4 ms·

It’s funny how hard they went on Alex Jones as that can pretty much summarize to us all whether they were afraid of his rhetoric or not. They were very afraid.

coldtea 8y ago
People who casually read conspiracy and alternative news (e.g. not hardcore conspiracy theorists who read David Icke), might believe some crazy crap (that doesn't hurt anyone, just discredits themselves), but they are also more prone to questioning the mainstream narratives (and that is very much feared). Not to mention that a lot of very true shit going on is indeed conspiracies -- it just doesn't involve aliens and illuminati, but established powers (e.g. the white establishment having FBI follow and discredit MLK and other civil rights activists), state agencies, rich private interests buying politicians and forming cartels, powerful elites pushing their agendas, big industries promoting their crap (e.g. big food and big tobacco buying their own "scientific research" and then promoting it in through the magazines they advertise in) and so on...
- nl 8y ago
  People who casually read conspiracy and alternative news (e.g. not hardcore conspiracy theorists who read David Icke), might believe some crazy crap (that doesn't hurt anyone, just discredits themselves) Well that is simply not true. For example, the Sandy Hook harassment brigade caused real harm, eg: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-florida-crime-sandyhook-idUSKBN18Y2BY https://www.reuters.com/article/us-florida-crime-sandyhook-i...
  - coldtea 8y ago
    Yeah, a false story can cause such harassment, but that's not unique it conspiracy stories. An actual true fact could cause harassment as well (e.g. people attacking muslims after 9/11, because the perpetrators where muslims, and so on). I'd say the problem lies more with people that find it acceptable to harass others, whether their actions are based on a true story or a hoax.
    - CJefferson 8y ago
      I feel you are stretching here. It seems everyone who ends up involved in a major internet conspiracy gets serious harassment. You can't disconnect conspiracies from the harassment they cause.
    - nl 8y ago
      I'm glad you have conceded that it is harmful. I agree there are many other things which are also harmful.
      - coldtea 8y ago
        Rather cheap sarcasm, no? If those "many other things which are also harmful" apply equally to the opposite thing, then it's probably neither the thing nor the opposite that is the actual cause of the harm. Someone wanting to harass someone else can do it over a true story (person X did X) just as well as over a conspiracy story (aliens made person Y did Z). The fault lies with the harasser (who is acting badly) not with the reason why they harass. Or maybe you think that if a story is true then it's OK to harass people over it?
        nl 8y ago
        People who casually read conspiracy and alternative news (e.g. not hardcore conspiracy theorists who read David Icke), might believe some crazy crap (that doesn't hurt anyone, just discredits themselves) I think we agree that isn’t true. Both the harasser and the person encouraging it can be at fault. You can throw in all the strawmen you like.
- CJefferson 8y ago
  There are plenty of very harmful conspiracy nuts. Some Parents of children killed at Sandy Hook have had to go into hiding to avoid people accusing them of being part of a cover-up. Employees of Comet Pizza have been stalked and verbally attacked.
nl 8y ago
Who is this "they" you speak of? Is it the normal people horrified by the harassment that he unleashed on people? Trolling has been a problem for internet platforms since the Usenet days. The solution has always ended up being banning that individual from the place they are doing the harassing. That's just sensible community management.
- towelr34dy 8y ago
  They are the people who own the country. They are the people who are invited to the Bilderberg meetings. They are those who fund think tanks. They are the people whose kids are guaranteed a seat in an Ivy league school, regardless of merit. They are also VERY unlikely to face jail time when they are accused of a crime; which is rare. No, they are not a single entity. No they aren't perfectly coordinated. No, they aren't a single group conspiring in a smokey room. But they are a social group. They go to the same schools, live in the same ZIP codes and vacation in similar places. They marry overwhelming among themselves. There are a few thousand families in the US with that level of power. New families reach these power levels and other families fall off, it isn't a fixed thing. But you'll know who they are because you and I aren't invited to their clubs.
  - azrael49 8y ago
    There's a great documentary produced by an heir to the Johnson & Johnson fortune that gives a great insight into this. As a member of the top of the top, Johnson was able to personally interview many mega-rich children like Ivanka Trump and others, and give a direct look at what they're like. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=km_JmxnzTvc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=km_JmxnzTvc
  - nl 8y ago
    Err.. They are the people who own the country. They are the people who are invited to the Bilderberg meetings. They are those who fund think tanks. They are the people whose kids are guaranteed a seat in an Ivy league school, regardless of merit. They are also VERY unlikely to face jail time when they are accused of a crime; which is rare. This sounds unlikely, since these are the people who are least affected by people like Jones. I'd also note that many of these people are also the ones making noises about a conspiracy against conservative voices in silicon valley. The people who banned Jones are more like people like me. People who hate the lying, disrespect and trolling he represents.

coldtea 8y ago

People who casually read conspiracy and alternative news (e.g. not hardcore conspiracy theorists who read David Icke), might believe some crazy crap (that doesn't hurt anyone, just discredits themselves), but they are also more prone to questioning the mainstream narratives (and that is very much feared). Not to mention that a lot of very true shit going on is indeed conspiracies -- it just doesn't involve aliens and illuminati, but established powers (e.g. the white establishment having FBI follow and discredit MLK and other civil rights activists), state agencies, rich private interests buying politicians and forming cartels, powerful elites pushing their agendas, big industries promoting their crap (e.g. big food and big tobacco buying their own "scientific research" and then promoting it in through the magazines they advertise in) and so on...

nl 8y ago
People who casually read conspiracy and alternative news (e.g. not hardcore conspiracy theorists who read David Icke), might believe some crazy crap (that doesn't hurt anyone, just discredits themselves) Well that is simply not true. For example, the Sandy Hook harassment brigade caused real harm, eg: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-florida-crime-sandyhook-idUSKBN18Y2BY https://www.reuters.com/article/us-florida-crime-sandyhook-i...
- coldtea 8y ago
  Yeah, a false story can cause such harassment, but that's not unique it conspiracy stories. An actual true fact could cause harassment as well (e.g. people attacking muslims after 9/11, because the perpetrators where muslims, and so on). I'd say the problem lies more with people that find it acceptable to harass others, whether their actions are based on a true story or a hoax.
  - CJefferson 8y ago
    I feel you are stretching here. It seems everyone who ends up involved in a major internet conspiracy gets serious harassment. You can't disconnect conspiracies from the harassment they cause.
  - nl 8y ago
    I'm glad you have conceded that it is harmful. I agree there are many other things which are also harmful.
    - coldtea 8y ago
      Rather cheap sarcasm, no? If those "many other things which are also harmful" apply equally to the opposite thing, then it's probably neither the thing nor the opposite that is the actual cause of the harm. Someone wanting to harass someone else can do it over a true story (person X did X) just as well as over a conspiracy story (aliens made person Y did Z). The fault lies with the harasser (who is acting badly) not with the reason why they harass. Or maybe you think that if a story is true then it's OK to harass people over it?
      - nl 8y ago
        People who casually read conspiracy and alternative news (e.g. not hardcore conspiracy theorists who read David Icke), might believe some crazy crap (that doesn't hurt anyone, just discredits themselves) I think we agree that isn’t true. Both the harasser and the person encouraging it can be at fault. You can throw in all the strawmen you like.
CJefferson 8y ago
There are plenty of very harmful conspiracy nuts. Some Parents of children killed at Sandy Hook have had to go into hiding to avoid people accusing them of being part of a cover-up. Employees of Comet Pizza have been stalked and verbally attacked.

nl 8y ago

Who is this "they" you speak of? Is it the normal people horrified by the harassment that he unleashed on people? Trolling has been a problem for internet platforms since the Usenet days. The solution has always ended up being banning that individual from the place they are doing the harassing. That's just sensible community management.

towelr34dy 8y ago
They are the people who own the country. They are the people who are invited to the Bilderberg meetings. They are those who fund think tanks. They are the people whose kids are guaranteed a seat in an Ivy league school, regardless of merit. They are also VERY unlikely to face jail time when they are accused of a crime; which is rare. No, they are not a single entity. No they aren't perfectly coordinated. No, they aren't a single group conspiring in a smokey room. But they are a social group. They go to the same schools, live in the same ZIP codes and vacation in similar places. They marry overwhelming among themselves. There are a few thousand families in the US with that level of power. New families reach these power levels and other families fall off, it isn't a fixed thing. But you'll know who they are because you and I aren't invited to their clubs.
- azrael49 8y ago
  There's a great documentary produced by an heir to the Johnson & Johnson fortune that gives a great insight into this. As a member of the top of the top, Johnson was able to personally interview many mega-rich children like Ivanka Trump and others, and give a direct look at what they're like. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=km_JmxnzTvc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=km_JmxnzTvc
- nl 8y ago
  Err.. They are the people who own the country. They are the people who are invited to the Bilderberg meetings. They are those who fund think tanks. They are the people whose kids are guaranteed a seat in an Ivy league school, regardless of merit. They are also VERY unlikely to face jail time when they are accused of a crime; which is rare. This sounds unlikely, since these are the people who are least affected by people like Jones. I'd also note that many of these people are also the ones making noises about a conspiracy against conservative voices in silicon valley. The people who banned Jones are more like people like me. People who hate the lying, disrespect and trolling he represents.