[lbo-talk] LBO's Union Experts, I Call Upon Ye!

Wojtek Sokolowski swsokolowski at yahoo.com
Thu Apr 17 12:55:52 PDT 2008


--- Charles Brown <charlesb at cncl.ci.detroit.mi.us> wrote:


> CB: Not tongue in cheek . What you say is important,
> and should be
> discussed more often on the left , and not
> suppressed or censored as socalled conspiracy
> theory.

[WS:] Thanks for your clarification. As to conspiracy theories - I think these need to be distinguished from analyses of the policies and actions pursed by individual or organizational actors. I would definitely prefer the latter to some generalized "systemic" approach focusing on general properties of systems while ignoring human agency.

I think that the main diffrence between conspiracy theory and an analysis of human agency is that in the latter the existence of the intentional human action in question is emprically established (i.e. we know for the fact that Bush cut taxes for the rich and ordered invasion of Iraq) and the investigation focuses on the effects and reasons of that action. Conspiracy theories, by contrast, start with the observed outcomes (e.g. prices of oil went up) and infers the existence of an intentional human action that purportedly caused that outcome.)

The second is a form of logical fallacy known as affirming the consequent http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affirming_the_consequent.

Another point, most actions of the USG and its functionaries take place in broad daylight - they tell us what they will do it and then they do it. Therefore, they are not conspiracies - misguided or ill-intentioned policies yes, but not conspiracies. A conspiracy is an action whose success necessarily depends on the secrecy of its planning or execution e.g. an assasination attamept of Fidel Castro. However, such secret cover operations are a small fraction of the USG activity.

And that is perhaps the most tragic aspect of it. They tell you that thet they are going to screw you and then they do it, and there is nothing that you can do about it. At least if it were a conspiracy you would have a hope of spoiling thier plans by revealing them.

Wojtek

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