wing Conspiracy Theories, Pt. 2

(Photo courtesy of WordPress.)

Conspiracism: "A form of scapegoating that portrays the enemy as part of a vast insidious plot against the common good. Conspiracism assigns tiny cabals of evildoers a superhuman power to control events, frames social conflict as part of a transcendent struggle between Good and Evil, and makes leaps of logic, such as guilt by association, in analyzing evidence. Often employs common fallacies of logic in analyzing factual evidence to assert connections, causality, and intent that are nonexistent. A distinct narrative form of scapegoating, conspiracism uses demonization to justify constructing the scapegoats as wholly evil while reconstructing the scapegoater as a hero. Sees secret plots by tiny cabals of evildoers as the major motor powering important historical events."

Part One of this series discussed Newsweek Magazine's recent article, “The Plots to Destroy America,” written by Kurt Eichenwald.  Part Two will also refer to this highly informative article, addressing "Death Panels" and autism.

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image credit thedailybeast.com

We all remember Sarah Palin, the former Alaskan governor, beauty pageant contestant and Wasilla mayor (who didn't serve out her elected term in office). Palin went on television in 2009 and coined the term "death panel," saying the ACA (or, with sneer-filled intonation, "Obamacare") would call for bureaucrats to decide whether Americans - kids with Downs, say, or the elderly - would be worthy of receiving medical care.

image credit NewsBusters

Palin pointed to Section 1233 of H.R. 3200, which would have allowed doctors to be paid for discussing such things as living wills, advance directives and end-of-life care options with their terminal patients, as support of her death panel plot. (Apparently, the idea of doctors providing comfort and information to their dying, aged patients was just too much for Palin to abide by.) The conspiracy theory's wide reach (almost 30% of Americans who'd heard the pitch believed it at the time) successfully resulted in this section of the bill being stricken. No longer would the ACA include a provision for paying doctors for their time spent offering information about pain management, resuscitation or religious support.

Have we benefited from this conspiracy theory? 
Not at all.

image credit vaccines.com

Even our children’s health is fair game for conspiracy theorists. Actress Jenny McCarthy’s son was born with autism. McCarthy, like any mom, wanted to know what could have caused her son’s autism and searched for answers. She must have scoured the internet in order to arrive at the conclusion that vaccinations were to blame, and has campaigned tirelessly against vaccinations since. She claims a causal relationship exists, even though the theory has been debunked.

The scientist who started this theory, Andrew Wakefield, has been thoroughly discredited, and his work has now been deemed an “elaborate fraud.”

image credit thinkstrangethoughts

Wakefield lost his medical license for a variety of acts, including paying kids at his son’s birthday party to donate blood for his experiments. Wakefield has gone so far over the edge that he headlined at a rally called “The Masterplan: The Hidden Agenda for a Global Scientific Dictatorship.” Presenting their theories were 9/11 Truthers, One World Government conspiracists, and anti-fluoridationists.

Additionally, other scientists who had jumped on the anti-vaccine bandwagon and who offered “cures” for autism have also now been outed as snake-oil salesmen.

While we do not yet know precisely what causes autism, we do know that there are several genes that are involved in autism spectrum disorder. Some cases are directly linked to some genetic disorders, in other cases genetic changes may make kids more susceptible to autism, or create environmental risk factors. Other genes may affect the way brain cells communicate, or they may determine the severity of symptoms. Some genetic problems are inherited, while others seem to happen spontaneously.

Environmental factors are thought to contribute, such as viral infections, complications during pregnancy, or air pollutants, but studies are still being conducted in the hope of finding verifiable results. Environmental factors are thought to act as triggers for the disorder. And though we don’t know with certainty THE cause of autism, scientists find no link whatsoever to vaccines.

image credit vaccinenews.net

Anti-Vaccine Body Count, a site dedicated to the effects of the anti-vaccine agenda, reports that, between June 3, 2007 and June 14, 2014, there have been  134,405 Americans who have suffered preventable illnesses, and 1,393 who have died, because they were not vaccinated. The site also reports that, thus far, there have been no cases of autism linked to vaccinations.

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Whooping cough was just declared epidemic in California, with the CA Dept of Public Health stating that 3,458 cases have been reported this year alone. The medical journal Pediatrics has determined that areas hit hard during the last state epidemic contained “statistically significant clusters” of parents who refused to vaccinate their children.

While McCarthy may think the lack of a definitive understanding of the causes of autism does not rule out vaccinations, NO cases of autism can be linked to vaccinations.  

So, has her campaign helped us? With the measles and whooping cough on the rise in the U.S., I’d say certainly not.

Please look for my next installment on the conspiracy theories America is struggling with currently...

More conspiracies will be discussed in Part Three of this series.

Sources:
http://www.newsweek.com/2014/05/23/plots-destroy-america-251123.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_panel
http://www.jennymccarthybodycount.com/Anti-Vaccine_Body_Count/Home.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/seth-mnookin/need-for-reliable-science-journalism_b_1183429.html
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/autism-spectrum-disorder/basics/causes/con-20021148
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/06/14/california-declares-whooping-cough-epidemic-after-staggering-increase-in-cases/

Right Wing Conspiracy Theories, Pt. 1

(Photo courtesy of WikiMedia.)

CONSPIRACY THEORIES COULD RUIN OUR COUNTRY
(or at least make us crazy in the meantime!)

A May issue of Newsweek magazine included “The Plots to Destroy America,” written by Kurt Eichenwald.  This article put forth a reasonable and logical argument that the numerous conspiracy theories Americans have bought into could lead to our ruin.  (A link to the article will be provided, below.)

image credit Fred's Bible Talk

Vaccinations, education, Agenda 21, New World Order, death panels, etc. are creating an environment in this country that is not sustainable.  The level of distrust many Americans have toward their government and each other is preventing us from engaging in real discussions about issues that are of vital importance to us all.

What makes this so disturbing is the apparent clout that some of the proponents of such conspiracies have.  Public figures, national figures, actors…it’s not just the nutters anymore.

Agenda 21  is a U.N. non-binding tract that 178 world leaders signed, including our own George W. Bush, in 1992.  It provides information on how to manage urban development with a minimal impact on the environment.  Ideas that, at the time, both mainstream conservatives and liberal politicians supported, and thought were no big deal.  (In my own hometown, building plans can be hotly contested, because citizens want to maintain our small town atmosphere and sense of community.  Agenda 21 is not our enemy!)

Imagine!  New development that could help our environment through eco-sensitive land-use policy!  Diabolical!  Definitely New World Order plans launched by the United Nations.  No doubt...say those who are looking for something to be frightened of.

image credit University of Toledo

Somehow Agenda 21 is now widely viewed as a plot to destroy individual property rights, impose communism and send Americans by rail to secret camps.  A purely made-up conspiracy theory is now causing communities to fight against things they previously supported, out of fear.  

image credit Jack Shafer, Reuters.com

In Baldwin County, Alabama, residents cheered and sang “God Bless America” when an award-winning plan to provide guidance for private-sector developers was voted down.  According to the Newsweek article, every member of the zoning commission resigned, disgusted by the public’s inability to understand the value of the plan.  These people let fear and suspicion ruin a perfectly good plan to better meet the needs of the community through management of future development.  Because they bought into a really silly conspiracy, laid out in a Glen Beck fiction novel, designed to inflame their fears of the government.

Some extremist organizations claim Agenda 21 is a plot to seize private property, that Agenda 21 will lead to “death maps” to dictate where people will live, Agenda 21 gives trees the same rights as people, Agenda 21 will allow electric companies to spy on their customers.  Don't these ideas seem insane?  It's because they are.

image credit wallstreetonparade

In 2012, the Republican National Committee adopted a resolution stating that Agenda 21 is an “insidious scheme” to impose “socialist/communist redistribution of wealth.”  The RNC’s rhetoric became less inflammatory by the time the Republican National Convention occurred, but the GOP continued to characterize Agenda 21 as “insidious” and “erosive of American sovereignty.”

Today, when local zoning boards propose plans to prohibit unchecked, disorganized development and protect the natural resources of a community, or when state transportation agencies propose highway construction to ease traffic congestion, or when a state proposes a plan to restore a natural habitat, or when a city proposes the addition of bike paths, it is likely they will be confronted by citizens protesting against "sinister international conspiracies."

image credit Media Watch, Daily Kos

When Cliven Bundy made the news for his supposed refusal to leave his ranch or give up grazing rights he’d been granted by the government and hadn’t paid for, an Idaho woman wrote to the Coeur  d’Alene Press to warn of President Obama’s intent to use Agenda 21 to

“steal your land and rights via zoning changes.”  I wonder who the conspiracy will demonize once President Obama is out of office?

image credit Kelly and Geoff

It’s notable that this letter to the press wasn’t ignored completely.  (In the past, obviously paranoid letters from people who had no recognized authority on a topic, were dismissed.)  Instead, it was printed in the paper under an impressive headline, suggesting it was based in fact.  The local news outlet failed to do the job of journalism.  Had the Coeur d'Alene Press staff done the slightest research, they would have found that U.S. Grazing Service (BLM's predecessor) policies were enacted in 1934, over half a century before Agenda 21’s introduction.  Readers of the paper and critical thinkers in the region failed to recognize that Agenda 21 had no impact on the government’s intent to enforce decades old policies regarding land-use.

In fact, this irresponsible printing of a fear-fueled local's letter disguised as news seems to have further bolstered those who participated in the Bundy ranch episode.

image credit Wrapped In the Flag by Claire Conner on Facebook

In order to further show how poorly the media fact-checked any of Clive Bundy's claims before running with them, take10's Randa Morris reported in April that Cliven Bundy's historical claims are totally false. In fact, historic records prove that Cliven Bundy's family lived in the state of Arizona and did not move to Nevada until 1948, 2 years after the BLM was established. In addition, Bundy was never granted water rights under any agreement. What's more, the Bundy family did not begin to graze cattle on BLM land until 1954, a decade after the BLM was established. Read more about Cliven Bundy's bold faced lies here. 

Has the national media made any real effort to expose any of these facts about Cliven Bundy's historic claims? The fact that just about everyone has heard of Cliven Bundy, but few people realize how much he has lied to the media and the public, indicates that the media is promoting an agenda, but one which isn't benefited by facts. Hence the facts get left out when they interfere with the 'story.'

Please look for my next installment on the conspiracy theories America is struggling with currently...

More conspiracies will be discussed in Part Two of this series.

image credit Politusic

Sources:
http://www.newsweek.com/2014/05/23/plots-destroy-america-251123.html