The first in a new series for you, the Monday Conspiracy, where we take a popular conspiracy theory kicking around on Youtube or similar video-sharing site and take a cursory look at the tropes, stories and syllogistic thinking loops which are used to construct the narrative. Or we just point and laugh.
First up, the ‘7/7 Ripple Effect’ videos, which explore the conspiracy theories surrounding the July 7th 2005 bombings of London, England.
Here’s your check-list. Look for:
- Syllogistic thinking
- The number of references to ‘they’ or ‘them’
- The use of audio, visual and other sensory tricks to introduce elements of unease into the narrative
- Selective editing of statements (see Peter Power statement)
- Statements of ‘fact’ which have no evidential backing
Related
Blather, Rinse, Repeat: An Ethnography of Conspiracy Theory
Image
Detail from a photo by OpalMirror. Used under a CC licence.
Damien DeBarra was born in the late 20th century and grew up in Dublin, Ireland. He now lives in London, England where he shares a house with four laptops, three bikes and a large collection of chairs.