Sorry man. I had a conversation with my dad probably 15 years ago now where I showed him how to search on image sources because he would send me memes that his friends were sending him but implied they were "real". His generation was so wound up about how words and images on a page meant they were "legit", that there was some sort of trustworthy editorial content behind them. So I took one of them, sent him the news story that contained the original image and did meme generation on it to make something silly. He's been a lot sounder in how he accumulates information since then - he's always been a big time news guy and was the person who taught me to find well-regarded reporting entities but also know what their political and ownership leanings/biases would be. It was an interesting experience to circle back to that and show him that email chains of made up memes were just like the tabloids at the grocery store years ago. (I may have included one particular pic of the ships of the US Navy at anchor in Philadelphia for Christmas back in the early 2000's with the words splashed on them "Bigfoot acquires aircraft carrier, appoints Elvis as captain" as a way of showing him how it was being done.)
I've picked up a few mental drills which I use to filter every bit of news / information I get. I'll entertain any idea that way, but exceedingly few pass.
Here’s my government conspiracy theory model:
1. Is the US government capable of it?
2. Could the US government keep it a secret?
3. Who would execute the mission?
My aunt in Idaho who thought the UN was coming to take her land about a decade ago told me her theory. So, I ran it through my model:
1. There's no way the US could reasonably plan that operation. Only the DoD could come close to planning it, and couldn't do it without help from DoS, etc. Last big plan we had was Iraq. Great first 37 days, not so great the rest of the way.
2. There's no way that the thousands of people who would be need to plan such an operation internal to the US, or even external, could keep it secret. Not now, especially with the internet. To keep a secret, the circle needs to be small and those who know need to be motivated to keep the secret.
3. Unless some other country was doing invading, there's no way anyone in the military or law enforcement lifts a finger on that plan.
Failed conspiracy theory. She still thinks it's possible though.
www.barbarabakes.com
The younger one would murder any sort of veg, heck they were her first solid foods stealing peas and carrots off my spoon when she was tiny.
