Posted by
Andrews on Wednesday, August 27, 2008 6:12:45 PM
Here is a simple question, or rather a few simple questions.
If you could get rich by harming others, would you? If you could make money by betraying your nation would you? If you worked for a company which told you to commit a crime, would you? If you owned a company and could make a fortune by doing something immoral or illegal, or by bringing harm to many others, would you do so?
And finally, do you think most of your fellow citizens are morally inferior to you?
The reason I ask is the same reason I wrote earlier about
conspiracy theories about arms dealers. It seems we have recently been plagued by conspiracy theories in the political arena. As in the 1970's it seems oil shortages and rising prices have allowed the conspiratorial minded to leave the political fringes and peddle their wares in the open. We are now beset with tales of oil speculators, unused drilling leases, and a whole host of sinister plots to profit at the expense of the average citizen.
And that is why I asked those opening questions. The point being, if you would not commit crimes to make money, and you would not do so if asked by your employer, why do you assume many of your fellow citizens would? Every one of these conspiracy theories require hundreds even thousands of co-conspirators, all willing to harm others for money.
But if you said you wouldn't do it why do you think your fellows would? Do you really think you are that morally superior to them?
And if not, then how do you explain this belief in conspiracies? I know the way they are phrased hides it. They talk of "international arms dealers", "multinational corporations", "big oil", but the truth is their theory is that a lot of average citizens are willing to inflict untold horrors on others in order to get a few dollars. There is no such thing as a "corporation" independent of the mass of individuals who work for them. The CEO may want to nuke Cleveland to get a rebuilding contract, but he has to get people to go along with him, and that is where the conspiracy theory breaks down.
I just do not believe the average citizen is evil enough to believe the theories being peddled. And, when asked directly about individual people, rather than about big evil corporations, most people agree. It is only the hazy, vague terminology of the conspiratorial that allows the theories to have even a hint of credibility.
So, let us say it clearly: People allege that John who lives next door is planning to kill Iraqis so that his retirement package has a few hundred extra dollars in it, while Jim on the other side of the house is burying toxic waste under your kids' school so he doesn't have to pay for disposal, while hiring your son-in-law, the ex-marine, to kill news reporters who find out about it.
It sounds much less plausible when you put it in those terms, does it not?