are you children?

My gawd, your being Bold Rabbit! Hope your wearing kevlar! My kid got detention for having a contrary opinion, was called "Godless heartless B!itch" (which went unreprimanded) when discussing social issues in Sociology class. They beat down those with opinions outside what is perceived as The Norm. Secrets of The State are very mysterious and intriguing, especially for folks who are born followers...

I'm glad you didn't post this in politics..I'd have been afraid to post my answer, hopefully I can remain buried over here so the knee jerkers won't find me and accuse me of treason. There are alot of knee jerkers here in the states but I think the number appears larger after they have been whipped into a frenzy by bigger jerks like Rush Limbaugh. the majority of us are not like that, we just prefer to remain silent and keep working for change and a better life for our families, sometimes we get lost in the cloud of those screaming and not thinking, because we prefer to set examples and not be them. 'We have our own conspiracy..it's based on the old premise..give them enough rope and they will hang themselves. Sorry I wasn't much help.

Well I'm not from the States, so I wouldn't have a clue. I have a number of American friends, both offline and online, and I would have to say the majority - a BIG majority - would NOT be thinking everything is a conspiracy. Only a few would, but I must admit they really do go overboard on it and it does get to be quite a turn-off. Maybe this is the case in other countries too, but we certainly hear more of it from the States. Maybe because they make a big deal about freedom? Maybe because the basic human nature likes to hear the bad and believe the bad? Scandals sell newspapers and maybe condition some people to think that way. I really don't know but I'm interested to hear what others think.

I think it is paranoia to some degree. And the size has to do with it also. So many bizarre things have happened during the last few years people are freaked and looking out for themselves ofcourse but also they have been leading sheltered, consumer driven lives and are trying to protect that.

to put it simply - 'power corrupts' and arrogant power destroys. also i think that most ordinary citizens are kept away from truth. they are fed with some unimportant issue blown out of proportion just to keep them engrossed and away from the real issue. education and wisdom are two different things and education need not necessarily lead to wisdom. as long as people are leading a comfortable life, they don't seem to bother about other 'issues' and this gives the custodians of such countries a free hand in whatever they wish to do.

I can tell you why - because you other countries take all your lunatics and paranoid thinkers and conspiracy theory fanatics, etc. and pack them up and send them over here and we welcome them into our country with open arms. Oh wait, did I just say that out loud?!

It's all those nasty emissions that I've been inhaling all these years. I don't have any weapons that look for blue wabbits under pebbles though.

Media and poor education are large external factors, and the drive to conformity, which is fairly universal and not restricted to the USA. But I think one of the main reasons is that the US government has succeeded beyond the dreams of most other governments, although they all try the seem thing, in diverting their citizens' disquiet into paranoia, relatively harmless in most cases but clearly not in all, as a way of getting them to ignore the real issues. And I don't believe it all began with 9/11 - or even with the Kennedy assassination. Lash

That's kind of a nasty generalization, JB. I can't help but find it a bit offensive. I like to think that I am an intelligent person who weighs facts carefully before coming to an opinion on an issue. My friends and family who live in the USA also are very intelligent and educated and can think critically. Sure, there are a few crazies on mylot but the majority of Americans aren't like them. In fact, I don't know any Americans who ARE Like them outside mylot.

We have weapons under pebbles? I had no clue. As to conspiracy theories, perhaps we thrive on drama. They make good fodder for the movie grind stones, doncha know.

To me, it goes back to Sept 11, Jb. It terrified people, understandably, and the powers that be realised pretty quickly that it was an easy way to keep everyone in check, by telling them "the big bad arab man will get you if you don't believe everything we feed you from now on." I think it was the same people who told Blair that he would get a cushy job with a big fat payslip if he sooked Bush's rude bits!