The Problem With Conspiracies
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|---|---|
| Title: | The Problem With Conspiracies |
| Creator: | Dawson Rambo |
| Date(s): | 17 Jul 1999 |
| Medium: | online |
| Fandom: | The X-Files |
| Topic: | |
| External Links: | The Problem With Conspiracies, Archived version |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
The Problem With Conspiracies is an essay by by Dawson Rambo.
It was originally posted to alt.tv.x-files.creative.
It is posted at The Gossamer Project in its non-fiction section.
alt.tv.x-files.creative and "Appropriateness"
Rambo, the essay's author, asked members of if it was okay to post this essay on the newsgroup:
Hi group!In doing research for the last half of Ellipsis (yes, I am still writing, and yes, it will start posting soon...) I have been digging extremely deeply into popular conspiracy theories, and have developed some nagging doubts about certain things, which led me to writing a longish essay-thingie titled "The Problem With Conspiracies."
It does deal specifically with The X-Files, and I was wondering if it was appropriate to post it here since it is non-fiction and not strictly "Fanfic." [1]
One of the replies:
I don't know about anyone else, but I would really enjoy reading anything,fact or fiction that you've written. It might get some really good discussion threads going here.
Go for it! [2]
Another reply:
That's a toughie really. We can argue it both ways. It's anoriginal work of yours, an essay, relating to the X-Files. It is not fiction. However, the name of this Ng is not alt.tv.x-files.fiction; it is alt.tv.x-files.creative. You made a creative work, an essay, relating to the tv show "The X-Files". So by that argument, it fits on this Ng.
On the other hand, it is widely understood by the people who use this Ng that this Ng is for fanfic and discussion of fanfic. We want to discourage general discussion of the show here ... and one *could* argue some of these general discussion posts are "essays." So by that argument, an essay relating to the tv show "The X-Files" does not really fit here. Either way though, this Ng is fairly accepting of off-topic posts. We just had a long thread on the US "eddycation" <G> system! It did start out as a question for a potential story; but it has long mutated from offering the original poster useful info for the story. Therefore, I doubt many will be angry if you post your essay here. [3]
Some Topics Discussed
- the validity of conspiracy theories
- how these conspiracies relate to The X-Files
- how logistics and human nature invalidate the whole government alien conspiracy cover up
Excerpts
During the research for my novel Ellipsis, I've done a lot of digging into various conspiracy theories, including the Aliens Among Us conspiracy, the JFK assassination and the ongoing argument about whether or not AIDS is actually a bioweapon that escaped governmental control and not a species-jumping, rapidly-shifting, naturally-occurring viral organism.
The research changed my mind about a lot of things. Before I began digging into these three topics, I believed that aliens had not visited us, that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone, and that AIDS was a naturally occurring viral organism that somehow managed to jump species. As I sit here writing this essay, my opinions have changed on two of those topics. I no longer believe that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone, although I'm not ready to accept the extreme positions of some conspiracy theorists that the CIA, the Pentagon, the Mafia and anti-Castro Cubans conspired to have JFK killed and that Oswald was the pasty. Something is going on there, but once again, I doubt that the American people will ever know the entire truth. The AIDS question is still up in the air for me, mostly because of some interesting Congressional testimony dating back to the 1960s.
What hasn't changed is my position on alien visitation, and the supposed conspiracy surrounding that, and this is the purpose of my essay. After examining not one single shred of evidence that is purported to be from the actual alien bodies or spacecraft, I have formulated an argument against such a conspiracy. Before I get into the specifics of my position, I want to take a moment to define our terms.
My final argument against the Alien Summer Camp project boils down to simple human nature and common sense. Let's for the moment assume that they have somehow managed to conquer the funding and personnel problem. Let's take a moment to examine what, exactly, the Government would wish to accomplish from this Alien Summer Camp project. First, they would want to discover why, exactly, these beings are coming here. As a precursor to invasion and colonization? Is it a mission of war or of peace? Second, what technology secrets could be gained from exploiting the spaceship, and perhaps even the alien beings themselves? Third, if the alien's plans are not peaceful, can we discover their exact intentions? Timelines? Strategies and so forth? And last, if their intentions are hostile, what can we do to defend ourselves? (And, in the X-Files universe, if we can do nothing to defend ourselves, do we choose to ally ourselves with the aliens in a desperate hope to save some of humanity?)
References
- ^ Question about appropriate posting, July 16, 1999
- ^ comment by TrueBlueStef at Question about appropriate posting, July 16, 1999
- ^ comment by Teddi Litman at Question about appropriate posting, July 16, 1999