That's an interesting insight - conspiracy theorists are, in a way, suffering from a misfiring rationality.

What's scariest of all, of course, is that they are smart people, and I think of myself as reasonably smart - so I point at them and say "that's crazy", but what sort of crazy beliefs do *I* similarly hold? Ted Kaczynski was incredibly-intelligent, and not completely-wrong in the way he saw the world, but he also…

Thanks so much for the thorough reply. What's depressing about this is that if I had to point to what looks to me like the biggest factor - "freshman year in college" - that is, you were basically still just a kid, and even smart kids still have a ways to go - unfortunately won't be of much help to me.

A truth that likes to be topped by a dom truth.

Hey, kudos for admitting it, seriously, and this is not meant as a dig - but can you explain why, or what thought processes (or emotional situations) led you to originally believe in the pharma conspiracy theory, and what led you out of it?

Yes, all those Hot Shots got him in deep Deux Deux.

To be fair, that is some Chuck Norris, Most-Interesting-Man-In-The-World-level shit, right there.

Heat, traffic…

I'm still thinking about your great comment and I want to poke a few holes in this - not to take your theory down, because it has more explanatory power than anything I've seen as to why things are the way they are now - but to see if you or anyone else has any thoughts to shore it up further.

Man, if I had more than one upvote to give I would. This narrative makes hella sense to me, and now I'm off to record "Why Hip-Hop Sucks in 2015 (It's The Oppressive Copyright Regime)"

Without knowing precisely what the danger is, would you say it's time for commenters to crack each other's heads open and feast on the goo inside?

Lobot and Frank
I, Lobot

A Lobot Dirty Shame

"Two Hutts Beat As One"

I always called him "Walrus Man", because that's what the original action figure was called (yes, I'm THAT old).

Somewhere around here I have a 12" record of the TIE Team's hit single "Wampa! (There It Is)".

And every time he conducts any kind of transaction, he gets shot. Returning a library book, at the toll booth, etc.

He's a divisive character.

Hey everybody, getta loada this palooka! Wotta palooka!

If the Republicans get their way, yes.