Having been the resident skeptic on the paranormal promoting internet radio station, Z Talk Radio, for the past four years or so with the last three and a half as an on air personality, I’ve met plenty of nice, well-meaning, sincere people who seriously need to strengthen their skeptical muscles.

Starting in the chat room and then moving into my own on-air time-slot, I’ve tried to set a good example of what is a skeptic. I frequently explain that skeptics are open-minded and willing to accept extraordinary claims. But we ask for extraordinary evidence, not anecdotes, not orbs, not EVP, etc. And it doesn’t matter how much of it they have, I continually explain that lots of bad evidence don’t add up to good evidence.

One fellow Z Talker was a guest on my show and he Gish Galloped the hell out of me on how it wasn’t possible for the ancient Egyptians to have built the Great Pyramids. He’s an engineer and he’s done the math and he just can’t believe they could do it. I tried, but nothing short of a trip in a time machine to observe our ancient relatives doing magnificent work all on their own with no help from extraterrestrials or Atlanteans would convince him.

My fellow Z Talker is also a bit of a conspiracy theorist. He doesn’t accept the reality of what happened on 9/11. He thinks school shootings, political assassinations and the like are false flag operations. Recently, while linking to a clip of ‘Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura’ (a show replete with good rational and reasoned thought, I’m sure) on my Facebook page, my friend called on me to discuss whatever false flag operation he believes the shadow government to be up to.

Well, in my time at Z Talk Radio, I have learned one thing: Never, ever debate a conspiracy theorist. They will hold so tightly to their theory that no matter how much twisting they need to do to retain their idea, they will do it.

For instance: When asked…

If it’s true we didn’t land on the moon, how come the Soviets didn’t call us on it?

They might answer…The Soviets were in on it!

If a plane didn’t crash into the Pentagon, what happened to the passengers and crew?

Their answer…The passengers, the crew, all of their friends, all of their families were in on it! Or they’ve all be put into a witness location program!

If any of these supposed conspiracies carried out by our government are true, how have all the numerous individuals involved managed to remain quiet?

Their answer…They’ve all been killed or their families have been threatened!

No matter how much logic or positive evidence is used with a conspiracy theorist, they will not give up. They will also only point to anomalies and “just ask questions” thinking that constitutes evidence for their theory, but it doesn’t. They think poking supposed holes in the “official” story is providing evidence to the skeptic. And any evidence presented to the conspiracy theorist that refutes their theory or answers their questions will automatically become evidence for the conspiracy.

There is no convincing a conspiracy theorist that they are wrong. Their closed-mindedness renders them impervious to logic, reason, and rational answers.

Jesse Ventura is the cream of the crop of conspiracy theorists. There isn’t a real story he won’t think is a lie by the New World Order. If he was as dangerous to the NWO as he thinks he is and he really knows the “truth”, one wonders why he’s still alive.

To the mind of the conspiracy theorist there are three types of people: 1) the hero – that’s the conspiracy theorist who is somehow able to see through the subterfuge of 2) the enemy – the people who are responsible for what’s really going on in the world in order to control 3) the sheep – those people who accept the most likely explanations for events large and small.

I guess I’m a sheep. Or am I the enemy and I’m cleverly applying the misinformation that keeps Jesse (and my fellow Z Talker) up at night?

PROVE THAT I’M NOT!

Jim ‘Dr. Dim’ Fitzsimons is not really a doctor, he just plays doctor online. But he is an artist, well, a cartoonist and an amateur internet radio host and an occasional blogger. Dimland Radio is a show featuring pop culture rants, pedantic moments, science promotion, and skepticism. Dimland Radio is like an island of reason in the sea of paranormal that is Z Talk Radio.

Dimland Radio Saturday nights at 11 Central, midnight Eastern on www.ztalkradio.com. Jim’s artwork, merchandise, and blog can be found at www.dimland.com

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