Do You Believe?

[BarTopDancer]

The Anthrax thread got me thinking about conspiracy theories.

One of my favorite books is UFOs, JFK and Elvis by Richard Belzer.

I believe Lee Harvey Oswald shot JFK. I'm not sure if I believe he did it on his own or someone put him up to it. I'm also not sure if Jack Ruby killed Oswald on his own or someone put him up to it. I believe we landed on the moon, but I can see how others; especially those not from the US can think it was made up -I heard some interesting perspectives from some people (not Lash) from Oz.

I don't believe that our government is behind the 9/11 attacks. Did they know something was coming - I think so. Did they do it? I don't think so.

I believe that we're not the only intelligent life forms in the universe. Maybe in our solar system, but probably not the galaxy and certainly not in the universe. Do we have proof at "Area 51" or elsewhere? Most likely.

What do you believe in?

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by BarTopDancer

I believe that we're not the only intelligent life forms in the universe. Maybe in our galaxy, but probably not the solar system and certainly not in the universe. Do we have proof at "Area 51" or elsewhere? Most likely.

I believe you've swapped the terms "galaxy" and "solar system" there.

[BarTopDancer]

Thanks. Fixed.

[Moonliner]

Well, I believe in the soul. The small of a woman's back. The hanging curveball. High fiber. Good scotch. That the novels of Susan Sontag are self-indulgent, overrated crap. I believe Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. I believe there ought to be a Constitution Amendment outlawing Astroturf and the designated hitter. I believe in the sweet spot, soft-core pornography, opening your presents Christmas morning rather than Christmas eve. And I believe in long, slow, deep, soft, wet kisses that last three days...

[Gemini Cricket]

I believe that Kevin Costner used to make good movies...

[Snowflake]

Originally Posted by Gemini Cricket

I believe that Kevin Costner used to make good movies...

I believe you're crazy for believing that.

[Alex]

Evolution is the conspiracy theory I believe in (as defined by a certain large segment of the creationist/ID community). Otherwise I'm having trouble thinking of anything I buy into that would widely be called a conspiracy. Oh, I do think there is a crypto-Christian conspiracy (though that is not to say ALL Christians are involved) to create a separately educated population in hopes of taking over our governmental institutions. But to a degree that is a conspiracy called "the democratic process at its dirtiest".

I'm not an expert but I've seen nothing that seems like strong evidence that anybody other than Oswald was involved in Kennedy's assassination.

The U.S. government was not involved in planning/execution of the 9/11 attack. I do not believe that any portion of the government was aware in a concrete way of the attack before it was carried out. Similarly I don't believe the FDR administration had pre-knowledge of the Pearl Harbor attack and allowed it to happen for political reasons.

I do not believe that the government is in any way hiding or obfuscating evidence of alien life. I think that life is likely common through the universe but probably only at the bacterial level. Complex life is probably pretty rare and intelligent life capable of communicating across interstellar space or so altering their environment that we could detect is extremely rare. But even if extremely rare that suggests billions of intelligent species across the observable universe. However, assuming a relatively finite period of existence for any given species the odds of any two of those billions co-existing both spatially and temporally are really small. And given that I accept our current understanding of universal physical properties I do not think there are or ever will be aliens engaging in casual interstellar (or intergalactic) travel. Which is what would be necessary for any of the stories of alien visitation to be true.

I do not believe that the auto or oil industry has squelched the 100mpg standard car engine.

I do not believe that anybody has invented a perpetual motion or zero-point energy machine and just hasn't been able to get anybody to pay attention.

We did land on the moon.

NASA is not hiding evidence of a Mars civilization.

HIV/AIDS is not a man-made disease. And HIV does cause AIDS.

[innerSpaceman]

Originally Posted by Gemini Cricket

I believe that Kevin Costner used to make good movies...

And one of those was JFK.

It sparked so many memories for me (yes, I was alive when Kennedy was assassinated) ... so it sparked a lot of independent research by yours truly.


While I uncovered one fact that made it nearly impossible that there was a conspiracy involving Oswald ... there were 637 other facts that made it nearly impossible that there was NOT such a conspiracy.


As such, I pretty firmly believe Oswald was not involved in the actual shooting. JFK actually sets out the case pretty well. I read about 16 books on the subject, and there's not much pertinent that the film did not address and tackle (especially if you figure in the deleted scenes).



I was also alive for the Moon landing. If that was staged, it could have been done better (Christ, we sat around for 6 hours waiting for Armstrong to get his ass out of the LEM). So I don't believe in that particular conspiracy theory. Very oddball one if you ask me.



As for whether our government was involved in 9/11 ... yes, I believe they were to some extent.

[Tenigma]

Feh. I read the topic title and thought this was another Obama rallythread.

[scaeagles]

I believe that my father in law is secretly in the CIA (or working for them as a contractor). Not that anyone else here would have knowledge of this, though.