With conspiracy theories being cornered and dismissed as nothing to be concerned, more would be belittled as they would all be grouped together as nothing but far fetched ideas with evidence only being seen at a quick glance of any situation. But, Lance deHaven Smith, the writer of “Conspiracy Theory in America”, would identify these theories as SCAD’s, or also known as State Crimes Against Democracy. The term SCAD under his own words are, “defined as concerted actions or inactions by government insiders intended to manipulate democratic process and undermine popular sovereignty.” (Smith 12), simply put, SCAD’s are actions that directly violate laws or oaths of office to exploit for personal political power, or to suppress public awareness. Out of awareness for conspiracy theorists, Smith coined the term SCAD due to public views on any relation to the word, ‘conspiracy’ and are considered to be negatively associated with far fetched ideas from unusual individuals. …show more content…
With the new direction that Smith uses for SCAD, he uses it as a displacement for conspiracy theories, rather than replacing it, he categorizes it under a “type of wrongdoing about which the conspiracy-theory label discourages us from speaking.” (Smith 9), with Smith giving us examples of SCAD’s, like Kennedy’s assassination, the shooting of George Wallace, and the assassination of Lee Harvey Oswald. In Alexander Cockburns book, “Whiteout: The CIA, Drugs and the Press”, give extreme examples of SCAD, along with two other
Each case study has its similarities and differences but they are all unique in their own way. For instance they involve the government and powerful individuals or organizations. The Jonestown case said that the FBI was secretively involved, 9/11 conspiracy stated that the Government knew of the possible attacks and did not try to stop it and also may have been behind the entire operation. Obama and beyond said that the president of the United States of America was in fact not actually born in the country and finally the Satanic Panic had participation from the illuminati which consisted of various powerful political leaders as well as popular musicians who allegedly had satanic messages in their songs. In all of these cases the government was involved in organization and also
Several rhetorical concepts are used to approach the readers of this article, these being proofs known as reasoning (logos), credibility (ethos), and emotion (pathos). Conspiracy theorists, such as Mock, often use logic or reason to attract readers. They understand that conspiracies are seen as lies and paranoia, so to build their audience they appeal to their logical side. In today’s society logic is everything, and being able to prove something is what is important. Making a reference to a factual document or book is always a source of proof. The reference towards a dictionary is used because it is something we use every day, something that is impo...
“INSTITUTE FOR HISTORICAL REVIEW.” Propaganda and Disinformation: How the CIA Manufactures History. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 May 2014.
In times of great terror and panic, the citizens of a nation must decide what they value most: their right to privacy or the lives of the innocent. Government surveillance is criticized, however there are times in a nation’s history where, in order to ensure the safety of their citizens, they must surveill the country for potential hazards that might exist in the world. The government-issued program, COINTELPRO--a series of illegal projects during the twentieth century organized by the Federal Bureau of Investigation--while heavily criticized for its unconstitutional grounds--was justified because it benefitted the nation during a period of upheaval. COINTELPRO is popularly condemned by historians and professors such as Brandeis University Professor of Sociology, David Cunningham, who asserts that the FBI counterintelligence program was only a form of repression that allowed for the government to suppress matters that they consider bothersome (234) This however was not the case. COINTELPRO was necessary because of the great social unrest, individuals posed threats to society, and creating operations that were beneficial to the United States.
Prados, John. Safe for Democracy The Secret Wars of the CIA. Chicago, IL: Ivan R Dee, Publisher, 2006.
Central idea: The assassination of our 35th president was an inside job that needs to be exposed.
The “Burr Conspiracy” proved the effectiveness of America’s government (people disliked by the government could not be eliminated by a charge of treason due to the checks and balances of the American government), and revealed possible threats to national unity.
In researching this and many other conspiracy theories, one can see many uses of sensationalism, mainly by the media. This media- the news (local and national), magazines, tabloids, television shows, movies, and so on- has a huge e...
On November 22, 1963, at 12:30 in the afternoon, President John F. Kennedy was shot at and killed while participating in a motorcade in Dallas, Texas. The most important question that arises from this incident is ‘Who killed President John F. Kennedy?’ This is an issue which has been debated by scholars, The Government, and even common people alike. Many people seem to feel that it was a conspiracy, some large cover-up within a cover-up.
While researching the Kennedy assassination there were many articles, saying that the mob was involved in the shooting. The writers were convinced that there was more than one person involved when it came too killing John Kennedy, on that warm sunny day in downtown Dallas. However, while these authors were convinced that there was another party involved, so was the rest of America with eighty percent saying the report was false. The goal of this paper is to bring this topic into the spotlight once more, by connecting the shooting of the president with the mob, and Lee Harvey Oswald.
Weiner, Tim. Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA. New York: Doubleday, 2007. Print.
Thomas Pynchon’s novel, The Crying of Lot 49, is set in California during the 1960s in the aftermath of John F. Kennedy’s assassination, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and in the midst of the Vietnam War. It is also a period of counterculture and social revolution when drug use becomes popularized and sexuality is explored. This historical context is evident in the novel as the main character, Oedipa, attempts to establish order and meaning in life. This essay will explore how Pynchon uses Oedipa as a projection of increased paranoia during this historical age. Using Brian L. Keeley’s article, “Of Conspiracy Theories,” I will support the notion that the first five chapters of Pynchon’s novel is a cautionary tale about subscribing to conspiracy theories, with Oedipa as the example of a conspiracy theorist.
History has come around with numerous prophecies about Apocalypse which contradicts each other, but recent years a new day has been set for the end of the world, December 21, 2012. The irony is that the date associated with the end of the world is constructed on the premise that history is cyclical and not linear. Predicting the Day of Judgment is a cultural phenomenon that speculates cataclysmic and apocalyptic events that will occur. This idea has been disseminated in countless books, websites, and documentaries. The forecast that the world will end in 2012 is based on the fact that the Mayan culture long-term calendar, which ends in 5125 and corresponds with our calendar’s date of December 21, 2012, warns of disasters that will end the world (Geoff, 38). Some believers of the apocalypse say that Maya astronomers have predicted the alignment of the earth, the sun, and the Milky Way center solstice on December 21, 2012. According to the prediction, the alignment is related to the procession of the equinoxes and is a sign of transition between two different eras of the universe. One interpretation of this transition, which refers to a new era, believes that during this period the earth and is inhabitants will experience a physical transformation. The year 2012 marks the beginning of this era. Other theories suggest that 2012 marks the end of the world or a similar catastrophe. Scenarios for the end of the world currently include a collision of the earth with a wandering planet, or a black hole, or the occurrence of the next solar maximum. Indeed, several synopses have been devised for December 21, 2012, but the most alarming is the coming of apocalypse.
Since the beginning of settled civilizations, people have had more mutual sharings than ever before. By the same token, there have been some conspiracy theories that are usually against the culturally accepted beliefs of religions, science and society. A conspiracy theory can be described so differently. However, as in his text, Marshall Brain explicates, a conspiracy is generally defined as a theory seeking to explain a disputed case or matter as a plot by a secret group or alliance rather than an individual or isolated act (Brain). Especially, after the new media has become quite popular, more and more conspiracies are theorized every single day, which aim to catch society’s attention via such media tools as the internet, journals and newspapers. Thus, people who theorize those conspiracies tend to use such objects as spiritual and mysterious ones in order to interest people. To illustrate, many examples can be given. For instance, many people have claimed that they were abducted by aliens, although they could show no evidences. Here, a citation from Blackmore could facilitate to understand the circumstance better. She states that people occasionally claim that they have been abducted from public places by aliens, in this case that may provide them with witnesses and affirmations but no evidence could be shown so far (Blackmore). As it is well known, only a small number of people believe such alien abductions, however, rating of this kind of news is quite high on media, because humankind has been wondering if there are extraterrestrial creatures out of the earth. Another example can be conspiracy theories which are about the origins of religions such as the rejection of Jesus Christ. There are some people who pay attention to...
Employed as a “tool of statecraft” since the Revolutionary days (Daugherty, 2004, p. 1), covert action has long been used as instrument to achieve a number of United States foreign policy objectives. These clandestine activities to influence economic, political, or military conditions in foreign states have been widely regarded as an attractive third option to many Presidential administrations as a cost-effective middle ground measure between diplomacy and overt war. When integrated as but one part of a comprehensive plan, and for specific and achievable objectives, success has often resulted. However, there have been other instances where this tool has been wielded poorly and/or for the wrong reasons, bringing disastrous consequences. Additionally, even outcomes that were initially determined to be successful often had unintended deleterious repercussions later. In spite of this erratic track record and questions of moral ambiguity, covert operations have been utilized by every U.S. President since World War II. Whether undertaken as part of a larger campaign or as a measure of last resort, whether directed at a government or an individual, and whether implemented during peacetime or war, covert operations have been executed to achieve any number of stated, as well as veiled, foreign policy objectives.