Skeptic Project

Yes Danny, and this is a serious question:

When do you plan on helping anyone, other than yourself? Will you finally donate your time, money, effort, etc. to improve the lives of others when it's as sensational and sexy as conspiracy theories and secret knowledge? Does the rest of the world have to wait for volunteer work and donations to be as easy as DVDs for you to help out?

I'm honestly shocked, but what does it tell you when the assumption is that "conspiracy theorist = selfish asshole." I'd venture to say that if he really is helping others, he's about 1 in 3 million as far as Alex Jones listeners go.

But my other points still stand, how is handing out DVDs beneficial to anyone, ever? Why not spend that time helping others instead of spreading bullshit?

Think about it this way, if you believe it without question, then maybe you should keep it to yourself. He's made it clear that's how he feels about conspiracy theories.

Orcs, Humans, Undead, or Night Elves?

(right answer: Undead)

Obviously Danny thinks he's doing good, in the long run, by handing out DVD's. Obviously he thinks he's helping to build a movement that will eventually be able to counteract the evil elite.

Well he is wrong. It has been pointed out more times than I care to count that the conspiracy movement has been doing the same thing for decades, and they have yet to accomplish a single goal.

Personally, I think the assumption that "conspiracy theorist = selfish asshole" is completely unwarranted.

Perhaps on a personal basis, surely that is an inaccurate assumption, but as far as the broader conspiracy movement goes it is not. Many of the conspiracy theorists (online ones, at least) seem to be young, white, middle class, western males who really have no critical thinking skills and lash out at those who disagree with them.

They believe that their, undeniable, infallible beliefs are more important than helping others. I do not see Alex Jones and his movement running soup kitchens and even The Zeitgeist Movement, which promises to have an egalitarian world, does not promote engaging in anything other than self-perpetuation. Alex Jones and Peter Joseph alike tell their members they are fighting for a future where people are better off, but have yet to demonstrate their abilities to put that world in action. Peter Joseph can use the excuse that The Zeitgeist Movement has only been around for a short time, but Alex Jones has been working at this for at least 15 years, and prior to that we have examples of many others doing the exact same thing.

I think Danny wants to make the world a better place, and I think that desire is praiseworthy.

So did Pol Pot. While it good he wants to make the world a better place, he seems to not understand that spreading lies (and promoting a person who wants to execute everyone who disagrees with him) is not a good way to do it.

He needs to learn that spreading falsehoods can be harmful, and, therefore, that he should make at least some effort to ensure that he's not doing that.

That is indeed true, but if he spreads falsehoods which he believes to be true, and believes it without question, which he seems to, he likely will not stop spreading the falsehoods in the first place.

As far as I can tell, the desire to help others is actually not that rare amongst the Alex Jones crowd. Here in New York, We Are Change holds an annual benefit to raise money for 9/11 first responders.

Their motives are not pure of heart though. They use the first responders as a way to validate their conspiracy beliefs, and tug at the heartstrings of potential followers. I saw the film where Alex Jones, Jr brings up very important issues about the lack of health care and help for first responders, but instead of providing real solutions, goes on and on about how 9/11 was an inside job. Of course, when the topic of universal healthcare comes up, which would help these first responders for sure, it's fought against because it will be used for depopulation. How selfish and ridiculous, they are assholes.

My biggest problem with Alex Jones, as I've said elsewhere, is that he promotes bigotry against non-Christian religions.

And homosexuals, and he thinks the United States is the only free country (also some how the world's biggest dictatorship) on the planet, he is a follower of Texe Marrs, he misquotes articles, takes books out of context, makes things up on the spot... we could go on and on.

I realize that I was not partaking in this discussion, so I hope there are no hard feelings if anyone believes I meant to hijack this thread.

"And Edward, I do help donate clothing and cans goods every month, so I am helping people. "

I personally do not believe this to be true, or at least I believe him to be embellishing. Not only is it very uncommon for conspiracy theorists to help others, young people also rarely do, and now we are looking at a combination of the two.

I imagine, if it is true, it is likely he is doing work with his church or something like that, rather than doing it on his own free time, out of the goodness of his heart. I base this on his other posts I have read, but I am definitely willing to concede that I am wrong, this is just my opinion on the quote above.

For the record, being wrong about this does not make the rest of my post incorrect, which is the conspiracy theorist philosophy when reading something from a skeptic.

Danny, kudos to you for donating clothing and food. I wish more people would do that.

Honestly, I don't think Danny is a very good conspiracy theorist, nor do I think he'll stick with it for very long. Conspiracy stuff appeals to a lot of young people because of the "secret club" aspect (that you're now privy to secret knowledge that everyone else ignores or denies) as well as the obvious rebellion against authority aspect. Once he works the woo out of his system, I wouldn't be surprised if Danny eventually joined us as a debunker, assuming this board is still around in a few years.

Sil wrote:

I think it would actually be very hard for Danny to break out of the woo, so to speak. This is because, he has A LOT of CT influence in his personal life...

Maybe hard, but not impossible.

Back in 2003 or 2004, I had some online interaction with a teenager from a neo-Nazi family, who broke away from that influence during the time I knew him. Eventually he told me he was afraid his parents might disown him because he had made some Jewish friends.

More recently I ran into someone who, in an online forum, did a lot of debunking of banking conspiracy claims. This person turned out to have come from a strongly Judeophobic background and was, apparently, still in process of breaking away from it. He was still a believer in Holocaust revisionism, but apparently he had come to see through the banking conspiracy claims.

The "woo" as you call it is what I strive for justice and our country being restored to where it once was where their wasn't a goddamn PATRIOT ACT or any other form of secret operations going on used against the American people.

And when was this? Are you now going to glorify the 1950s and prior, when women and minorities were heavily marginalized?

Yes my brother highly influenced me. Because, my wonderful, loving, parents wouldn't have.

This is the same brother you say watches 1984 every day or every week, I cannot remember. It is fairly obvious he does not understand what the film or the book are trying to say, and if he believes what is in the film/book is going to happen to everyone, then he's missed the story all together. Perhaps you should learn about real totalitarian governments and the things they're capable of; granted, none are capable of the type of magic attributed to the NWO. Get over it, your brother is a wacko. He isn't any more privy to secret knowledge than my tennis shoes.

When I come to them and show them the evidence, the documents, the audio files and what not, they simply ignore it!

That's going to be true with pretty much everyone, even if your "evidence" isn't total garbage. Most people simply don't, and never will, give a damn about anything. Once you learn this you can grow up a bit, but until then you're utterly hopeless. You do not realize that you are not privy to anything, you do not know anything others have not heard of, perhaps only sheltered people or young people like yourself. I heard all of this same stuff before you were born.

They either go off to watch some silly "reality" TV show or add friends on their damn facebook accounts.

Sad, but true with most people again.

My mom and dad both say "You're too young to be worried about that stuff; you should enjoy yourself now as a kid”. Mom and dad, HOW?!!?

I actually agree with you on this one, I think it's stupid when parents say things like that. Actually, my parents said the same thing when I was interested in politics and social change when I was your age.

They're putting all these artificial preservatives in food

Do you have proof these are dangerous? I am not saying I disagree, however.

autism is on the rise

Are you sure autism is on the rise and there is not just a rise in diagnosis? Consider that autism is a very broad spectrum, from people as mentally sound as yourself to people who cannot function in society at all, many who talk about autism on the rise fail to realize the broadness and assume it is all the latter. I remember when ADHD was hugely on the rise as well.

this planet is heating up

So you do not believe global warming is a fraud?

pollution is getting WORSE, and the youth in this country are being over-sexualized and desensitized to violence on a daily basis.

True indeed.

Do any of you really think I should be "enjoying" myself with the bullshit the oppressive regimes have bought on this country?

If you honestly believe the US is an oppressive regime, you are more hopeless and naive than I could have ever imagined. Please demonstrate any rights you have lost since your were born.

I'm glad my brother showed me those videos, because damn it I'm the most patriot out of anyone in my whole damn city, THAT'S WHY I DO WHAT I DO!! I LOVE MY GODDAMN COUNTRY.

Videos of what, what the hell are you talking about?

Fuck you. I haven't said anything negative or hostile towards you. You don't know me, don't you DARE judge me asshole. Keep living in skeptical group think/pass judge ment if you want.

Oh poor baby, you wouldn't want any of the "sheeple" you've judged countless times on this forum and others to judge you in return; you don't like it do you? Do you realize how hypocritical and retarded you just made yourself look in those four sentences? That little quote right there shows how out of touch with reality and common sense you really are.

You need to get off of your high horse and grow up.

Now continue on, with ACTUAL QUESTIONS! NOT CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF MY PERSONAL LIFE. THANK YOU.

When you act like a lunatic, self-centered douche-bag, don't be surprised when people start to be critical of you.

By the way, fuck you too, learn to spell my name when it's right in front of you.

I am glad to see you did not disagree with my assessments, so like Alex Jones, I will assume that I am right and you just do not want to admit or deny it.

@ Eric:

Just to speak in his defense, Danny made it clear in another topic that he is NOT a global warming denier. I actually find that refreshing, considering Alex Jones and most of the CT crowd regard anthropogenic global warming as another Illuminati hoax (Al Gore, of course, is an Illuminati don).

@ Danny:

Do you know how your brother got into conspiracy theories?

In the context of that question, Blood Elves would fall under "Humans".

I also brought up a very important issue on the COINTELPRO page:

Further acts of illegal surveillance, wiretaps, etc, all without a PATRIOT Act mind you - proving if they really want to mess with you, they don't need legislation.

This concept seems to be lost on most CTs when talking about the PATRIOT Act, they also often fail to demonstrate rights they've lost or witnessed lost due to the PATRIOT Act. I oppose the PATRIOT Act because of the unlawful wire tapping among other reasons, but there's nothing in there remotely close to the claims made by the likes of Alex Jones. The idea that it's equal to the Reichstag Fire Decree is like saying a kitten is the same as a rabid wolf.

I also fail to see how the PATRIOT Act has been used to subdue citizens, and if it is a pre-text to Martial Law, why didn't they declare Martial Law after 9/11 and just say the terrorists are under every bed in America? It was the perfect time, and it didn't happen.

^ That last part is a question for you, Danny.

The PATRIOT Act also doesn't prove they exist, in fact I haven't seen any proof that they exist other than people claiming they do and using anecdotal or circumstantial evidence to prove other things, which they then use to prove the NWO, rather than the NWO directly.

"The justice that I strive for is freedom of the people.Freedom in which we have the right to question athourity figures when we find what they done is either questionable Or there's proof behind a claim (but this should be done in a respectful manner)and therefore they should be prosecuted. I strive for a country where the coporations and political figures face the exact same type of treatment in our court system, that would be done for average people such as you guys and myself. I just want my country back."

We DO have the right to question authority. Aren't you doing it right now? The US isn't the oppressive regime that you think it is, you should look at how we treat other countries before you criticize the way we are treated here. The fact that sites like prison planet as well as LEGIT sites out there criticizing the government is proof that we ARE allowed to question authority is completely lost on you it seems.

Political figures and corporations will never be treated the same as those who aren't in the public eye. Would you like 24 news coverage on you, just because one of your secretaries gave you a BJ? Social standing and money is power, and it's why if say... a celebrity commits a crime, (assuming it's not murder or anything like that) they'll usually get off with a slightly (emphasis on slightly) lesser punishment than if you or I committed the same crime. So yeah, it would be nice if EVERYONE was treated exactly the same under the law but it's a far cry from oppression and fascism like you seem to think it is.

Edit:

"I honestly don't know, cowards perhaps, proud of what they had done. I think you got me on this one Edward."

Or perhaps, declaring martial law is not anywhere on anyone's agenda?

Edit x2: Danny, what worries you about the New Age/Spiritualistic stuff?

"All that Gnosticism/Mysticism/new age/rastafarism/Sufism islam stuff is just a false hope."

There's something else you're missing from that list, me thinks. :P

"all he does now is go to work, light incense & reads books, listen to jazz, hang out with his friends or play that retarded X-Box crap."

The horror!! Maybe he's been involved with the "movement" so long that he realizes what a load of nonsense it is. That many years of listening to failed predictions can have that effect on people.

I'm glad to see that your brother is actually (seemingly) enjoying himself now, and if New Ageism can give his life some meaning other than sitting in his room watching 1984 all week then I guess it's an improvement. You have to realize that your "movement" is just one big circle-jerk, you seem like someone who wants to help... but you've just been suckered into something that won't ever really do anything to change the world. Hell, even when there's someone who shares the Patriot Movement's ideals and goes and acts out something like that... the whole movement derides them as a CIA operative or claim that the whole thing was a false-flag operation. (OKC Bombing, Plane in the IRS, etc.) It is destined for nothing.

It may sound tyrannical, but if you start cappin' off pedophiles and rapist they'll get their shit together, if not they better find another country to live in.

The death penalty has been the standard punishment for rape and pedophilia in many societies throughout history, including the one I'm most familiar with, the Byzantine Empire. There were still rapists and pedophiles in Byzantium as there are in any society including ours.

You can't make a direct correlation between the severity of punishment and the incidence of crimes, at least not crimes of passion such as rape and pedophilia (as opposed to crimes of profit or opportunity, which generally are deterrable to a much higher degree).

"American sex offenders are becoming the biggest cowards in the world..."

I'm not sure I even understand what that means or what it is supposed to mean.