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Aszur A nice butterfly from Pagliacci's Since: Apr, 2014 Relationship Status: Don't hug me; I'm scared
A nice butterfly
#108601: Jan 13th 2016 at 2:46:34 PM

Seems like Al Jazeera America is shutting down

It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes
Ekuran Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
ILoveDogs Since: May, 2010
#108603: Jan 13th 2016 at 3:05:04 PM

What was the deal with it, anyway?

pwiegle Cape Malleum Majorem from Nowhere Special Since: Sep, 2015 Relationship Status: Singularity
Cape Malleum Majorem
#108604: Jan 13th 2016 at 3:05:47 PM

No TV, no beer, not even a deck of cards, they probably got bored with nothing to do.

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dRoy Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar from Most likely from my study Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: I'm just high on the world
Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar
#108605: Jan 13th 2016 at 3:07:55 PM

I'm going to ask a question that pisses off at least some of you.

See, one of my acquaintances, is a very well educated man otherwise (he's a senior professor who has even been a department chairman), but he is under a very firm belief that United States government, economy, media, and the whole world, is under the control of Jews.

We had an enough arguments on this matter to come to the point of agreeing to disagree.

Is there any solid evidence or counter-evidence for that? I can definitely use some the next time we come to this kind of discussion (it...it just happens at times).

Continuously reading, studying, and (hopefully) growing.
pwiegle Cape Malleum Majorem from Nowhere Special Since: Sep, 2015 Relationship Status: Singularity
Cape Malleum Majorem
#108606: Jan 13th 2016 at 3:09:53 PM

[up]Just... No.

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ILoveDogs Since: May, 2010
#108607: Jan 13th 2016 at 3:09:58 PM

I mean, there isn't any evidence that the world isn't controlled by chupacabras, either, but suggesting it is really really stupid.

FieldMarshalFry Field Marshal of Cracked from World Internet War 1 Since: Oct, 2015 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
Field Marshal of Cracked
#108608: Jan 13th 2016 at 3:10:03 PM

quite simply... if they were under the control of the Jews... things would be in a damn site better shape!

advancing the front into TV Tropes
dRoy Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar from Most likely from my study Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: I'm just high on the world
Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar
#108609: Jan 13th 2016 at 3:11:31 PM

He also believes that 9/11 is an inside job. Not surprising, huh?

Continuously reading, studying, and (hopefully) growing.
JackOLantern1337 Shameful Display from The Most Miserable Province in the Russian Empir Since: Aug, 2014 Relationship Status: 700 wives and 300 concubines
Shameful Display
#108610: Jan 13th 2016 at 3:13:21 PM

I thought the left loved Al Jazera America, why is it shutting down?

I Bring Doom,and a bit of gloom, but mostly gloom.
Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#108611: Jan 13th 2016 at 3:14:07 PM

It's impossible to prove a negative, I mean assuming that "the Jews" means Israel you could use the US' refusal to move its embassy to Jerusalem, the US' unwillingness to back Israel completely in its wars and the fact that the US does not recognise the annexation of Palestinian territory, as examples of the US goverment not being under the control of "the Jews".

Though honestly the idea that an idea ethnic group could act as a cohesive blob is alone absurd enough, never mind the idea that one group could control the US goverment, there are far to many interest groups pulling in to many different directions.

[up][up] Yeah I'd just dismiss him as bonkers, I'd suggest showing him this[1] for max troll points.

edited 13th Jan '16 3:15:49 PM by Silasw

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
pwiegle Cape Malleum Majorem from Nowhere Special Since: Sep, 2015 Relationship Status: Singularity
Cape Malleum Majorem
#108612: Jan 13th 2016 at 3:15:34 PM

I have a friend who is a conspiracy theorist, and a born-again Christian, and a militia survivalist. He's a nice enough guy otherwise, but whenever he gets going... I just adopt the same tactics I did when visiting my Alzheimer's-stricken grandmother in the nursing home. Nod and smile politely, give noncommittal answers, and just ignore the incomprehensible gibberish.

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FieldMarshalFry Field Marshal of Cracked from World Internet War 1 Since: Oct, 2015 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
Field Marshal of Cracked
#108613: Jan 13th 2016 at 3:16:44 PM

oh boy... 9/11... well, start with this

and then move on to this

advancing the front into TV Tropes
dRoy Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar from Most likely from my study Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: I'm just high on the world
Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar
#108614: Jan 13th 2016 at 3:16:47 PM

Though honestly the idea that an idea ethnic group could act as a cohesive blob is alone absurd enough

EXACTLY!

I mean, let's assume that there are people who are capable of having that kind of influence. Doesn't it make sense for there to be at least some people who are selfish enough to go "Why the fuck am I bothering with your plans? I'm too occupied with my own stuff."

edited 13th Jan '16 3:17:12 PM by dRoy

Continuously reading, studying, and (hopefully) growing.
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#108615: Jan 13th 2016 at 3:20:28 PM

There isn't any way to argue rationally with the conspiracy nuts, so politely changing the subject is the only way to preserve your sanity.

The theorizing is part of a deep-seated desire for control over the world combined with a deep-seated mistrust of authority. Lacking that control, one looks externally for things that "must" be responsible for all the evils one perceives, which then metastasizes into a cult-like, "I know secrets that other people don't," mentality.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
FieldMarshalFry Field Marshal of Cracked from World Internet War 1 Since: Oct, 2015 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
Field Marshal of Cracked
#108616: Jan 13th 2016 at 3:24:27 PM

or, to quote Alan Moore:

"Yes, there is a conspiracy, indeed there are a great number of conspiracies, all tripping each other up ... the main thing that I learned about conspiracy theories is that conspiracy theorists actually believe in the conspiracy because that is more comforting. The truth of the world is that it is chaotic. The truth is, that it is not the Jewish banking conspiracy, or the grey aliens, or the twelve-foot reptiloids from another dimension that are in control, the truth is far more frightening; no-one is in control, the world is rudderless."

edited 13th Jan '16 3:26:25 PM by FieldMarshalFry

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pwiegle Cape Malleum Majorem from Nowhere Special Since: Sep, 2015 Relationship Status: Singularity
Cape Malleum Majorem
#108617: Jan 13th 2016 at 3:26:45 PM

[up][up]Such people have obviously never heard of Hanlon's Razor. It explains sooooo very much, I personally found that it took quite a load off my mind...

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PotatoesRock Since: Oct, 2012
#108618: Jan 13th 2016 at 3:34:17 PM

It's basically a meme variant of "The banks run everything from the shadows".

The use of Jews as running everything/money is mostly due to well, back in Europe for centuries when the Roman Catholic Church was in charge, Jews ended up being the bankers, tax collectors and the guys you got a loan from, due to the church banning Christians from indulging in usury (i.e. lending money with interest), while Jews were basically forced to take jobs, and the Jewish social rules was it was fine to deal in usury with non-Jews.

Economic Antisemitism gives a bit more nuance, but the gist of it is: Jews historically were forced into jobs regarding finance. And when finance started taking off in the late Medieval era and continuing through the Industrial revolution, there appear to be a fair number of Jews who ended up in finance and law.

I.e. the Lawyers and the Bankers, who have basically been loathed throughout history.

probablyinsane Since: Oct, 2011 Relationship Status: I LOVE THIS DOCTOR!
#108619: Jan 13th 2016 at 3:37:25 PM

For their population size, Jews can be considered as part of the 1 percent. last time I checked, a pretty impressive percentage of billionaires are Jews. like more than 10 percent are Jewish.

this isn't really surprising, because Jews have been constant immigrants, so they've been taught to work harder, be more careful, be better investors, etc.

Plants are aliens, and fungi are nanomachines.
FieldMarshalFry Field Marshal of Cracked from World Internet War 1 Since: Oct, 2015 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
Field Marshal of Cracked
#108620: Jan 13th 2016 at 3:38:58 PM

Jewish, or have Jewish names? but I ask you... how many billionaires are Christian?

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probablyinsane Since: Oct, 2011 Relationship Status: I LOVE THIS DOCTOR!
#108621: Jan 13th 2016 at 3:40:36 PM

[up] compare to their population size

Plants are aliens, and fungi are nanomachines.
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#108622: Jan 13th 2016 at 3:43:06 PM

There are actual conspiracies out there, but they're usually in the opposite direction from where the nuts look and they are much more blatant. Among them:

  • The informal, somewhat loose conspiracy to discredit Keynesian economic theory in the hopes that it will allow further wealth exploitation by the rich. See also: Austrian theorists, mises.org.
  • The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and its goal of getting copycat laws enacted in states across the U.S. that benefit the gun industry and the uber-rich.
  • Rupert Murdoch's drive to control the political message of news media. Donald Trump also.
  • The conspiracy by the private prison system to control criminal lawmaking so as to create more business for themselves.

And so on.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
JackOLantern1337 Shameful Display from The Most Miserable Province in the Russian Empir Since: Aug, 2014 Relationship Status: 700 wives and 300 concubines
Shameful Display
#108623: Jan 13th 2016 at 3:45:11 PM

No their are plenty of Leftist conspiracy theories on the left, even about the Jews, The Nation of Islam being one of the most infamous.

And really, the Jews being rich is karma for Christians and Muslims marginalizing them and forcing them into "unclean" jobs that we didn't want to do. Not their fault those jobs became so important.

I Bring Doom,and a bit of gloom, but mostly gloom.
PotatoesRock Since: Oct, 2012
#108624: Jan 13th 2016 at 3:46:13 PM

Richard Nixon's administration targeting drugs like Marijuana and LSD specifically to disenfranchise the Anti-War Movement and Blacks of their right to vote.

Which led to much of the Private Prison industry issue.

edited 13th Jan '16 3:46:40 PM by PotatoesRock

Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#108625: Jan 13th 2016 at 3:47:30 PM

Yeah actual conspiracies tend to be around particular sectors, not everything. Likewise they tend to be done by groups with a clear reason for them.

There was a conspiracy behind 9/11, it was the conspiracy by AQ to carry out 9/11.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran

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