BBC World Service had an interesting discussion this morning, mostly with some American researchers where it seems to be even more prevalent than here. They concluded that about 30% of the population will believe at least one although the number who promote them aggressively is much smaller. The interesting conclusion was that it is mostly the same people who will believe any conspiracy theory regardless of the subject while the rest of the population accept them as what they are.
From my limited experience of forums where this occurs (mainly as a result of reading Brexit and Covid19 discussions) that could well be true. Would be interesting to know if anyone else has noticed this more widely.
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We have created a society where we are encouraged to:
- respect individualism, not conformity
- challenge accepted norms, not accept the status quo
- value creative thought, not respect accumulated wisdom
- etc etc
We demean people by the use of the word "sheep" to describe those who happily follow the leader as part of a flock.
Very few have the intellectual equipment to genuinely think independently, creatively and constructively. Those less blessed with grey matter simply assume that denial of accepted wisdom will somehow elevate them above the level of the sheep community to which they really belong!
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The internet and social media has provided conspiracy theorists with fertile ground, such a huge global audience for any old made up pony.
Of course some of them claim the internet is a conspiracy to control our minds.....
I wonder if David Iyke has considered that 5G is a vehicle to spread his word? Well cut out my own tongue.
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It's less about whether people have the intellect to second guess this stuff, as society simply not working if anarchy rules. Like free speech, exercise of choice and free will are necessarily limited. The limits to my mind are generally around where a reasonable, and intelligent, person would self-limit anyway. That seems to be something that many don't understand.
I don't think that being wiling members of a more or less cooperative society makes us sheep, at least not in a bad way. If there are any sheep of the mesmerised variety, it's the ones who fall for the Bill Gates/mind control stories - it soesn't seem to have occurred to them that they wouldn't know if they were subject to mind control themselves.
Last edited by: VxFan on Mon 14 Dec 20 at 10:46
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>> - respect individualism, not conformity
>> - challenge accepted norms, not accept the status quo
>> - value creative thought, not respect accumulated wisdom
Hardly.
We have a growing and vocal section of largely uneducated, unimaginative and unambitious lemmings who in response to a complicated world have reduced it to simple conspiracy theories which are much easier for their minds to grasp and shield them from so many unpleasant truths about themselves.
These 'people' revile any individualism or creative thought. If you do not follow their belief system, how ever good your reasoning, then you are a "sheeple" for following the crowd. The ridiculous irony is entirely beyond them.
It used to be embarrassing to be a socially inadequate thicko and so they either kept quiet or tried to keep up. Consequently it was difficult for them to find similarly limited people and form a gang.
Technology has enabled them to sit behind a screen, safe in their bubble, and seek out other dead-ends to join with. Then, with their gang, they burst out onto the internet relieved to find that being in their gang makes the world so much more understandable. And of course they feel comforted and safe because they are in a group where nobody challenges them and nobody is smart enough to intimidate them. It's all group think.
Regrettably though there are those who, whilst are not like them, do see a use for them. And they are easily manipulated from the inside if you see value in sinking to their level. Farage is a fairly trivial example. Trump another. But there are far worse.
Of course, to make it work you have to belittle everybody else and regard them as liars to avoid having to face their thoughts. You will be regarded and easily accepted if you copy silly nicknames that someone else invented. The alternative would be to understand and refute their arguments intelligently. And if they could do that they wouldn't have joined the gang of inadequates in the first place.
Their easy to spot, we have the odd one here and previously we have had more. But they're everywhere.
I don't think their numbers are increasing, it is just that more and more of them are coming out into the light as their limited way of being becomes more and more common and thus, sadly, tolerated.
They are self defeating of course. They are merely making themselves comfortable with their limited way of being allowing the far more competent to cruise above them for no greater price than being resented by zombies.
I can live with that.
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I'll nick some of that if you don't mind.
I'd also say for many it's no more complicated finding an easy excuse for not complying with simple infection control measures. It doesn't help that germs/viruses are not visible.
It's tragic that so much knowledge that has emerged over the last couple of centuries can co-exist with so much wilful ignorance.
On a more optimistic note, I did my stint in the village shop this morning and was very pleasantly surprised by a 15 year co-worker talking about Jeremy Bentham's Utilitarianism. We were debating vaccination and the idea that what is right is what provides the greatest benefit for the greatest number. I hadn't expected him to be familiar with that! I'm pretty sure I wasn't at his age.
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I am always amazed, when the conspiracy is proven false when its gone past its sell by date (I love the ones that have a set timeframe) how it suddenly changes but lives on.
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>>how it suddenly changes but lives on.
Because it is there to replace reality with a simple and manageable scenario. It merely flexes to cope with any changes in the real world.
It is worth remembering that for the vast majority ignorance and lack of education are choices that they will insist are actually the only true sense of reality by subsitituting conspiracy theories simple enough for them to grasp that dispute complex realities.
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>>I'll nick some of that if you don't mind.
Not at all, though please don't copy the their/they're and other equally awful mistakes. (Quite flattered actually).
>>and was very pleasantly surprised by a 15 year co-worker talking about Jeremy Bentham's Utilitarianism
Good for you for giving him the time. Can you imagine how difficult it is for him to find an interested, intelligent and interactive audience these days that will talk to him and not either glaze over or mock him?
Last edited by: No FM2R on Sat 12 Dec 20 at 15:57
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I'm having some too :)
If I'm bored I occasionally spar on some of the Youtube videos. Frequently there is not even a response forthcoming.
If I could add that on social media they also hide behind anonymity.
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>>If I could add that on social media they also hide behind anonymity.
If you've ever seen the sad, Arthur P. Gumby types when they do come outside you'd understand their preference.
stjohngumby.blogspot.com/2010/01/gumbys.html
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>> I'm having some too :)
>>
>> If I'm bored I occasionally spar on some of the Youtube videos. Frequently there is
>> not even a response forthcoming.
>>
>> If I could add that on social media they also hide behind anonymity.
Supreme court rules on Trump election steal
Scroll down and read the comments - a fertile ground
www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/12/11/supreme-court-dismisses-texas-2020-election-challenge-alito-and-thomas-disagree/
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Some how I have ended up on the circulation list for an American site that purports to be a purveyor of truth and honest journalism. The level of extreme patriotism that exists in the comments on articles is frightening. Apparently educated people and senior ex military promoting armed uprising. Let us see what the Trump supporting rally brings today?
The comments in Z link are mild!
Rather than post a link I will let you find it by searching
The Epoch Times
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Ah the Epoch Times. Is a communication voice for the Falun Gong, designed to promote extreme right wing views that are by virtue anti communist china.
All of these extreme mouth pieces are actually to promote a direction in American foreign policy, Brietbart for example is a Jewish publication designed to influence american policy towards Israel,
Fox news on the other hand, is simply a vehicle to plug into and make money from the extreme right wing of US politics, It has no axe to grind other than financial. There is a lot of money to be made from 70 million gun toting lunatics.
Last edited by: Zero on Sun 13 Dec 20 at 10:35
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Hello everybody.
A good documentary to watch on you tube.
Covid-19. The system 11.
From a business and human perspective.
English under titles.Spoken in Dutch.
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Conspiracy theories - Terry
