"Yet, there is this particularly funny dynamic at play within the subcultures of "truthers," "anarchists," and tinfoil hat clan that while they've successfully called the mainstream media out on their capitalistic-corporate propaganda, they seem to think that anything that stands in opposition could not possibly be susceptible to its own distortions of cognitive bias and straight-up misinformation."
Well spoken! I find it strange to see seemingly intelligent people propose absurd conspiracies... People who seem to feel that they KNOW what is true. In its worst form it turns into smugness - "Oh, you don't believe me? You're a sheep."
The idea to analyze and disprove your own beliefs is strong. We learn much more by challenging ourselves than by challenging others...
Intelligence itself, like anything else, can be directed wisely or succumb to distortions of perception, immaturity, false beliefs, emotional interference, etc...