Monday, February 22, 2010
Conspiracies and Complicities
The three aims of the tyrant are, one, the humiliation of his subjects; he knows that a mean-spirited man will not conspire against anybody; two, the creation of mistrust among them; for a tyrant is not to be overthrown until men begin to have confidence in one another -- and this is the reason why tyrants are at war with the good; they are under the idea that their power is endangered by them, not only because they will not be ruled despotically, but also because they are too loyal to one another and to other men, and do not inform against one another or against other men -- three, the tyrant desires that all his subjects shall be incapable of action, for no one attempts what is impossible and they will not attempt to overthrow a tyranny if they are powerless. -- Aristotle
For you see, the world is governed by very different personages from what is imagined by those who are not behind the scenes. -- Benjamin Disraeli
I have been bothered recently by the treatment of persons identified as "wacko conspiracy theorists" for wanting to learn the truth. High profile persons mock and deride honest people like Alan Keyes who would simply like to see a birth certificate.
Recently, Bill O'Reilly and Glenn Beck have taken up against the inquiry. O'Reilly misses and dismisses a lot in his efforts to be perceived as fair and balanced. Glenn "hold to the truth" Beck should know better than to dismiss a constitutional truth. A certificate of live birth, which simply proves that someone was born somewhere is not the same as a birth certificate, and shouldn't be accepted as such, without other proof. Now, do I think it makes a difference? Yes, for future reference. If in fact it turns out Obama was born out of the US, it will be but one in a long list of serious mistakes leading to the election.
I believe in Occam's razor. Occam's razor teaches that the simplest explanation is almost always true. The simplest explanation to me is that this child's mother wanted US citizenship for her son, and learned of a way to accomplish that in August 1961. Not the first time, nor the last. This is done many times a day in the US even now.
I don't normally subscribe to conspiracy theories. For example, the torturous logic behind those who believe in US government complicity in 9/11 leaves me unconvinced. Too complicated. Too hard to cover up that many loose strings. Sure, a lot of folks are suspicious, and not all things can be explained.
But to dismiss those who seek the truth is to promote untruth. No matter the results of the find.
Many conspiracies turn out to be true. Here's one.
A hospital record of birth would be helpful here. No, it's not a "right wing conspiracy". It is an issue of constitutional importance.
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