Quote from: K-Dog

QuoteThe sciences, each straining in its own direction, have hitherto harmed us little; but some day the piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality, and of our frightful position therein, that we shall either go mad from the revelation or flee from the deadly light into the peace and safety of a new dark age.

Which is exactly what will happen if the actual reality and details of American Freedom are laid out before the average Joe Six Pack.

QuoteI don't believe that for a second. Joe Sixpack falls hook line and sinker for whatever they have a propensity for. Peak oil, alien lizard overlords, all government conspiracies (real or imagined), Charlie Kirk being killed by an exploding microphone (just learned this at LATOC), Guy McPherson and the BOE event....a decade ago....oops.

Please. Joe Sixpack. PhD's fall for nonsense with as much enthusiasm as amateur hour folks. I know a genius geologist who can sell BigFoot better than Ugo ever did peak oil. Joe Sixpack mostly see's what they WANT to believe first, what they are predisposed to fall for naturally. And it applies all the way up the ladder to PhD's as well. Or really smart folks who thought Tesla would do backrupt a decade ago. Brains/intelligence  aren't the determining factor. Can't say I know exactly what combination of talents are required, but you can usually figure it out after talking to someone on an interesting topic within 30 minutes. Ever XOM geologic researcher I've ever met hits on all cylinders. On the internet finding someone like that is 1:10000 at best. 21 years online and I've only found 1 in all my peak oil years, an engineer invovled in setting up LIGO. I know at least 2 dozen IRL, but my professional associations don't run to what populates the internet forums.

You totally miss the point.  People will only believe in conspiracies that really do not scare them.  Detached realities that are half make-believe, and somewhere else far far away.  Safe horror movies.  The shadows of their conspiracies never enter their personal lives.  But if you mess with the actual foundations of their 'true' realities, and the conspiracy becomes personal.  The situation becomes quite different.


Joe will sail De-Nile between the shores.  Defend his turf like a rabid guard dog.  Reason flies away from him not because Joe finds an attractive deception to play with as you describe, but rather because Joe can't handle the truth.  The truth is that most people are weak, and I have a Pulp Fiction clip about that.  Weak at heart.  Having the heart of a lion will wear your ass out.