Remember the famous Salem witch trials (that occurred in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692)? This absurdity led to the execution of 19 people. In Europe between the years 1470-1750, there were an estimated 40-100,000 such executions that took place. What changed? A difference in perspective maybe? This iconic example, however exotic, demonstrates the monstrous potential that mass delusion presents. There is a distinct danger in placing the whole of your faith in poorly investigated rumors or media reports. More often than not, these are all just special pleading arguments motivated by reasoning to get to a desired even if invalid conclusion, and then are used to explain away why the evidence makes it seem like others have been engaged in a hoax or a cover-up. Arguments are an opportunity to resolve differences of opinion and discover hidden premisses, factual errors, and flaws in logic. This should be the goal. But remember its important to use these tools to improve ones own beliefs and not just to prove why other people are wrong. Remember to resist the natural tendency to use pattern recognition to connect the dots. Just because someone benefits from something in some way, doesn't necessarily imply it was designed in advance for that purpose. Sometimes the way in which you view the world determines how the world looks back at you.