9/11 Conspiracy Theories Still Persist 10 Years Later – Voice of America
We have probably all encountered numerous examples of conspiracy thinking in recent years, including claims that the 2024 Baltimore bridge collapse was caused by former President Obama, that Taylor Swift controlled the outcome of the Super Bowl to help President Biden get reelected and that the 9/11 attack was an “inside job” planned and carried out by the CIA.
While individuals and groups peddling conspiracy theories often derive financial or political benefits when their theories catch on, some conspiracy theories end badly for their authors. For example, Alex Jones owes $965 million to the families of Sandy Hook victims for his theory that the whole massacre was a hoax, staged by actors. Fox News was forced to pay $787 million to Dominion Systems for running conspiracy stories that the voting machines were rigged in favor of Biden in the 2020 Election.
And the case of Edgar Welch is especially noteworthy. He believed a conspiracy theory that there was a sex trafficking ring in the basement of Comet Pizza. In December 2016, he stormed into the pizza place and fired his rifle in his search of the alleged sex traffickers. He received a four-year prison sentence. But even this real-world consequence was not enough to end the “Pizzagate” conspiracy, as diehard proponents doubled down, claiming the entire incident involving Welch was staged; one proponent attempted to burn down the restaurant in 2019.
Acting on conspiracies, as Welch did, can cause harm to others but also to oneself. Indeed, many members of the Jan. 6 insurrection received fines or prison terms for their actions in support of the conspiracy theory that the 2020 Election was rigged against President Trump. As the News Hour has reported, obsession with conspiracies can exacerbate mental health problems,
Of course, real conspiracies do exist. For example, John Wilkes Booth was part of a conspiracy to assassinate President Lincoln. Tobacco companies knew that cigarettes caused cancer but kept the evidence quiet. Sometimes, then, it may be useful to speculate the possible existence of secret plans to do others harm. Yet, we also want citizens to reject obviously false conspiracy theories.
So, how do we educate students to separate theories that might potentially unearth a real conspiracy from conspiracy theories that are clearly or most likely false? History class is an ideal place for teaching the critical thinking skills helpful for separating real from false conspiracy theories, for two reasons:
- Students are not emotionally involved in most topics in history. For example, it is unlikely that students would have a strong opinion on the causes of the War of 1812. Thus, students can be more objective in evaluating conspiracy claims in history.
- Based on outcomes and evidence, we may be able to see with some clarity which conspiracy theories in the past proved to be true and which were shown to be false. In this case 20-20 hindsight could be valuable!
The experience of encountering conspiracy thinking in the past can provide historical context for conspiracies today. As students see that almost all conspiracy thinking in early American history is false, they should become more skeptical and discerning of conspiracy theories. A healthy skepticism of conspiracy theories is vital to citizenship.
For the accompanying lesson plan to this post, click here.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kevin O’Reilly taught history for 35 years at Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School in Massachusetts and is the author of eight books on critical thinking and 19 books on decision-making in history. He was the NCSS Teacher of the Year and NCHE Paul Gagnon Prize winner. You can see his books and free lessons at https://www.criticalthinkinginhistory.com/
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