State Dept: "How to Identify Misinformation"

[Rigorous Intuition]

From <!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://usinfo.state.gov/media/Archive/2005/Jul/27-595713.html" target="top">usinfo.state.gov/media/Archive/2005/Jul/27-595713.html</a><!--EZCODE LINK END-->:<br><br>How can a journalist or a news consumer tell if a story is true or false? There are no exact rules, but the following clues can help indicate if a story or allegation is true.<br><br>Does the story fit the pattern of a conspiracy theory? <br>Does the story fit the pattern of an “urban legend?” <br>Does the story contain a shocking revelation about a highly controversial issue? <br>Is the source trustworthy? <br>What does further research tell you? <br>Does the story fit the pattern of a conspiracy theory?<br><br>Does the story claim that vast, powerful, evil forces are secretly manipulating events? If so, this fits the profile of a conspiracy theory. Conspiracy theories are rarely true, even though they have great appeal and are often widely believed. In reality, events usually have much less exciting explanations. <br><br>...<br><br>AIDS, organ transplantation, international adoption, and the September 11 attacks are all new, frightening or, in some ways, discomforting topics. Such highly controversial issues are natural candidates for the rise of false rumors, unwarranted fears and suspicions. Another example of a highly controversial issue is depleted uranium, a relatively new armor-piercing substance that was used by the U.S. military for the first time during the 1991 Gulf War. <br><br>...<br><br>There are many conspiracy theory websites, which contain a great deal of unreliable information. Examples include:<br><br>Rense.com <br>Australian “private investigator” Joe Vialls, who died in 2005 <br>Conspiracy Planet <br><br>...<br><br>Finally, if the counter-misinformation team can be of help, ask us. We can’t respond to all requests for information, but if a request is reasonable and we have the time, we will do our best to provide accurate, authoritative information. <br><br><br><br> <p></p><i></i>

[seemslikeadream]

You're just upset that you didn't make the list<br><!--EZCODE IMAGE START--><img src="http://www.bartcop.com.nyud.net:8090/judith-miller-pail.jpg" style="border:0;"/><!--EZCODE IMAGE END--> <p></p><i></i>

[Rigorous Intuition]

Maybe now I can request one of these, suitable for framing:<br><br><!--EZCODE IMAGE START--><img src="http://www.cigarlabelart.com/images/bulk%20sale/Seal_Of_Approval_TS.jpg" style="border:0;"/><!--EZCODE IMAGE END--> <p></p><i></i>

[Qutb]

Of course Rense and Conspiracy Planet are the examples provided, if people out of curiosity should be interested in checking out what this "conspiracy" stuff is all about. Hmm, I wonder why, say, From the Wilderness didn't make it? I'm pretty sure they aren't endorsed by the State Department. But we couldn't have people visiting such sites and actually learning something now could we. <br><br>The message is: Alternative Analysis = Conspiracy Theory = Hollow Earth & the Jews dunnit. <p><!--EZCODE FONT START--><span style="color:black;font-family:century gothic;font-size:x-small;"><!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>Qutb means "axis," "pole," "the center," which contains the periphery or is present in it. The qutb is a spiritual being, or function, which can reside in a human being or several human beings or a moment. It is the elusive mystery of how the divine gets delegated into the manifest world and obviously cannot be defined.</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--></span><!--EZCODE FONT END--><br><br></p><i></i>

[ZeroHaven]

how odd.. i thought Rense and Vialls really are bonkers. i mean the facts were real but then the conclusions would like fly off into left field. <!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :\ --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/ohwell.gif ALT=":\"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> <br> <p><!--EZCODE IMAGE START--><img src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a239/ZeroHaven/tinhat.gif"/><!--EZCODE IMAGE END--></p><i></i>

[Rigorous Intuition]

And I think that's precisely why Vialls made such a short list. His overheated anti-Zionist rhetoric lent itself to a reading of "it's the Jews."<br> <p></p><i></i>

[thrulookingglass]

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>Conspiracy theories are rarely true, even though they have great appeal and are often widely believed. In reality, events usually have much less exciting explanations.</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> <br>Phew, that's a relief! Ever since i found out RI was a CIA front, i've been feeling so much better. I was worried my government might be involved in things like the overthrow of numerous democratically elected world leaders like Allende in Chile or Arbenz in Guatemala. Wait a minute, aren't these on the gov's payroll?! Anyhow, I'm to busy watching "American Idol!" At least they count my vote there! <p></p><i></i>

[weatheringthestorm]

This is truly becoming an Orwellian state! Now they're identifing depleted uranium as a conspiracy theory! <br><br>and this:<br><br>"Finally, if the counter-misinformation team can be of help, ask us. We can’t respond to all requests for information, but if a request is reasonable and we have the time, we will do our best to provide accurate, authoritative information."<br><br>Those condesending, authoritative bastards. <p></p><i></i>

[weatheringthestorm]

Maybe I could ask the condesenders about this.... as long as they think I'm being reasonable of course.<br><br>According to a August 2002 report by the UN subcommission, laws which are breached by the use of DU shells include: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; the Charter of the United Nations; the Genocide Convention; the Convention Against Torture; the four Geneva Conventions of 1949; the Conventional Weapons Convention of 1980; and the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907, which expressly forbid employing 'poison or poisoned weapons' and 'arms, projectiles or materials calculated to cause unnecessary suffering'. All of these laws are designed to spare civilians from unwarranted suffering in armed conflicts. <p></p><i></i>

[weatheringthestorm]

can't spell condescending. oh well <p></p><i></i>

[dbeach]

<!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://www.rense.com/">www.rense.com/</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--> <p></p><i></i>

[DrDebugDU]

LOL.<br><br>The #1 misinformation site needs to get a bigger server: "The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process."<br><br><!--EZCODE IMAGE START--><img src="http://www.rense.com/1.imagesH/statesplash.jpg"/><!--EZCODE IMAGE END--><br><br>The funniest part was the ad below:<br><br><!--EZCODE IMAGE START--><img src="http://rense.com/1topbanners/ww3prophebr.gif"/><!--EZCODE IMAGE END--><br><br> <p></p><i></i>