Just Watch the Other Videos!
By matersfish
@matersfish (6306)
United States
January 17, 2013 4:26am CST
I know I don't have Lamb's following here, so I won't be getting 1,205 responses to this discussion. But I don't rightly care if I get 0, as long as a certain type of people read what I say and at least consider taking my advice.
If you have questions about an issue and smell a rat and subsequently decide to check out the blogosphere or YouTube for some material, that's fine. But when you do happen to run across one of those conspiracy videos, just, please, for the love of all things sanity, watch the accompanying "debunked" version!
I've been fuming about the Sandy Hook conspiracy all night. There are all types of videos online, supposedly showing how it was all a hoax.
And I'll be quite honest: If you only watch the conspiracy videos and take them at their word, you will come away thinking that things are off.
But when you're on YouTube, there's this little bar on the right-hand side of the screen which gives you video suggestions based on your selection. For every "conspiracy" video, there's a "debunked" video right beside it.
So when it seems odd that Emilie, a Sandy Hook victim, shows up two days later to take a picture with Obama, wearing the same dress no less, you might actually find that it's her little sister. Or when you hear that Lanza's dad is involved in some scandal or part of the CIA, you might just find that it's bullsh1t. Like when the report of multiple shooters comes out, watching the debunked version will let you know that it was the same guy who was chased down, cuffed, and ultimately released.
This can go on and on. Every single bit of the conspiracy puzzle for this particular situation is not only debunked, it's debunked easily without having to source a ton. Example: Any schmo who's ever made a Facebook-related page knows that you can change the title to re-purpose the page. But, no; not good enough for conspiracy nuts! Sandy Hook massacre-related Facebook pages supposedly showed up BEFORE the shootings. The same with a few websites, and not to mentions Google's incredibly unreliable dates, which also have Michael Jackson long dead up to 3 days before actually dying.
This can be said for anything, not only Sandy Hook. Watch the debunked version. It's worth it. Try it out one time. Try it for climate change. If you believe it's all a hoax, there's some solid stuff out there. Try it for the NWO or whatever the heck. Try it for the moon landing. Try it for 911. Just watch both versions!
Why don't people bother watching the other version? It's right beside it, ffs, and usually only 1/10th as long, since it doesn't take much to show a fact, whereas it takes forever to spin a yarn.
It makes me throw air punches and fake judo chops at the door jam. People commenting on these conspiracy videos, agreeing wholeheartedly with the nonsense, complimenting the creator, and all the while refusing to watch a 2 minute piece definitely proving just what bullsh1t it is.
5 people like this
5 responses
@thegreatdebater (7316)
• United States
17 Jan 13
Maters, I couldn't agree with you more. I think that the fact that our government lies to us has some people thinking that reality is just a lie, and they live in the Matrix (This would explain a lot of the logic on here, but I digress). You can find ANYTHING on-line, and some idiot who believes it to be gospel. I agree that people need to look at all the information before spewing their BS, but I have done this myself relying on what I thought was reliable information. The internet is a fine line between unfiltered access to everything, and censorship.
@matersfish (6306)
• United States
17 Jan 13
I agree that dishonesty in government--in any authoritative position--adds to the problem in the world, where people are so quick to distrust information they're presented.
I've also done the same as you: Bought into something due to information I received, only to find out it was wrong.
It's something we're all guilty of, I'm sure.
I think the difference is that you or I don't have a problem admitting that (to an extent, of course lol). Other people, however, don't even want to admit that there's a possibility they could be wrong, so they won't even acknowledge that the "debunked" video exists alongside the "conspiracy" video. And the biggest problem I have with that: People are hurt emotionally in the process of another person's ignorance.
Folks should at least try to glance at more information more frequently. The results might be surprising!
Thanks for the response.
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
17 Jan 13
I would not hold my breath about reaching the segment of the population you are directing this to. I find, and I might be wrong, that the people who watch YouTube videos are too lazy to read or research and will believe anything. They won't read your post because it's too long. Their attention is held by images and movements.
I myself don't have the patience or the time to watch videos. I prefer "print" versions where I can skip around obvious bull crap and get right to the meat of the issue then go back and clarify anything I'm not clear about or flesh out the story a bit.
I think people believe a lot of conspiracies because it makes life exciting and makes them feel smart. Although I've also found theories that I believe could be true, I still maintain skepticism and am willing to review other opinions and evidence. Most people who fall prey to these theories don't investigate at all. I know I sound judgmental here but it's okay to judge, contrary to popular belief. Especially when people are too lazy to investigate facts or actually read a news report.
2 people like this
@matersfish (6306)
• United States
17 Jan 13
I don't think you're way off on the laziness bit. But as I've said a few times: It's a 30-minute video vs. a 3-minute video. So it has to be an inherent need to be right about what they believe. And it's cowardly. If they had conviction, they would watch the debunked video just to debunk the debunking to reaffirm that a conspiracy is the truth. So on a level, I believe they know it's a bunch of nonsense, yet they just want to believe it because it's the more exciting story. They want the notoriety of being one of the idiots dragging grieving people through mud.
I really don't know. I just know it's been eating away at me.
My dog got killed by a hit-and-run driver back in 2002, and I can clearly remember going through the Farmer Jack parking lot and trying to fight anyone in a truck that matched the description for a solid year. I don't handle that stuff well. So if it were my child at Sandy Hook and some morons were saying that I was just faking it -- oh, goodness. I can't even say for sure what I'd think and what I'd do. I just know it wouldn't be pretty! You can easily find someone from the Internet these days. And while I won't condone it....
Never mind. I do condone it. If a parent wants to go smack one of these loons in the jaw with a bat, I'll clap.
But as I halt my major digression here, I'll just say I agree that it's okay to judge. What we do in life warrants judgements.
Thanks for the response.
@matersfish (6306)
• United States
18 Jan 13
That the people (a group; a type; by and large) that watched the conspiracy didn't also watch the debunked:
It's a logical deduction made from observing a few YouTube factors.
Sandy Hook conspiracy videos have exponentially more views than debunked videos. As well as comments.
Conspiracy debunked videos tend to have a higher percentage of dislikes to likes, which, for YouTube, suggests not watching but rather playing the troll game of trying to "red" the bar up.
Of the individuals I've followed who commented on conspiracy videos, I do not see them on debunked videos. You can view a member's activity sheet. Few I've seen have the debunked version listed alongside the conspiracy version.
Thanks for the response.
@sulynsi (2671)
• Canada
19 Jan 13
Ok I watched both -and I was rather pleased with myself , because normally I 'm not too bright about this sort of thing- I can't follow any of the crazy reasoning-but I had a couple of things picked out as skewed before I saw the debunking video
Now about 9-11......
*goes looking for debunking video*
@squallming (1775)
• Malaysia
20 Mar 13
Most people who go to watch conspiracy video or news, had already brought their own perception on the issue to begin with. And most of the time the perception is unlikely to be a positive one. For example, people would search for A's affair, rather than A's truth, or A's innocent. People are looking for some negative things to blame on and to feel bad on. That is the natural psychological tendency of human. Overemphasizing the negative attribute rather than the positive.
Another example, when we quarrel with our intimate partner, we don't talk about any of the good things that he or she did. But, we are emphasizing on a few mistakes that he or she did and making it such a big and valid reason for a breakup.
Conclusion is, Most people are not critical enough to look at the other side of the picture. or maybe they just don't really care. or maybe they just want to find people's fault. It is the way it is and nothing much can be done.
1 person likes this
@rebelann (112774)
• El Paso, Texas
1 Oct 20
What a scary thought, yet oh so true. I wish you were wrong.
@mariaperalta (19073)
• Mexico
17 Jan 13
Its sad to think things like that do happen. People sometimes dont want to see the truth. Take care there.
1 person likes this
@matersfish (6306)
• United States
17 Jan 13
I agree. People just don't want the truth. They want it to be some elaborate scheme.
There's a line in a recent movie I watched, Cloud Atlas, where one of the characters is asked, "What is your version of the truth?" The character replies: "Truth is singular. There are no versions of truth."
And while that sounds very astute and is logically accurate, it's really not true colloquially.
Truth is what anyone believes, and thus it can have infinite versions. And that's scary!
Thanks for the response.