# Bad rebuttals to Conspiracy Theories?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-rebuttals-to-conspiracy-theories/569270>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [January 28, 2011, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-rebuttals-to-conspiracy-theories/569270 "2011-01-28T03:31:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\
**Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-rebuttals-to-conspiracy-theories/569270/21 "2011-01-29T02:43:35Z")

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> [@Kolga](#):
>
> Or just too many drinks at the bar one Friday night. Or a confession/slip of the tongue to a spouse.  
> .

This, I know is a joke. Husband/wife gets drunk. Next morning: “Oh, honey, why did you kill our beloved President?” or, “Well, Mr./Mrs. Big Time Frank Sturgis: So, YOU killed the President, eh! I’m so embarrassed!”  
Try, maybe: “Larry King show? I have a scoop for you. My husband/wife killed our… That’s right, he admitted it last night while he was drunk! When do I show up for my interview? Should I use my own makeup?”  
Or, finally: “I know you’re lying! It was the CFR/Masons/Tri-Lateral Commission! Hahahahahaha! I’m so hilarious! This has never been used before! Did you hear what I said??? The CFR/Masons/Tri-Lateral…”  
The part about the **hyperbole** : OK, you got me. I am an idiot.  
Stupid!  
Stupid!  
Stupid!

Best wishes,  
hh

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**Author:** ![Otara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a88e4f/32.png) [@Otara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otara)\
**Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-rebuttals-to-conspiracy-theories/569270/22 "2011-01-29T03:01:04Z")

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> [@j66](#):
>
> Kolga, Otara, and Oakminster, I am assuming you all posted examples of bad rebuttals, rather than describing them.

No, I disagreed with your starting assumption, ie that conspiracy theories as presented are internally consistent and dont violate the laws of physics.

I would say thats a pretty rare occurrence, and one way they are easily identified as such - they generally dont stand up to any kind of detailed examination.

Otara

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**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\
**Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-rebuttals-to-conspiracy-theories/569270/23 "2011-01-29T03:08:14Z")

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> [@j66](#):
>
> Kolga, Otara, and Oakminster, I am assuming you all posted examples of bad rebuttals, rather than describing them.

You assume incorrectly, as I disagree with your premise that people would keep secrets. People tend to be bad at keeping secrets, and the more people that are involved in a secret, the less likely that they’ll all keep the secret at the same time for the same reasons for the same length of time.

I find it amusing that people are convinced that there’s a massive government conspiracy about aliens at Roswell and Bush blowing up the World Trade Centers when Clinton couldn’t hide a fucking blowjob for very long. Somebody, somewhere, will talk. If there’s just a few people involved, that may not matter, but if there are lot of people who have to be involved in order to pull it off, no dice.

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