The Early Roots of Truther Logic

[Scott Sommers]

I once read them called the hippies your parents were afraid of
http://archives.cbc.ca/clip.asp?page=1&IDClip=2086&IDCat=290&IDCatPa=254&IDDossier=

Are the truthers the radicals your left-wing parents were afraid of?

[TruthersLie]

I don't think so.

My parents were the left wing radicals others were afraid of.

No, I think it has its roots in the horrendous public education of the mid 90's where everyone was worried about little johnny's self esteem, and trying to make him think that his/her opinion was as valid as anyone elses... instead of teaching them things like science, reading, writing.

[EnJaySee]

I think the X-Files craze played a part too.

It made exposing the evil, corrupt government a cool thing to do.

[cludgie]

No, I think it has its roots in the horrendous public education of the mid 90's where everyone was worried about little johnny's self esteem, and trying to make him think that his/her opinion was as valid as anyone elses... instead of teaching them things like science, reading, writing.

You should always remember though that everyones opinion IS valid...


....however stupid or knee-deep in woo it might be.

[triforcharity]

I wouldn't say "valid" but maybe, allowed.

[CHF]

No, I think it has its roots in the horrendous public education of the mid 90's where everyone was worried about little johnny's self esteem, and trying to make him think that his/her opinion was as valid as anyone elses... instead of teaching them things like science, reading, writing.

I would add that the new-age logic of "there is no right or wrong answer" didn't help either.

It allows little Johnny to think he's an expert on engineering after watching some youtube videos.

[TruthersLie]

You should always remember though that everyones opinion IS valid...
....however stupid or knee-deep in woo it might be.

As an opinion yes... as a point of fact, when compared to EXPERT opinions? No it isn't.

When I want a medical opinion, I go to a neurosurgeon, not some quack on the side walk who thinks he knows best.

When I want to know about how a building is built, I ask structural engineers not theologians or discredited physicists.

The OPINION of truthers is NOT as valid as the expert opinion of people VASTLY more qualified.

Unfortunately, public education in the mid 90's through today often focuses on how it is important for little johnny to feel good about themselves, not about learning science, math or how to determine what is valid research and what is crap.

And if everyones opinion is valid, then they think that theirs is just as valid as NIST's (see Bill S for that crapola)

[defaultdotxbe]

I think the X-Files craze played a part too.

It made exposing the evil, corrupt government a cool thing to do.
less x-files, more matrix

the x-files may have introduced the idea, but the matrix made raging against the machine "cool"

[EnJaySee]

less x-files, more matrix

the x-files may have introduced the idea, but the matrix made raging against the machine "cool"

Well, it wouldn't surprise me if a few of them truly believed they were living in a Matrix type world. Clearly some of their ideas on physics demonstrates that. After all, a helicopter smashed into a building in the first movie and that building didn't fall. Therefore, the WTC buildings shouldn't have fallen due to the plane impacts alone.

[Foolmewunz]

I don't think so.

My parents were the left wing radicals others were afraid of.

No, I think it has its roots in the horrendous public education of the mid 90's where everyone was worried about little johnny's self esteem, and trying to make him think that his/her opinion was as valid as anyone elses... instead of teaching them things like science, reading, writing.

And I was the left wing radical your parents were afraid of.:spjimlad::spjimlad::spjimlad:

[Brainster]

No, I think if you want to look at the early roots of the left-wing Troofers you'd be better off with the JFK conspiracy theory crowd; Uncle Fetzer, for example, was prominent in both "movements". The right wing conspiracy theorists go back at least to the Birchers and the anti-fluoridation campaigns, although I'd also say that events in the 1990s like Ruby Ridge, Waco and Oklahoma City are the current genesis. Alex Jones got his start with Waco, and Carol Valentine, an influential early "Truther", had her Waco Holocaust Museum.

[Foolmewunz]

Strange Bedfellows?

To stop being facetious for a second, I think you have to consider that as Brainster points out, there's a considerable right wing element in the TM, along with the left.

You could also look at the debunking side. There are a couple of notable left leaning debunkers here, and there are a couple of notable conservatives. There's a mix, including a whole lot in the middle.

[dudalb]

less x-files, more matrix

the x-files may have introduced the idea, but the matrix made raging against the machine "cool"

And then it got reinforced by "V for Vendetta".
For a while I was ready to kill the next CT moron who had a Guy Fawkes mask for a Avatar just because it had become such an overused meme.

[grandthefttoaster]

I thought the Guy Fawkes guys were agents of Lord Xenu, not CT's.

[DGM]

I think this thread topic is an oxymoron. "Truther" logic?

[MervinFerd]

Well, it wouldn't surprise me if a few of them truly believed they were living in a Matrix type world. Clearly some of their ideas on physics demonstrates that. After all, a helicopter smashed into a building in the first movie and that building didn't fall. Therefore, the WTC buildings shouldn't have fallen due to the plane impacts alone.

This is an interesting line of thought.

For some of the younger bunch, immersion in video and fantasy games might have allowed the crazy theories to seem plausible.

The rapid descent of the movement into absurdity has alway amazed me.

[MervinFerd]

No, I think it has its roots in the horrendous public education of the mid 90's where everyone was worried about little johnny's self esteem, and trying to make him think that his/her opinion was as valid as anyone elses... instead of teaching them things like science, reading, writing.

Not just public education. The "all opinions are equivalent", "scientific fact is a social construction" kind of thought has been prominent throughout the liberal arts academia.

I tend to blame the media's custom of treating all opinions as equivalent on the education "journalists" received in our elite universities. And the inability to distinguish fact from nonsense is at the root of much of our current national situation. But that may be unfair.