London conspiracy theory

[kieran]

Driving into work this morning listening to BBC Radio 5 ... they were interviewing an author of a book on Al-Jazeera about the statement that the Egyptian chemist has been cleared of any links with the London bombing http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4695891.stm ... during the radio interview, this author (apologies for not catching his name at the time) said that there is a conspiracy theory circulating around Egypt that there were actually no London bombings and that it was all a propaganda exercise by the British government. Apparently one of the reasons for this theory is that there were no pictures of the explosion sites on the tube trains.

I have no doubt as to the authenticity of the bombs - I know someone who was on one of the tube trains that was bombed.

Just wanted to share this "conspriacy theory" with the board for discussion.

 

[MRC_Hans]

What is there to discuss? The reflection on the Egyptian society that they can even think of something like that, perhaps?

What I would like to know, however, is not why some people are that crazy, but why a fairly serious news service offers it any publicity.


Hans

 

[Cain]

The conspiracy is actually much larger and more pernicious. Not only did the London bombings not happen, there is no such place as "London". One is tempted to explain this as a figament of your imagination, but "you" are in fact only a figament of Zanabar's imagination. Heh, you think that's air you're breathing?

 

[Cylinder]

If you enlarge the JPEG from the BBC site by 700%, change the contrast and sharpen the edges you can clearly see Elvis planting debris in front of the missle pods that are attached to Bus #30.

 

[CapelDodger]

[BWhat I would like to know, however, is not why some people are that crazy, but why a fairly serious news service offers it any publicity. [/B]

They're reporting the existence of the conspiracy theory, which is a valid news item. It's right to point out just how credulous people are.

 

[CapelDodger]

If you enlarge the JPEG from the BBC site by 700%, change the contrast and sharpen the edges you can clearly see Elvis planting debris in front of the missle pods that are attached to Bus #30.

Forget the Elvis figure, look at the shadow it casts. If that's not a nine-foot reptilian's shadow I'm descended from monkeys.

 

[kieran]

What I would like to know, however, is not why some people are that crazy, but why a fairly serious news service offers it any publicity.

Hans

The theory was mentioned as part of the discussion (on the clearing of the Egyptian chemist) - it was not the focus of the discussion.

I think that the author was making the point that, due to years of state controlled television, the Egyptian (and middle Eastern) public has come to mis-trust large amounts of information presented by the media at home and abroad ... which leads to a plethora of wacky conspiracy theories.

The BBC interviewer asked if organisations like Al Jazeera (the author's speciality) were seen as an independent source and more trustworthy, and therefore helping to overcome such mistrust ... the author said that he thought it did (although I can't remember him giving any ensuing justification).