Claude Taylor and his many 'sources'

[jberryhill]

5. The phenomenon reminds me of birtherism

There was a rich fabric of arcane nonsense underlying various strains of birtherism. One of my favorites was that Barack Obama's mother somehow managed to revoke his US citizenship when he lived as a minor in Indonesia. Confronting the fact that no one can do that, they developed the theory that it was somehow necessary for him to have re-affirmed his US citizenship after returning to the US and then reaching the age of 18.

Now, take this thing about a secret impeachment proceeding that through odd legal magic requires an official from the Supreme Court (or in other variants from Congress) to serve notice on the White House. Impeachment simply doesn't work that way. However, the will to believe certainly does work that way.

There is a mindset which is disposed to accept as truth whatever it is one is inclined to hope to be true - even if it makes no actual sense. The reactions of anger and distrust toward those who express doubt is an effective mechanism to sow division. But wanting to believe something tends to relax one's critical thinking.