What They Don't Tell You: Conspiracy Theories

Is it all that wacky to believe that people do things in secret -- sometimes really nasty things -- to gain power? (2:34)

Hi, this is Jody Paulson from Moscow, ID with what they don't tell you.

Most people would call me a conspiracy theorist. I think the voting machines in the last election were rigged. I think there's no way the events of 9-11 could have taken place without inside help. I don't buy the "lone gunman" theory of the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Despite the mountains of evidence supporting these beliefs, anyone who espouses them automatically gets slapped with a "scarlet letter C" if you will, and society is conditioned not to take anything that they say very seriously. Well, I've got better words to describe those "conspiracy theorists" – how about "suspicious," "intellectually honest," historically savvy," and "unswayed by authority and popular opinion."

Conspiracies happen. People do things in secret, sometimes very nasty things, to gain power. Some examples are: the crucifixion of Jesus, the murder of Julius Caesar, the distribution of smallpox blankets, the burning of the Reichstag. Yet Americans have been conditioned to believe these kinds of things could only happen in another time and place – what with our robust democracy and modern sensibilities. But has human nature really changed from the time Queen Elizabeth had her cousin Mary Queen of Scots beheaded? My answer to this is no. Some people will kill to gain power. We see this all the time on a small scale – it's grist for the mill on mystery shows like "Murder She Wrote." Why is it we can't bring ourselves to believe this kind of criminal behavior might extend to the highest reaches of power, where the stakes are much greater?

Who wants to believe their fate has been entrusted to vipers? It's not a pleasant experience to believe these theories, trust me. It's a scary thought to realize that much of what you've been told all your life is a lie, because now that calls into question everything else you've been taught as well – and it's hard work trying to discern where exactly you should draw the line separating reality from delusion.

But it needs to be done, because someone's out there lying to the people in order to steal their power. This has always been true. But now I fear that we, as a nation, are being steered on a crash course. We can wrest control from the hijackers, but first we've got to face what's happening. Don't just sit in your seat, find out what's going on, and then do something about it.

I'm Jody Paulson, and I just thought you should know.