Nice post, xylaria. Interesting how no one responds to your arguments, and attacks easier targets instead.
I think the majority of people would much prefer that conspiracy theories didn't exist. It's easier that way. More certainty in the world and less to worry about. For example, British security forces are the good guys, Irish paramilitaries like UVF and IRA are the bad guys. That's the simple version. Forget the complexities, ignore the geopolitics, break it all down to a black and white dichotomy and sleep soundly at night. Just believe the newspapers, keep your head down and keep working and playing. That's why there's so much flight during this thread into derision and jokes. To approach the arguments themselves is just too messy.
I view religion in a similar way. If you can simplify the universe into a symbolic story, with defined rules and codes of conduct then life becomes a much less scary place to be. We can stop worrying about the intrinsic weirdness of our existence and instead concentrate on treading a well trodden path to salvation, or nirvana or whatever it is the religion is selling. Research shows that religious people tend to be happier as a result. Sincere apologies if I cause any offence to religiously minded people reading this.
I'm not sure that BCUK is the right place to talk about conspiracy theories. The discussion appears unproductive and divisive. Some people have already stated that they will regard fellow forum members prejudicially in the future based upon the views which they have expressed on this thread. Because of this, I'm ducking out of it, and will try to restrict discussions on this forum to the practical application of bushcraft and the related arts.
