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Online usersPollWhat should the government do about ailing financial institutions? Nothing, except to back off and get out—as any Objectivist knows, intervention is treating the disease with the disease 83% Intervene judiciously—enough to avert a catastrophe that is otherwise imminent 3% Intervene massively—as it's doing 3% Nationalize the whole economy and be done with it. Bring on the USSA! 1% Something else (specify) 11% Total votes: 80
 Basic Economics by Thomas Sowell
 Economics In One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt
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Conspiracy Theories Submitted by Landon Erp on Sun, 2006-06-18 18:51.
I brought up conspiracy theories on another thread. Victor mentioned humorously how someone at a Q&A with Rand thought Objectivists were just pawns in the Illuminatti conspiracy and it made me think of the following. Reminds me of a conversation I was having at work a couple days ago. I was talking to a guy who buys into "Bush planned 9/11," "Freemasons control everything" and of course "the illuminati." A few seconds into the discussion I brought up the psychology conspiracy theories count on: 1) there is this malevolent network out there working very hard to make the world a horrible place for everyone but them... but it is controled by a small portion of people, therefore if these 5-20 people get taken out ALL THE WORLD'S PROBLEMS ARE IMMEDIATELY SOLVED! 2) Since they are so powerful you don't have to feel guilty for not trying to stop them... they'd just have you killed for trying. GIVING YOU PERMISSION TO KEEP SLEEPWALKING THROUGH YOUR HORRIBLE LIFE! I explained this to him and he agreed and went on talking about the Illuminatti. It was like the episode of south park where Stan explains cold-reading by actually doing it and explaining it every step of the way as he does... AND PEOPLE ARE STILL AMAZED! But why do theories like this stay popular and keep getting support when they get shot down over and over. Sorry needed to rant. ---Landon
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User loginFeatured BookNavigationSyndicate  The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
 Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
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Rex: what a nice short
Rex: what a nice short simple explanation that is.
(God, I hope somebody gets the irony.)
I aggree with Claudia
If you can sum up all of the worlds problems into a single idea then you don't have to make sense of the rest of it and lets face it life is too big and complicated for the average person so a simple short explanation is all their little brains can handle.
Funny thing about those
Funny thing about those Anarchists...they're so well organized!
Anarchy And Objectivist Influenced Intellectuals
Yes, I'm going to submit an article on Anarchy very soon. I'm fascinated by the appeal of Anarcho-Capitalism on intellectuals who claim that Anarchy and Objectivism are compatible.
Yo, we are still waiting for
Yo, we are still waiting for your article about trashing anarchy in its recent Canadian Incarnation.
No, Mel Gibson is planning
No, Mel Gibson is planning an attack on the Jews. Get it right, man.
Yeppers.
It was Mel Gibson.
Wasn't 9-11 a conspiracy?
Wasn't 9-11 a conspiracy? I'm not talking about the ridiculous notion that Bush planned 9-11. I'm talking about the real planning of the
9-11 attack.
The ultimate conspiracy theory
I think you're right, Claudia. And I think Creationism falls into this category. Why are things the way they are? Why, God did it, of course!
How do they fall for it?
Laziness - so long as something can be connected to a conspiracy, you don't have to take it seriously and cognitize it.
Clearly,
Such individuals are not as strong or bright as we'd like to think. Beyond that, I, like you, am rendered a bit speechless. The beliefs of some people continue to confound me.
"Better to fight for something than live for nothing."
True
But what makes semi-rational people buy into these things.
I'm not saying it happens wholesale there but a lot of the time I come accross people who seem pefectly sane and rational and then out of the blue will just bring up and totally buy into "Well there had to be a second gunman", "The moon landing had to be faked," "Washington had a lot to gain from staging something like 9/11."
I can see how a person without a strong intelectual constitution could get sucked in, but how does this find a foothold in stronger/brighter individuals.
---Landon
Inking is sexy.
http://www.angelfire.com/comics/wickedlakes
Hmm
Conspiracy theories are absurd for the most part. People keep believing them because it adds this sad and twisted element to their lives which makes them feel comfortable: If conspiracy theories are true, nothing the normal individual does really matters...life is out of his/her control.
-JTG
"Better to fight for something than live for nothing."