My friend is a conspiracy nut

[HappyMumsie]

AIBU not to agree with any just to keep the peace? She is always going on about one conspiracy or another. Vaccines, covid19, the Government etc etc. Did man land on the moon? Did the men in grey kill Diana?

Does anybody else have a conspiracy theory we can put to bed??

I long ago came to the conclusion that you can't argue with stupid.

My friend thinks Bill Gates created the virus and will create the vaccine for it except the vaccine is actually a microchip that will be implanted in us all and only people who have had it will be allowed out. Apparently patent number 060606 is microsofts chip. Who would have thought - Bill Gates the evil genius.

These days any question of an alternative narrative makes you a 'conspiracist'. It's a really good way to shut people up. One hint of using your brain and you'll be branded a tin foil hatter on mumsnet.

Spot on. The government's and the media push the conspiracy narrative because it gives the impression that anyone that doesn't trust everything the mainstream media tells them is a nut.

Most conspiracy theories are based around fact. It's the filling in of the dots that get a bit out there.

Plus you can't put say a Mandela effect believer in the same basket as someone that believes in Hollywood pedo rings, or a 9/11 cover up/conspiracy.

Also people give flat earthers a hard time but the whole thing is just Christianity. I'm not a Christian but I respect their right to belive in a god. Their relegion has been trampled on, laughed at and ridiculed so much, so publicly. I'm not surprised they want to latch onto something to renew their fair in a god.

WuXi AppTech. Wuhan. Address number 666.
How's that a conspiracy when it's actually real? 👀🤔🤷

Ahah, Prince Philip, hadn’t heard that one. That must be why he issued a statement last week, I don’t think that’s ever been done before, must be to convince people he’s still alive

My ex boyfriend believed the government puts fluoride in the water to make everyone subdued and compliant.

One of my family members believes that Coronavirus doesn't exist; it has been fabricated by the world's governments to see how we would cope in the case of a disaster. Such as World War 3.
As much as I don't believe in conspiracies I do love reading about them, it's fascinating. I'm a bit of an oddball though so 🤷‍♀️

@bubblybarbara Exactly!
Anyway.. just wait and see. In 50-100 years, she might be right!

Feign weak interest and then change the subject.

@Titsywoo
Please google ID2020.
Your friend is not far off. The vaccine and ID is a real thing.
Plus the Social Point system .. it’s sadly all coming our way in a matter of time.

chinas-social-credit-system/?fbclid=IwAR1pPf8m8sqZUQknLo36PUxgVw6cWidmuAz1jOwjsh0n1jSmAYNBWRu4AVk

Insecurity on full throttle. She gets "power' by thinking she knows something other people don't know / can't see.

@Tdaadfb100 - no I'm not googling that. Ever heard of confirmation bias? Honestly the internet isn't a giant encyclopedia of true facts.

The most powerful people on the planet are really lizards, that one is a bit out there .

The conspiracy theorists I've encountered dont seem to be able to tall about much else. I can deal with people having different, even stupid opinions, if they don't make it their defining characteristic.

In my anecdotal experience, a lot of them seem to have far right political views, informed by certain conspiracy theories, which also puts me off maintaining a friendship.

Omg! My mum and my brother are both like this and it's getting to the point were I don't really want to be around them.
She thinks this virus is fake and that the vaccine from Bill Gates will have a chip in it and will stop woman from becoming pregnant 🤦‍♀️
Then she goes on about 5 fucking G all the time!!!!
She thinks vaccines are bad, but cant give me an answer when I ask her why did she get all of us vaccinated then.
I'm studying nursing in uni and told her how hard everyone is working in the NHS and she says...how do you know they are, they're just pretending they are, as they all know this virus is fake!!
She goes on about how she should be able to go out when she wants and not listen to the government as she hasn't got no symptoms or hasn't had the flu, but I feel she's that cocky about it that she could tempt fate and get sick.
Argghhh it drives me insane and I don't want my children growing up hearing her bile.

I love a good conspiracy and I believe in a few, but I rarely speak about them. The only time I do is if someone brings them up first. My hairdresser, best friend and old school friend asked me if I had heard about them. So no we conspiracy theorists don't always blab about them.

It is true that celeb gossip and TV shows have switched people off from politics and current affairs. Those that aren't interested always watch "Corrie" and Towie. People are happiest in their bubble, and that is why I never discuss these things - I'm not going to pop their bubble.

And my personal favourite is Denver airport.

Do tell.

My best friend is one, and she is one of the most intelligent people I know.

I disagree with her on a lot of them and she tells me I am not open enough to accept them.

Either way, it has made for some really interesting discussions. She did introduce me to a phrase False Flag which is interesting

*Former Friend

I don’t understand how the flat earth thing came about. Usually with conspiracy theories - however bonkers - there’s some supposed beneficiary. What’s the motivation for pretending the earth is round? Who benefits from lying about the earth being flat?

Also, why are so many conspiracy theories about celebrity paedophile rings? Is it projection?

Some of you really need to check out Reality Check from the BBC...

I had a good laugh when I heard about Flat Earthers going on a cruise lol.....

I have a friend like this who thinks every government or business is cynically poisoning or manipulating (it is usually poisoning in some way) the population. She has been getting more extreme as she gets older but during lockdown she is worse than ever. She has been banging on about these poor foreign men being forced to test the CV vaccine weeks before there was a vaccine to test (and having dire symptoms from it). She latches on to any newspaper or internet headline that goes along with her point of view, no matter how dodgy the source, and then this becomes Gospel.

I try to not engage with her on any of these subjects but it is becoming increasingly difficult as that's all she wants to talk about. Disagreeing causes an argument and then a protracted explanation as to why she is right. I was naturally distancing myself from her before this but think this may now be the last straw. We were once close and she was fun and bubbly. It makes me really sad.

I got bored of my friend who became very religious and into conspiracies. It was all they talked about so i stopped seeing them

Anyone who looks at history can't deny that there are conspiracies. However, it doesn't help to dwell on them - just try to do the best in the circumstances you are I guess.