Truthers Still Say Wake Up Sheeple

I was walking down Market at lunchtime yesterday to go to the Gap one-day only 40% off sale (why yes, I am totally punk, thanks for asking) and I saw a gang of Truthers – those happy souls who are convinced that 9/11 was an inside job, and Bush did it, and it’s all about the oil. They had t-shirts and everything, as well as placards.

Friend Flesh and I have come across these guys in London. They were just as wrong then as they are now. In fact they may be wronger now, due to the effect of time – ideas, opinions and memories all mingling to confirm each other and cancel each other out. Flesh’s boyf Matt is an civil engineer (or something like that), so Flesh got him to write a guest post summarizing why the Truthers are wrong.

I didn’t stop to listen too much to what they were saying, but I did hear one saying to a passerby who had, “I could show you a video that would convince you.” Well, I’m sure you could show me a shocking video with lots of dramatic music, closeups, slowdowns and stings – it wouldn’t convince me (not of what you want to convince me of, anyway)

Imagine you’re in favor of a woman’s reproductive choice (it isn’t hard to do). An anti-abortion campaigner says, “Just watch this video we made entitled ‘Satan’s Abbatoir – The Bloody Truth About Baby-Killing’ – that’ll convince you”. I’m sure that would be very compelling and unpleasant viewing, but it wouldn’t be an unbiased view, and it wouldn’t change the principle.

Anyway, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: If your organization has the words “Truth” or “Reason” in its title, I suspect you’re full of shit.