Check out this funny piece on Alarming News; that blog's proprietress, Karol Scheinin, engaged in a public debate yesterday with a truthie, pardon, 9/11 Truth activist.

Conspiracies are sexy, no doubt about it. They make people feel smart and in the know. But these conspiracy theories make no sense and seem to have no point. In closing, the US government did not know in advance about 9/11. Is the government incompetent? Sure. Bungling? Absolutely. But in bed with the Pakistani government and a willing participant in 9/11? No.

Good on her. We're supposed to be the reality-based community, after all. On the one hand, given the various and sundry acts of malfeasance, some of it without a doubt criminal, of the current administration, it's not surprising that some people would think them capable of just about anything. On the other hand, and more importantly, the simple preposterousness of the idea that the United States government, incapable of keeping secret a simple blowjob at one time, could orchestrate this kind of a conspiracy (and keep it leak-proof) offends almost as much as the idea that we are ruled by murderers of our own. There's so much to hold against this administration; bizarre conspiracy theories serve one purpose in that, and one only, and that is to discredit the actual charges against them. The debate audience agreed, voting after the debate that Karol's argument was the more persuasive one. Well done.