Do right wing trolls who support wild conspiracy theories exist?

[greyl]

It's baffling to me why so many people believe that right wing trolls come here to present rational arguments and have intelligent debate. In my opinion, that would be too difficult for the vast majority of them.
The easiest way for them to have their childish fun is by baiting and rabble rousing. Evidence exists at some of their forums that they encourage this behavior and have circle jerks about it. Rational arguments, intelligent debate, and demands for evidence aren't on the top of their list. Doesn't that make sense?

To be clear:
I know that right-wing trolls exist.
I know that trolls with no developed political or social ideology exist.
I know that viral marketing exists, and that companies pay and are paid to carry it out.
I know that right wing trolls exist who try to disrupt authentic, logical discussions.
I know that the DU rules say to alert on suspected trolls.
I think that publicly accusing groups of a type of person of being trolls is counterproductive, and that it's best to judge any arguments on their inherent merit or weaknesses rather than who is making the argument. It's best to hit "alert" and stop giving attention to someone you suspect is a troll.

If you want to do some research before answering, Wikipedia has an awesome troll article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Trolls

How to deal with trolls:
http://www.angelfire.com/space/usenet/

Final note: The poll question is not whether some conspiracy theories turn out to be true or not.

[varkam]

1. Vince Foster n/t

[applegrove]

10. That old thing? Come on.. they log on and stir re: not jet hit the

pentagone on 9/11, no police had any real proof of Canadian 17 terrorists, no point in voting cause the machines will just take your vote away, etc.

Whereever there is denial beyond a greater blog/MSN news cycle that proves something obviously true... some of the theorists are legit folk you don't trust Bush any way..some are pot stirring freepers.

Sorry - but I'll call it as I see it. I don't have a magic wand to tell me who is who. But I can darn well discuss the pattern of behaviour and words in somebody's posts.. and remind them of patterns elsewhere. If they are making an argument..I can discuss no? If it is an open topic.. one where things are still not clear.. I discuss as the discussion flows.

Surely if people online start to follow a pattern of using words and such that follow a GOP talking point.. surely.. we can discuss that?

[B Calm]

13. Wasn't Vince Foster murdered by Dan Burton, & Bob Barr? I heard

Henry Hyde drove the get-away car..

[applegrove]

20. Every time I think of White Water.. I think of $72 Million dollars that

found sex between consenting adults..that took place two or three years into the initial investigation.

[geomon666]

2. Of course they do.

All you have to do to prove it is to say one little word......Clinton. Say that word and they're off.

These trolls are not human, they are creatures. They are not of my species, they are mouth breathers.

[lvx35]

3. well said, well said!

I've been accused of being a secret RWer on paranoid grounds...But ultimatly, in a public setting like DU or anything ELSE, there is not functional difference between a retarded agressive left winger (though there are few in reality) and a RW agitator. The simple solution is to judge people on the merit and sanity of what they are saying.

[Grateful for Hope]

4. Of course. n/t

[Wonk]

5. Um, what's the point of having a poll about a rhetorical question?

:shrug:

[greyl]

6. It's not a rhetorical question. edited:

It's a yes or no question.
I gave my opinion, others may give theirs.

edit: or are you saying that the answer is so obvious, that it's practically a rhetorical question?
edit: I think that's what you're saying. :) duh.

[Quantess]

26. Trolls' #1 M.O. (modus operandi)

Is to be a parody.

[Igel]

7. Well, I've known a few RWers that engaged in some pretty

wild conspiracy theories. No, strike 'pretty' and replace it with 'awfully'.

I think some RWers conspiracy folk would find limited common ground with some DUers. Government concentration camps, Bilderbergers, probably MIHOP/LIHOP.

I don't think a RWer would last 10 minutes though. Hard to keep RWer conspiracy folk from rambling on far too much, and that's never pretty.

[rwheeler31]

8. Sadly this is their job. I wish thery knew

an other type of work.

[greyl]

19. According to the ones I've spotted,

they do it for free. Do you really think right-wing trolls need to be paid to behave like assholes?
I don't.

[PatrioticLeftie]

9. They'll believe

any theory, however whacked-out, that exempts the Bush Administration from any blame and responsibility.

[Crunchy Frog]

11. There was a notorious one who disrupted DU for a couple of years.

He "came out" on election night, and now hangs out another "progressive" site talking about how he's innocent and was framed, and people on that site eat it up with a spoon. He was probably about the most disruptive poster I ever saw, and few people suspected him because he represented himself as a left wing conspiracy theorist.

[greyl]

18. I'd presume that if he represented himself as a left-wing CTer,

I mean like that was his "main idea", that there was a faction of people who called him on it which got falsely accused of being trolls themselves.

[Quantess]

12. The way to discredit a legitimate theory

is to exaggerate it and add lies.

[annabanana]

14. Um.. How many people believe what they see on FOX?

WMD, conspiracy theory
the threat of Saddam, conspiracy theory
things are coming up roses in Iraq, conspiracy theory

The whole ball of RW wax is a conspiracy theory

[Vidar]

15. The John Birch Society is the grande dame of conspiracy theorists.

[greyl]

16. For some reason, the poll results are different in the 9/11 forum.

I wonder what we should make of it...?
In there, it's 2 yes, 2 no.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=125x95763

[Crunchy Frog]

22. Well, you have to admit it's a very small sample size over there.

Probably too small to draw any hard and fast conclusions. :)

[greyl]

23. Oh, of course.

Soft conclusions only. ;)

[dailykoff]

17. WMD, Islamofascism, al Qaeda sleeper cells, you name it.

Why do you ask?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

21. Iraqi WMDs.

One big loony conspiracy theory.

[Rex]

24. I think there are a lot of former trolls here on DU that actually started

READING some of the threads. After a few months, I think some of them 'saw the light'. I don't think someone could troll here for years and not have the Truth change the way they think. Not possible.

[The Magistrate]

25. It Would Stand To Reason, Sir

Since such materials are a staple of extreme right sites, that there will certainly be extreme rightists who believe them to be true.

[greyl]

28. Thank you. In addition

I meant to point out the ones who don't believe what they write here.
That would explain many of the most ridiculously unproductive debates here, wouldn't it?

[Monkeyman]

27. If you don't believe it

In Chicago today VP came and told every right wing person there see we warn you last week they would strike from with in smell a fish here Rove said we will win by talking terror. Plan for more bull