Conspiracy theories - what to do

[lizzieoak]

I’m not sure if this is a blokey thing or if the men I know are just a bit daft. I only seem to have these conversations with men, but that may be coincidence.

A number of my male friends and relatives keep getting all excited over (really stupid) conspiracy theories. Last night, for example, I’m hanging out with a good friend and he starts going on about Facebook. About how the Chinese govt, or CIA,
or Dr Evil (I was so boggled I wasn’t taking in all the details) actually invented Facebook, and they found Zuckerberg to front it as they needed a personable young person (yes, because everyone loves us Jews). They invented it so tht we’d provide them, free of charge, with all the information they need to control us down the road; our kitten photos, pictures of the kids’ school plays, our opinions on Strictly Dancing, and our holiday party invites (I may be paraphrasing ;) )

He then said “they” have “men in suits” (not sure why he thinks suits are a sign of evil, he often wears suits) monitoring our Facebook accounts.

I pointed out that if they are watching fb, it’s going to be the accounts of suspected radicals and organized crime people, and that “they” do not have the manpower to watch all the fb accounts in the world (and “they” would die of boredom if they did). I’m not sure he saw the logic there!

I’ve had a similarly stupid conversation w my ex husband years ago when I emailed him at work to tell him our baby dd had just stood up for the first time. He said the govt (his employer) was paying people to read every single incoming and outgoing email to catch people not working, but indulging in the doings of ridiculously adorable infants.

Is this anywhere near common, or do I just know plonkers? Am I somehow driving them mad? I’ve asked my friend to stop telling me his conspiracy theories as he’s making me uncomfortable (I’ve pointed out that conspiracy theorists often end up believing in the lizard people and antsemetic tropes). He stops for a while, then starts again. Claims it’s “fun” to think about.

Is it as odd as it feels to me? Are they mad? How to stop it?

No. It's just you. You know plonkers I hope you pointed out that face book isn't compulsory.

I feel your pain, I teach adult males who are all ‘woke’. It’s so flipping tedious - there’s enough to be angry about that’s right in front of our faces (ATOS, homelessness, TRAs, period poverty etc) without me feeling the need to give Diana’s death a second thought.

The birth certificate and cash thing is all based on the legal name idea. Basically the state owns you because it owns your name and if you say the right words you can walk free from any court, not pay tax etc. Google legal name conspiracy, it’s utterly batshit nonsense.

Fulmerspot

It's fucking mad, I kept asking him why he hadn't done it. That was my whole argument against it. He kept "backing up" his point with nonsense and my only response was "I'll believe you if you do it". He was getting really angry with me. It was hilarious but sad at the same time.

My mums partner is a conspiracy theorist, he believes everyone going even if they contradict each other.

The worst thing is, you can’t have a rational debate with them because any evidence you produce they just say it’s fake.

Planet X is so stupid but rather harmless, the Sandy Hook Conspiracy on the other hand is so awful because a lot of the twerps started harassing the parents and calling them actors.

Also Antisemitism seems to rear it’s ugly head a lot within conspiracy theory circles.

I love reading about them, most recently the Flixborough one, interesting but not sure any of them are believable

Nibiru/Planet X scared she shit out of me. Still does sometimes. Logical scientific info helps. Crazy conspiracy theorists are convinced we're all going to be wiped out by the imaginary planet that no one has ever seen

But I'm answer to your question.. You can't stop them. They've been brainwashed.

My dad is a huge conspiracy theorist. Obsessed. Literally. It drives me mad and deeply upsets me at times!

Although I do believe in a few.. most are just crazy.

Thank goodness I’m not alone!

My main culprit is not religious, neither is my ex, but a century or so ago I think they would have been.

I’ll grant a few may be fun (Elvis not being dead for example), but too many are ugly: as people have said here, many lead to anti-semtism, or people withering on about “false flags” with mass shootings. Holocaust denial where Hitler just had feelz but no organizational skills (or something, makes me too cross to give it much time).

One thing I was watching/reading about the other day, Stephen Hawking being replaced, I know WTF, I'm still leaving that one open for a bit, but the video of him being spoon fed solid food only visible in the reflection of his glasses, seems to show him not actually taking the food into his mouth, even if he was somehow able to chew, he shouldn't be able to swallow Also him outliving anyone else with ALS by 50 odd years, is well, odd.

I think the idea logical actually. I wrote about a study where Facebook filtered content to the users for the benefit of a psychological study. Essentially social media is a fact storing data base with algorithms which dictate what we see in search engines. This is all fact. Facebook for example is a data catcher.

The best way to fight back is laugh at them and repeat back questions using air quotes and heavy sarcasm. It drives them batshit.

And yes, good point CaptainMarvel, how do you argue with people who will say all evidence is manufactured? And Tess, where do I sign up for my bucketload of cash?!

Sandy Hook conspiracy nuts, them and Holocaust deniers - it’s just in the worst taste. Using people’s tragedy as an intellectual game. Yuk. My friend doesn’t go to those kind of topics, ever, but that kind of thinking goes there. After we divorced the ex proffered up that “no Jews went to work in NYC on 9/11”. One of the many reasons I avoid him like the plague.

Yes, some things get covered up, but they eventually come out and I’ve yet to hear of one that wasn’t quite mundane (in cause) at its root (Watergate for example).

Love a good conspiracy theory. There’s been a good series‘ of tv recently looking at conspiracies. A couple covered the usual subject of Diana’s death and Kennedy shooting. However, a couple more Vp covered new theories to me.

One was to do with The Vatican and how they killed John Paul 1 (due to,his acceptance of birth control) and money laundering linked to the mafia.

Another programme featured how Hitler was smuggled out of Germany, and body doubles were used.

Sal, yes Facebook analyses our data for monetary reasons, but no “they” don’t have actual humans (in suits!) reading each and everyone of our pages. Though I hope they’re monitoring the pages of potentially violent radicals.

My cousin is convinced the earth is flat and the moon/space is just a hologram that's being projected from NASA to keep us all under control.
All space travel is fake and apparently you can prove it by taking measurements of the horizon at sea (or something... I didn't quite understand it but he got very impatient and yelled at me when I started asking 'silly' questions).

I may deploy your technique Tess :D

Funny thing is, I know he’s trying to impress me, but he forgets his audience. I tell him to stop and he does, but I know there’s a logjam of daftness behind me changing the topic!

Wow, Chrys, Jesus How does he explain art before NASA showing the moon and space and ... wow!!

... oh yeah, another one is that there's a deadly virus buried in Antarctica and they're going to bring it out when we all need to be killed off after robots have replaced all the workers.

explain art before NASA showing the moon and space

I've never heard this conspiracy but can answer that question- It was faked by THEM .

Gosh “them” are clever, they think of everything!

@lizzieoak Good question! He'd probably say something like, before NASA existed everybody knew that the earth was flat but now they've rewritten all the history books to keep us under control and slipped in a few fake pieces of ancient art to make it look even better.

He always has an answer for everything that's semi-plausible and can't be countered because he'll drag out some obscure 'fact' that I've never heard of to support what he's saying.

Met up with my ex the other day, who was always a bit stark raving mad into these.

Met him the other day and the latest one is flat earth. He's officially a flat earther which is just wonderful.

needless to say he smokes a fuck load of weed

Chrys are we talking about the same guy?!