DSK AND CONSPIRACY THEORY

The New York Times ^ | May 31, 2011 | ROGER COHEN

[Cincinna]

After Osama bin Laden was killed, a prominent French radio station called me for an interview. It turned into a mildly hallucinogenic experience. Everybody from the president of the United States to Al Qaeda itself was saying Bin Laden was dead, but my interviewer kept pressing me for “the proof.”

I talked about DNA samples, the word of the American president, the accumulated intelligence, but it was clear that a Gallic conspiracy reflex — especially active with regard to France’s sometime American savior — had kicked in. The view that this might all be some U.S. plot or hoax had taken mysterious hold. I was put in mind of an unpleasant Paris dinner when a France Télécom manager with international experience began to expound on the theory — more than plausible to his mind — that Jews had not turned up to work at the twin towers on 9/11 because Israel and the Mossad were behind the planes-turned-missiles that turned lower Manhattan into an inferno.

And now we have the Dominique Strauss-Kahn sexual assault case, viewed, it seems, by close to 60 percent of French society as a conspiracy against the putative Socialist presidential candidate — a sting operation that somehow placed a West African immigrant maid in a $3,000 a night Sofitel suite whose number, 2806, corresponds to the date of the opening of the Socialist party primaries in France (06-28).(snip) France remains a nation of Napoleonic centralism where the functionary’s mentality holds sway. The ingrained reflex of mind-set is look to the state for salvation, to believe in some all- orchestrating higher power. The nation’s world-class private sector, believers in agency rather than dependency, follows the old principle of “vivre heureux, vivre caché” — to live happily, live hidden.In this view, personal responsibility does not loom large.

[Cincinna]

"...A rough rule goes like this: The freer a society the less inclined it is to conspiracy theories, while the greater its culture of dependency the more it will tend to see hidden hands at work everywhere.work everywhere."

[Silverfiddle]

The problem with conspiracies is that you can never provide enough proof. Conspiracy theorists will insist its doctored, the CIA did it, bla bla bla.

Don't argue with crazy people

[Batman11]

“the word of the American president”

...is worth crap.

This Roger Cohen is a funny leftist tool!

[AU72]

DeGaulle was right, you can't govern a country with 257 varieties of cheese.

[Cincinna]

Excellent analysis of conspiracy theory, welfare state relationship.
I know, that’s where we’re heading, but in America, it is not intrinsic to our system. It can be stopped.

Left wing blogs that comment on French Politics are jumping all over this.

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[Buckeye McFrog]

it fits with the even bigger leftist conspiracy that “globalist bankers” (those darned Joooooos again!) wanted him out as IMF head because he was going to cut Greece and Portugal a break and not extract repayment from their social programs.

[2harddrive]

Has there been ANY real, true, bona-fide, proven, multiple-party assassination conspiracy since the attack on President Lincoln in 1865? That REALLY was one!

[Cincinna]

246, but who’s counting ;•}
I seem to remember another comment about governing a country with hundreds of religions(I think he meant us, and wasnt aware that different denominations of Christianity are all one religion- Christian. Same for Jews and different branches of Judaism.
Of course the main religion in France is humanism/statism, ie Atheism, but they never can look in the mirror.

[Cincinna]

And still unsolved!

[DManA]

Best case - he uses vulnerable humans as if they were an appliance.

Best case pig. Worst case - violent pig.

[rwoodward]

On what foundation does this administration have to compel us to believe anything they have to say? As far as I’m concerned they liars first and foremost until proven otherwise.

[Emperor Palpatine]

Anton Cermak

Taken out by the Chicago mob because of the squeeze he was putting on then-boss Frank Nitti and the favoritism shown to The Outfit’s competition Roger Touhy

http://www.newcriminologist.com/oc/home.asp?nid=201

[Emperor Palpatine]

Lincoln's has been.

The mastermind:

[MrEdd]

I think a society with humans running it, produces actual conspiracies of large and small scope. Theories about conspiracies abound because people in the society have first hand knowledge.

To suggest otherwise one either has to lie outright, or be a reclusive bachelor.

Because anyone who ever was or who ever raised an eleven year old girl has seen them group up and perpetrate the most absurd cruelties upon one another.

Conspiring is not an exclusively female trait, but they start it early and they get elaborate with it.

[Cincinna]

Chicago mob thug-ocracy hasn’t changed a bit seen the days of Eliot Ness & The Untouchables!