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Annotated Bibliography: Conspiracy Theories And Other Dangerous Ideas

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Annotated Bibliography
Sunstein, Cass R. Conspiracy Theories & Other Dangerous Ideas. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2014. Print. In the article, Sunstein describes conspiracy theories and the effect they have on us. Crazy conspiracy theories can lead people to crazy thoughts. The key in determining conspiracy theories is to determine the cause of the spread. With the help of the internet, anyone can have instant access to conspiracies. These theories can help give cause to serious risk. Sunstein states that conspiracy theorizing is built into the human notion. Some conspiracy theories include, that Martin Luther King Jr. was killed by the Feds, and the CIA assassinated JFK. Often times conspiracy theories address the agent’s extra powers. …show more content…

There are many conspiracies that exist today around big events and big people. One of the biggest conspiracy theories is the one involving Princess Diana. The conspiracy is that Princess Diana was really murdered by the royal family to stop Diana from being the popular public figure she was. The article also reports on another big conspiracy theory involving President JFK. Theorists believe that there was more than one shooter and the whole event was a plot by the FBI. Marilyn Monroe is also a victim of conspiracy theorists. It is said that she was killed to protect the Kennedys and the future president. Another very popular theory involves the king of rock. The article says it is believed that Elvis Presley faked his own death to escape the pressure of public scrutiny. I will be able to use this article as a reference. It will help me provide examples supporting the theory that people like to believe conspiracy theories to make order of unexplainable …show more content…

He states that conspiracy theories can be created for a number of reasons. When people go through trauma they often need something to give the trauma reasoning. Barkun states that these ideas could be results of the anxieties of extremely distraught people. When someone is distraught they need to make sense of the terrible. Barkun writes in the novel that conspiracy theories expose us to the existence of subcultures outside societies norm. When the times of crisis combine with the exotic beliefs it creates a lasting impression on Americans lives. He states that most conspiracy theories revolve around the central idea of millennialism. Barkun reports millennialism is becoming a mainstream idea. From this article I will be able to use Barkun’s explanation of conspiracies to provide background on what conspiracies are for my

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