So, I have a private theory that there is a deliberate effort by government and industry to spread obviously outlandish conspiracy theories, to discredit people who are threatening government and industry’s operations by talking about the actual conspiracies that happen.
Lots of rich people are sex criminals -> people find out and start listing specific names -> QAnon -> helps discredit people talking about pedophilia by the powerful
I think a related thing happens in protest organizations, with part of the affected industry’s multi-million-dollar effort to combat their opposition, e.g.:
Factory farming exists -> people find out how bad it is and get upset -> ag industry infiltrates PETA with people who say outlandish things -> people think PETA is crazy -> helps discredit opponents of factory farming
Climate crisis -> people do protests to try to stop it -> energy industry infiltrates protest organizations and advocates for protest methods that are guaranteed to piss people off -> helps discredit climate protests
Ironically enough, I have precisely 0 shred of evidence or indication that any of this is happening. But, it makes so much sense that I believe it to be true.
My impression is these things are always multifaceted, right? I’m sure different “think-tanks” with “armies of online trolls” plant seeds / stem the flames of whatever is convenient, but likewise a lot of people are biased to not want to believe whatever has “mainstream” evidence, whether it’s a conspiracy or anything else. In sum it’s a cooking pot for something with a lot of pull
So, I have a private theory that there is a deliberate effort by government and industry to spread obviously outlandish conspiracy theories, to discredit people who are threatening government and industry’s operations by talking about the actual conspiracies that happen.
I think a related thing happens in protest organizations, with part of the affected industry’s multi-million-dollar effort to combat their opposition, e.g.:
Ironically enough, I have precisely 0 shred of evidence or indication that any of this is happening. But, it makes so much sense that I believe it to be true.
My impression is these things are always multifaceted, right? I’m sure different “think-tanks” with “armies of online trolls” plant seeds / stem the flames of whatever is convenient, but likewise a lot of people are biased to not want to believe whatever has “mainstream” evidence, whether it’s a conspiracy or anything else. In sum it’s a cooking pot for something with a lot of pull