to think that far more people than we realise subscribe to conspiracy theories?

[EmmaGrundyForPM]

I've gone down a bit of a rabbit hole after reading the comments on an online video of the dreadful ship accident in Baltimore.

Thousands of comments and the vast majority believe that this wasn't an accident but a deliberate act to destroy the infrastructure and economy of one of the USAs biggest ports.

Los of comments about the black smoke showing that the ship had explosives. Even when the odd sane person chips in to explain that was almost certainly due to the ship being put in hard reverse to try not to hit the bridge. Other people claiming that they've slowed down the video and it shows explosives on the bridge, even though these are clearly powerlines with electricity arcing as the bridge collapses.

And then lots of people commenting that they need Trump back in power because Biden is too feeble/?senile/left wing to realise that America is under attack.

I appreciate that most of the comments were from Americans, but I suspect the same thing might be true here. They all seem to be buying into a conspiracy with no acknowledgement that, sometimes, dreadful accidents do happen.

I haven't read any conspiracy comments about this particular incident , but I do feel that people believe what is on the internet rather than actual facts and are totally unwilling to listen to reason.

I think it was the ratios that surprised me. I expected the odd conspiracy-theory comments amid lots of sane ones, but at least 9 out of 10 comments were along the lines of it being deliberate terrorism.

I expect that most people believe in conspiracy theories.

The alternative is to believe that the government are always telling us the full truth all the time.

I don't believe on any particular conspiracy theory, however I am very open to the idea as I think it'd be incredibly nieve to think that we know the full truth about everything that happens in the news.

As all of the Kate threads have proved recently. I think there is a general distrust of authority - note helped by the likes of Boris and the Covid enquiry. People aren't so willing to trust what they are told anymore.

It iis perfectly reasonable for Americans to be suspicious of vehicles being driven into infrastructure to disrupt things. Remember 9/11?

TBF, OP if you're looking online for people who believe in conspiracy theories then you'll find loads as that's where they tend to hang out, rather than in the real world.
It's like looking in an orthopaedics department and being surprised there are lots of people with broken bones.

So apparently the ship crash has sent that cult Q-anon into a tizzy. Everything I have learned about it has been against my will, so forgive me but the story roughly goes as follows:

Ship crash was planned by black people/Obama/lockdowns/cyberattacks/Muslims/drugs (I’m not being funny I am dead serious) , lot of bad events called “black swan events” will follow in an attempt from dark powers to keep Biden in control, Trump knows the evil plan and is fighting like hell for the American people as he is the only one with the special knowledge to drain the swap and stop the pedophiles? Idk they come out with different stories/end of times predictions every few months so I might be confusing them.

Honestly believe the loons are being drawn to it rather than a reflection in the amount of idiots here and abroad.

Yes @Hagpie there were lots of references to "Black Swan" events.

Not to derail....but can that bridge be raised and lowered ? The ship is surely too high to get past otherwise.

Ps a friend who was a Wren made a FB post predicting conspiracy theories about the collision. Which she debunked ahead of time.

@BloodyHellKenAgain but I wasn't looking for conspiracy theories. A video of the incident popped up on my FB feed, and I could see there were 3000+ comments. I was intrigued by the number as I couldn't see what anyone would have to say apart from."how sad". And there they all were

I didn't mean you were actively searching out conspiracy theories. I meant 'if you were looking online' in the same way you might say 'if you were looking out the window you will see the sky'. That doesn't mean to say you're looking for the sky, it's just you are more likely to see it if looking out of the window.

If you see what I mean 🤣

Thanks for the synopsis @Hagpie ! Sounds about right. I'm awaiting an update from a family member who is practically living on YouTube now. Partly my fault as I recommended Dr John Campbell to him during Covid lockdown.

Though , in my defence , Dr Death seemed quite sane back then. But now its all Russell Brand , Joe Rogan et al.

Oh it’s not your fault angel. I only know a little about this because I wondered how people got into cults in the first place. It’s scary because it can happen to literally anyone. If you want to watch a documentary there is long but interesting one on YouTube about a cult deprogrammer called Rick Alan Ross who explains the process.

If you feel like you’re grieving the loss of someone who is still alive I believe they offer a lot of support over on /QAnonCasualties.

My theory is that the pilot is proper useless!
Come on, there was plenty of space to pass.
But they had to choose to manouver so close to the bridge, instead of approaching the bridge already in position.
I bet you they were not experiened, maybe not even trained.
They did try to correct, but corrections meant full on hit on the pylon! Maybe, it would have been better if they had not turned the ship.

It does feel a bit like a partial bereavement if there can be such a thing @Hagpie. Because there's a diminishing number of things we can talk about lately. I will check out the deprogamming video.

I suppose people find it hard to believe that a modern ship could drive into a clearly visible bridge without some ulterior motive. A friend of mine , though, has a favourite saying which seems applicable : ‘When in doubt, assume incompetence’.

I understand though why people may be less likely to accept ‘accidents’ or mischance as explanations. We live in world where Governments and institutions, eagerly assisted by mainstream media, seem to ‘conspire’ to issue half or total untruths ( see the recent murder trial in Oxford as an example). So we have lost faith in their explanations , and look for something else which makes ‘sense’ .

when you look at the continuing revelations re the Post Office, can you blame anyone for being a bit dubious about the ‘facts’ ?

@Abhannmor Oh there is definitely such a thing and I am so sorry for what you have lost. ❤️‍🩹

About two thirds of the British public believe in at least one conspiracy theory. At least that is what the research shows. Popular conspiracy theories include Princess Diana was murdered.

I agree with @BloodyHellKenAgain. You were just somewhere where loons cluster and lock horns in disproportionate numbers.

The whole Princess of Wales thing has blown my mind - people are clutching at straws to make it something huge. I am fascinated by conspiracy theories - not the theories themselves but the people who believe them. Some are rational, highly educated people too.

What can we expect when a former PM, Liz Truss, claims she was brought down by the 'deep state'

She knows that's a lie but spouts it on American TV

I am often astonished by the people who I've always assumed to be sane, sound of mind and perfectly 'normal' who will, out of nowhere, suddenly come out with something like 'Covid was all engineered, of course.' It happens so often that I've become an expert in 'how interesting - hasn't the weather been lovely lately?'

I think if you are not particularly intelligent, poorly-informed, radicalised, or gullible and easily-led, then it must be fairly easy to conclude you are being lied to or misled when something doesn't conform to your personal worldview.

The advent of the internet and personal social media has enabled this somewhat, and it has been encouraged by certain influential people who are invariably happy to lie to suit their own ends, and who will simply dismiss any challenge or proof that contradicts them as "fake news" or "woke", which, of course, the already aforementioned gullible and radicalised are only too happy to accept as an explanation for anything which appears to contradict the narrative.

Conspiracy Theories have been around as far back as I can remember, which predates the internet and the era whereby politicians do not concern themselves with inconveniences like truth and integrity. Personally I've always taken the view that it is perfectly rational and reasonable to suspect the existence of a conspiracy where and when some credible evidence of a conspiracy exists, but when you get to the point whereby you are seeing or claiming conspiracy inherent in practically every newsworthy event, even when there is no logical reason for one to exist, then I think you are at the stage whereby you are edging towards a form of disfunction and mental illness.

In short, the recent conspiracy theory culture is part of a grift, encouraged by those who practice divide and conquer and have a vested interest in "them and us" narratives.

I think if you are not particularly intelligent, poorly-informed, radicalised, or gullible and easily-led, then it must be fairly easy to conclude you are being lied to or misled when something doesn't conform to your personal worldview.

There’s that clip of Trump at one of his rallies, usual word salad of deep state, etc and as the crowd cheer him on, he says out loud: ‘I just love the poorly educated’ and they all whoop some more.

That is the myth, but the research shows you are wrong. Lots of intelligent and well informed people believe in at least one conspiracy theory.
It is partly about lack of trust. Many people no longer trust our institutions.