this post was submitted on 20 May 2025
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[–] passepartout@feddit.org 78 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (3 children)

In other words:

Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.

Although honestly, this becomes harder to apply every day.

[–] Draegur@lemm.ee 73 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

Any sufficiently advanced stupidity is indistinguishable from malice.

[–] MajinBlayze@lemmy.world 30 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Things get much harder to justify this way when you account for how easily malice can manufacturer stupidity for malice to hide in.

And how easily stupidity nurtures hollow, fetid wounds for new malice to grow.

[–] aeronmelon@lemmy.world 9 points 2 weeks ago

Consider your wisdom stolen with the intent to reproduce, good sir and/or ma’am.

[–] ZeffSyde@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago

That's my favorite Isaak C. Clark quote.

/S

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[–] Dragonstaff@leminal.space 11 points 2 weeks ago

There's way too much malice in the world to rely on pithy witticisms too heavily.

[–] Artyom@lemm.ee 3 points 2 weeks ago

You can always explain reality with that quote, you just have to realize you've been an optimist in your definition of stupidity.

[–] Dagwood222@lemm.ee 49 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

On the other hand...

It's canon in DC comics that Batman runs a website called "Bruce Wayne Is Batman." It's a bit like 'birds aren't real' and the Caped Crusader does it to hide in plain sight.

[–] Hyphlosion@lemm.ee 10 points 2 weeks ago

That’s genius. Also a good way to keep tabs on potential stalkers. Stalking the stalkers?

[–] Dragonstaff@leminal.space 36 points 2 weeks ago (6 children)

This is odd to say when the YouTube algorithm has been proven to push right wing propaganda.

The concept of "conspiracies" is a bit off. It's not a "conspiracy" when Bezos kills the Washington Post's endorsement of Harris, or fires journalists who criticize him. YouTube doesn't need to remove a video if the algorithm never shows it to anybody.

It is kinda crazy to imagine a secret cabal of rich people who surreptitiously run the world, rather than the well known cabal of rich people who openly run the world.

[–] dzsimbo@lemm.ee 9 points 2 weeks ago

Meh, I kinda get it. Like who has more power, Trump or the Walton family? The latter is fairly in the background. Sachlers were (and are) getting away with the opiate epidemic.

Sure there is a level, where it's only seeing shadow men, but Bill Gates, Musk or Bezos as a final boss seems anticlimatic. I do subscribe to the deep state idea, but I see it more like powerful people trying to keep their power, but it's more of a random walk than an orchestrated psyops.

[–] WhatsTheHoldup@lemmy.ml 8 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

It is kinda crazy to imagine a secret cabal of rich people who surreptitiously run the world, rather than the well known cabal of rich people who openly run the world.

The cabal of rich people who run the world were a hell of a lot less open about it before tech billionaires came onto the stage.

Do we actually know the rich billionaires running the world, or do we just know the owners of Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Twitter and Facebook? (And then Warren Buffet is there too)

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[–] ccunning@lemmy.world 31 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

The fact that I WAS ABLE to find the YouTube video just PROVES ISM tHE ENliGhtENEd one!

I’m surrounded by simpletons 😮‍💨

[–] CmdrShepard42@lemm.ee 5 points 2 weeks ago

The fact that I can't find the the YouTube video just PROVES the government is covering everything up!

[–] iAvicenna@lemmy.world 15 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I am not much one for grand conspiracies but if I was a secret society doing 9/11 and shit, I wouldn't care much about a 9/11 video as in the current context it is a just a ripple in the ocean of misinformation. It might even be more fruitful to keep the video but do some articles ridiculing the video.

[–] WhyIAughta@lemm.ee 2 points 2 weeks ago

Also, when was the Israeli Mossad considered a secret society?

[–] samus12345@lemm.ee 11 points 2 weeks ago

If they stay up it's because removing them would be too suspicious, so it's proof they're true!

If they're removed it's because they're being covered up, so it's proof they're true!

[–] Wilco@lemm.ee 9 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

When you ban discussion related to a conspiracy or make it illegal to be a DENIER of said event ... you are basically confirming the conspiracy as correct.

[–] REDACTED@infosec.pub 21 points 2 weeks ago (10 children)

By this logic, Holocaust in Germany didn't happen as it's illegal there to deny it. I get your point, but it's flawed

[–] SCmSTR@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 2 weeks ago

In certain people's heads, anything is possible.

It's pretty hard to find 9/11 or other conspiracy videos on YouTube. It used to be just searching "documentary" brought them up.

[–] InternetPerson@lemmings.world 6 points 2 weeks ago

Don't argue with crazy. Those people need help, not a rational discussion (which they are not capable of).

[–] plyth@feddit.org 5 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (2 children)

How should a secret society remove such a video without silencing the author?

https://xkcd.com/1425/

It is easier to do the above three things. Removing a video draws attention to it because the author will post it on other channels. Other people will upload it to check the claim that it is removed.

It's much easier to drown a problematic video in other content so that only few people discover it. So some people know the real truth, but nobody believes them or cares about them.

[–] AwesomeLowlander@sh.itjust.works 5 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Are you sure you linked the right xkcd?

https://xkcd.com/1224/

[–] ThatGuy46475@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Every xkcd is the right one

[–] AwesomeLowlander@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Probably, but this one seems to be righter

https://xkcd.com/1224/

[–] Venator@lemmy.nz 4 points 2 weeks ago

Or even upload similar videos with crazier less logical conspiracies included so you can lump them all together to discredit them.

[–] edgemaster72@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Do you wanna Streisand Effect the conspiracy? Because removing the video is how you Streisand Effect the conspiracy.

[–] ripcord@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago
[–] RedditIsDeddit@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago

so someone rubbed their last two brain cells together for this one I guess

[–] paraphrand@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

There’s a UFO person who has been around for a long time who claims they were offered a billion dollars to shut up.

[–] kiagam@lemmy.world 11 points 2 weeks ago

Anyone willing to pay a billion dollars to keep a secret secret, is also willing to kill someone who does not take the billion dolar bribe

[–] KingOfTheCouch@lemmy.ca 6 points 2 weeks ago

And that's how you know for sure they are full of shit, or at the very least schizophrenic.

If I saw aliens, and some dude in a suit hushed me with a billion dollars, I'd be living on a yacht the next day.

[–] Nurse_Robot@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

What in the conspiracy theory bullshit is this?

[–] Nougat@fedia.io 24 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] Nurse_Robot@lemmy.world 12 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

Ah, it just clicked for me. My only excuse was that I had just woken up, but it seems pretty obvious in hindsight

[–] Nougat@fedia.io 6 points 2 weeks ago

I have been in the same position myself.

[–] x00z@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago

I try to keep online comments and consumption to an absolute minimum for at least 1h30 after waking up.

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[–] higgsboson@dubvee.org 6 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

You might want to go re-read it. This comic is literally making fun of the mental backflips conspiracy believers have to do. If you didnt get that, try again.

[–] entwine413@lemm.ee 5 points 2 weeks ago

It's a comic, buddy. Try not taking things so seriously.

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