1/25/12

nealrauhauser [Anonymoused]

Oh, wait, there isn't any data? The big purple patches are two prefectures likely quite contaminated, but there has been such a cone of silence on actual readings that you can't even find a map that shows what happened. Some of that is simply Japanese nature - reticence in troubling situations, but there is definitely a cover up under way. How they can cover up something that can be measured with simple equipment I'm not quite sure - perhaps that's another cultural difference.

It's January and regular readers know what that means - my inner wheat geek is liable to break out the maps, charts, and tables. I know less about the rice market but I may undertake some sort of global grain assessment, and this situation in Japan is definitely going to bear watching.

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Conspiracism & Competence

23 Jan

anonymouse.Org/cgi-bin/anon-www.cgi/http://nealrauhauser.wordpress.com

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1/25/12

nealrauhauser [Anonymoused]

CONSPIRACY
The truth is out there. Better stay inside.
This is not the first time I've written regarding the cognitive deficits of conspiracy theorists, but I recently found this marvelous link by Jodi Dean that again set me thinking on how the conspiracist differs from a competent adult. The introductory paragraph strikes a telling blow: As the global networks of the infrjrmation age become increasingly entangled, many of us are overwhelmed and imdermined by an all-pervasive uncertainty. Far from passively consuming the virtually entertaining spectacles of vertically integrated media, we come to suspect that something is going on behind the screens. What we see is not what we get. The truth may not be out there, but something, or someone, is. Accompanying our increasing suspicions, moreover, are seemingly bottomless vats of information, endless paths of evidence. As Kathleen Stewart writes in her eerily evocative contribution to Paranoia Within Reason, "Events and phenomena call to us as haunting specters lodged somewhere within the endless proliferation of images and reports . . .the more you know, the less you know." There may be more information than we can bear. The cure for this is, of course, reading and internalizing CIA"s fine monograph Psychology of Intelligence Analysis. I f you can get through that the next one to read is Thinking and Writing: Cognitive Science and Intelligence Analisys. which is good if you work with a group involved in sense making exercises. Curing Analytical Pathologies is specifically about the agency's recent failures in the face of asymmetric warfare - which is quite topical today for anyone trying to make sense of the world. Finally, A Tradecraft Primer seems to be a nicefinishingtouch to getting tuned up in this area.

Conspiracists differ from competent adults in how they will interpret what has been said here so far. You can count on a few specific characteristics from those with the cluster of cognitive deficits that define the conspiracy theorist.

Attributing many world events to some shadowy individual or organization's manipulations Unwarranted self importance, always finding things in their life that correlate to these world events Consistently ignoring/discounting obvious facts while insisting others swallow absurd propositions regarding reality Great difficulty in assessing the competence of others, will prefer a crackpot who validates them to an expert who scoffs at improbable theories Paranoia trumping prudence: global warming is a hoax, but some aircraft contrails have mind control chemicals in them

I f a park bench sleeper approaches you and begins shouting at you as if you have some connection to their delusions it's a fairly simple matter to rt your eyes, move away, and if they become aggressive you can defend yourself or summon the police as appropriate. But if you find the street mumbler's online equivalent it's a far different proposition.

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nealrauhauser [Anonymoused]

Anorryrnity, action at a distance, the presence of cyberbully communities, and cynical, indecent operatives who will happily manipulate the hapless conspiracist all combine into a poisonous brew when a web browser is added to the mix. Having watched this the last eighteen month I've come to some operational and moral conclusions.

Internet predators who seeks out and manipulate conspiracists should face job loss, jail time, public & private humiliation, and airy other consequences that can be arranged for them Break no laws, but otherwise respect no bounds of polite society with regard to your actions against such persons. CyberbuBies are fair game - study their cognitive deficits and psychology, then feel free to goad them into doing things that bring them real world consequences. Such people lack planning abilities, but their methods often complement the predator's strategy. Conspiracists should not be hunted, but if they linger where they are not wanted they may be tormented in any way one can devise, with no ethical concerns regarding their personal mental safety. Conceal reality, present pretense, and outright simulation is fair if you have the time and talent to wield it. Do not involve innocents in pretense and simulation, attempt warn any who come to the attention of bad actors

This is the first of a pair of articles. The conspiracist, lacking certain basic competencies, can simply be insulted out in the open like this without any fear that they might discern the true meaning. They'll likely detect another conspiracy by their reading of this, as was the intent with the layered speech used here. The article on cyberbully vulnerabilities might be instructive to such a person, so I am revealing that only to those whom I trust.

The strategists behind such things are a separate class of problem, but in general they respond to the same treatment you'd give a con artist when you catch one - introduce the next victim to the previous one and encourage them to compare notes. You should hear the sweet howls of a thwarted schemer in short order, and this sort of thing is additive - derail two plans in a row and you're liable to so mark them as to limit their utility to whomever set them in motion in the first place.

This is as much of a disclaimer as I'll ever post regarding the recent metamorphosis to my online presence. This Is Not A Game. People have been sued, outed, arrested, and assaulted. We should see a couple of lawyers disbarred and losing their jobs in the first few months of 2012. People about to have their lives shredded due to their own unethical and criminal conduct often double down with attempts to silence their critics, not realizing that they succeed only in confirming what the world has long suspected about them

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Mental Illness & Online Participation

22 Jan

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