Article from DebunkingSkeptics.com.
"Just
look at us. Everything is backwards. Everything is upside down. Doctors
destroy health, lawyers destroy justice, universities destroy
knowledge, governments destroy freedom, the major media destroy
information, and religion destroys spirituality." - Michael Ellner
Pseudoskeptics
are not just wrong and fallacious in their reasoning and approach to
investigating the paranormal with outright rejection of anything that
doesn't fit into a materialist orthodox paradigm. They've also,
knowingly or unknowingly, engaged in deceptive mind control by hijacking
critical terms to mean their OPPOSITE, including the very term
"skeptic" itself. And they've hid what they truly are (suppressors of
new ideas) by pretending to the opposite of what they are. Let me
explain.
As mentioned earlier, a skeptic doubts, inquires,
questions, ponders, etc. But these pseudoskeptics do anything but. They
attack, ridicule, discredit and suppress anything and everything that
challenges the materialist reductionist paradigm. But don't take my word
for it. Just look at any article by James Randi, Michael Shermer, or
Skeptical Inquirer, for example, and you will see that there is no
questioning of what they are told, doubt or pondering of possibilities
at all. All they do is ridicule and attack anything related to
paranormal and psychic phenomena, holistic medicine, and conspiracies.
That's not what skepticism is. The founder of the term itself meant
this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skeptic
In
classical philosophy, skepticism refers to the teachings and the traits
of the 'Skeptikoi', a school of philosophers of whom it was said that
they 'asserted nothing but only opined.' (Liddell and Scott) In this
sense, philosophical skepticism, or Pyrrhonism, is the philosophical
position that one should suspend judgment in investigations.[1]
And according to Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, a skeptic is:
"One
who is yet undecided as to what is true; one who is looking or
inquiring for what is true; an inquirer after facts or reasons."
Now,
take Michael Shermer for example. He is a professional skeptic who runs
a Skeptic magazine, which makes him a prominent skeptic in the
movement. But does he do any of the above? Does he doubt or question
authority or orthodoxy? Does he ponder possibilities and the mysteries
and wonders of life? Does he engage in a nonjudgmental open search for
truth? No. All he does is try to debunk and discredit anything related
to the paranormal. Just look at EVERY article he writes and you will see
that. Yet he is one of the "big name skeptics!" What does that tell
you?!
So you see, these pseudoskeptics hijack the term "skeptic"
so that it can't be used against them. By calling themselves "skeptics",
they cast themselves as THE "skeptics" who question everything with
critical thinking and doubt. And if you are a skeptic or critical
thinker, then you will agree with them, so they hope.
Similarly,
they've done the same with the terms "reason, rationality, logic,
critical thinking, scientific" as well by hijacking them to fit their
agenda, so that they support their agenda of discrediting anything
related to paranormal, holistic or conspiratorial evidence.
In
essence, what they've done is put themselves in a position of "ultimate
authority" on reason, rationality, logic, critical thinking, etc. so
that if you call yourself those things, then you must agree with them
and their position. As such, being "reasonable and rational" means to
AGREE with them. And "critical thinking" can only be used to reject what
they reject, never to critique the pseudoskeptics themselves, according
to their paradigm, for they are "the critiquers".
Thus, they've
made it so that "critical thinking" and "skepticism" can't be used
against them, because they are THE "critical thinkers and skeptics".
It's a very sly form of mind control that obfuscates the terms and
attempts to shield them from "criticism" by putting them in the highest
position of criticism.
As such, the term "skeptic" now refers to
the one who suppresses and attacks the questioner, rather than the
questioner himself. In other words, the new "skeptic" is someone who
debunks a "skeptic" by wearing the hat of the person they are out to
debunk, in effect impersonating them! It's a highly deceptive form of
role reversal that is sneaky and deceptive.
Fortunately though,
the true skeptics, critical thinkers and freethinkers see through this
BS and call them on it. And that's the purpose of this page, to expose
this mind control and hijacking of terms to mean their opposite.
Now,
I may be speculating here, but this whole movement of hijacking
important words to mean their opposite, and militant suppression of new
ideas, seems way too calculated and organized to be due to simple sheer
human ignorance and narrow mindedness alone. Instead, it's more
indicative of an agenda, such as a disinformation or mind control
campaign. This isn't to say that all pseudoskeptics are disinfo agents.
But some might be, either knowingly or unknowingly. You have to remember
that we are all mind controlled to some degree, one way or another.
Even if these pseudoskeptics are not knowingly involved in a disinfo
campaign, they are likely to be mind controlled themselves by a
disinfo/thought suppression campaign.
It's a definite
possibility, since after all, this world has more dark secrets than one
can imagine, and most things are not what they appear to be. I don't
want to jump to any far out conspiratorial conclusions here. I'm just
asserting the possibilities, like a true skeptic does. Either way, there
is no question that they have hijacked terms and pretended to be the
opposite of what they are.
By hiding behind the mask of critical
rational thinkers and skeptics, they've hidden the fact that they are
suppressors of new ideas that challenge old paradigms, thus making
themselves look forward and progressive, rather than backwards and
suppressive.
Now, this form of hiding what you are by pretending
to be the opposite of what you are is nothing new. It's a classic form
of mind control. MIT professor of linguistics and media critic Noam
Chomsky talks here in this video about how the mainstream media in
America hides its conservativism for big business interests (which own
them) by pretending to be a "liberal voice" for the people.
This
forum poster hit the nail on the head about how and why the mainstream
media trick us into thinking it is the opposite of what it is:
http://www.happierabroad.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=8460
"The
mainstream media often are "liberal" on the "wedge" or "social" issues,
such as gay rights, abortion, school prayer, etc. This gives them cover
to be absolute reactionaries when it comes to the important issues of
preserving vested corporate and governmental interests. The great
triumph of the oligarchy in the U.S. is to have used the media that they
own to convince voters to vote almost exclusively on these wedge
issues, and never to vote their own financial interests because the
media prevent them from discerning those interests."
Now this is not suprising given the state of affairs in this world, which this quote eloquently sums up:
"Just
look at us. Everything is backwards. Everything is upside down. Doctors
destroy health, lawyers destroy justice, universities destroy
knowledge, governments destroy freedom, the major media destroy
information, and religion destroys spirituality." - Michael Ellner
The
lesson here is that we all need to wake up and stop believing what
people SAY, and start judging them by their ACTIONS. After all, actions
speak louder than words, and talk is cheap. We've been lied to and
deceived too often in the past. It's time we stop believing everything
we are told, even by those in established positions of authority, and
start thinking for ourselves. Seek the truth, and you will be closer to
finding it.
It is my hope that many more will join us in this
journey of truth and liberation from fear mongering, mind control,
thought suppression, and limited thinking. Not only is it more
liberating, but it is far more exciting and interesting as well. If you
are accustomed to living in fear and conformity, then try the opposite
for once. Try living in truth, and you will see that it is much more
exciting and soul fulfilling. Once you've tasted that, you will never
want to go back. Once you go up in consciousness, you will not want to
come down.
It is my hope, therefore, that someday you will look
back on this article and say "Hey you know, what I read there was right
all along!"
