What a Conspiracy Theorist Needs to Do to be Taken Seriously.

[Jon Banks]

Am I out of line to describe JFK CTers as Large-Secret-Enduring Conspiracy Theories? The vast majority of JFK CTers certainly are.

Most Americans are "CT-ers."

A majority of men, women, white people, people of color, registered voters, non-registered voters, old people, young people, Democrats, Republicans and so on all believe that more than one person was involved in Kennedy’s assassination. This is one of the few questions in this polarized age on which you can even find agreement among Hillary Clinton voters (59 percent believe in a conspiracy) and Trump voters (61 percent).

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-one-thing-in-politics-most-americans-believe-in-jfk-conspiracies/

What is the biggest influence of CT opinion?

The Zapruder film

Let’s take a look at the dialog by “X” (the fore-runner of “Q”, in the popular imagination) at around 1:30:

 . . . It is the best indication of a massive plot in Dallas. . . .

You want to debate Oliver Stone so badly it hurts.   

I've watched the movie 'JFK' and I will admit that I still enjoy it to this day. However, I'm aware that it's heavily dramatized and formed my own opinions on the assassination independent of the film.

You want to blame "Oliver Stone" for the endurance of JFK conspiracy theories.

The truth is quite obvious. There's a lot of weird and unresolved stuff in the JFK assassination and the combination of Oswald's murder plus the Zapruder film are why JFK conspiracy theories will continue to endure.

No one honestly learns of those things (Oswald's public murder and the Zapruder film) and doesn't at least think the official story stinks.

How many Americans under age 50 have even watched the movie 'JFK'? I suspect very few.

[Joe Elliott]

Most Americans are "CT-ers."

A majority of men, women, white people, people of color, registered voters, non-registered voters, old people, young people, Democrats, Republicans and so on all believe that more than one person was involved in Kennedy’s assassination. This is one of the few questions in this polarized age on which you can even find agreement among Hillary Clinton voters (59 percent believe in a conspiracy) and Trump voters (61 percent).

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-one-thing-in-politics-most-americans-believe-in-jfk-conspiracies/

Skeptics have never denied the power of Large-Secret-Enduring Conspiracy Theories, and their power over the imagination of people. Of the ability of these theories to convince many, or even the majority, of their truth. That is why skeptics over the centuries have put a lot of effort to argue against these theories, to show how greatly improbable they are.

The Zapruder film

But the Zapruder film is not convincing, unless one has never seen film of animals being shot in the brain, which can cause their bodies to move in directions that do not indicate the source of the shot. If one first was to make a five-minute presentation showing how animals move when shot through the brain, explaining how the stronger muscles overcome the weaker muscles, how the movement is bilaterally symmetrical, which all causes terrestrial animals to bend their torso’s back and raise their forelimbs (or arms), the Zapruder film would not be convincing at all. The effect of the Zapruder film requires people to be ignorant of the neurological spasm that bullet through brains cause. Something that is not easily shown with people, simply because it is considered immoral to show a person being killed in this manner, but is easily shown with animals, where we don’t have the same kind of qualms.

You want to debate Oliver Stone so badly it hurts.   

I am not a good debater. I don’t want to debate anyone. The better debater wins debates regardless of the truth or lack of truth that each debater has on their side.

I've watched the movie 'JFK' and I will admit that I still enjoy it to this day. However, I'm aware that it's heavily dramatized and formed my own opinions on the assassination independent of the film.

You want to blame "Oliver Stone" for the endurance of JFK conspiracy theories.

The truth is quite obvious. There's a lot of weird and unresolved stuff in the JFK assassination and the combination of Oswald's murder plus the Zapruder film are why JFK conspiracy theories will continue to endure.

No one honestly learns of those things (Oswald's public murder and the Zapruder film) and doesn't at least think the official story stinks.

How many Americans under age 50 have even watched the movie 'JFK'? I suspect very few.

Millions of Americans have seen the movie JFK and it does have a large effect. But its not just the movie JFK. TV shows and books never argue for a small conspiracy in the JFK case.

Question:

Can you name a single movie, TV show or book that argues for a JFK Conspiracy but that argues against a large conspiracy but instead argues for a small conspiracy? And stresses that large conspiracies (that remain secret) are inherently improbable but that small conspiracies can occur (which I would agree with)?

If you can, does this movie, TV show or book prominent, has a large effect on the CTers, or is just some obscure work that most CTers are unaware of?

A movie or book could make a more logical argument if it did make such a claim in favor of a small conspiracy. But it would rob this work of its biggest potential power, the lure of a large conspiracy that has such a powerful effect of the imagination. That is why you don’t see such movies or books, because, despite the logic of this approach, people won’t find it compelling.

[Jon Banks]

Skeptics have never denied the power of Large-Secret-Enduring Conspiracy Theories, and their power over the imagination of people. Of the ability of these theories to convince many, or even the majority, of their truth. That is why skeptics over the centuries have put a lot of effort to argue against these theories, to show how greatly improbable they are.

I'm a skeptic about most conspiracy theories.

There are a few CT's where I'm more open-minded and the JFK assassination is one example due to the inconclusive EVIDENCE.

It's not baseless conspiracy speculation like faked moon landings or Q-Anon...

But the Zapruder film is not convincing, unless one has never seen film of animals being shot in the brain, which can cause their bodies to move in directions that do not indicate the source of the shot. If one first was to make a five-minute presentation showing how animals move when shot through the brain, explaining how the stronger muscles overcome the weaker muscles, how the movement is bilaterally symmetrical, which all causes terrestrial animals to bend their torso’s back and raise their forelimbs (or arms), the Zapruder film would not be convincing at all. The effect of the Zapruder film requires people to be ignorant of the neurological spasm that bullet through brains cause. Something that is not easily shown with people, simply because it is considered immoral to show a person being killed in this manner, but is easily shown with animals, where we don’t have the same kind of qualms.

I'm aware of the explanations of JFK's reaction to the headshot but to most lay people, the Zapruder film suggests a shot from the front and it's totally understandable why people respond to the film that way.

My opinion that there might have been a shot from the front is based on the statements of the Parkland doctors and other witnesses about JFK's head wound. It's not based solely on the Zapruder film.

Can you name a single movie, TV show or book that argues for a JFK Conspiracy but that argues against a large conspiracy but instead argues for a small conspiracy? And stresses that large conspiracies (that remain secret) are inherently improbable but that small conspiracies can occur (which I would agree with)?

There's a few JFK CT films that suggest he was killed by the Mob, not the MIC or CIA. I think that's the premise of the 90s movie, "Ruby" and the Netflix movie, "the Irishman" also hints at mob involvement with Kennedy's assassination.

Again, I don't think everyone shares your definition of a "large conspiracy".

But large conspiracies happen too. Look up COINTELPRO for example.