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space spying





      nasa


      and the


      conspiracy


      Theory




      The declassified documents
      about NASA’s secret
      relationships with intelligence
      agencies and military agencies
      are true and the meaning can
      well be determined from its
      contents and contexts, writes
      Sanjib Sinha


            ASA and civilian space research  takes precedence, rather than proof.   conspiracy theories about NASA and the US
            have become almost synony-    Conspiracy Theories are based on closed  government. He claimed advanced civiliza-
            mous. However, the popularity has  system and shut the door for further scien- tions exist or at least existed on the Moon,
     Ndrawn a lot of conspiracy theories  tific probe. This closed system is unfalsifi- Mars and on some other planets or on their
      around it. All the conspiracy theories about  able and hence no matter what comes on  moons. He also claims that NASA and the
      NASA are not scientific and they cannot be  its way it does not care. Something has been  US government have jointly suppressed the
      determined from its contents and contexts.  assumed and that is final.  truth and kept those facts secret.
      They are nothing but pseudo-science.    You may associate conspiracy theories   One of such conspiracy theories claim
       The  declassified  documents  about   with certain kind of practices, which once  that there were nuclear wars on the Moon
      NASA’s secret relationships with intelli- Machiavelli had practiced in Florence once  or Mars and those places still show signs of
      gence agencies and military agencies are  upon a time. You say something (not true al- destructions. Hoagland also believes that
      true and the meaning can well be deter- ways) again and again, after a certain period  one day the government will disclose this
      mined from its contents and contexts. One  people start believing them.   information.
      should not associate it with any conspiracy   The political doctrine of Machiavelli says,   Unfortunately a broad cross-section
      theories moving around NASA.      any means (however unscrupulous) can  of people still believe and give credence
       Anyone can visit George Washington  be used by a ruler in order to create and   to at least some conspiracy theories. This
      University’s National Security Archive and  maintain his autocratic government. So the  modern connected world has definitely
      check the veracity of these declassified doc- less scrupulous conspiracy theorist always  increased the figure of such conspiracy
      uments. There is no ambiguity. The declas- tries to establish some unscientific facts  theories. Besides unscientific texts, there
      sified documents are clear and well defined.  about NASA.            are lots of videos, audios widely present on
      One can not claim that they are not clear by                         the Web.
      virtue of having more than one meaning.  Nuclear war on Mars?          The declassified documents stating
                                        There are a few conspiracy theories round  NASA’s secret relationships with intel-
      What is conspiracy theory         the web. You may feel tempted to read  ligence  and military  agencies  like CIA,
      When the government supposedly carries  them, but take them with a pinch of salt.  DoD and NRO remove all ambiguities.
      out any illegal act by violating legislation,  Richard Charles Hoagland (born April 25,  You should not confuse these true unam-
      and the news come out in the open space, a  1945), is an American author who has writ- biguously proved facts with unscientific
      conspiracy theory may be invoked without  ten a few books on NASA’s activities. He  conspiracy theories.
      credible evidence. Here, a matter of faith  is one of the many proponents of various    letters@tehelka.com



                                        Tehelka / 31 january 2019  23  www.Tehelka.com
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