Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: They faked those moon landings too, you know

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  • Rich of Observationz,

    Lets just assume that this isn't totally imaginary..

    Why would the Russians want to gather up Saddam's collection of hopped-up V2s, unstable anthrax, leaky drums of home made organo-phosphates and insufficiently enriched uranium when they already have:
    this
    and
    these
    and
    (allegedly) some of these

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Riddley Walker,

    RoO, now you're just being all logical

    AKL • Since Feb 2007 • 890 posts Report

  • Craig Ranapia,

    You can toss the re-militarization of Japan into that list of yours too....an issue causing a great deal unrest here in Asia, far more so than Sino military expenditure or loopy old Kim.

    Hum... Well at least Japan has a constitution and a functional democracy (both imposed under an American-lead occupation, in one of those delightful yet uncomfortable ironies history will keep dumping in your lap), which makes me a damn sight more comfortable with what's going down in Tokyo than anything in Pyongyang or Beijing. Still, it's a safe assumption I'd take a slightly different position if New Zealand has ever been invaded by Jaoan.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report

  • Hadyn Green,

    Why do people believe conspiracy theories?
    1. they are the most interesting ones
    2. it makes them believe that something big is actually happening
    3. it gives them an "out". It's not MY fault, see the US govt has put chips into every penny that takes your DNA and....

    Why would the Russians want to gather up Saddam's collection of hopped-up V2s, unstable anthrax, leaky drums of home made organo-phosphates and insufficiently enriched uranium

    Same reason you'd go to Amsterdam/The Coromandel to get high. It's the best shit.

    Che, I'm ignoring your childishness (damn you)

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2090 posts Report

  • Hadyn Green,

    ps. did anyone catch the nice little satire in the Simpsons last night?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2090 posts Report

  • Riddley Walker,

    there was a nice little satyr

    AKL • Since Feb 2007 • 890 posts Report

  • 3410,

    Remember when WMDs meant "nuclear, chemical, biological and radiological weapons"?

    Then someone pointed out that the US uses radiological weapons (the long but essential "Weapons of self-destruction", Vanity Fair, November 2004), so that bit got quietly dropped from the definition.

    Welcome to the future.

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 2618 posts Report

  • 3410,

    Why do people believe conspiracy theories?

    Often it's the same reason that people might believe any other theory: because the evidence stacks up.

    Frankly, calling anything you don't believe a "conspiracy theory" is on a par with calling all your enemies "terrorists".

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 2618 posts Report

  • Paul Rowe,

    Frankly, calling anything you don't believe a "conspiracy theory" is on a par with calling all your enemies "terrorists".

    Or some perceived loss of rights to be "political correctness gone mad".

    Lake Roxburgh, Central Ot… • Since Nov 2006 • 574 posts Report

  • Riddley Walker,

    too true 3410, or calling their arguments 'propaganda". i love that one. propaganda: anything my opposition says.

    AKL • Since Feb 2007 • 890 posts Report

  • Riddley Walker,

    ooh yes, that one too, i love PC gone mad. so sophisticated and incisive, gives me the kind of intellectual frisson you get with schopenhauer and absynthe.

    AKL • Since Feb 2007 • 890 posts Report

  • hamishm,

    Greenwald did a pretty thorough trashing of the right wing blogosphere "stars" earlier this year

    Since Nov 2006 • 357 posts Report

  • Simon Grigg,

    Well at least Japan has a constitution and a functional democracy

    A bit like Singapore's......

    The Liberal Democrats' grip on power has also limited the dissemination of information. Here in one of the world's most wired countries, election law bars Web sites from promoting candidates for a specific election and candidates from renewing their home pages during the 12-day campaign period.

    And when Japanese children are no longer taught that they were not at fault in the 1931-45 war, are instructed on the Nanking Rape, and are told the truth about the comfort women then I'll be more comfortable.

    The LDP, who have ruled for five decades have links back to the same governing bodies who took Japan into that war, and were largely rehabilitated by the US during the Korean War...specifically the Seiyukai who governed Japan from 1900 to 1940 when they became compliantly subservient to the military.

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report

  • Ben Austin,

    Japanese always wonder why the war won't go away, and the simple answer is that so long as they deny their fault, their atrocities it never will. Nor will neighbours trust them.

    London • Since Nov 2006 • 1027 posts Report

  • Andre Alessi,

    Hadyn Green wrote:

    Why do people believe conspiracy theories?

    I often wonder if maybe it's actually a secret, stubborn hope that humanity in general isn't as dumb as it appears.

    Virtually every conspiracy theory requires the belief that the people involved are secret geniuses, manipulating current events and the media the way a chiropractor manipulates subluxions.

    Devonport, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 864 posts Report

  • Che Tibby,

    Why would the Russians want to gather up Saddam's collection of hopped-up V2s, unstable anthrax, leaky drums of home made organo-phosphates and insufficiently enriched uranium

    non-traceable weapons.

    they could be used in theatres where the russian influence is best kept secret.

    - see how easy it is to make shit up?

    Frankly, calling anything you don't believe a "conspiracy theory" is on a par with calling all your enemies "terrorists".

    or calling liberals "communists". my real question is how come these people believe this dave gaubatz guy, but refused to believe another former weapons inspector called scott ritter?

    the back of an envelope • Since Nov 2006 • 2042 posts Report

  • Che Tibby,

    PS. the main thing to note about conspiracy theories is that they *tend* to be focused on underdogs.

    it's always "no one believes farmer about what happened to his cows", or "poor medical practise hushed up to prevent lawsuit".

    not, "country deprived of justification of multi-trillion-dollar war"

    the back of an envelope • Since Nov 2006 • 2042 posts Report

  • Hadyn Green,

    Frankly, calling anything you don't believe a "conspiracy theory" is on a par with calling all your enemies "terrorists".

    I call them "Conspiracy Theories" when they are a theory about a conspiracy. When it's true it becomes a "conspiracy".

    And all of my enemies ARE terrorists, I'm very selective.

    I often wonder if maybe it's actually a secret, stubborn hope that humanity in general isn't as dumb as it appears.

    Yeah man. "Please don't life actually be this dull, let my leaders be secret evil geniuses!"

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2090 posts Report

  • Hadyn Green,

    non-traceable weapons.

    they could be used in theatres where the russian influence is best kept secret.

    - see how easy it is to make shit up?

    Che, I wish to sign up for your pamphlet and/or sect

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2090 posts Report

  • Paul Rowe,

    or calling liberals "communists"

    But it is quite fun to call the Righties "fascists" and sit back to watch the righteous indignation fly.

    Lake Roxburgh, Central Ot… • Since Nov 2006 • 574 posts Report

  • Simon Grigg,

    Back to loop de loop WMD theories, the NY Sun, which is mainstream conservative, gave Gaubatz the time of day, and quite some inches last year. And took him seriously:

    Mr. Gaubatz's new disclosures shed doubt on the thoroughness of the Iraq Survey Group's search for the weapons of mass destruction that were one of the Bush administration's main reasons for the war.

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report

  • Andre Alessi,

    Paul Rowe wrote:

    But it is quite fun to call the Righties "fascists" and sit back to watch the righteous indignation fly.

    I had a rather "lively" discussion with a couple of American friends in the wake of the Don Imus hoohah about whether there was a word that would offend white people as much as the word "n*gger" offends black people.

    We pretty much all agreed the equivalent was "racist".

    Devonport, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 864 posts Report

  • B Jones,

    They could be used in theatres where the russian influence is best kept secret.

    The ones that don't do Chekov plays?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 976 posts Report

  • Andrew Smith,

    Have any of the Techies amongst you read this article about the health effects of WiFi. Seems there's a bit of panic/paranoia beginning. I'd be interested if you all have any thoughts?

    http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/health_medical/article2472133.ece

    I have it in my house! Is it an evil lurking?

    Since Jan 2007 • 150 posts Report

  • Craig Ranapia,

    But it is quite fun to call the Righties "fascists" and sit back to watch the righteous indignation fly.

    *sigh* Yeah, whatever gets you through the night and doesn't require AA batteries. Personally, I'd rather leave the casual use of that kind of language to people who have some first hand experience of the real deal. Otherwise, it's all too much like being trapped in an episode of The Young Ones.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report

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