Reflective Essay on Studies of Existing Conspiracy Theories

Introduction

My group and I chose this conspiracy theory because it is both interesting and fun. The thought that the CIA killed off the birds in a mass geonosis and replaced them with robotic birds to spy on us is very intriguing. I have always heard my friends joke around about how birds are government spies. After joking, I noticed that usually there are large numbers of birds almost everywhere and anywhere, yet sometimes those same birds just disappear without a trace and for unknown reasons. I began to see why people might believe in the conspiracy theory, so I am glad to have the opportunity to research the history of this conspiracy theory and better understand conspiracy theories as a whole. In general, there have been so many different theories regarding the government spying on the public. This particular theory appears to be an extension of the conspiracy theory process, yet made more sinister by adding more depth and detail to the levels the government would stoop to acquire illegal information. This is all very plausible because Corera (2019), Sullivan (2017), and Vanderbilt (2013) provide evidence in each of their articles that the CIA used not only birds but various animals to spy on the “enemy” at hand.

Methodology and Bibliography

When I was doing research to find evidence and support for this theory I mainly looked on google for websites and/or community groups that supported the idea that birds aren’t real and they are actually spies that the CIA/government uses to spy on us. I was able to find an official website for the Birds Aren’t real movement as well as a reddit thread that is run by a community of people that believe in the conspiracy theory. I also looked at news sources to find support/evidence for the theory. These sources, and other supporting websites that I found, were created by supporters of the theory as well as Vanderbilt (2013) who interviewed a former trainer who reveals operations made by the U.S. government that used animals. Some of the sources that I used do provide scientific claims and evidence while others provide anecdotes and non-scientific evidence. In Corera’s (2019) article, he presents evidence of when the CIA would use pigeons and dolphins as spies.

Logical and Cognitive Processes

Logical Fallacies

Logical fallacies are an error in reasoning that, most of the time, undermines the logic of one’s argument. Some examples of logical fallacies within this theory could be: appeal to emotion, circular reasoning, and false dichotomy. Appeal to emotion is used within this conspiracy when the topic of people’s safety comes up. It is frightening to think that the government is spying on the people, gaining personal information on them, and what they might do with the information. Circular reasoning is presented when the argument “pigeons work for the CIA because the CIA distributed them to spy on us” is made. False dichotomy - We do not see pigeons during the night because they fly back to the CIA to recharge.

System 1 and System 2

System 1 processing is where the fast and automatic responses happen (e.g., gut instincts), whereas system 2 is more deliberate, concentrated and slower thinking. System 1 is said to be more accurate when we have more data and reliable feedback about a certain subject (“Dual Process Theory,” 2019). System 2 is better for making decisions where we do not have experience (“Dual Process Theory,” 2019). So, system 1 processing would make it easy for someone who believes that birds aren’t real to stay in that belief because it is easier to remain in system 1 and if their gut instinct told them that birds are really government spies, then they are more likely to trust their gut and stick with it. An example of this would be, someone sees a bird outside of their window, that they believe is staring at them, and they grow suspicious. The bird then flies away, following that, the person then gets an email that their bank account has been broken into. The person’s gut instinct is to believe that the bird was gathering information on them and that they were being spied on. System 2 would explain why people would believe in this theory because if they aren’t well equipped in their knowledge about statistics, logic, or numbers then they are more likely to be persuaded to believe that birds are in fact not real. Someone may be more focused on the coincidences that occur, which leads them to the conclusion that birds are spies. If someone is spending the majority of their time on blogs that support their belief about birds, they are only confirming their beliefs which causes them to only hold on to their belief even tighter.

Worldview

A worldview can be considered to be someone’s philosophy of life (i.e., their conception of the world). There are four major dimensions that contribute to one’s worldview: existential, evaluative, prescriptive, and proscriptive.

Existential. An existential belief is one that can be considered true or false. The CIA killed and replaced birds with robots and are using pigeons as government spies.

Evaluative. An evaluative belief is where the object of the belief is viewed either in a positive or negative way. The government is evil and is trying to obtain total control over its people.

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Prescriptive. These are the things you should do. A supporter of this conspiracy theory might believe that we should stay away from open areas where there will be a lot of birds. Also, we should only trust no one, but ourselves.

Proscriptive. These are the things you shouldn’t do. We should not trust the government because the government is violating our rights.

Cognitive Dissonance and Confirmation Bias

The tension or strain that someone experiences when their worldview or belief has been contradicted or challenged is cognitive dissonance. A supporter of this theory would experience this when they are presented with evidence proving that birds are not robots (e.g., an autopsy of a bird showing that it has organs and not robot parts). Confirmation bias is when we select certain information and interpret said information to confirm our existing beliefs or theories. How would they use confirmation bias to reduce cognitive dissonance? Let's say someone is at the park and they notice a group of birds. However, one bird strays away from the group and happens to be closer to said person. This person will use their confirmation bias to counter the bird's normal behavior (cognitive dissonance) by believing that the bird is actually following them and spying on them.

Fear and Vulnerability

The role of fear within this theory is that the government has killed all the birds and replaced them with spies. These robot birds are used to gather tons of information on each individual and are always watching our every move. The supporters of this theory fear that the government is going to use all the information gathered for evil. Supposedly, the CIA assassinated JFK because he refused to kill and replace billions of birds with drones (Alfonso, 2018). What if the rest of America is next? The American people are at threat along with any other countries that the CIA chooses to spy on. The government is everywhere now and our rights have been violated. The general population is vulnerable because birds are everywhere and we cannot control the government and their actions. Who knows what they are planning to do to us.

The Power of Stories

I came across a couple articles that were based off of stories about how the CIA used birds to spy on the Soviet Union during the Cold War. In Vanderbilt’s (2013) article, it provides information from a former trainer who reveals that the U.S. government used ravens, pigeons, and even cats to spy on Cold War adversaries. The theory that birds are actually government spies seems to be based off of when the CIA would use pigeons to detect the presence of an enemy during a war (Staff, 2013). In an NPR interview, it was mentioned that animals were used as spies because they could do things that humans simply could not. The CIA referred to their pigeon program as the Squab Squad (Staff, 2013). Corera (2019) referred to it as “a superpower” because pigeons could be dropped somewhere that they have never been before, yet they would be able to find their way back home. Also, Slavey (2019) provided a story about how when the government shut down a few years ago that the skies became quiet and there were no birds to be seen. Stories have a certain way of drawing people in and can persuade listeners to believe what they are being told, even if it is false.

The CRAAP Test

While researching this theory, I was able to find sources that ranged from the early 2000s to the present. There are many people who are still creating new stories and finding new evidence to support the theory. All the available information on the conspiracy is relevant to those who support it, aim to expose the government, and seek to find the truth. There are still many active supporters who continue to build the theory based on information that they can find. All the information provided on this theory is relevant to basically all of America because it is believed that our rights as American citizens are being violated. The people deserve to know. While there is no leading figure who endorses this conspiracy, it appears to be more of a grassroots movement. The official “Birds Aren’t Real” movement and website was created by Peter McIndoe, a 20-year-old college student (Alfonso, 2018). McIndoe has expanded this movement all across social media and he even sells merchandise associated with the movement. Depending on who you ask, the information is either accurate or inaccurate. There is a lot of information based on facts, the history of the CIA, and strategies used during the Cold War and World War I. The purpose of this theory is to help people become more aware of what the government is doing behind closed doors. It seems like the supporters and/or creators of this conspiracy want to protect the safety of the citizens as well as their rights as well as providing explanations for government operations.

Personal Reflection

It was fun developing and working off of an existing conspiracy theory. Conspiracy theorists are always looked down upon and are made fun of, so it was nice being able to be one for a little while without all of the harsh criticisms. It was relatively easy finding information to support the theory. However, I was surprised at how many people truly believe that the government had killed off all of the birds and replaced them with robot spies. The only difficulty that I experienced in my research was trying to find “authority figures” within this theory. It was hard to understand who was “in charge” of it all. Once I was so immersed within my conspiracy theory, it started to get to me and for a second there I almost believed it. From this point on I am going to be on the lookout for the birds and see if I can find any strange or suspicious behavior going on.