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Why conspiracy theories are necessary

Youtube has launched a campaign to delete and ban videos that promote “conspiracy theories” that trend against mainstream acceptance and news media coverage. But is that a wise thing to allow? Conspiracy theories keep the American public aware of instances when conspiracy theories are actually a reality

By Ray Hanania

I don’t believe that the United States destroyed the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers on Sept. 11, 2001, as a popular video posted on Youtube has argued. I don’t believe the a survivor of the mass killing of 17 students at a Parkland, Florida school was an actor who was staged to fuel anti-gun control policies.

There are more conspiracy theories, too, that I don’t believe.

The Moon landing was faked. Elvis Presley is still alive, he just wanted to get away and enjoy his wealth. John F. Kennedy was kidnapped by the military to prevent his ending the Vietnam War. A bunch of wealthy men get together every year to discuss the control of the world’s economy, and people.

I also don’t believe that the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) injected AIDs and HIV tainted viruses into medicines delivered to the African American community.

Buzz Aldrin walks on the moon, July 20, 1969 (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Was it staged using sophisticated video technology or real?

But, you want to know something? Many African Americans believe that the U.S. Government has spread AIDs into the Black Community to undermine African American empowerment, and to create a new environment of acceptable slavery.

Was Chicago Mayor Harold Washington poisoned on November 25, 1987 by White alderman angered that he had just won control of the Chicago City Council the prior March and was preparing to turn all Chicago Black?

I don’t believe the reason, but I am not sure of the circumstances, and I covered Chicago City Hall everyday for 17 years and have come to believe that anything can happen.

Maybe, Washington,Chicago’s first Black mayor, as poisoned.

I don’t believe that aircraft disperse chemicals through the skies through their condensation trails — often called “contrails” — to allow aliens, or the government or military industrial complex, to control “the people.”

Or, do they control us?

Youtube says these and other conspiracies highlighted in videos will be removed. But I have to ask, why? If they re conspiracy theories, why remove them? Why take down the ridiculous when we allow the news media and others to promote lies, racism and hatred against targets like Arab American, Palestinians, Muslims and others?

Who decides what is an what isn’t a legitimate “conspiracy theory?” Does Youtube have a contingent of investigators to look into the many claims, or just the “conspiracy theory” claims they don’t like?

For example, it’s not a conspiracy theory to argue that Israel uses a lot of funds to lobby American Congressman to support laws that strip Constitutional rights from activists who are too critical of Israel. So far, 14 states have approved laws that punish academic institutions that support a boycott of Israel’s often racist and discriminatory policies.

Those are not conspiracy theories, but they could be classified as conspiracy theories by Youtube and other pro-Israel social media sites.

Conspiracy fears do not have to be racist. They can be justified. The idea that groups of people come together on thesis of affinity — religious, ethnic or nationalism — is not a conspiracy. Israel does spend millions of dollars to fund marketing and public relations campaigns to convince Americans that they do not steal land from Christians and Muslims in Palestine to build racist-only Jewish settlements.

The truth is, Israel’s government does steal land to build settlements occupied by Jewish settlers only. Have you ever heard of a non-Jewish Israeli settlement? One created by Israel for Christian Israelis or Muslim Israelis? No. Why? Because they don’t exist.

It’s not a conspiracy to believe that Israel is doing everything possible to influence American politics to resist applying International Laws and Constitutional Protections for Americans who question, challenge and criticize Israel’s government policies.

Many conspiracy theories suggested that Saudi Arabia funded and trained the 19 commercial plane hijackers on Sept. 11, 2001 to undermine America and implement “Sharia Law,” or Islamic Religious beliefs as a replacement for American laws. It’s ridiculous to believe that but many people do. Will Youtube remove those conspiracy theories or are those not conspiratorial enough?

Conspiracy theories keep Americans on their toes. They don’t have to be real, but they create an environment in which it is permissible to believe unconventional theories about violent tragedies, and also about politics and government.

Just because you watch a conspiracy theory video on Youtube doesn’t mean you believe it.

The phrase “conspiracy theory” according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is “the theory that an event or phenomenon occurs as a result of a conspiracy between interested parties; spec. a belief that some covert but influential agency (typically political in motivation and oppressive in intent) is responsible for an unexplained event.”

Oh yea, like that never happens.

So which “conspiracy theories” do we reject and which ones do we allow?

We need conspiracy theories to prevent us from falling asleep and believing everything the biased, racist news media and the people who control and own and influence the news media throw at us every day. We need conspiracy theories so we can remain skeptical about the life and events around us.

Skepticism is important. It’s a tool that prevents the Big Lie from becoming U.S. American Government Policy. Skepticism is what prevents us from believing everything and being gullible. Skepticism is what prevents conspirators who DO EXIST from feeling that they can get away with anything.

Without “conspiracy theories” and the ability to question events, government actions or the news media, human beings just become hardworking sheep whose money is turned over to the system.

Banning “conspiracy theories” is a violation of the U.S. Constitutional right of free speech, free expression, and a fundamental of human rights.

I argue the ability to believe or consider conspiracy theories is what keeps America free, and prevents it from becoming a dictatorship like North Korea, Iran or even Israel.

(Ray Hanania is an award winning columnist, author and former Chicago City Hall reporter. He is the managing editor of www.TheDailyHookah.com. Email him at rghanania@gmail.com.)

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Ray Hanania

Ray Hanania is an award winning political columnist and author. He covered Chicago Politics and Chicago City Hall from 1976 through 1992. Hanania began writing in 1975 when he published The Middle Eastern Voice newspaper in Chicago (1975-1977). He later published “The National Arab American Times” newspaper which was distributed through 12,500 Middle East food stores in 48 American States (2004-2007).

Hanania writes weekly columns on Middle East and American Arab issues for the Arab News in Saudi Arabia at www.ArabNews.com, and at www.TheArabDailyNews.com, www.TheDailyHookah.com and at SuburbanChicagoland.com. He has also published weekly columns in the Jerusalem Post newspaper, YNetNews.com, Newsday Newspaper in New York, the Orlando Sentinel Newspapers, and the Arlington Heights Daily Herald.

Palestinian, American Arab and Christian, Hanania’s parents originate from Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

Hanania is the recipient of four (4) Chicago Headline Club “Peter Lisagor Awards” for Column writing. In November 2006, he was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New American Media. In 2009, Hanania received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. He is the recipient of the MT Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award. He was honored for his writing skills with two (2) Chicago Stick-o-Type awards from the Chicago Newspaper Guild. In 1990, Hanania was nominated by the Chicago Sun-Times editors for a Pulitzer Prize for his four-part series on the Palestinian Intifada.

His writings have also been honored by two national Awards from ADC for his writing, and from the National Arab American Journalists Association.

The managing editor of Suburban Chicagoland Online News website www.SuburbanChicagoland.com, Hanania's columns also appear in the Southwest News Newspaper Group of 8 newspapers.

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Visit this link to read Ray's column archive at the ArabNews,com ArabNews.com/taxonomy/term/10906