Hw- Anna Merlan Article Q’s
Kyle Messenger
- What is Merlan’s operating definition of a conspiracy theory? [Right There]
Merlan’s definition throughout the article of conspiracy theories explain that they are claims persuaded by dark suspicions typically from leaders or the government. Or, groups that are working secretly against the common good of people. For a couple reasons, one is the overall cause of terror in people. The next is to cause power to their own selves.
- Merlan says that conspiracy thinking has been part of American culture and governance since it’s very beginning. Summarize her reasons for thinking so and explain what she thinks is new about conspiracy theory in the last decade or so. [Pull It Together]
Her explanation of conspiracies early in history come from people who have written books who were usually historians. But now, conspiracy theories are brought up from national leaders and famous people. Merlan explains how these celebrities and leaders such as Trump have the power to talk about something suspicious to them or in general. Which can spark the dark suspicion of underlying potential truths that interest the heck out of Anericans.
- What are the characteristics of the times in which conspiracy theory tends to survive? [Right There + Pull It Together]
Characteristics that tend to keep a theory alive usually are in relation to an important person’s death, a terrorist attack, or a historic never done before event that has happened. So, when something catastrophic happens and there is no other significant evidence of who did it, and if it really happened because of this or that. That is usually when something sticks into peoples minds forever.
- How does Merlan categorize the different types of people who tend to believe medical conspiracy theories? [Right There]
To Merlan there are the people such as Alex Jones who seek deeper and darker secrets within almost anything they can. Then there are famous people who believe such vaccines are more harmful and shouldn’t be taken which later started a measles breakout. Also, she describes the people who don’t trust the doctors at all and would rather receive advice from a celebrity, friends, or even worse the internet. She further explains how these people believe doctors are giving vaccines because the “know” the harm it can cause and so they can get more money, even though giving vaccines does not help doctors financially.
- What are the [multiple] reasons that Anna Merlan uses to answer the question: “Why are we addicted to conspiracy theories”? [Pull It Together]
Some reasons why we are addicted to conspiracy theories is because within popular theories there is a lurking mystery within all of them that can lead to what the theories are claiming. Usually, when I hear an interesting conspiracy theory it makes me think into a broader state of the greater power that controls humans in a dark way that can be connected with a lot of other theories. But, Anna explains how humans grasp onto saying or events displayed or executed by famous people that really spark a sense to a darker meaning within all of life. They make you ask questions such as, does our government want us to suffer for their own good? Was this done in order for this group to gain more power? They all give a sense of dark mystery that reels us in a keeps us interested.
One thought on “Hw- Anna Merlan Article Q’s”
Hi Kyle,
You answer demonstrate that you’ve read the article and understand it at a basic level. Your answers often include some of the right material to construct a full answer, but often not all of it. Try not to be content with the first bit of information in the article that seems to answer the question and pull together more of it. That way you’ll be able to compose a more robust answer that a reader could use without reference to the original article. I’d also like to see some direct quotations (introduced and explained).
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