Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Covid

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

Conspiracy theories....

58 replies

RoyalAlbertHallSinger · 06/09/2020 20:06

I’m feeling quite frankly terrified at the moment. An ex colleague (so you would think someone with a modicum of intelligence as she works in a school) has sent me a video. It’s 8 minutes of misinformation, conspiracy theory and out right lies aimed at persuading people to avoid Covid testing and vaccination. The fact that this is circulating among supposedly intelligent people scares me more than the virus....

OP posts:
yarncakes · 06/09/2020 20:12

Are you able to link the video here?

Watch Vernon Coleman. All of his videos.

SentientAndCognisant · 06/09/2020 20:12

The key phrase is supposedly intelligent people. It’s a middle class belligerence rooted in no one tells me what to do harrumphing

The antiVaxers and conspiracy theorists won’t be easily be disavowed of their batshit theories. They like feeling in the know they feel intellectually superior that they know something the govt is purposefully concealing from the stupid masses

SentientAndCognisant · 06/09/2020 20:13

Please don’t link the video, if people are so inclined they’ll find it anyway. No point reproducing it here

AnneLovesGilbert · 06/09/2020 20:15

I was thinking about this earlier. I’m fascinated by what sends people down these paths. Some I’m sure were always prone to believing conspiracies but a lot of others have jumped right down the rabbit warren about this one for the first time and I wonder if it’s a response to the scary pace of change everyone is going through.

annabel85 · 06/09/2020 20:20

A family member has gone down this path. It's a hoax and a conspiracy from the lizard people to control us with the aid of 5G and then profit from the mind control of compulsory vaccines etc etc.

SusanneLinder · 06/09/2020 20:39

Oh yeah, I've had a few of these too. I discount them as batshit. David Icke followers and QAnon theorists. Apparently we should " do some research " and " think outside the box". I did, and its still batshit. However I think to be fair some people are trying to make sense of a very unreal situation, which leads them down this path.

SentientAndCognisant · 06/09/2020 20:48

Conspiracy theories rely upon a belief in a shady/secretive malevolent process that is maintaining and executing an agenda upon the masses. A mass too stupefied or passive to see the truth, only truth seekers see what’s really going on.

Ok. So conspiracy theories rely upon a huge swathe of infrastructure and process to both
Execute the secret task
And
keep The secret

No one losing the data, leaving a folder on the bus, no whistle blowing. None of the usual fuck up associated with managing a large data set

Whirlwind14 · 06/09/2020 21:08

From what I’ve seen on Facebook, most people sharing these are educated at the ‘School of Hard Knocks’, ‘School of Life’ or employed as a ‘Yummy Mummy’....

Clearly they should go share their highly acclaimed PhD in virology with Sage and we have a chance in kicking this virus into touch Hmm

RhubarbTea · 06/09/2020 21:09

@SentientAndCognisant

Conspiracy theories rely upon a belief in a shady/secretive malevolent process that is maintaining and executing an agenda upon the masses. A mass too stupefied or passive to see the truth, only truth seekers see what’s really going on.

Ok. So conspiracy theories rely upon a huge swathe of infrastructure and process to both
Execute the secret task
And
keep The secret

No one losing the data, leaving a folder on the bus, no whistle blowing. None of the usual fuck up associated with managing a large data set

To be fair to them though (I have one as a close relative...) I think they believe that only about 8 people are in on it, the ones who are actually running the world, and the rest below them are puppets who aren't aware of the truth.

I do sometimes wonder if we're all living in a simulation... But that isn't quite the same I suppose.

SentientAndCognisant · 06/09/2020 21:14

I usually hear the conspiracies of scale eg the government and GSK et al are conspiring to scare the public to increase share price, and vaccinate the masses with a concoction to alter cognition etc, and increase compliance

coldwarenigma · 06/09/2020 21:27

The usual enthusiastic conspiracy nut theorist believes weird You Tube stuff I know has gone very quiet on this one, Could be due to the 5 months paid off work furlough /shielding. After all, if its a conspiracy and not real he wouldn't need to shield would he? Wink Hmm

Derbygerbil · 06/09/2020 21:31

No one losing the data, leaving a folder on the bus, no whistle blowing. None of the usual fuck up associated with managing a large data set

In my experience, they tend to be people who have a psychological need to believe in absolutes. The notion that much of what’s happening doesn’t make complete sense and is messy simply as a result of politicians /scientists’ (etc) fallibility rather than anything sinister isn’t something they can easily accept. Conspiracy theories provide a certainty and clarity that reality can’t. Fuck-ups don’t happen in their world...

Ethelfleda · 06/09/2020 21:59

It’s the Dunning-Kruger effect at its finest.
People not intelligent to know that they don’t know everything.

For example, I know that I am not intelligent enough to have the knowledge to start pontificating about metaphysics and the actual nature and construct of reality which feeds directly in to your likelihood of believing a conspiracy theory which you cannot prove. So I won’t Grin

Ethelfleda · 06/09/2020 22:02

they believe that only about 8 people are in on it, the ones who are actually running the world, and the rest below them are puppets who aren't aware of the truth

Which 8 people rule the world?

Ooh can I guess?

Is it:
Moriarty
John Lennon
Andy Peters
Les Dennis
Dennis Rodman
Kim jong un
The woman who runs my local Londis
The go compare man?

Original poster
RoyalAlbertHallSinger · 06/09/2020 22:09

Yes, I could certainly link it but I prefer not to give publicity to such utter and complete rubbish so no, I’m not going to link to it.

OP posts:
10milewalk · 06/09/2020 22:11

Personally I think people that believe in conspiracy theories, are just more open minded, there is no harm in questioning thing we hear on the news.

I haven't personally actually listened to any about Covid, but I for one won't be taking a vaccination, that hasn't been tested long term, for something that has a low death rate if you are fit and healthy. I''m not anti vaccination at all, I just wouldn't have a jab that in my opinion has been rushed through.

PinkMacaron · 06/09/2020 22:12

If someone is a bit thick then I expect the world can seem a scary, random place. I suppose it gives them some comfort to think there's a guiding hand behind everything.

All total bollocks, obviously.

SentientAndCognisant · 06/09/2020 22:18

Vaccination is not compulsory so of course individual can decline
I’d hope people make an informed choice and are capacitous. Weigh up information from reputable sources and think of the pro/cons. No decision is risk free

No health intervention is risk free
Doing nothing is not risk free

Getting health advice from conspiracy theorist on FB or an aerated. WhatsApp group is risky

BlueBlancmange · 06/09/2020 22:22

@PinkMacaron

If someone is a bit thick then I expect the world can seem a scary, random place. I suppose it gives them some comfort to think there's a guiding hand behind everything.

All total bollocks, obviously.

I agree part of it is a need to believe humans control everything rather than that things can just happen randomly that are beyond our control. In the case of Covid if you believe it's all been preplanned, then you can convince yourself that provided you can persuade enough people to join forces with you, you can stand up to these evil doing people and bring the situation to an end. Whereas it's a bit more daunting to accept nature has just unleashed a virus that we are, at least currently, pretty powerless against. I don't it means some one is thick, but possibly somewhat deluded.
BlueBlancmange · 06/09/2020 22:24

@10milewalk

Personally I think people that believe in conspiracy theories, are just more open minded, there is no harm in questioning thing we hear on the news.

I haven't personally actually listened to any about Covid, but I for one won't be taking a vaccination, that hasn't been tested long term, for something that has a low death rate if you are fit and healthy. I''m not anti vaccination at all, I just wouldn't have a jab that in my opinion has been rushed through.

People who believe in conspiracy theories don't tend to be open minded. They tend to have very fixed thinking. They do however perceive themselves to be the open minded ones.
SentientAndCognisant · 06/09/2020 22:31

Personally I think people that believe in conspiracy theories, are just more open minded, there is no harm in questioning thing we hear on the news
YES all means question the prevailing view, seek reputable information. Do question news.

Conspiracy theorists Do Not come with an open mind they very much have a conclusion and manipulate “facts” to acomodate their belief

Isolatedizzy · 06/09/2020 22:48

My sister believes every conspiracy theory there is!
I am a Civil Servant!

I always just say if you think the Govt is organised enough to pull that off you are deluded! !

Isitisntit · 07/09/2020 08:28

In the academic world, conspiracy theorists would be called critical thinkers. I am not s conspiracy theorist but I certainly don't believe the main narrative of fear about this virus.

InsaneInTheViralMembrane · 07/09/2020 08:34

Your first mistake is believing someone to be intelligent simply because they work in a school.

Think critically about THAT for a start. 😁

JimmyTheBrave · 07/09/2020 10:49

@10milewalk

Personally I think people that believe in conspiracy theories, are just more open minded, there is no harm in questioning thing we hear on the news.

I haven't personally actually listened to any about Covid, but I for one won't be taking a vaccination, that hasn't been tested long term, for something that has a low death rate if you are fit and healthy. I''m not anti vaccination at all, I just wouldn't have a jab that in my opinion has been rushed through.

@10milewalk Are you referring to the Oxford vaccine?

To say it's been 'rushed through' is misleading, yes the process has been quicker than normal but that's because there is a worldwide interest in getting an effective vaccine approved quickly.

Because of this they have risked a shit load of money by running different phases of the trials all at once, rather than waiting for one stage to be complete and moving on to the next.

This doesn't mean that they are skipping steps; there are very strict processes that they HAVE to follow.

They also had a head start as they were already doing research on the type of vaccine that they are now testing; they effectively repurposed it for use on Covid-19.

Please do some proper research before you come online and scaremonger.