hegemonicon comments on The 9/11 Meta-Truther Conspiracy Theory - Less Wrong

43 Post author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 22 December 2009 06:59PM

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Comment author: roland 23 December 2009 08:28:21PM 0 points [-]

The way people interpret the data in favor of one side or the other has more to do with the basic assumptions under which they operate. I want to write an article about this.

So if you are one who generally distrusts the government like most libertarians you will find it easy to see a conspiracy. If you generally trust the government you will tend to dismiss any conspiracy.

One question you have to ask yourself in this specific context is: what do you think about secret services in general(not only the american ones), what is their mission? Once you understand that they are not there to protect the people or democracy but to advance the geopolitical interests of their respective nations you are set.

Comment author: hegemonicon 24 December 2009 06:05:24PM 3 points [-]

Seeing a conspiracy requires a distrust of the government AND an astoundingly high opinion of their competence.

Comment author: roland 24 December 2009 06:29:57PM 1 point [-]

Are you implying that this is a contradiction?

Comment author: radical_negative_one 24 December 2009 08:04:27PM 8 points [-]

Not a contradiction, but they are two distinct claims. Whether the government is untrustworthy and whether it's competent are separate arguments.

Most libertarian criticisms of the government that i've heard have focused on arguments that the government is inefficient and incompetent.