Science or Conspiracy?
A catastrophe that had taken the world over by storm and hushed the busiest of cities in the world with a tragedy so devastating remains etched in the minds of those who lived through it. The collapse of the twin towers in New York City in the United States of America (USA) on September 11th, 2001, is an unsettling image that yet inflicts anguish beyond the scope of any recent major occurrences (displayed below).
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To understand this historical rupture seemed unfathomable, with individuals having difficulty assimilating these events. Along the need to better understand came the need to distinguish between facts and creative opinions, conspiracy theories. Scientific assertions are based on systemic observation and the deriving practical consistent findings with falsifiability (the capacity to be proven wrong). This is distinct from pseudoscience-conspiracy theories, which are unfalsifiable, untestable statements from a conspiracist mentality of either cognitive or emotional attitudes.
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Because of social media's rising prominence at the time, conspiracy theories regarding the 9/11 attack on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon by Al-Qaeda (a United Nations-listed terrorist organisation) developed quickly within hours of the event. It is believed that the US government had foreknowledge to some level throughout the Clinton-Bush era. These ideas are repudiated by these conspiracy theories.
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Although the most prominent theory is a compelling one, you might just believe it. The way the towers fell is questioned a lot, they fell inwards as an act of controlled demolition by explosives and not planes. When you argue in terms of relativity, the towers, which were built with robust steels and a 1000 times stronger than the airplane could not have collapsed so rapidly. Furthermore, jet fuel can’t melt the steel beams that provided the structural support for the towers. An analysis to determine whether explosives were employed uncovered molten steel in the wreckage, despite the fact that a normal aeroplane fire would not create enough heat to do this. However, legitimate science suggests that if there was any molten steel in the rubble, it would have already been damaged.
Furthermore, the explosion at the Pentagon (image seen below), the US Defence Department's headquarters, is known to be a fabrication. The hole in the structure where the jet allegedly crashed is thought to be too tiny for a plane. It is believed that a missile crashed through instead as the buildings gap was 60 ft. but the plane itself was 155ft long. How could this be, especially because the damage to the towers was not as severe?
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9/11 conspiracy theorists also claim that there was an unusual amount of stock market activity in the days leading up to the disaster, with several put options being placed, which simply means that people sold their stocks in United and American Airlines, the airlines whose 'planes' were used in the crash. Certain insurance companies like Citigroup Inc. also reported 45 times increased activity in insurance trading activity in the three days leading up to the catastrophe. There is substantial evidence for theorists to claim that there was plentiful foreknowledge as there is no other way to justify this sort of irregularity between traders.
All the conspiracy theories imply that the 9/11 attack was a mere orchestration by the government. The only question is, who would this elaborate scheme benefit? Majority believe it is in aid of crafting a New World Order between a variety or groups: bankers, militants, governments, etc to create a global government and to form a “New America”. This could be valid as it forms the basis from an old plan, Operation Northwoods which was an apparently previously rejected plan to bomb a few American cities and place the blame on Cuba. The same chronology seems to be apparent for the 9/11 attack.
In terms of individuals having foreknowledge, pop culture seems to have previously predicted the fate of the towers, which were shown in a variety of visual forms. The horrific vision of the buildings engulfed in flames is shown on the poster below from the TV show Johnny Bravo, which premiered on April 27, 2001. Did the creators find out? Or was it just a coincidence?
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However, as shown below, the popular programme Simpsons depicts a similar picture. Theorists believe that certain elites were aware of the situation and sought to convey subliminal warnings. The image with $9 represents an innocuous price for a long bus ride next to the silhouette of the twin towers. Viewing this image after the aftermath is almost sinister, yet the science behind it is still undiscovered.
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It is integral to note that whilst these are all theories, they originate from people who have a distinct form of conspiracy cognition that distinguishes themselves as they advocate for a strong form of science denial. These theories all rely on a notion against powerful members of society and form a dishonest manipulated society. Furthermore, the impact of people orchestrating an elaborate string of theories to tie in their predisposed beliefs of the 9/11 was widespread and is lasting even today. 9/11 created a dramatic shift in the perception of mental health, encouraging people to be more expressive and also called for an elaborate patriotic cinematic shift. Studies find that people who are uneasy in their relationships and have a tendency to over-analyse life's difficulties are more likely to believe in conspiracy theories, which links with what is thought to drive conspiratorial thinking.
Professor Karen Doughlas provides an analytical viewpoint that explains people's irrational ideas about 9/11 hypotheses. People have epistemic requirements for certainty, followed by existential needs to feel safe and secure. Humans have social requirements in order to be positive with other
people. Individuals who develop and adhere to such theories find satisfaction in having control over their vision of reality, despite the fact that it was designed to minimise ambiguity and simplify a complicated tragedy such as the 9/11 incident. However, unbeknownst to them, it does them more harm than good. Furthermore, on a societal level, the theories circulating around 9/11 can be fatal as they delegitimise the American democratic system and has caused long term hostility internally within the country.
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To better comprehend these theorists, one must turn to the genuine bible, science, which demonstrates that theorists frequently feel inadequate and under pressure from worldly politics and economics, according to research. Perhaps this explains why 9/11 theorists accuse higher agents of conspiring as their feeling of threat is consistent and the oppressor can vary as per their choice as the theorist finally gains some sense of power to determine who to blame.
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Alleviating the ripple effect of national government distrust might be accomplished by governments guaranteeing more clarity behind incidents. Secrecy is justified, even applauded, for the sake of initial security. A democracy, on the other hand, can only exist with the trust of the people it is supposed to serve. One may expect that confronting a myth and comparing it to the facts will compel a different viewpoint. However, this has the unintended consequence of causing truths to be forgotten and myths to be recalled years later. To diminish belief in 9/11 myths and
conspiracies, it is critical to recognise that you, like them, are human. Be respectful while questioning their viewpoint and encourage them to refute the idea themselves rather than having you do it for them. The finest sort is self-realization.
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