Crackpot Chronicles: Van Jones, Glenn Beck, Ron Paul, Rorschach, the Truthers, And Me – Part I

David Horowitz's NewsReal Blog ^ | October 4, 2009 | David Swindle

[HorowitzianConservative]

Coming up in multiple discussions of late has been the subject of "Conspiracy Theory." Former Green Jobs Czar Van Jones was primarily pushed out of his post because he signed a statement sympathetic to those who preach that the government was somehow involved in orchestrating 9/11.

More recently in the debate over Glenn Beck, the talk show star's opponents (both on the left and the wimpy right) have tried to suggest that the problem with the media sensation is that he's a "conspiracy theorist" or that he cavorts with those who harbor such sympathies.

And who could forget the waves of "Birthers" who show up to bug us with their inanities every time one of our bloggers dismissively mentions their pet conspiracy?

But what are we actually talking about here? What is conspiracy thinking? And what about conspiracy thinking makes it a dangerous logical fallacy that American Patriots should reject? To answer this question, I present an email dialogue I stumbled into with a 9/11 Truther who started emailing me after NewsReal's Chris Yogerst delivered a full-throated rebuttal to this particular variety of conspiracist nonsense.

[JohnQ1]

My early opinion is that the author is indeed a cracked pot with soupy crap running out of it. I could be wrong. Was once.

[50sDad]

Dan Rather conspired to be “fake but real” and besmirch a president he didn't like. Members of Acorn conspired to lend out my tax dollars to all kinds of people, and only got caught at it after years of hemorrhaging that money. Conspiracies do occur...it is just the elaborate ones that make the real ones look silly...when it suits those who want the small conspiracies to stay hidden.

[BILL_C]

It’s NOT conspiracy THEORY, it’s CONSPIRACY FACT, these things don’t just happen.

Don’t believe it? Then watch the video and think, by the way, that’s something Americans can’t do anymore.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwjM2wVwFQs

[50sDad]

I’m slow on the pick up...is your proposition that the US government blew up the World Trade? It’s hard to decern what point of view is being pushed when you are at work with no Youtube access.

[Venturer]

Van Jones had a lot more going against him than the fact that he signed on to a 911 conspiracy.

Jones is a racist lunatic

[Shooter 2.5]

The crackpots will never see what's right in front of them or they wouldn't be crackpots.

Whether trying to convince someone of holograms and airliners or invisible people behind a picket fence. They are completely nuts.

[Shooter 2.5]

You don’t need a YouTube connection. Just think of the worst hollyweird Oliver Stone movie and save yourself some time.