"First and foremost, it has been my experience that the vast majority of people in the skeptical community (i.e. those who associate with the likes of the JREF, the SGU, and so on) do in fact believe, that the theories of so-called 9-11 truthers are incorrect and potentially harmful."
Yeah, no shit, so give me some credit for hanging out in this den of vipers. There are much easier places/ways to spend my time and mental energy. What is so potentially harmful about 911 truthers? Do we threaten the stability and reputation of the government that takes care of us and keeps us safe?
Well I'm not too involved in debates on this topic so I can only speak for myself, but I consider it potentially harmful in the same way I consider any spread of blatantly false information potentially harmful. I say the same thing about seemingly innocuous things like the belief that Obama is a Muslim or wasn't born in the US. They don't cause harm just by existing, but actions based off of ignorance is I think an inherent problem that can range from simply spreading ignorance to inciting violence.
This is like falsely lead 911truth skeptics continuously telling me 2+2=5. Never, ever, ever, am I going to flip flop on this, so debating it makes no sense if you are trying to convince me otherwise. Do I want to know 911 was planned ahead of time...hell no, but I do. If this sets me up for extra doses of the typical 911 twoofas are deranged lunatics gibberish, it only discredits the intellect on your side of the 911 skepticism.
Saying you will never, ever, ever change your mind on something is decidedly about as
unskeptical as possible. At the very core of skepticism is the ability and desire to change one's opinions and beliefs with appropriate evidence. I've no love for Bush Jr. and his administration and fully believe that they have done possibly irreparable harm to the US (some of which was likely intentional and some which was likely not), but I've simply seen nothing rock solid enough to convince me that our government is or was involved in a conspiracy of this magnitude.
Regardless, you clearly are not interested in debating the conspiracy theories, and I don't particularly feel inclined to either so I'll just leave the particulars of my disagreement out of it.
"Furthermore, the linking of every single bit of data you've shared or implied you have to the federal government has not even been attempted by you; merely asserted repeatedly."
So would you recommend keeping our outstanding forecast a secret? Why would I bother being kind enough to point out the obvious future troubles for DJ/JP Grohle and Co? Knowing I am going to be hated by those that I initially wanted to help, I still gave them an opportunity to fix the problem before they transformed me into a messenger to they had to destroy.
As for tying this directly to the federal government...you have some serious lofty expectations. This penny ante operation has been up and running for only a couple weeks. Consider this the start of our start. Allow some government timing reality...IE: NIST released its final report on the causes of the collapse of 7 World Trade Center in November 2008.
So you're allowed to make baseless assertions as long as you can say that they are reasonably baseless? If you don't have the facts to back up the assertion that the JREF is part of a government effort to spread disinformation about their conspiracies then don't make the assertions.
"..as you attempted to join the JREF forum yourself you are clearly aware that one does not need to be a memeber of or even informally involved with the JREF to post there."
I get the feeling you are just feeling me out and trying to get more information from me than I care to share right now. If you expect me to present to you a finished case file full of evidence to improve my credibility with you...I can't. I'm a peon worker bee just like you.
Didn't your blog post contained emails of failed efforts to join their forums? Maybe I misread something, but I got the impression that you were claiming that DJ was lying about JREF forum members not having to be members of the JREF.
"There is plenty more that I could skeptically comment on..."
Yeah, me too. Unfortunately, creating never ending debates has become a trendy. Using foresight to prevent future problems is still very unpopular.
Why solve problems when it is so much easier to magnify mine?
I don't mind the battle, beat me up real good, send me out of this forum as an illuminated 911twoofa idiot convert that blindly trusts our government. I only wish you could.
I'm skeptically interested in hearing what skeptical response you will come back with as well!
Never-ending debates mainly happen when one or both sides are uninterested in conceding a point under any circumstances. Still, like I said, I don't particularly feel like debating trutherism with you so I'll abstain. The other stuff I was referring to was simply with regards to your kerfuffle with the JREF.
