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Comment by exogen

3 years ago

If you like this kind of question, I highly recommend the Wind of Change podcast, about whether The Scorpions song of the same name was written by the CIA. Super entertaining!

https://crooked.com/podcast-series/wind-of-change/

I feel about this the way I feel about most so called conspiracy theories. I'm certain intelligence agencies are involved something similar to this. It would be really surprising if they didn't avail themselves of this huge means of influence. They spend all day wondering about how to influence. But I'm more skeptical that the conspiracy theorist actually managed to catch the intelligence agency's activity in this particular case.

  • This is basically every sports fan theory that every game is rigged on the basis of a few point shaving scandals.

    • I think you got the analogy wrong. It's rather that probably some games are actually rigged but the fans are not complaining about exactly these.

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    • Every game is probably exaggerated but I've watched enough sports as a kid. Even back then it was clear to me that big, especially international, events are highly orchestrated. Yes, including outcomes.

      I've been watching F1 for several decades and some key races are jazzed up to the point that one must actively suspend their disbelief. Not to mention Bernie Ecclestone straight up saying who's going to be champion and who isn't ever going to be one. It's all fake, dude. Unless you really believe some countries are thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat much better at sports (and everything else) because they're just that awesome in every respect.

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If would be so cool if it is true! Well, is it?

  • In Linebarger's book Psychological Warfare, he points out that asking propaganda men (in his defense, they probably were almost all men ca. 1947, and I suspect he may even have referred to specific men, eg Edward Bernays) about their work is highly unlikely to result in an unspun answer.

    (then again, consider Epimenides: Linebarger is also a propaganda man)