FET relies on conspiracy theories to avoid the RET plain-as-the-nose-on-your-face evidence From denying true space travel (orbital or super-orbital) to explaining longer than FET-predicted travel times in the ND, FET can survive only with this poly.
The first important point: A conspiracy theory can be (and usually is) not falsifiable. See definition at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falsifiability .So if NASA is involved in the "Space Travel Conspiracy" and then North Korea manages an orbital flight then the conspiracy rather than treat NK's evidence as nullifying, simply claims NK is now involved, at some level, in the conspiracy. The "fiat" power of the not-formally-qualified conspiracy theory is that it grows to deflect any new result. As such any theory that relies on a conspiracy, is not a scientific theory, that is, that theory does not conform to the Scientific Method. See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_method .
So any postings above FEG are moot. The FEer can just wave his or her "magic" wand to explain the failing of FET and win the point. So, please, please, please, keep conspiracy theories in FEG. Thank you!
Second, FEers are confused about generalization and its incorrect use. A conspiracy theory start with the generalization. Everyone is fooled by the conspiracy theory, with of course the obvious exceptions of those perpetrating the fraud. So if someone argues that flights which under FET's standard models should take less time than observed are always diverted "to fly around" undetected to arrive at a later, but RET predicted, time, then that's a generalization. The REer need only point to one counter-example, such as the use of FligthAware (See
http://flightaware.com/ .) on one flight on one day, not show that all people tracked all flights for weeks and weeks without exception.
An interesting FEer spinning of a tall tale dates back to the early days of the old Forum. In order to explain earlier-than-FET-predicts arrivals within the SD, FEer made up the tale that in the SD there are convenient jet streams that travel in both directions placed and timed to support FET. The controller and pilots are in on the conspiracy so they ignore ground-speed RADAR and keep the secret.
So, I suggest that we just augment this thread and point FEers here every time one of them argues for a conspiracy theory as a solution to any debate point. There's no sense just repeating the same posts, is there?