The notion that corporations use their money to influence government policy isn't a conspiracy theory--it's done pretty much in the open.

Consider this recent headline

TenuredVulture wrote:The notion that corporations use their money to influence government policy isn't a conspiracy theory--it's done pretty much in the open.

Consider this recent headline

Yes.

However, they also do illegal things that are not as in the open. And lie and manipulate and use high paid firms to cover it up when they get exposed.

Guys 60minutes has been on the air for what, 40 years now? That's not some p-t-k paranoia. They've blown a bunch of stuff up and you can't be more mainstream than CBS on Sunday evening in the homes across America.

The Dude wrote:I mean, you've shown the engineering links on here before, and people have shown you the links to the Popular Mechanics research and other articles. Showing other buildings that burn without collapsing isn't the same as engineers on Popular Mechanics explaining exactly how it happened

not everyone believes i've been debunked

These guys could be wrong too. I have questions. So should you.

Philly the Kid wrote: I will only say that I have MANY unanswered questions

No, I think you just don't like the answers you've received, or don't want to accept them.

Maybe you should watch the Penn & Teller BS on conspiracy theories:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcrF346sS_I[/youtube]

Woody wrote:

Philly the Kid wrote: I will only say that I have MANY unanswered questions

No, I think you just don't like the answers you've received, or don't want to accept them.

I see, you read my mind and know me better than I know myself.

And you bring P&T in to make your case, ye of "they don't do documentary you know" ???

You don't want to accept that world could be a lot scarier than you imagine....

Philly the Kid wrote:

The Dude wrote:I mean, you've shown the engineering links on here before, and people have shown you the links to the Popular Mechanics research and other articles. Showing other buildings that burn without collapsing isn't the same as engineers on Popular Mechanics explaining exactly how it happened

not everyone believes i've been debunked

These guys could be wrong too. I have questions. So should you.

The article was released before analysis conducted by BYU physics Professor Steven Jones discovered traces of thermite in steel samples taken from the World Trade Center.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWpC_1WP8do

David Crosby, Jim Morrison (sons of military families), and Frank Zappa (son of Army chemical specialist) were "double agents" sent to the west coast to destroy the "hippie" counterculture.

(follow link at your own risk, really dumb stuff over there)

it's always I & Other. Always has been, always will be. As uncertain as you may be about yourself, Other is almost always even more suspect. And that damned 'mechanism' that prods each of us to make a story whole from disparate parts leads us inexorably down the paranoiamrose path.

I feel like I'm in one of Kissing Suzy Kolber's episodes of "Ocho and Marvin Under One Roof" and you're playing the part of Chad.

OH MY GOD. SOMEONE KILL ME (PREFERABLY A SAUDI NATIONAL/CIA AGENT VIA HIGH SPEED COLLISION).

You're insufferable.

drsmooth wrote:it's always I & Other. Always has been, always will be. As uncertain as you may be about yourself, Other is almost always even more suspect. And that damned 'mechanism' that prods each of us to make a story whole from disparate parts leads us inexorably down the paranoiamrose path.

Simple question --

Do people do bad things, intentionally and plan them -- for profit or to protect the privilages they may possess?

It's not always a matter of making stories to fit things and connecting dots that shouldn't be.... that's a super over-simplification of reality Doc.

KISS was really the Beatles--that's why they wore make up.

Philly the Kid wrote:

Woody wrote:

Philly the Kid wrote: I will only say that I have MANY unanswered questions

No, I think you just don't like the answers you've received, or don't want to accept them.

I see, you read my mind and know me better than I know myself.

And you bring P&T in to make your case, ye of "they don't do documentary you know" ???

You don't want to accept that world could be a lot scarier than you imagine....

this is why i don't respect your opinion on comedy

No, you indulge in over-complications of simple and plain, yet difficult realities.

pacino wrote:

Philly the Kid wrote:

Woody wrote:

Philly the Kid wrote: I will only say that I have MANY unanswered questions

No, I think you just don't like the answers you've received, or don't want to accept them.

I see, you read my mind and know me better than I know myself.

And you bring P&T in to make your case, ye of "they don't do documentary you know" ???

You don't want to accept that world could be a lot scarier than you imagine....

this is why i don't respect your opinion on comedy

Well I respect your opinions on avatar material. Can't we be friends?

Gosh, what a shock that a serious discussion about an interesting topic has been hijacked by PtK and his usual fecal typhoon.

All I'll say is that there's a definitional gap between hidden malfeasance of the sort that investigative journalism is supposed to reveal (and which, I fear, will become far more manifest and harmful as traditional media continues to shrivel up and die) and "the world is controlled by twelve Jews who live in Zurich."

Investigative journalism is looking at how certain politically connected American companies have war-profiteered (legally and/or otherwise) in this decade. Conspiracy theorizing is stating the belief that the wars themselves had the primary purpose of allowing those companies to profit.

dajafi wrote:Gosh, what a shock that a serious discussion about an interesting topic has been hijacked by PtK and his usual fecal typhoon.

All I'll say is that there's a definitional gap between hidden malfeasance of the sort that investigative journalism is supposed to reveal (and which, I fear, will become far more manifest and harmful as traditional media continues to shrivel up and die) and "the world is controlled by twelve Jews who live in Zurich."

Investigative journalism is looking at how certain politically connected American companies have war-profiteered (legally and/or otherwise) in this decade. Conspiracy theorizing is stating the belief that the wars themselves had the primary purpose of allowing those companies to profit.

It was clearly PTK bait by Vox.

Just noticed the author of PtK's piece is the crazy dude from Whale Wars (not a bad joke, for reals)

dajafi wrote:Gosh, what a shock that a serious discussion about an interesting topic has been hijacked by PtK and his usual fecal typhoon.

All I'll say is that there's a definitional gap between hidden malfeasance of the sort that investigative journalism is supposed to reveal (and which, I fear, will become far more manifest and harmful as traditional media continues to shrivel up and die) and "the world is controlled by twelve Jews who live in Zurich."

Investigative journalism is looking at how certain politically connected American companies have war-profiteered (legally and/or otherwise) in this decade. Conspiracy theorizing is stating the belief that the wars themselves had the primary purpose of allowing those companies to profit.

As if history hasn't taught us otherwise. You are well written and well spoken but you've added nothing here except to insult me unfounded. What have I said in this thread that is controversial? I stated succinctly my reasons for why I think people have good cause to be mistrustful. To infer that I was suggesting any specific conspiracy let alone invoking the 12 jews that rule the world to buttress a non-argument against me and resort merely to characterizing me ... is beneath you, or is it?

Refute my points if you can.

I gave reasons.

You really think that its happenstance that war profiteering occurs? Really?

Either way -- since I didn't speak of a specific conspiracy -- the fact remains that when profit motive comes before all else, its a recipe for what we have, a very corrupt society and world. And those with power exert that power to protect their interests. That's simple and plain and not a conspiracy theory or hysteria or paranoia.

The Dude wrote:Just noticed the author of PtK's piece is the crazy dude from Whale Wars (not a bad joke, for reals)

I didn't say that the author had it right. I said, "I have questions". Can you find Popular Mechanics beyond reproach? No possibility that they had an agenda or were part of something more than getting at the facts??

FTN wrote:

dajafi wrote:Gosh, what a shock that a serious discussion about an interesting topic has been hijacked by PtK and his usual fecal typhoon.

All I'll say is that there's a definitional gap between hidden malfeasance of the sort that investigative journalism is supposed to reveal (and which, I fear, will become far more manifest and harmful as traditional media continues to shrivel up and die) and "the world is controlled by twelve Jews who live in Zurich."

Investigative journalism is looking at how certain politically connected American companies have war-profiteered (legally and/or otherwise) in this decade. Conspiracy theorizing is stating the belief that the wars themselves had the primary purpose of allowing those companies to profit.

It was clearly PTK bait by Vox.

That's how I read it... I said as much. I also didn't diatribe -- I made a couple clean points. No my fault that the peanut gallery came out to be non responsive to my points and make it about me, based on past discussions and perceptions --

fecal typhoon -- nice -- people like Dajafi infuriate me as much as I do him, because he's smart enough to know how it really works and ends up enabling the status quo and legitimizing the extremists because us looneys on the left aren't willing to discourse like him ...

Once again -- people -- I'm just some guy. I'm not a professor or an activist or a journalist. I'm just some guy with his opinion, like the rest of you. I believe that there is a lot of corrpution and that our system of govt is ripe for corruption. I prefer the word corruption to conspiracy.