to be utterly shocked and heartbroken at how many intelligent, lovely friends and acquaintances have totally bought in to the radical global conspiracy theories...

[fuschia2000]

Seeing so much conspiracy stuff on Facebook threads, its totally alarming.... the folks can really make a good argument, with pseudo science, lots of data etc but we are looking at radical q'anon right wing conspiracy theories breaking through into the normal discussion groups and online groups.....

A friend of my DP is a conspiracy theorist, he's an intelligent guy but has some serious mental health issues, not sure if that's a factor though. He has always had some fringe ideas, and a few years ago some of what he said might sound vaguely plausible, particularly if you didn't have a very good grasp of science or maths. Nothing he claimed stood up to any scrutiny and his sources were sketchy, to say the least. But I could see how, if you took those sources at face value, you might come to believe that they were the only sources of truth.

I have one or two other friends who, while not actual conspiracy theorists, are posting stuff on social media that's edging close to this. Mainly they are reposting statistics which have been misinterpreted (if we're being kind) or misused, or opinions from doctors/scientists who are 'questioning the accepted narrative', but dig a little and you find that these doctors and scientists all have links to each other and to more serious conspiracy theories. On the positive side, my friends who post this stuff are getting some serious pushback from most of their other friends, but there always one or two who want more of it. My friends who post this stuff are not stupid, I just don't think they are scrutinising it before they share it.

I encounter conspiracy people in real life, getting off social media is not an escape for some of us!

My loved one one was in hospital with COVID, three weeks of this on a ventilator and now I have had to arrange carers for them which they will need for the rest of their life. They will never live independently again because the virus caused life changing injuries to their heart and brain. It has been a stressful and upsetting time.

I had one so called friend tell me to my face (despite knowing all I had been through), that the virus was not real, and I’m being a sheep to wear a mask or bother with social distancing. It’s all a conspiracy apparently..

the Bill Gates thing maybe spread form something he actually did say, 2010? about wanting to reduce the world population.

so for a not very bright/conspiracy theorist that is all you need.

most normal people would ask to see the evidence that actually links bill gates to covid. - of which there is none.
id also be interested to see where he said he personally wants to reduce the population- given that he has saved so many this seems...unlikely. so links please.

It’s the little bit of information
Without context that’s dangerous, imv. And the fact that everyone is an expert now.

I find some of the younger generation frightening- particularly when it comes to doing things/understanding some practical things about the world. They really seem in a bubble of their own.

Fortunately only have one friend who spouts this stuff. Can’t quite work out when she changed from a normal Facebook poster talking about family, work, social events to this Covid/sovereign citizen/Magna Carta activist.

Mostly I don’t bother reading her stuff or listening to her live feeds, but occasionally I do, out of morbid fascination. I was listening to her live feed recently, and like previous posters have said, there seems to be a lot of anger, and dare I say, smugness. The revolution is coming, and the government, who don’t actually have any right to govern, are going to be overthrown...

@Helmetbymidnight

I think because he is a practising Catholic the logic goes something like

Catholic - rich - Illuminati - nwo - trying to control us (throw in microchips/5g)

I'm going to get told off for dragging this in, but.... I do think this thirst for non scientific ideas, for things which can't be proven but sound quite helpful being pushed into the mainstream affects this, and also that when you stop trusting mainstream sources for factual information it probably opens up the chance of you trusting non reliable sources for information.

For example, when the BBC is pushing unscientific ideas like being born in the wrong body. Gender not sex. It kind of makes me and I'm sure others think well if the BBC can't be trusted on this what else can't they be trusted on. It also means you look for other sources. I think people not trusting the mainstream press to tell the truth is dangerous.

oh i agree, re bbc and the tv and the papers get things wrong, yes, sometimes deliberately, many politicians are untrustworthy and self-interested, stats can be massaged, etc but the answer to all of that is MORE clear-headed analysis, more science, more rigour, more rational debate, more evidence, more critical thinking not less which is exactly what the conspiracy theorists do.

@Donoteatthekittens Very well said, but I doubt most people will care that the government secretly sprayed parts of England with heavy metals and pathogens. This went on until around 1980, I asked my parents if they ever read about this ( were east coast were was sprayed more), and they had no interest in it. Imagine what people would have been calling you back then if you had an idea what was going on.

I don’t think a lot of people are aware of the sources of good, critical information though. There is still a generation who think of it is printed in a paper it must be true. Unless they are researchers they don’t have access to journals, papers, etc and it is only once you do have this access you really the curve that is being deliberately created across the general media.

They in turn will say - this is what the public want!

I think because he is a practising Catholic the logic goes something like
Catholic - rich - Illuminati - nwo - trying to control us (throw in microchips/5g)

that is awful- and yeah, it is heart-breaking in a way.

@ClarencesMum

Are we just letting the use Of TyPiNg LiKe ThIs slide then?

It is incredibly ableist.

What do you mean? A mixture of capitals and lower case in writing is supposed to show sarcasm - how is that ableism?

Mind you, I don't think the person who used it up thread used it that way. I can't figure out why they think a person saying it's just different opinions would being sarcastic.

@Nomorepies

" Heartbroken" feels like slight overkill. People will always believe what they want to, you can't change it. Just choose to let it wash over you or associate with others.

I can’t speak for the OP but for me what is heartbreaking is the loss of someone who I thought was a good friend. They show a staggering denial of reality and lack of empathy for my situation. It is like they have been captured by a cult.

they may not have even heard of Bill Gates[largely because they are not on social media I presume].

You'd have to be living under a rock for three decades not to have heard of Bill Gates, not sure it's got anything to do with social media tbh

a lot of conspiracy theorists ime have virtually no history or science- they dont know about say- iran-contra scandal or the bethnal green tube disaster, or the myriad of shameful behaviours and cover-ups that have happened since forever. look at henry viii

so when they do find out say, about crop spraying, they cant process it- theyre like everything must be qanon, bill gates, china, paedophiles etc - they dont seem able to look critically at sources, they have no ability or experience in being discerning - and yeah this makes them gullible and easy to exploit.

if you were going to get someone to eg blow up a building- you'd chose a conspiracy theorist because you know they'll believe anything you tell them while thinking themselves superior to everyone else.

I am related to a Covid denier anti vaccine anti mainstream medicine person. It has caused many many issues.
I cannot cut off contact as we have shared responsibility for another relative and their beliefs have become a battle ground.
I am told that I may believe that Covid exists but it's just my belief not a fact and that my beliefs are incorrect. For perspective and to understand why I am quite so upset I will just say now my DH is a senior dr who has been working on Covid wards. He has had colleagues become ill and die. These are facts not plucked from the news or the internet but from direct experience however according to my family member it's is just what I 'choose to believe'.

@Helmetbymidnight

Surprised you havent seen it, as it is notorious.
I suspect that is where and when the Bill Gates and vaccines, theory, originated.

@ElephantsNest

I encounter conspiracy people in real life, getting off social media is not an escape for some of us!

My loved one one was in hospital with COVID, three weeks of this on a ventilator and now I have had to arrange carers for them which they will need for the rest of their life. They will never live independently again because the virus caused life changing injuries to their heart and brain. It has been a stressful and upsetting time.

I had one so called friend tell me to my face (despite knowing all I had been through), that the virus was not real, and I’m being a sheep to wear a mask or bother with social distancing. It’s all a conspiracy apparently..

I am so sorry.

Jon Ronson gives an account of a young girl who lost a leg in the London bombings getting harassed by conspiracy theorists who thought the whole thing was a hoax and she was a MI5 operative. She eventually met with them and they still made her life hell. It's in his book The Psychopath Test. Something about this stuff makes people lose decency and empathy.

@wonkylegs

I am related to a Covid denier anti vaccine anti mainstream medicine person. It has caused many many issues. I cannot cut off contact as we have shared responsibility for another relative and their beliefs have become a battle ground. I am told that I may believe that Covid exists but it's just my belief not a fact and that my beliefs are incorrect. For perspective and to understand why I am quite so upset I will just say now my DH is a senior dr who has been working on Covid wards. He has had colleagues become ill and die. These are facts not plucked from the news or the internet but from direct experience however according to my family member it's is just what I 'choose to believe'.

Sending empathy, that sounds so draining

@Nomorepies

" Heartbroken" feels like slight overkill. People will always believe what they want to, you can't change it. Just choose to let it wash over you or associate with others.

It changes their behaviour, it affects how they relate to you, it changes your relationship. You lose the person they were. Just like a cult. It is heartbreaking.

None of my friends are posting this kind of nonsense (I am quite selective in the company I keep)

We have this exact thing! Our dear friends overseas are convinced we are being kept in the dark .No idea why so many people (including my Cousin who is a Doctor ) were /are in Hospital then! Rather awkward as I dont want to fall out ,but cannot agree !

I haven't seen it.

This is one minute clip about lowering CO2 where Bill Gates makes a joke about population figures and says that the potential exponential population growth the world is heading for might be held back with vaccines and reproductive health care.

And people have decided to try and convict him of spreading Covid and microchipping people on the basis of that?
A perfect illustration of how conspiracy theorists are absolute spanners.

Jon Ronson gives an account of a young girl who lost a leg in the London bombings getting harassed by conspiracy theorists who thought the whole thing was a hoax and she was a MI5 operative. She eventually met with them and they still made her life hell. It's in his book The Psychopath Test. Something about this stuff makes people lose decency and empathy.

What about the people who claim Sandy Hook was fake. The hell they put the parents through is just off the scale.