Author Topic: Why the hoax theory fails out of the starting gate  (Read 33525 times)

Offline Glom

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Why the hoax theory fails out of the starting gate
« on: February 08, 2012, 12:13:11 PM »
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For all the nitpicking about things that don't exist, conspiracists fail to answer the important questions:
1) Why bother?  Just because a real moonlanding would be a triumph it doesn't automatically mean it's worth faking.
2) Why is it easier to fake it than do it for real?
3) Why do the nitpicks about shadows and crosshairs imply a hoax?  There could be a thousand explanations for those nits.
« Last Edit: February 10, 2012, 05:53:20 PM by Glom »

Offline gillianren

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Re: Why the hoax theory fails out of the starting gate
« Reply #1 on: February 09, 2012, 03:27:31 PM »
I've always wondered that.  I guess logic simply isn't relevant in hoax belief.
"This sounds like a job for Bipolar Bear . . . but I just can't seem to get out of bed!"

"Conspiracy theories are an irresistible labour-saving device in the face of complexity."  --Henry Louis Gates

Offline Kiwi

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Re: Why the hoax theory fails out of the starting gate
« Reply #2 on: February 10, 2012, 05:33:51 AM »
1) Why bother?  Just because a real moonlanding would be a triumph it does automatically mean it's worth faking.

What does that mean?  It's not clear -- is there a typo in it, or something left out?
Don't criticize what you can't understand. — Bob Dylan, “The Times They Are A-Changin'” (1963)
Some people think they are thinking when they are really rearranging their prejudices and superstitions. — Edward R. Murrow (1908–65)

Offline Glom

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Re: Why the hoax theory fails out of the starting gate
« Reply #3 on: February 10, 2012, 10:23:22 AM »
1) Why bother?  Just because a real moonlanding would be a triumph it does automatically mean it's worth faking.

What does that mean?  It's not clear -- is there a typo in it, or something left out?

What I mean is that the risk and cost of faking a moon landing requires a very good reason.  When pushed on this, HBs just point out the general reasons for wanting a moon programme.  But that's not enough.  There needs to be more to justify faking it.

Offline gillianren

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Re: Why the hoax theory fails out of the starting gate
« Reply #4 on: February 10, 2012, 03:21:04 PM »
I think it is a typo and should say "doesn't."
"This sounds like a job for Bipolar Bear . . . but I just can't seem to get out of bed!"

"Conspiracy theories are an irresistible labour-saving device in the face of complexity."  --Henry Louis Gates

Offline dwight

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Re: Why the hoax theory fails out of the starting gate
« Reply #5 on: February 10, 2012, 05:16:33 PM »
I have found that recently most HBs tend to be really off-tangent and actually come across as idiots with no help but their own. There is a decided turn against following every conspiracy out there and people are starting to question the HB side's plain stupid arguments.
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Offline Glom

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Re: Why the hoax theory fails out of the starting gate
« Reply #6 on: February 10, 2012, 05:54:03 PM »
I think it is a typo and should say "doesn't."

Oh yeah.  Sorry.  I only just noticed my dim error.

Offline RAF

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Re: Why the hoax theory fails out of the starting gate
« Reply #7 on: February 15, 2012, 04:49:03 PM »
I have found that recently most HBs tend to be really off-tangent and actually come across as idiots with no help but their own.


cough (Patrick) cough


Just read his latest...he now claims that JFK knew the Apollo missions were faked, 5 years after he was assasinated.


What an idiot...

Offline dwight

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Re: Why the hoax theory fails out of the starting gate
« Reply #8 on: February 15, 2012, 05:44:45 PM »
It's actually funny to see even the great JW fall down the path of bizarreness. Over on YT he claims a cheeky comment by John Saxon from Honeysuckle Creek is "very telling". I don't think he quite realized that Mr Saxon is a friend of mine and I happen to know what he thinks of HBs and people like JW. I wonder if he would take every word John says as gospel truth if I were to publish those comments?
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Offline gillianren

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Re: Why the hoax theory fails out of the starting gate
« Reply #9 on: February 16, 2012, 03:22:17 PM »
No, he'd take it as evidence that "they" got to him.
"This sounds like a job for Bipolar Bear . . . but I just can't seem to get out of bed!"

"Conspiracy theories are an irresistible labour-saving device in the face of complexity."  --Henry Louis Gates

Offline Abaddon

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Re: Why the hoax theory fails out of the starting gate
« Reply #10 on: February 22, 2012, 10:35:05 AM »
No, he'd take it as evidence that "they" got to him.
In the odd HB universe, literally any fact can be bent into a shape in favour of a hoax.

I suppose that's a skill, in a perverse kind of way.

Offline Abaddon

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Re: Why the hoax theory fails out of the starting gate
« Reply #11 on: February 22, 2012, 10:36:46 AM »
Wait, what? How come we are all Mercurians?

And why is it so hot in here?

Offline twik

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Re: Why the hoax theory fails out of the starting gate
« Reply #12 on: February 22, 2012, 12:39:04 PM »
I think that most conspiracists have developed a thinking pattern from popular media portrayals of conspiracies. While one can always find some way of rationalizing "they wanna make giant killer bats, OK?" in the script, it doesn't have to be a particularly strong reason. They're the bad guys, and they're evil. They do these things because they're evil. That's all you really need to know.

So, we see Patrick trying desperately to find reasons to justify faking the Apollo missions. Um, oh, he knows, it's to establish a space-based missile platform! When it's pointed out to him that such a setup would be inferior to systems that we do know about, he shrugs, and insists that it would work as part of such a system, so therefore it *must* be part of the system. Sort of an "if it can be done, we will do it, even if there's not much point."

Offline gillianren

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Re: Why the hoax theory fails out of the starting gate
« Reply #13 on: February 22, 2012, 03:41:56 PM »
Wait, what? How come we are all Mercurians?

And why is it so hot in here?

New board; we start at the beginning again.
"This sounds like a job for Bipolar Bear . . . but I just can't seem to get out of bed!"

"Conspiracy theories are an irresistible labour-saving device in the face of complexity."  --Henry Louis Gates

Offline twik

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Re: Why the hoax theory fails out of the starting gate
« Reply #14 on: February 22, 2012, 04:42:15 PM »
Last one to Jupiter's a rotten egg!