How to be a successful crackpot conspiracy theorist:
- Come up with some totally ridiculous theory that people would like to believe is true.
- Film yourself attempting to get a bunch of government officials to disprove your theory.
- When they ignore you, declare that this is proof that your theory is true.
- Post it on Google Video, YouTube, etc.

For example, Aaron Russo says that there is no law which says that US citizens are required to pay income tax. He spends an entire hour and 47 minutes laying out the evidence in his documentary. Of course, anyone with a brain and an internet connection should have little trouble finding United States Code, Title 26, Subtitle A, which defines United States income tax law. But, looking down the comments list and the average rating, it appears that there are quite a few people lacking the former requirement who are all too happy to believe this garbage.

Of course, the worst of the lot is 9/11 Loose change, which puts forth the argument that the events of 9/11 were actually orchestrated by our government in order to justify granting excess power to the executive. Nice theory, but explain to me this: If this evidence is so strong, then why is it coming to me from some 22-year-old jackass who didn't even go to fucking college? Is there no one even slightly more reputable who believes this stuff?

And, naturally, all of the evidence presented in this pile of filth collapses spactacularly after even cursory investigation. For instance, they claim that jet fuel burns at 1500°F max, which is of course nowhere near steel's melting point of 2750°F. So, how did the buildings collapse? It must have been a controlled demolition, right?

Well, dumbass, if you had asked anyone with any understanding of structural engineering, you would know that steel loses its structural integrity long before it melts. At 1100°F, it's at about 50% strength and dropping fast. Surprise: Steel-frame towers will collapse if the steel loses its integrity.

As it turns out, Loose Change's "evidence" is even flimsier than the stuff you'd expect to hear out of the Bush Administration.

But if you try to explain reality to these people, boy do they get angry. My dad -- an architect who has designed several skyscrapers -- sent an e-mail to some of these guys (I forget which group, exactly) in an attempt to explain a bit about how buildings work. The response? Quote: "Are you a moron or a spook?" Clearly these people have no interest in the truth.