.jpg)
Astronaut Neil Armstrong walks on the moon – or on a Hollywood stage.
(NASA)
NASA recently released photos taken by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter that clearly show the Apollo 11 lander still sitting on the surface of the moon right where it was parked after touching down at Tranquility Base on July 20, 1969.
This, scientists believe, should finally put an end to the Great Moon Landing Conspiracy Theory.
But of course it won't. If moon hoax truthers can believe, as they do, such things as (a) the moon shot was faked using trick photography, (b) the whole thing was filmed in a Hollywood studio, and (c) NASA raised $30 billion and then paid off staff members to lie about it all, then they can easily claim that the recent images were Photoshopped.
Most conspiracy theories seem to emanate from the far right of what is traditionally called "the political spectrum," which is the narrow-minded notion that the entire world of politics can be corseted into a total of two positions, left and right.
Of course, the political left itself did succumb to the conspiracy craze when Hillary famously fulminated against "The Great Right Wing Conspiracy" during the Clinton era (or is that spelled "error?").
But if merely holding political views constitutes a conspiracy then every government administration becomes a legitimate libertarian conspiracy theory.
And have no fear; Googling (or Yahooing or Asking or Binging or Dogpiling or whatever) the phrase "libertarian conspiracy theory" will net thousands of hits on the subject.
GOOGLING THE LIBERTARIAN CONSPIRACY:
"The libertarian conspiracy to destroy America's schools"
"the weekly television show The Libertarian Conspiracy"
"the libertarian conspiracy taking over NH"
"dupes of the Libertarian conspiracy are calling for an end of 'Big Government'"
"is the door to the libertarian conspiracy kook society inching a little wider open"
"the most mainstream cults of all - the Libertarian conspiracy nuts"
"Are they smart enough to see through the 'Libertarian conspiracy'"
"Maybe the vast, right-wing conspiracy is conspiring with the liberal media conspiracy to keep the libertarian conspiracy down!"
But while anyone can have a theory about a conspiracy, including libertarians, it seems that the actual phrase "libertarian conspiracy theory" is mostly bandied about, in an off-putting manner, by bloggers and pundits and opinionizers on both the left and the right.
In fact, it's a tossup who despises, or fears, libertarians more, liberals or conservatives.
In any case, calling someone a conspiracy nut when they don't agree with your positions is just another variant on the ad hominem attack – it's easier to smear than to think.
So if you're a big government lover everyone else is a rightwing conspiracy loon. If you're opposed to the welfare state it's a socialist conspiracy.
But if both left and right know a little something about the libertarian live-and-let-live philosophy, which invalidates the agreed-upon mainstream left/right policy of imposing its own ideology on everyone else through government coercion, they simply dismiss them as dreamers and theorists and clueless airheads by smacking them with the "libertarian conspiracy" label.
Libertarians might wish to reply, "If this be conspiracy, make the most of it!"
Comments
we both know that Libertarians aren't organized enough to have a conspiracy....the best you can get is a Libertarian Rumor.
I'm a Libertarian, both of the "big L" and the "small l" variety. I've been a party member for about 34 years. It used to be that libertarians were, for the most part, well-read, well-educated, logical people, many Ayn Rand rationalists. The movement has devolved, however, to the point that I may quit the LP, leaving me politically homeless, again. It isn't even the "Truthers" or other conspiracists, however, who most disturb me. Most disturbing is the LP has lost its philosophical compass to the likes of Wayne Allan Root and Bob Barr - both right-wingers who are LINOs (libertarian in name only). They were perhaps justifiably ignored and betrayed by their own party (the GOP), so they've tried turning the LP into GOP 2.0. There's the REAL conspiracy: to remake the LP in the image of these two conspirators and their misguided supporters.
Liberty, put down your torch, throw away your tablet, and cry, like a woman scorned. Remove the Emma Lazarus bronze plaque, for it has become a lie.
I've been called so many things I've lost count. [grin]
Since I'm not "left, right OR libertarian," however, someone will have to come up with a different name for my conspiracy theories. The term "anarchist" is pretty worn out.
I know! How about "sovereign individual?"
Interesting to note that the picture in this article doesn't show a small crater that the the engine would have created had NASA actually gone to the moon.
Evidently Garry Reed likes to use labels. For the record, I do not claim any part of the "political spectrum" Mr, Reed. Unlike you, I am an independent thinker.
I used to be quite a fan of the libertarian ideology. I liked the whole idea of fewer laws. But after the whole Ron Paul thing happened I started learning a lot more about libertarians, and I must say that they are extremely rude, obnoxious and scary. It's an undeniable fact that many believers of the moon landing hoax conspiracy theory are libertarians. Thats just the sort of thing that they believe in. "Government is bad", therefore, if government accomplishes something great, they simply MUST have faked it and lied to everyone because that is just the sort of thing they expect the government to do. They use these beliefs to justify a stance against, well, everything the government does. They are just like fundamentalists Christians (young earth creationists) in that their policies are dictated by religious beliefs instead of any actual facts. (And yes, the moon landing conspiracy theory has a LOT more in common with a religious belief than a scientific hypothesis)
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!