They answer: “We can readily imagine a series of possible responses. (1) Government might ban conspiracy theorizing. (2) Government might impose some kind of tax, financial or otherwise, on those who disseminate such theories.”
In the 30-page paper Sunstein argues the best government response to “conspiracy theories” is “cognitive infiltration of extremist groups.”
Sunstein said government agents “might enter chat rooms, online social networks, or even real-space groups and attempt to undermine percolating conspiracy theories by raising doubts about their factual premises, causal logic or implications for political action.”
Sunstein defined a conspiracy theory as “an effort to explain some event or practice by reference to the machinations of powerful people, who have also managed to conceal their role.”
Some “conspiracy theories” that Sunstein recommends be banned include:
● “The theory of global warming is a deliberate fraud.” ● “The view that the Central Intelligence Agency was responsible for the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.” ● “The 1996 crash of TWA flight 800 was caused by a U.S. military missile.” ● “The Trilateral Commission is responsible for important movements of the international economy.” ● “That Martin Luther King Jr. was killed by federal agents.” ● “The moon landing was staged and never actually occurred.”
Sunstein allowed that “some conspiracy theories, under our definition, have turned out to be true.”
Aaron Klein is Jerusalem bureau chief and senior reporter for WorldNetDaily.com. He is also host of an investigative radio program on New York’s 770-WABC Radio, the largest talk radio station in the U.S., every Sunday between 2-4 p.m. His website is KleinOnline.com.