Conspiracies and all that stuff... some initial thoughts

So here we are...

A financial cloud hangs over UK and US economies; trust in politicians is at an all time low; reported international tensions are incresasing and concerns about the changes in global environmental conditions make for depressing reading.

With all of this fear, uncertainty and doubt people are likely to feel 'out of control'; 'lost' and perhaps even needing to search for some meaning in all of the chaos.

Sociologically when there is chaos and uncertainty people are driven towards groups and philosophies which give some sense of security or at least promise some answers.

Like many, this author has more than a passing fascination with conspiracy theory and for the most part enjoys them as entertaining distractions. As to their validity... well..

The "typical conspiracy theory" follows a well defined pattern.

The conspiracy is usually centred around some highly emotionaly charged event or series of events.

It involves a 'secretive' or 'clandestine' group that has the power to manipulate the media; governments or sub-sections of government. They are beyond top-secret; beyond the law and run by 'shadow people' who use political leaders as their puppets.

The general aims of these secret societies seems to be to either bring about a "new world order" of some description; create disinformation so that 'power games' can be played and keep society at large in a constant state of fear, dependence, confusion or ignorance.

These groups also have the power to 'silence' witnesses or 'those in the know' usually in a variety of creative and sometimes'deadly' ways.

What makes many conspiracy theories really interesting is that they must involve large numbers of people in bringing about the actions which they are accused of creating.

Take for example the Diana conspiracies. A recent report suggested that 48% of British people believe she was murdered. Now before we go any further let's just coment upon that statistic... without knowing the context of the question; the way it was asked and what the respondents offered in terms of defining what they meant by 'murder' it is a fairly meaningless number.

But back to the conspiracy. If, as some have reported, the SAS (or its even shadier counterparts) were involved in the 'assassination' then there would be chain of command that gave the order; a group of people who carried out that order and a further group of people involved on the periphery who would be aware of personnel movements; the manipulation of the media; the creation of destruction of chains of evidence and so forth..

No whilst I am open to exloring possibilities it does seem to me that the more people that need to be involved in the execution of a 'clandestine plot' the less likely it is that it will be kept secret... the more leakage and the more complicated the after-event cover-up.

What gives many conspiracy theories their power is the knowledge that governmental actions and politicians statements have been shown to be questionable. From weapons of mass destruction to 'sound bytes' which are deliberately selected to create the strongest emotional reaction we have all be carried away with media manipulation of what we see, hear, feel and think.

Does this mean that there is some global plan; some organising principle or ovearching motive for these half-truths and jingoistic rallying calls.... well that's another question.

Perhaps amid the chaos it is far more comforting to think that there is a plan or a rational behind the craziness. No matter how 'evil' and 'manipulative' that plan maybe perhaps it is better to believe that it is there rather than accept that we are directly or inderectly responsible for the world we live in... and in that world crazy, violent and depressing thngs happen.

It is interesting that all conspiracy theories promote the view that what is happening is actually beyond the direct control and influence of the individual. Any who do speak out are silenced...  We are the powerless, blinkered half-asleep populace whilst THEY are the all seeing, ominpotent and ominpresent Orwellian power brokers behind the fabric of reality as we percieve it.

On the one hand this is a very disempowering position to take... on the other it can allow the downtrodden to abdicate what remaining personal responsibilty they have and become fatalistic pawns in a game for which they can never know the rules.

Does this mean that there is no truth in the popular conspiracy theories? Perhaps not, but it should force us to ask questions about them.

Governments are not the only folk who can package information in ways in which promote emotional responses and lack of careful consideration. The emotional language in most of the popular conspiracy theory books is used in the same way.

Authors like David Ike ask us to open our eyes and look at the evidence... GREAT! The Rational Mystic celebrates that call... BUT it means that we have to look at the evidence such as it is from all sides and without the prejudicial glasses our belief systems encourage us to wear.   

Alan