conspiracy theories

[DLgal]

Noah's Ark. There are many people who believe that story and will go to great lengths to 'prove' it. It may be true allegorically, metaphorically, and spiritually, but not in any literal sense.



Don't you mean pilot AND co-pilot?

It is thought that the pilot either murdered the copilot first or took advantage of a time when he left the cockpit to lock him out.

 

[Notrealname]

Today my FB feed has “pledges” not to get a Covid vaccination because they don’t want a “chip” implanted in their bodies. I’m not an expert on spy chip implantation but I’d have to guess it would be too large to fit through a needle. Besides, if you watch Days you know you need Dr. Rolf to do it and it needs to go near the back of your head.

Have they asked David Copperfield?

Dr. Okun will explain it all.

 

[NotUrsula]

I hear you, I see some people sharing Plandemic, and anyone’s comments about how it’s full of falsehoods, just falls on deaf ears. It’s like they’ve already made up their minds, because Plandemic tells them what they WANT to hear

That's exactly what it is. They WANT to reinforce their own belief that this pandemic cannot in any way be natural, but instead a product of "the enemy." It is extremely easy to find an echo chamber on the internet.

At the heart of it is a need to believe that something like this has to have been cooked up by a human mind and be under human control, because otherwise we are all sitting ducks and nothing can ever be done to be truly safe. You can blame a human and assign the bad thing a moral value, whereas you really can't do that with an act of nature. (Unless you want to call it an Act of God, which is equally panic-inducing, because many of these same people are very religious. )

These folks don't necessarily feel a need to BE in control, but they tend to need to believe that there always is SOMEONE in control; the concept of random chaos really terrifies them at a level that they cannot consciously accept.

My own simple logic on these theories is that they are giving human beings WAY too much credit. It's simply impossible for a large organization to remain that perfectly organized and in control over time with changes in administration.

 

[Liz]

OMG that stupid Plandemic video is all over my FB. People are stupid and getting stupider by the day.

Yes!! I was just telling my daughter that I want to spend less time on social media because all the plandemic/sheeple posts make it not fun anymore.

 

[Liz]

My father is a big follower of Q-anon. The theories they come up with are absolutely baffling and insane and I have no idea how people fall for it. I always assumed my dad was a reasonably intelligent person so I don’t get it. I don’t even talk to him anymore because of it. My only communication with him is him sending me conspiracy videos and ideas which I ignore. It’s to bad really but I can’t get passed it.

Someone in my life also follows and believes this stuff. I just don’t understand that thinking.

 

[low-key]

yeah I generally laugh at them, but I try to judge each one on its own weight, cause as the sane goes, "just cause your paranoid doesnt mean someone isnt chasing you "

 

[RamblingMad]

I think, conspiracy theories are related to locus of control and personal responsibility.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/moments-matter/201708/locus-control

 

[CdnCarrie]

I think some conspiracy theories are sort of harmless like JFK shootings.Others like 9/11 and Newtown deniers are dangerous and a slap in the face to those who suffered losses.

 

[jalapeno_pretzel]

That one has been pretty much written off as the pilot committing a mass murder suicide. Plenty of evidence points in that direction. It's almost indisputable at this point.

Yes, as soon as you said this I recall hearing about it. I think I stopped following after the first couple of months when there were no real answers.

I really really really wanted it to have been hijacked and flown to a remote place where they removed the passengers unharmed, and were trying to re purpose the aircraft for a giant bomb. Then Jack Ryan was going to come in, thwart the bomb plan, rescue all the hostages, and everyone would be happy.

In my mind I was still waiting for that outcome.

 

[Tjddis]

Yes...I know a few folks who believe or disbelieve a whole host of things. THey are college educated and all say they obtain their "news" from the same network...Fox.

Well that’s a whole nother issue...nobody should get all their news from one source they ALL have a point of view that influences their coverage. Or is that a conspitlracy theory?

 

[tex1989]

Someone said people are worried about the vaccine implanting a chip? Why do they need to waste money on that? We all give them that information through our phones already. One company reported on the efficiency of stay at home orders by tracing cell phone locations in relation to their home address. It already happens. And no I am in no way a conspiracy guy. Some of these things are not speculation they are fact and that is where I draw the line. You do not need to speculate about things you just need to read the source and credible facts. The tracing I am referring to was a front page news item a couple of weeks ago with maps and the basics of the technology explained.

 

[anthony2k7]

I believe a lot of conspiracy theories are possibly a conspiracy to discredit other "conspiracy theories"

The problem with them is that people generally either believe most, or are accused of believing most/all even if they only believe one or two.

So I think it is entirely possible that some are put out there eg the reptilian nonsense to discredit anyone who believes more believable ones - eg 9/11 being allied state backed or moon landings being fake.

 

[Hikergirl]

I wouldn't call it a conspiracy theory but it sure has got a lot of people in my area talking.
Our COVID numbers have been publicized on our county dashboard for a month or more. They have been different from what the state says they are, the number of cases not by much but the number of deaths according to the state was almost double what the county was. I have posted about it here because I'd been wondering how the numbers could be so off.
Interestingly now that our stay at home orders are set to expire, and the governor plans opening up in stages in certain areas when specific criteria is met, we have switched over to using the state's tracking numbers for our county. So our deaths that were up just 6% from the week before are now suddenly up 34% from the week before. At one point just a week ago we weren't too far off from meeting the criteria and then suddenly with the change of no longer getting our counts from our own county and getting them from the state we are no longer close. Sure does have a lot of small business owners who were counting on being able to open back up soon thinking.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

I wouldn't call it a conspiracy theory but it sure has got a lot of people in my area talking.
Our COVID numbers have been publicized on our county dashboard for a month or more. They have been different from what the state says they are, the number of cases not by much but the number of deaths according to the state was almost double what the county was. I have posted about it here because I'd been wondering how the numbers could be so off.
Interestingly now that our stay at home orders are set to expire, and the governor plans opening up in stages in certain areas when specific criteria is met, we have switched over to using the state's tracking numbers for our county. So our deaths that were up just 6% from the week before are now suddenly up 34% from the week before. At one point just a week ago we weren't too far off from meeting the criteria and then suddenly with the change of no longer getting our counts from our own county and getting them from the state we are no longer close. Sure does have a lot of small business owners who were counting on being able to open back up soon thinking.

If they are using 5 day rolling averages and it is just a one day spike, it really won't change your trajectory for reopening. You just need the days around it on both sides of the spike to still be on a downward trajectory. So there is still hope.

 

[Hikergirl]

If they are using 5 day rolling averages and it is just a one day spike, it really won't change your trajectory for reopening. You just need the days around it on both sides of the spike to still be on a downward trajectory. So there is still hope.

The thing with conspiracy theorists is that they don't ever listen to any other theory LOL. Once it's set in their mind that X is happening because of Y then that is all they see.
I have definitely been questioning those numbers all along and I do wonder why/how the state would have more accurate data than the county but I just chalk it up to a shrug of the shoulders and they obviously know more than me. Some people OTOH are convinced that the governor wants to keep everyone locked down and will continue to change things to ensure that happen.

 

[Christine]

The thing with conspiracy theorists is that they don't ever listen to any other theory LOL. Once it's set in their mind that X is happening because of Y then that is all they see.
I have definitely been questioning those numbers all along and I do wonder why/how the state would have more accurate data than the county but I just chalk it up to a shrug of the shoulders and they obviously know more than me. Some people OTOH are convinced that the governor wants to keep everyone locked down and will continue to change things to ensure that happen.

This same sentiment is going on where I live. It's definitely political with those from the opposing political party thinking that the governor *wants* to ruin the economy somehow. I don't believe that any governor willingly and for no good reasons wants their state economy to fail. I just don't. I cannot think of any Machiavellian reason that our governor would keep things closed for the fun of it. I honestly believe they are trying to figure out how to let things open and not overwhelm the hospital system. So far, our hospitals in most areas are not overwhelmed so the "baby steps" to venture out are beginning. But the horrible comments I see posted on news articles about are quite shocking to me.

 

[Hikergirl]

This same sentiment is going on where I live. It's definitely political with those from the opposing political party thinking that the governor *wants* to ruin the economy somehow. I don't believe that any governor willingly and for no good reasons wants their state economy to fail. I just don't. I cannot think of any Machiavellian reason that our governor would keep things closed for the fun of it. I honestly believe they are trying to figure out how to let things open and not overwhelm the hospital system. So far, our hospitals in most areas are not overwhelmed so the "baby steps" to venture our are beginning. But the horrible comments I see posted on news articles about are quite shocking to me.

I won't go as far as to say I agree with them, and I don't think they are crazy whack jobs either. I have lived here my whole life, and there is a definitely a history of mistrust of our governor. There are some valid reasons for that, and of course some not so valid.

 

[EsseG]

The flat earthers are interesting. To me I think it appeals to fill a hole of powerlessness. Thinking you're more clever than all the successful people in life does wonders for self esteem.

"...a hole of powerlessness..." describes it better than anything I've seen. A way to revenge that middle school science teacher, to get back at the kids who were smart in math class. Maybe that's why their rants include personal attacks on scientists and blanket dismissal of those who trust them. Their posts always read like a 3-year old's temper tantrum.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I have posted about it here because I'd been wondering how the numbers could be so off.

100% seriously, ask the agencies reporting the numbers. Or 311, if your area offers that. Or a news station.

 

[belle032]

The thing with conspiracy theorists is that they don't ever listen to any other theory LOL. Once it's set in their mind that X is happening because of Y then that is all they see.
I have definitely been questioning those numbers all along and I do wonder why/how the state would have more accurate data than the county but I just chalk it up to a shrug of the shoulders and they obviously know more than me. Some people OTOH are convinced that the governor wants to keep everyone locked down and will continue to change things to ensure that happen.

I very much agree about once a theory is locked in someone's mind, that's it. Nothing else is true and you cannot even begin to convince them otherwise. I also agree about the governor situation, especially around where I live in my state. It literally would not matter one bit if he decided to open up the state, keep it locked down, keep certain regions locked down, open certain businesses and keep others closed, wear a mask, not wear a mask...he's going to be wrong. People hate him with a passion, and if you ask them why, they really don't have solid answers. (I have an feeling it's overwhelmingly about guns, but I will definitely not get into that here.)

In that context, I do feel for leadership at every level in this crazy, conspiracy-filled situation. I agree with certain leadership more than others, absolutely, but I do understand they don't have it easy. And I don't envy them.