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Condemning Conspiracy Theories

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    Skeptics Society Founder Michael Shermer sounds off on the world’s greatest conspiracy theories.

  • Duration 6:11
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-- Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walking in the move.

Was exciting watching that and yet today 6% of Americans think it was all -- Hollywood studio -- by our government.

In order to avoid the humiliation of losing of the Soviet Union in the space race.

This doesn't surprise -- people come up to -- airports the -- I mean who reported how the government created crack to kill black people.

Or aids to kill gates or how there's a UN plot to create a new world order a totalitarian world government.

I say to them.

So convinced.

If a new world order we're really happening.

It would be a conspiracy.

Houses -- people all over the world would that leak.

Wouldn't some of those people be eager to talk about it would we in the media love to put it on the front page with the be big headline.

-- to think that the fact that it's not on the front page means it's probably not true.

And they look at me and -- just don't believe I don't convince them.

Why are some people so eager to believe in conspiracies.

Michael Shermer studies that he's the author of them.

Book them believing brain from ghosts and gods to politics and conspiracy so.

Michael there's not a plot for one world government.

And people believes that -- -- -- very.

He had -- they did actually think that -- have attempted world domination there's twelve people living in London the looming not near the rockefellers have a Rothschild deserve more recently the bush the bushes and -- on -- somehow there'll.

Orchestrating this and basically with conspiracies.

Unlike a lot of the other claims we -- cat -- skeptic that.

Some of them are true I mean Watergate was a conspiracy the attempted assassination and then successful assassination Lincoln was a conspiracy -- assassination of Franz Ferdinand that triggered World War I was a conspiracy -- there are some -- like at least say.

Very it's OK so what what criteria -- what criteria do we have basically.

The more people that have to be involved the less likely it is to be true.

The more components that have to come together the more elements at all have to be coordinated just perfectly.

The less likely it is to be true people can't keep their mouth shut as you know three people can keep -- secret of two of them are dead Franklin said that centuries ago.

It's still true today and it's just think about Watergate I mean this secure you have the most powerful administration in the world and they couldn't even break -- hotel.

Successfully end and in any case is -- -- -- about it afterwards.

It's today so many Americans believe that in September 11 was orchestrated by President Bush.

As an excuse to wage war in Iraq but think about what would have to come together for this we we already know of the planes -- the buildings we all seem videos have itself.

Not only did that have to not only that happened but.

They also believe that in explosive devices were intentionally planted inside.

Both World Trade Center buildings these two the most secure buildings in the world somehow.

Conspirators got in there and for months -- a time plan of these bombs inside in other words.

Once you start spinning it you have hundreds and hundreds of elements -- would have to come together and thousands of people that would have to coordinate there's.

Not one of -- months to go on your show to tell what they release are not one told their spouse or their girlfriend.

A pillow talk to a quick idea editor of the you know what I saw -- not one.

Because this is what happens we find out about conspiracies is -- people can't get their -- shut and yet nothing like that has happened with 9/11 9/11 was done exactly how we think it was done by al-Qaeda.

Not by the Bush Administration.

And yet 16% of Americans say it's very likely they're federal officials.

Had a role in us more say somewhat likely.

Only slightly more than half say not -- some believe it because they think.

The corporate media had been called that the corporate media -- implicit.

Were complicit in cover ups.

Right even if that were true that somehow it's -- Rupert Murdoch ran all the news and we already know that there's you know hundreds of different media sources that somebody like a Drudge I mean -- dredge got his name by -- -- an alternative media that somebody would be the next -- by.

Blowing open the biggest story of the century that 9/11 is orchestrated by the Bush Administration we have approved here it is.

-- surely somebody would do that.

And I should also say as someone who's worked in the corporate media for ABC and now for Rupert.

That the corporate media may have one wish but they can't control us.

I mean the people ABC -- hated business and just wouldn't do let the business with and in charge -- might have told them to do and rarely -- anywhere and does anyone tell us to do anything we really do have a free press in America.

What about the -- we do how could so many people think that was fate in the studio.

Well in in part because it is such a fantastic amazing feat that it seems like well gosh could they really have done that but if you think about it.

In terms of the technology the time it would have been an even better feet below film something like -- pull it off without all those engineers.

Working at NASA who were keeping track of the telemetry coming back from the spacecraft as it was heading for.

The moon that would have had to been coordinated by some sort of fantastic satellite telemetry and that's that just wasn't even possible at the time and so the question is why why -- people believe these things in part it's because of something called cognitive dissonance -- We want to balance our our view of the world with the way things should be so and assassination of JFK.

Necessities of the big can be comparable to killing a president.

Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone alone not and nobody but doesn't jive it doesn't feel positive feels dissident or princes di she's a -- What -- she die of speeding drunk driving no seatbelt does get more mundane than that that's what.

Lots of people -- front but -- apprentice -- had to be some sort of symbolic conspiracy.

Plot against her murder and assassination.

It feels better to most people.

Thank you Michael server it may feel better but it's not turn up and coming -- -- under.

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