A history of 9/11 nuttery
The unhinged ravings of the 9/11 conspiracy theorists may be contemptible by any standard of rational and moral human conduct, but they nonetheless constitute a serious and disturbing phenomenon and need serious study. Dr Richard Landes, eminent historian of millennialism, has made a start.
9-11 Conspiracy constitutes the most powerful conspiracy theory in the brief history of the internet age. Within hours of the attacks, accusations that the Israeli Mossad had planned and executed the attacks while “4000 Jews stayed at home,” appeared, particularly in the Arab world, a textbook case of internet conspiracy mongering. In the Muslim world these theories became the dominant public voice. There, traditional conspiracy operated: We are innocent, our enemies are guilty.
[…]
Many Americans still prefer not to even discuss this matter: the owl’s first line of defense is to ignore the roosters. The necessary disproofs, including a new, peer-reviewed Journal of Debunking 911 Conspiracy Theories (2006-) — are available online for all to consult; what more need be said? That, as in so many cases of conspiracism, reasoning takes a back seat to desire? That people can visit a site with good evidence for a plane crash, and still believe the conspiracy. That the consequences of not thinking clearly about this may be very serious?
An excellent piece of work. Read the whole thing at Professor Landes’s blog, Augean Stables.
[Found via Screw Loose Change.]
