To think my mum has fallen down a conspiracy rabbit hole and I can't get her out

[Coffeesoon]

My mum has just sent me a video of Ant Middleton explaining how in 2027 the migrants / boat people who are seeking asylum and have already been made legal, will kick off and attack us all.
He says there will be a civil war, he knows because of army contacts and that we need to prepare.
What am I suppose to say to that?
She fully believes that an army is being formed and is constantly telling me or sending me videos about it.
I love my mum but since covid, which she thought wasn't real, she has been thinking the government is out to get us. We live in an area of increased immigrants and she absolutely hates them.
I've tried to talk to her but shes adamant and its really getting me down.

Hopefully no because Farage isn't the answer ,you've only to look at the arse they're making of being councillors.

It's not just about people's political opinions though. I have friends with political opinions across the spectrum and that's fine (within reason).

It's about respecting other people's boundaries and their right not to have this stuff shoved down their throats.

You have my sympathy op, my mum is the same. Since covid she's lost the plot. She refused to get covid jabs said its just a cold,
She has become paranoid about everything watching her.. she won't have a smart phone, loyalty cards, direct debits, if somewhere won't take cash she won't use them. She won't pay by card because she said you get hacked I said by who?? She moved house 19 years ago but kept the same GP they contacted her and said unfortunately as your no longer local you will have to find another practice. Then said to me probably so they can give spaces to boat people 🤦🏻‍♀️. She's retired now so has even more time to read up on tinfoil hat shit.

@Happyjoe
Come on-how many?

Your question,opening poster, is a really difficult one for me. One person's rabbit hole is another's enlightenment.

While I, like you, hate your Mums views on race, I'm aware that I have views that some would think are silly/crazy.

Just as No one could persuade me using logic that my views on the possible misuse humans are putting AI to (an algorithm cannot be a friend, for example) can persuade me otherwise.

So I fear you probably cannot shift your mother's views using logic.

Maybe try encouraging her to read a bit wider by recommending other outlets with somewhat different views?

Only if Ant and Nige tell you so. What do you men by "undocumented men"? As opposed to the documented ones? As an alternative, their claims could be quickly and efficiently processed, decisions taken and implemented. Then they either a) work and contribute (migrants being net contributors to the economy), b) have to leave. In the meantime, what do you think would happen if asylum claimants were NOT fed and housed?

smoking tobacco actually protects from covid

Weird but it actually did in a way. So I do think she’s right about the one.

It’s called the smokers paradox and in simplistic form turns out smokers lungs were so contaminated from smoking that a reduced number of the binding sites (Ace2) were available for Covid.

So ‘protects’ no - but ‘protected’ yes. Smokers were less likely to get Covid. Whoever if they DID get it. Then they were more likely to die.

Ex smokers had the worst of both worlds. More ace2 (reaction to historical damage), more available (less bound) - so more likely to get it than smokers and still as likely to die as smokers.

Its a crazy virus.

Everyone's gone mad, the world's fucked. At least with old people, they are so bad at technology, can't we access their phone and change their algorithm over time by clicking on nice things and hiding the slop?

Yes, this is what I said to my neighbour yesterday. Said the Cllrs were basically normal Joe Bloggs who decided they'd had enough of boat people while getting drunk up the pub, talking to their mates and took a punt and ended up voted in.

Absolutely no idea how to work in politics, no idea how a country is run and no idea how much time, commitment or how dull local politics is - and certainly no desire how to make their little corner of the UK better. All they are interested in is immigration. I am dreading the next election.

Sigh...

You filled my "racist bullshit" bingo card less than half way through this pile of shite.

I have such different political views from my parents that I haven’t talked to them about it for years now. If the conversation comes up, I just ignore it/change topic. My dad in particular would send me panicky provocative videos almost every day, and I just stopped responding. I talk to them as my family, not as a political opponent. You can’t change anyone’s mind if they aren’t willing for it to be changed. I went through a period of grief about this situation but gradually made peace with it. They aren’t perfect people, neither am I. They have their delusions. So do I. But they’re kind people and they love me. That’s what matters most.

But the poster is absolutely correct. Those denying these things are just as brainwashed as the OPs mum. Whilst people keep discounting people’s actual experience more and more people will find a home in more extreme views.

instead of the agest claptrap on this thread, maybe consider some of these older people have a hell of a lot more experience in the way the world works than those simply writing off their observations

Please enlighten us all on how any of what I said was "racist" or "bullshit?"

Remember-just because you don't like something-doesn't make it "racist" or "bullshit."

Your question,opening poster, is a really difficult one for me. One person's rabbit hole is another's enlightenment.

Not sure exactly what you mean by "enlightenment" here but I think its really important that internet "research" be done with critical thinking in place and very often it isn't: particularly by people such as the OP's mum who (with respect) doesn't sound very well-educated and clearly doesn't have enough to do. Anyone can establish "proof" for anything they want on the internet through a combination of "research" and algorithms which just validate existing theories.

There's a lot that is good and sensible on the internet and you can expand your knowledge by looking into things but only if you do it with some awareness of the limitations of the source material and their biases and some rigour in how you choose this. People who use things they find on the internet in a balanced way which is aware of these biases can use it to expand their intelligence and knowledge.

But the process of "going down rabbit holes" basically means watching/reading more and more stuff which validates what you already believe. By definition its limiting the scope of the material you come into contact with and narrowing your frame of reference.

Hence the antivaxxers who convince themselves that the "research" they've found is more enlightened because they've "found" it themselves (or more accurately had it pushed to them by friendly algorithms). Ultimately it's actually the opposite of enlightenment because it never questions the source of the authority.

She's spending too much time online - encourage her to get out more and strengthen IRL friendships. The more she does IRL the less she will be drawn into the FB stuff and the less relevant it will seem.

People have always been this mad, I think. Think back to Alf Garnett in 'Til death us do part' and Rigsby in Rising Damp. They were caricatures because everyone recognised people like that. They were just the cranks or pub/golf club bores with openly racist and sexist comments in the past. But the internet has meant they feel the need to post and publish their views so you think they're more prevalent. Because "you can't say anything anymore".

I think you have to not engage with it. It's absolutely exhausting dealing with anyone like this though.

A quick Google shows as many scientific papers showing that this isn’t true. So again, a split as to what information you believe vs that you don’t. Either way, given the utter crap that comes from her mouth and who she chooses to obtain information from, I tend to err on the side of ‘that’s not quite reality’.
Who’s right or wrong only time will tell… but at least my life will be filled with a bit more joy and compassion.

Life is too short too waste on people like this even if she is your mum. Cut her off and move on.

"Instead of the agest claptrap on this thread, maybe consider some of these older people have a hell of a lot more experience in the way the world works than those simply writing off their observations".

My in-laws say this to us - I'm in my 60s and partially retired.

My sister is the same and my mum's heading that way.

I have no advice, just sympathy.

It's quite sad, it seems it's a gerational thing as my mother is the same. I can't understand the mindset of racism. They fall for fake news like fish in the bailt and just used to confirm their hateful bias, it's a phenomenon.

The fact I loved them but they share those ideas is painful and confusing. I wished I could have a proper but I have say to distance yourself, for your mental health, is the best solution. Arguing logically won't help. Doesn't need to cut if you aren't prepared but a gradual or stronger distance with only practical contact (send birthday wishes, any practical shared issue like finances, etc once some months) is the solution.

Sigh x 3

and you could say the same thing about the useful idiots on the Left, on their marches wearing their black and white scarves chanting “from the river to the sea” trotting out the sane soundbites, the youngsters screeching “transwomen are women” etc etc.

if people are doing good research from a variety of sources, news, history books, biology books, sociology research papers etc then it becomes very apparent how many people on all sides have been completely brainwashed