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7/17/2006 Public Benefits of Government Conspiracy Theories By Rolf Lindgren The column below reflects the views of the author, and these opinions are neither endorsed nor supported by WisOpinion.com. Dr. Kevin Barrett started a firestorm with his controversial conspiracy theory about 9-11. Lost in the firestorm is acknowledgment that government conspiracy theories have always fostered better government. It doesn't matter if the conspiracy theories are true. What matters is if people believe them. Let's take a quick look at the benefits of some popular conspiracy theories. * JFK Assassination Conspiracy: JFK conspiracy theorists argue that the CIA plotted to kill Kennedy. Benefit: More skepticism of secrecy in government, and more demand for open government. Benefit: Because JFK captured the imagination of the public, millions of formerly apolitical Americans are now interested in politics. * Doyle Quid Pro Quo Conspiracies: It's conjectured by many conspiracy theorists that the Doyle administration is secretly trading fat government contracts for campaign contributions. Governor Doyle denies this. Benefit: More people are paying attention to what politicians do, rather than to what they say. * The "Liberal Media" Conspiracy: Many conspiracy theorists conjecture a vast network of media conglomerates plotting to elect liberal political candidates, rather than plotting to make profits like you'd expect in a capitalist country. Benefit: More critical thinking about the media. * 9-11 as an "Inside Job" Theory: Dr. Kevin Barrett argues that the tragic 9-11 terror attacks were not orchestrated by Osama Bin Laden from Afghanistan, but rather by neocons in the Bush administration. The motive was to serve as an excuse to attack Iraq, double the military budget, and roll back our civil liberties. This theory has caused intense public debate. Benefit: More skepticism of government secrecy. Benefit: Millions of apolitical Americans are now getting interested in politics. Benefit: More critical thinking about government. Benefit: More people going to the Internet for information they aren't getting from the mainstream media. Come to think of it, why would we need trials by jury, if there were no government conspiracies? Why not save money and just have the judge decide the facts? Why have separation of powers in government? Why not save money and consolidate the executive, the legislature and the courts into one branch? Why would we need habeas corpus if we had no government conspiracies? Can't we just trust the government to do the right thing? Even if Barrett is wrong about 9-11, he's providing a benefit to the people of Wisconsin. Rolf Lindgren is a Libertarian activist from Middleton |
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