Our most enduring conspiracy
This is a bright little piece that cuts through all of the myth-making invented about the Kennedy assassination. A quick, good read:
Notes on a Strange World
Facts and Fiction in the Kennedy Assassination
Massimo Polidoro
Investigating historical mysteries is, possibly, one the most fascinating and rewarding aspects of the work of a skeptical researcher. Mysteries that appear to have no possible solutions, that could certainly be termed “cold,†can, sometimes, become clearer thanks to a more careful investigation of the original sources and also to the advancements of science. Think only of the many historical enigmas and crimes that DNA-testing techniques have helped to solve, like the riddle of Anastasia Romanoff’s claimed survival (Gill 1994, 1995) or the real origins of Kaspar Hauser (Weichhold 1998).
However, cases are often made more difficult to solve when facts get confused with imagined realities and unfounded conclusions. Eyewitness testimonies and self-styled experts, even in good faith, can alter details and hide important clues that—if untouched—could lead to radically different conclusions. In order to give you some clear examples of what I mean, I will examine one of the great tragedies of the twentieth century.
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Most folks who are prone to believe in conspiracy theories do so because they rely first upon bad sources of information, seal their opinions tight, and then summarily dismiss any and all contrary information as part of the conspiracy. This is precisely how it was that the so-called Clinton conspiracies about Whitewater, Vince Foster, and Pardongate were able to take on such life without evidence. Overheated gossip outlets, mascarading as news and information - we're talking Rush Limbaugh and company, here - reinforce people's wrongful impressions about the facts. Even after investigators, prosecutors and courts and long since dismissed such unmeritorious claims, a cadre of true believers remains to repeat the erroneous stories. We see this same phenomena occurring with the Oklahoma City Bombing, the Branch Davidian tragedy, and the TWA Flight 800 disaster.
