Conspiracy Theories and their Effects on Politics The popularity of conspiracy theories have become increasingly more prevalent throughout the society over the past decades. Prooijen and Jostmann (2013) have claimed that “[o]ne of the main features of conspiracy theories is that they provide causal explanations for distressing societal events” (p. 109). However, the prevalence of conspiracy theories also brings with it a more troubling issue. The pervasiveness of conspiracy theories has become a growing problem because of its negative effects to the behaviours of citizens that cause serious ramifications on politics. A careful examination of the literature of this topic will show this the case. The roles of media and internet have contributed to the pervasiveness of conspiracy theories. In fact, Aupers (2012) has claimed that the recent use of media, such as television, radio, newspaper and magazine, has increased the number of people exposed to a conspiracy theory (p.26). Furthermore, the introduction of internet has given the conspiracists an auxiliary tool to produce their own theories online via forums, video websites and social networking sites (Golo & Galam, 2015, p. 5612; Aupers, 2012, p. 27). Consequently, a study …show more content…
In fact, Douglas and Sutton (2011) have claimed that conspiracy theories can influence the behaviour and attitude of people without their consciousness (p. 544). Consequently, a belief with the delusional ideas of conspiracy theories can make a person to experience paranoia, or an extreme paranoid thinking (Bale, 2007, p. 47). Furthermore, studies have found that paranoia may associated with severe stress, anxiety, intense fear and low levels of trust, self-esteem, and agreeableness (Udachina et al., 2014, pp. 423, 426; Swami et al. 2011, pp. 443, 445). Clearly, the influence of conspiracy theories has contributed to the negative behaviour among many
There are a bunch of conspiracies in this world and there's a few on the tragedy that happened on September 11, 2001. One of the theories is that inside traders knew about the attacks before they happened. As said in an article, “in the days before 9/11 there was a huge increase in the number of put options purchased on their airlines, compared to the normal average daily volume.”(Davis) Before I explain what that means the article also mentioned, “ this huge increase in the volume of put options suggests that the people buying these put options knew in advance that 9/11 was about to happen.” (Davis) What the quotes are saying, is that a few days before 9/11, out of nowhere, there was an huge increase in the airlines, that were hijacked, stock markets. The conspiracy theory is that the government was aware of the attacks the entire time but because they were making profit, this did nothing about it.
Conspiracy theories are entertaining for many to speculate and demand a great deal of thought to constitute. A conspiracy theory is defined as the idea that many important political, economic, and social trends are the products of secret plots that are largely unknown to the general public (“The Definition of Conspiracy Theory”). Many conspiracy theories are thought up around children’s shows, which offers a feeling of nostalgia and pleasure. A few children’s show conspiracies that need a deeper light shone on them are from Max & Ruby (2002-2013), Winnie the Pooh (1977), Rugrats (1990-2004), and All Grown Up (2003-2008).
The day that President Kennedy was assassinated, people started to view the world differently. His death was the first time that a conspiracy theory transformed into a conceivable form of knowledge among the general public. "It was because of Kennedy's death in Dallas that the conspiracy theory was born" (Wensley). It started with an article written ...
The legend of Santa Claus can be the lure to which mankind falls into a ploy of conspiracy that may fortify a manipulative mindset and devious conduct in people. It is up to the reader to ultimately decide how they feel about this article. This article analyses one conspiracy, but what about other conspiracies that are similar. Taking Mocks article under consideration and everything he talks about can open up a new perspective. This editorial is a good example of how conspiracy theorist can charm to readers through persuasion. When reading similar pieces readers should be aware of how the author lures them in.
This section was given in order to show why conspiracy theories are appealing to the average person and how anybody can create one. Next, research data on the general personality and mental state of conspiracy theorists was introduced with believers being more likely to be cynical and have low self-worth (Koerth-Baker 343). Afterward a brief explanation is given on the amygdala, a part of the brain which activates after fear is felt, and how it is crucial to the creation of the various theories we have today. There has also been research showing a correlation between theorizing and strong support of democratic principles due to the fact that conspiracy theories wouldn’t exist without real conspiracies coming to light (Koerth-Baker 344). Then, Koerth begins to talk about how an abundance of available knowledge on the internet has made destroying conspiracy theories even more difficult due to the constant use of confirmation bias. In 2006 scientists discovered an event called the “backfire effect” where any attempts to debunk a theory makes it more popular to the people, but the effect seems more noticeable when it supports a worldview or ideology (Koerth-Baker
Brian Keeley’s short essay, “Of Conspiracy Theories” discusses conspiracy theories and their value in an epistemological context. Keeley defines a conspiracy theory as “a proposed explanation of some historical event (or events) in terms of the significant causal agency of a relatively small group of persons-the conspirators-acting in secret (Keeley 1999, pg. 116).” Keeley seeks to answer the question of why conspiracy theories are unwarranted. His interest in the warrant of conspiracy theories focuses on ¬the unfalsifiability of conspiracy theories and how conspiracy theories are founded upon an extraordinarily large amount of skepticism. In section III, Keely discusses what a conspiracy theory is, and contends that there is no grounds for distinguishing a warranted conspiracy theory from an unwarranted conspiracy theory (UCT). Keely expands upon section III in section IV, by introducing falsifiability and skepticism and giving a deeper analysis on the difficulties of UCTs. In section V, he discusses the issues raised and the implication of their popularity. A brief conclusion is given is section VI, in which he discusses the morals that should be taken away from the essay.
Such as, did inside traders know about attacks before the event even occurred, Why did the world's most powerful air force fail to intercept any of the four hijacked planes, Why did the Twin Towers collapse so quickly and a good question is why was the crash site at Shanksville, Pennsylvania so small and why was the aircraft debris not visible. Many of these conspiracies got most of the world thinking about the tragic event that occurred on september 11, 2001 and if it was an event that was made up by the government to set up the terrorist and their
In researching this and many other conspiracy theories, one can see many uses of sensationalism, mainly by the media. This media- the news (local and national), magazines, tabloids, television shows, movies, and so on- has a huge e...
Conspiracy theories have gained a greater discourse in the twenty-first century. Fictional narratives, Hollywood blockbusters, television series and documentaries, and many other pop culture mediums have used conspiracies to spin tales and capture an audience. In this essay I would like to argue that the dominant narrative of a historical event exists because the elite have the power to manipulate and transform it. The group in power values a hegemonic society, perpetuating certain myths in order to create social cohesion within a nation. As a result, conspiracy theories challenge the dominant narrative. This challenge is how subscribers use conspiracy to attempt agency over the elite. I will use the sinking of the Titanic and Don DeLilo’s novel, Libra, to demonstrate how the elite fight for narrative control and how a close reading of these narratives is necessary to evaluate conspiracy theories.
Conspiracy hypotheses are extremely intriguing because they permit individuals to consider unheard of options and analysis with numerous fortuitous events, changing the way individuals see well know occasion and a few different parts in life as more than only a happenstance. Conspiracy can have a noteworthy effect on society that hence prompt musings changing the sentiment with respect to convictions. In any case, I for on trust that these speculations can induce individuals into thinking and believing anything, since anyone can unite any two arbitrary facts or things together, as long as they have something in like manner. In the Ted Talk show, the moderator additionally appears to demonstrate this
The era in sports from the late 90s and into the 2000s has often been nicknamed “The Steroid Age” due to the raging use of anabolic steroids and other PEDs (performance enhancing drugs) by professional athletes. The usage of drugs in sports has never been more prevalent during this time, and many people are making it their goal to put an end to the abuse. Influential athletes such as Lance Armstrong, Alex Rodriguez, and Roger Clemens, who were once held as the highest role models to the American people, now watch as their legacies are tarnished by accusations of drug use. The American population, and lovers of sports everywhere, have followed in astonishment through recent years as many beloved athletes reveal their dark secrets. As organizations such as the USADA (United States Anti-Doping Agency) and BALCO (Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative) attempt to halt the use of PEDs, both the drug users and their high-end suppliers work diligently to avoid detection. The use of performance enhancing drugs in recent years has proven to be cancerous to the honesty and competition of modern sports. Although some strides have been made over the past few decades, the use of steroids is in full swing in Major League Baseball, The dangerous side effects of the drugs are often overlooked and many do not realize the message this sends to the youth. The support for halting the usage of PEDs is in need of attention or professional sports will face the loss of all progress made through the past two decades in its war on steroids.
One of the most debated and controversial topics in American History is the assassination of John F. Kennedy. JFK was one of the most loved presidents of our time. One article of his death wrote, "The day the country weeped"(John). The JFK assassination is filled with many conspiracy theories that cannot be proven to be exact facts. Such theories include a Government cover-up”CIA”, Mafia influence, The Illuminati, and Gay Thrill Kill Theory. The idea that lone mind, Lee Harvey Oswald, plotting to kill President Kennedy is too simple to believe. There’s No way that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone, in the eyes of scholars today. Even with the growing number of bogus and garbage theories, there are a number of logical theories that do make a lot of sense when you think about them closely. In this paper, I will discuss a couple of the conspiracy theories that are out there and are published for the public to read.
September 11, 2001 marked one of the most tragic events in United States history. As a way to assure the safety and wellbeing of U.S. citizens shortly after being attacked by al-Qaeda, President Bush stated, “Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts may shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve”. Although President Bush was seen a source of security during a time of need, many citizens felt that his words were not genuine and part of a dramatic story the government wanted its people to believe. Despite the side taken, both perspectives of the argument can agree that the U.S. was attacked by a series of coordinated suicide attacks by al-Qaeda. On that Tuesday morning, 19 terrorists hijacked four commercial passenger jet airliners. The hijackers intentionally crashed two of the airliners into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, one into the Pentagon, and the fourth into a field in rural Pennsylvania after passengers fought back against the terrorist to try and regain control of the plane. This is the story the government wants its people to believe. However, the truths about the attacks on 9/11 are much more frightening. On September 11th, 2001, the United States government betrayed its citizens by allowing the destructive attacks on the Twin Towers, WTC-7, the Pentagon, and Shanksville.
Conspiracy theories have been created about everything from presidential assassinations, 9-11, to the deaths of many celebrities. They even date back to the 1800s but they started becoming more popular around the 1970s when the world was in so much turmoil with the Vietnam War and the many other complications of that specific decade. (Elinoff.) Theories even have revolved around wide varieties of people with characteristics like a different race, religion, culture or even countries with different types of governments. A great deal of theories have been made about so many events and different groups of people that sometimes it is hard to tell if wha...
Since the beginning of settled civilizations, people have had more mutual sharings than ever before. By the same token, there have been some conspiracy theories that are usually against the culturally accepted beliefs of religions, science and society. A conspiracy theory can be described so differently. However, as in his text, Marshall Brain explicates, a conspiracy is generally defined as a theory seeking to explain a disputed case or matter as a plot by a secret group or alliance rather than an individual or isolated act (Brain). Especially, after the new media has become quite popular, more and more conspiracies are theorized every single day, which aim to catch society’s attention via such media tools as the internet, journals and newspapers. Thus, people who theorize those conspiracies tend to use such objects as spiritual and mysterious ones in order to interest people. To illustrate, many examples can be given. For instance, many people have claimed that they were abducted by aliens, although they could show no evidences. Here, a citation from Blackmore could facilitate to understand the circumstance better. She states that people occasionally claim that they have been abducted from public places by aliens, in this case that may provide them with witnesses and affirmations but no evidence could be shown so far (Blackmore). As it is well known, only a small number of people believe such alien abductions, however, rating of this kind of news is quite high on media, because humankind has been wondering if there are extraterrestrial creatures out of the earth. Another example can be conspiracy theories which are about the origins of religions such as the rejection of Jesus Christ. There are some people who pay attention to...