Were you aware that cyberspace is awash in conspiracy theories? Yep ... every nut-job in the world has a theory about some cabal or another preparing to eliminate or enslave the rest of us. Unfortunately, there are also some well-founded theories out here too. What's unfortunate about that, you ask? It makes the job for those of us who are actually seeking "the truth" of the matter, overwhelmingly difficult. Especially since "truth" is a well-defined - but personal concept. Our "truth" is also highly adaptable to existing conditions.
Our personal definition of "truth" begins in the pre-understanding phase of life - infancy. It is a universal truth among American infants, that if they become uncomfortable in their diaper area, and make loud noises, sooner or later a giant baby will show up to remove and replace the offending garment. The giant baby will probably make strangely reassuring noises as it performs that task, and, after the task is completed, may even hold the infant in those long things that dangle from either side of its body ! This is an example of an "adaptable truth" - it will, eventually, change. Then, as we grow, we tend to adopt the truths of others - siblings, parents, other relatives, our peers, teachers, clergy, etc. We do this because, to some degree, we desire their approval and we feel a need to be accepted by them. As we enter, or progress through, that stage of life chronologically identified as "adulthood", we think we form our own opinions. Our "own opinions" are those adapted, adopted, modified and influenced by every authority figure that has ever drifted in and out of our life.
We must fight our natural inclination to accept as absolute fact those theories that most closely agree with our own personal point of view. You'll probably find this hard to believe, but I have visited a few conservative web sites recently. Some were traditionalist conservatives, and others were (what I refer to as) radical, foaming-at-the-mouth conservative. Even in an area of research this limited the same problem exists - there is some element of truth in almost all theories. The difficulty arises in separating hard, objective fact from fictionalized fantasy during the evaluation process. I know that my natural tendency is toward conservative traditionalism, and, knowing that about myself, I understand that my conservative traditionalism will heavily influence my political world view. I accept that ... mainly because our nation is built upon a foundation of conservative tradition.
Besides that, if you read and believe all the conspiracy theories out here you'll be as nutty as the most radical of the theorists! All things in moderation ... except Truth and Freedom.
I could be wrong about this ... the odds of that are about the same as the odds that you are reading this on a braille monitor!
"It is the common fate of the indolent to see their rights become a prey to the active. The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance; which condition if he break, servitude is at once the consequence of his crime and the punishment of his guilt." —John Philpot Curran: Speech upon the Right of Election, 1790. (Speeches. Dublin, 1808.)
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