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> evil cabal deliberately executing the 9/11 attacks An evil cabal really did execute those attacks. Your examples about school shootings are closer to the po
by adrianratnapala 8y ago
> evil cabal deliberately executing the 9/11 attacks
An evil cabal really did execute those attacks.
Your examples about school shootings are closer to the point you are trying to make, but even they are non-random in the crucial sense that they are the work of deliberate malevolent wills (though not usually conspiracies).
So I suppose ultimately I am agreeing with you that many people have habit of explaining the social world in terms of the deliberate acts of humans. But that's only because that is a perfectly good mental habit to have, it's an essential part of our toolkit. And like all tools it sometimes gets overused, and out in the tails it is no surprise that produces wacky conspiracy theories.
- toss1 8y ago>evil cabal Ha! Right, you are! I suppose AQ does meet that definition, just not the one I was referring to -- the evil cabal is (supposed to be) the one the runs the world (shadowy Illuminati, lizard people, whatever), not a random enemy cabal that happens to pull off a spectacularly deadly stunt by exploiting our security weaknesses.
- adrianratnapala 8y agoOk, I thought you had in mind the kinds of folks who just thought e.g. that GWB or maybe Zionists faked the attacks. In which case it isn't an overactive intention detector but rather just partisanship induced delusion. But yes. Illuminati type theories are something else again. Some people's intention detectors misfire so strongly that it is not enough that terrible events can be caused by an evil cabal that is merely trying to conquer us all.