Conspiratorial misunderstandings

A couple years ago, I was on a site I don’t think is around anymore where you could post articles and have discussions with the other members.  I posted a few articles about space exploration – which I’m a big supporter of – and there was this one lady – who wasn’t a supporter – made some comments.  We went back and forth a few times and at one point she said that she knew a guy who had worked for NASA and he had told her their dark secret, but it had been told in confidence and she couldn’t repeat it. 

Not having any evidence, I wondered what could be an explanation for this “dark secret.” Was her friend fired for being drunk on the job and he was just angry and made something up?  Did he have dementia?  Or, since this lady didn’t have any interest in space and wouldn’t know an STS from an SLS (Space Transportation System, or the Space Shuttle and the Space Launch System, the big rocket NASA is currently building) is it possible that she just misunderstood whatever non-dark secret thing he told her?  Without any evidence one way or the other, why should I just take her word that there’s a dark, NASA conspiracy?

Recent events reminded me of this, and it got me wondering what percentage of conspiracy theories exist because of a simple misunderstanding?  My first thought was maybe 90%, but the more I thought about it the more complex it became.  Years ago I saw a video of a woman standing on a hill outside of London videotaping UFOs flying around Heathrow.  A UFO debunker pointed out that these UFOs had anti-collision lights as well as the faint rumble of jet engines.  Should this woman’s conspiracy theory about why the British government said nothing about these “UFOs” fit in the misunderstanding category?  Also, with the recent 9-11 anniversary, I saw an article about how some people were posing as conspiracy theorists on websites to pass on these complete bullshit stories which the real conspiracy theorists accepted as truth.  Should that be counted as a misunderstanding?

Given the bazillion conspiracy theories coming from the conspiracy theory cottage industry of the internet, you have to wonder how many are serious.  How many result from simple misunderstandings, how many are pranks gotten out of control, how many are malicious for whatever reason, etc.

My 2016 Election Prediction

My prediction is that next summer, roughly a year from now, once all the hubbub of Hillary's first 100 days is long over with, people will look back on Trump's campaign the same way we look back on "2 Girls 1 Cup." You know, wondering How was that a thing?

Accidental evil?

Yesterday, before getting in my car I leaned in to set some things on the passenger seat.  This simple act turned out to be rather painful, because I rammed that button on the top of my hat right into the top of the door.  This led to the two things that happen whenever you do that of One: feeling like an idiot, and Two: wondering why they put the buttons there in the first place.

As I was driving home, rubbing the sore spot on my head, I started to wonder where the hat button ranks on the list of Most Evil Inventions.  Of course, it wasn't intentionally evil, just accidentally evil.  Or was it?

Third Party Folly

It seems that a lot of Americans – dissatisfied with the candidates of the two main political parties – are talking about voting for a Third Party this year as a protest.  But is that the best thing?

Before anyone starts yelling, I personally want a strong Third Party in this country.  Hell, I want strong Fourth, Fifth, even Sixth Parties.  But notice I used the word “strong.” One Third Party a lot of people are talking about these days is the Green Party.  According to their Wikipedia page, there are “over 100” Green Party members holding elective office from serving on school boards to being mayors.  Members have even been in state legislatures, although there apparently are none right now.

Not to diminish the importance of school boards and mayors, but would you be comfortable with your mayor becoming President?  We have this fantasy that anyone can become President, but really it takes a very special person to be able to put up with the rigors of being President.  You know how they’ll show photos of Presidents during their first year and their last year and it looks like they’ve aged thirty? 

What does that have to do with Third Parties?  If by some chance a Third Party person won the Presidency, who would work with them in DC?  Remember, Obama won two elections, but that didn’t mean the Republicans would work with him.  It’s possible that some Third Party momentum would bring in a few representatives or maybe a senator if they’re really lucky, but that’s hardly a governing block. 

It seems that a lot of the drive for a Third Party victory is less about that Third Party being a better choice and more as a way to blow up the current system in the hopes we could rebuild it better.  You know, kind of like what Bush did to Iraq.  Because that worked so well.

Again, I support a strong Third Party, but to me it seems that Third Parties that run candidates for President are doing it just for the show, to get in the news because there isn’t any other way for a candidate to connect to millions of people across the country in some sort of social network.  My advice for people wanting a strong Third Party is to forget about the Presidency until you’ve won some big elections.  I’m not talking about school boards or mayors, more governors or senators.  Do the hard work of connecting to the people and showing that you have better solutions than Schmuck A or Schmuck B.  Become an actually Third Party before going for the Presidential Gold. 

And to people protesting by voting for a Third Party, is that really the best way to fix the System, or are you just saying, “It’s the best I can do,” while flipping off the System with one hand while jerking off with the other?

Free Pies!

To mark the last two days of the Democratic Convention, my collection of forty short stories with political themes – Political Pies – will be free to download on Kindle today and tomorrow.