Re: those supposedly “crazy” conspiracy theorists, guess what?

[Cerridwen]

16. My apologies. I thought you knew history.

The effects of Agent Orange were once labelled....conspiracy theory. The government denied benefits because it wasn't the cause of all the illnesses being reported.

My point; that you eluded and tried to twist, was that many old conspiracies have recently been proven; as you noted with the "recent" NSA/CIA proof of "overreach."

Many of us knew of those "overreaches" long before they were validated.

Many of those "KNOWN, historical fact"s were once labelled...conspiracy theory. Guess which group of people persisted and had them investigated and eventually entered into the record of "KNOWN, historical fact"s?

It wasn't those who accepted, unquestioningly, the "official" story.

As to your use of the rhetorical tool of using a "moderate" position and comparing it to an "extreme" position; it's a tool of "dishonest brokers" to distract and pervert honest discussion. It's sometimes called, false equivalency.

edit: my typing sucks tonight