Bernie Sanders
Related: About this forum“Conspiracy Theory”: Foundations of a Weaponized Term
Someone ask me again to post this again
Subtle and Deceptive Tactics to Discredit Truth in Media and Research
Conspiracy theory is a term that at once strikes fear and anxiety in the hearts of most every public figure, particularly journalists and academics. Since the 1960s the label has become a disciplinary device that has been overwhelmingly effective in defining certain events off limits to inquiry or debate. Especially in the United States raising legitimate questions about dubious official narratives destined to inform public opinion (and thereby public policy) is a major thought crime that must be cauterized from the public psyche at all costs.
Conspiracy theorys acutely negative connotations may be traced to liberal historian Richard Hofstadters well-known fusillades against the New Right. Yet it was the Central Intelligence Agency that likely played the greatest role in effectively weaponizing the term. In the groundswell of public skepticism toward the Warren Commissions findings on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the CIA sent a detailed directive to all of its bureaus. Titled Countering Criticism of the Warren Commission Report, the dispatch played a definitive role in making the conspiracy theory term a weapon to be wielded against almost any individual or group calling the governments increasingly clandestine programs and activities into question.
The CIA Coined the Term Conspiracy Theorist In 1967
Specifically, in April 1967, the CIA wrote a dispatch which coined the term conspiracy theories
and recommended methods for discrediting such theories. The dispatch was marked psych short for psychological operations or disinformation and CS for the CIAs Clandestine Services unit.
The dispatch was produced in responses to a Freedom of Information Act request by the New York Times in 1976.
CIA Document 1035-960 was released in response to a 1976 FOIA request by the New York Times. The directive is especially significant because it outlines the CIAs concern regarding the whole reputation of the American government vis-à-vis the Warren Commission Report. The agency was especially interested in maintaining its own image and role as it contributed information to the [Warren] investigation.
The memorandum lays out a detailed series of actions and techniques for countering and discrediting the claims of the conspiracy theorists, so as to inhibit the circulation of such claims in other countries. For example, approaching friendly elite contacts (especially politicians and editors) to remind them of the Warren Commissions integrity and soundness should be prioritized. [T]he charges of the critics are without serious foundation, the document reads, and further speculative discussion only plays in to the hands of the [Communist] opposition.
The agency also directed its members [t]o employ propaganda assets to [negate] and refute the attacks of the critics. Book reviews and feature articles are particularly appropriate for this purpose.
1035-960 further delineates specific techniques for countering conspiratorial arguments centering on the Warren Commissions findings. Such responses and their coupling with the pejorative label have been routinely wheeled out in various guises by corporate media outlets, commentators and political leaders to this day against those demanding truth and accountability about momentous public events.
Response to Ichingcarpenter (Original post)
silvershadow This message was self-deleted by its author.
Ichingcarpenter
(36,988 posts)and went to each others functions for decades and one even told him to run as prez ....... amazing
Then both went to Epstien's underage sin island on his plane. just ................. amazing.
Many know that we are being played.
Hell ........... We have moderator
in the Socialist forum that's a straight out mega Hillary supporter.
Socialist?.............We are getting played.
Scuba
(53,475 posts)From someone who damn well knows better, too.
99th_Monkey
(19,326 posts)felix_numinous
(5,198 posts)which will woosh above too many people's heads.. This operation is put in place to ridicule and prevent people from theorizing about how organized the establishment is...we're supposed to be too ignorant to figure out the game ourselves.
Hydra
(14,459 posts)And while being the "elite," they never work together to do things either.
Or so we are supposed to believe. Personally, I just think they believe we are too stupid to follow what they do.
silvershadow
(10,336 posts)Hydra
(14,459 posts)The weaponized term is being overused and losing its effect. Besides, how many "conspiracy theories" turned out to be true? How many more things that should have been unthinkable actually happened. Tuskegee, anyone?
Ichingcarpenter
(36,988 posts)This Clinton / Trump line up smells like shit.
since Bill and Donald both like that
asshole, pedophile billionaire Epstein and both went to his sin island.........
Never mind Bill's documented discussion telling Donald to run for president.....
And then Bill never calling Trump out on Donald's birther statements about obama.
No wonder Skinner canned Paul
he was too close to exposing the truth
Paul was a truth seeker and was here when this site started.
Hydra
(14,459 posts)The original plan was Hillary/Jeb. This is just a small correction, as Trump doesn't actually want the position...but Hillary will owe him for throwing it for her.
And who was Paul? I've lost track of the number of people who should still be here and aren't...and the number who should not still be here but are allowed to return again and again like a plague of B movies.
Ichingcarpenter
(36,988 posts)he, Octafish and myself
are good friends
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1280&pid=203165
rhett o rick
(55,981 posts)It isn't the Progressives doing it. They use the fear of CT to censor views that don't meet their own. For example, when Edward Snowden first exposed the NSA, the Conservative Democrats tried to lock a number of OP's by screaming CT, CT, hide it, it's CT.
The OP's that were alerted on pertained to discussions on what the NSA was doing. Now when OP's were posted that said Snowden was an agent for Japan, or for China, or for Russia, obvious speculation, no alerts from the Conservatives.
This is supposedly a political liberal message board, but liberals don't go around yelling CT, everyone run, CT.
Hydra
(14,459 posts)Why would they shut down their own(inaccurate) talking points?
rhett o rick
(55,981 posts)they seem to keep coming back like Zombies.
ljm2002
(10,751 posts)...they must hate Hillary, who after all coined the phrase "Vast Right Wing Conspiracy".