WikiLeaks Fuels Conspiracy Theories

[beth]

There are always a few conspiracy theories floating around. Here's one the DNC has to contend with.

WikiLeaks Fuels Conspiracy Theories About DNC Staffer's Death

WikiLeaks, the controversial transparency organization that publishes classified government documents and other confidential materials, is fueling Internet conspiracy theories by offering a $20,000 reward for information on a Democratic National Committee staffer who was killed last month.

Seth Rich, a 27-year-old data analyst at the DNC, was shot and killed early one Sunday morning last month in what police say was robbery gone wrong. He was killed while walking home in a Washington, D.C. neighborhood that has seen a recent uptick in crime.

Rich's murder quickly became a fascination of right-wing conspiracy theorists, including longtime informal Donald Trump adviser Roger Stone, who told NBC News that he has been in contact with WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange.

WikiLeaks recently published internal DNC emails that cybersecurity experts say were stolen by hackers working for the Russian government. The publication, which showed apparent bias in favor of Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary, led to the ouster of the DNC's chairwoman and several top officials.

But Assange, in an interview with a Dutch news program highlighted by the conspiracy website InfoWars, implied Rich was the source of the email and was killed for working with his group

"Whistleblowers often take very significant efforts to bring us material and often at very significant risks," Assange said in the interview, before bringing up, unpromoted, that Rich was killed "for unknown reasons."

When the interviewer pressed Assange by noting Rich's death was "just a robbery," Assange replied, "No. There's no finding."

Asked what he was suggesting, Assange replied, "I'm suggesting that our sources take risks ... We are concerned about it."

The website Snopes has debunked many of the conspiracy theories surrounding Rich's death.


the rest, plus links

www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/wikileaks-fuels-conspiracy-theories-about-dnc-staffer-s-death-n627401

[Sysop3]

Looks like Annange has finally gone over the deep end.

[Chelonian]

Conspiracy theories are simply alternative narratives to officially published stories on what allegedly happened in some events.

They often harbour more truth than the official story we are fed by the mass media (which is often owned by the powers that be or people with a vested interest in stirring things one particular way).

Some are indeed nonsense but a lot turn out to be right. A conspiracy theory isn't a theory if it turns out to be true.

[mouse]

trouble is that governments are so untrusted that anything is thought possible no matter how far fetched or bizzare
and a conspiracy theory is only an unproven possibility
afterall if terms such as friendly fire or collateral damage trot off lips so glibly in an avoidance of responsibility....then we can be sure that other major/minor details can just as easily be brushed aside in the self interests of government and big bussiness

[beth]

Aug 13, 2016 4:13:20 GMT -5 mouse said:

and a conspiracy theory is only an unproven possibility

Yes, that's exactly right.