September 6, 2005
Kamloops Daily News



Thousands of Jews were saved from a horrible death four
years ago on September 11.  Instead of going to work at the
World Trade Centre in New York on that tragic day, they were
told to stay home by the Israeli spy agency Mossad.  At
least, that's what the Lebanese TV station Al Manar
reported.

The story was completely false but that didn't stop
conspiracy theorists from weaving the tale into their web of
global intrigue.  In their minds, the story proves that Jews
were involved in the attack on the U.S. with the motive of
making the Arabs seem responsible.

Jews have been implicated in conspiracy stories for a long
time.  In the 1900s, Russian Czar Nicholas II promoted a
hoax document called the Protocols of the Learned Elders of
Zion.  It claimed that a secret cabal of Jews manipulated
world events through various groups.

The Protocols were translated into many languages and
circulated around the world.  Eventually they were used to
justify attacks on Jews.

The troubling part of these fanciful conspiracy theories is
that they discredit the real accounts of conspiracies.  
Sometimes, someone really is out to get you.

So, how do you tell real conspiracies from the imaginary
hoaxes?  Chip Berlet, a researcher for Political Research
Associates in Boston, has a few tips.

Phony conspiracy theories divide the world into Us and Them.  
They are evil and subversive, maybe even subhuman.  We are
good and blameless.   Bogus theories often claim that time
is running out - - we must act immediately to stave off a
cataclysmic event.

Also, people are cast in roles as either enemy or friend and
there is no such thing as middle ground. In the battle with
evil, can you really say you are neutral?

Conspiracy theories are especially appealing in times of
unrest.   Wars, social struggles for racial or gender
equality, political stress - - all grow like a seed in
fertile minds.   The world becomes clear when viewed through
a conspiracist's lens.

A healthy skepticism of authority is essential to democracy. 
But doubt must be moderated by critical thought.  Any theory
must maintain a logical consistency.  We should demand
evidence in support of an argument, not blind acceptance of
so-called facts.

Conspiracy theorists are slippery in their logic and
careless of facts and assumptions. They work from a premise
or preconception of conspiracy and deny other possible
explanations of events.  Circumstance, rumour and hearsay
serve as evidence and are deemed sufficient for proof.

Conspiracy theories are popular because they explain what
others can't.  They appear to make sense out of a world that
is otherwise confusing.   Theorists often promote themselves
as having inside information, as ones with secret knowledge
that is hidden from the masses.

Shortly after the September 11 attack, President Bush
skillfully borrowed the rhetoric of conspiracists.  "You're
either with us or against us in the fight against terror,"
he said.  "This is an evil man that we're dealing with, and
I wouldn't put it past him to develop evil weapons to try to
harm civilization as we know it," Bush continued.

Meanwhile, Jews have come under attack from both the left
and the right.   The attacks from the right are from the
usual suspects - - skinheads, white supremacists, and
fascist groups.

The attacks from the left are not so much against Jews as
against the military state of Israel.   Israel was once the
darling of socialists, admired for its communal farms and
strong sense of fair play.

Lately, the administration of Israel has been more
interested in military solutions to their claims of
God-given land at the expense of the aspirations of the
Palestinians.

I haven't noticed any conspiracy theories yet about the most
recent attack of terror on the disenfranchised citizens of
New Orleans. 

Let's get the rumour mill grinding.   Arab students, with
nothing but their bare hands and plastic spoons, dug through
the levee that held back the water from New Orleans.  They
did it because they hate democracy and the free world.

Or, how about this one:   New York Jews, in return for their
lives being spared four years ago, cut through the levee to
shut down local oil refineries and drive the price of oil
and gas up.  They were ordered to do so by the rich Jews who
control the world.

Remember, you read it here first.

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