Where Did The Phrase ‘Conspiracy Theorist’ Come From? Discrediting Sensitive Information (the actual CIA memo from 1967) This is an old CIA memo from 1967 to all bureau chiefs around the world.

X ^ | 3/20/24 | Blake Habyan

[hardspunned]

After the Warren commission published its conclusions about Kennedy’s assassin, books were published casting doubt about the report’s conclusions.

The CIA instructed its agents to quash all debate by labeling anyone asking questions as conspiracy theorists.

[hardspunned]

I cannot recall the first time I heard the term but I do believe the CIA coverup of their JFK operation could well have been the origin. Up until that point, the CIA’s image was beyond reproach among the American public. This is just the latest conspiracy theory that I have bought into.

[mo]

dunno...but IMHO this all sounds like conspiracy theory to me!!!

[C210N]

I don’t believe in any conspiracy theories

Only Conspiracy Facts at this point

[Red Badger]

I don’t believe in conspiracies, but there is a lot of people involved in this....................😁

[Carl Vehse]

[healy61]

Good point. I will start using the term, Conspiracy investigators. That should do just fine.

[Islander7]

Lately, a conspiracy theory has come to mean any event or action opposed to or detrimental to the left that hasn’t yet been proved true.

[coloradan]

Now why, oh why, would the CIA care about what people were saying about the assassination... unless, of course, they committed that particular crime. Then it all makes sense.

[exnavy]

I read the Warren report in 1967. It was BS then, it’s BS now.

[Red6]

Good find

The origin of the “conspiracy theory” label to discredit an idea.

People think by putting labels on things, shoving things into boxes, i.e. anti-vaxer, birther, homophobic, islamophobic...

[hardspunned]

Aha! It was you badmouthing that CIA coverup that resulted in this memo. Congratulations, you might be the original conspiracy nut.

[odawg]

“Up until that point, the CIA’s image was beyond reproach among the American public.”

Maybe the FBI, but never the CIA.

[cgbg]

The term conspiracy theory is very old.

The CIA took it and weaponized it to crush dissent.

[1Old Pro]

The CIA would be fine except for overstepping it’s bounds, well, more like a leap frog. Spying on on foreign enemies is one thing, but the agency like all of government has gone way overboard, clearly there are no internal controls.

[exnavy]

I confess.

[exnavy]

I was 12 years old.

[cgbg]

The problem with any spy agency for any nation is that eventually they figure out that they have more in common with their counterparts in other spy agencies than they do with the domestic population.

The “abuse” is inevitable—completely certain—in all countries.

[hardspunned]

I was 11. Did you actually read the Warren Report when you were 12 or did I misread your post?

[Faith65]

*

[JimRed]

That would make a great T-shirt!