Does the Government Hire Fake Conspiracy Theorists?

[Stratego]

Does the government pay fake conspiracy theorists to undermine legitimate scientific inquiries into our political environment? Because we have relatively free flow of information it is difficult for the government to censor what you say, but if you speak out against the government one of their best weapons is to make you look like a crazy loon. This is why whenever scientists post legitimate evidence of government misdoings, copycat posts quickly spring up with more crazy ideas. These copycat posts are government paid "conspiracy theorists" whose sole purpose to take the scientific evidence and turn it into conspiracy theories thereby de-legitimizing the evidence.

Take for example, Bush's bombing of the WTC. Scientific evidence shows that without demolition, the building cannot fall at near free fall speed. Each layer would act effectively as as spring that dampens the speed of the fall. But once that evidence comes out there was a flood of other "evidence" including SF. Mayor Willy Brown being a co-conspirator. If we have stuck with investigating physics we could come to the true answer. But the government planted "conspiracy theorists" redirected the energy into nonsense. But not only that, scientists also get branded as conspiracy theorists.

The government has done such a good job with planting fake "conspiracy theorists" that people automatically assumed that anyone investigating government misdoings must be crazy. Other examples, the Sandy Hook shooting, and Mitt Romney's attempt to capture Ambassador Stevens to deliver an "October Surprise." People are asking legitimate questions, but these questions get pushed to the side because of government planted "conspiracy theorists."

[Professor]

Wrong forum. This goes in the humor forum.

[Revenant]

[Precocity]

Well since it's an alternative theory about a conspiracy theory then I'll find the right home for it.

[Professor]

Wait a sec. Is this serious? I thought it might be at first. I mean, if you are a company that gets some bad internet results, you can hire a company to make fake good ones and push the bad ones to like page 4 of search hits. It's not a big leap to think that the government would hire dis-information agents. I'm not even particularly worried about it.

Then we started talking about Bush bombing the towers. That's what clued me into the humor.

Please tell me we're not being serious.

[Stratego]

[The Dharma Bum]

It's not just the government doing it either.

[Indy]

To answer the question throughout history this is known as a "honey pot" operation (of disinformation--there are other meanings for the term).

Basically how it works is you put somebody way out front and center pushing information/a theory that at first seems credible, only to then--boom!--blindside everybody with revealing evidence debunking their claims and therefore destroying the original issue as legitimate.

Classic example: the whole 60 Minutes/Rather meltdown when they ran the story on Bush's National Guard service, when those papers turned out to be forged.

[NAB]

According to Southpark, the entire 9/11 Truth Movement is a government construct.

Based on some of the nonsense I've encountered from Truthers, it would appear it's a rather low-funded and poorly managed program staffed by dimwits.

I think Southpark is on to something.

[Professor]