Latest Qanon Conspiracy Theory 'Watch The Water,' 'Snake Venom Is In Your Drinking Water And COVID Isn't Real'

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ivwshane

Lifer
May 15, 2000
32,548
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And how do we know where things would be now if we hadn't? ;)

(heck they're pretty screwed as it is... can you imagine?)

The difference between now and then is that hopefully by now we understand how and why misinformation/conspiracies spreads and what does and doesn’t work to combat them.
 
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Captante

Lifer
Oct 20, 2003
30,316
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The difference between now and then is that hopefully by now we understand how and why misinformation/conspiracies spreads and what does and doesn’t work to combat them.


I'm not sure what we do to heal the damage caused by whats already been done though that's the real problem and this was the actual goal of our enemies all along.... to have Americans at each others throats.
 

ivwshane

Lifer
May 15, 2000
32,548
15,424
136
I'm not sure what we do to heal the damage caused by whats already been done though that's the real problem and this was the actual goal of our enemies all along.... to have Americans at each others throats.

There are several goals and I’m sure that’s one of them.
 
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Captante

Lifer
Oct 20, 2003
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There are several goals and I’m sure that’s one of them.


With a central theme being our downfall.

People forget that a semi-free Republic isn't the natural way of things with humans.
 
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zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
111,133
30,084
146
The difference between now and then is that hopefully by now we understand how and why misinformation/conspiracies spreads and what does and doesn’t work to combat them.

Yes, but it seems that understanding the how and why doesn't matter all that much because the GQP is still quite powerful, exploiting these tactics out in the open.

Ignoring it for the last 20+ years has only made them stronger. What now?
 

ivwshane

Lifer
May 15, 2000
32,548
15,424
136
Yes, but it seems that understanding the how and why doesn't matter all that much because the GQP is still quite powerful, exploiting these tactics out in the open.

Ignoring it for the last 20+ years has only made them stronger. What now?

We haven’t been ignoring them, we’ve given them platforms to spew their bs and then legitimate media helped by giving them even more coverage.

Just as an example of what I’m talking about, think back to the run up of the 2016 election. Do you think trump would have gained any steam or the same level of notoriety if the media hadn’t covered him like the fringe candidate he was? They gave him a platform non stop, and he drowned everything else out. Considering his margin of victory, I highly doubt he would have won in 2016 and that would have resulted in that many less people buying into his bs.
 
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Mar 11, 2004
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We haven’t been ignoring them, we’ve given them platforms to spew their bs and then legitimate media helped by giving them even more coverage.

Just as an example of what I’m talking, think back to the run up of the 2016 election. Do you think trump would have gained any steam or the same level of notoriety if the media hadn’t covered him like the fringe candidate he was? They gave him a platform non stop, and he drowned everything else out. Considering his margin of victory, I highly doubt he would have won in 2016 and that would have resulted in that many less people buying into his bs.

Bingo. People making fun of conspiracy nutters and morons like flat Earthers actually helped spread their bullshit. By addressing it, it both gives it the air of legitimacy to people that do not understand (and are easily swayed into at minimum believing that its something potentially plausibly real), and also creates extra noise that people must sort through, which helps cause fatigue and also makes people start to tune out entirely.
 

eelw

Diamond Member
Dec 4, 1999
9,796
4,983
136
Bingo. People making fun of conspiracy nutters and morons like flat Earthers actually helped spread their bullshit. By addressing it, it both gives it the air of legitimacy to people that do not understand (and are easily swayed into at minimum believing that its something potentially plausibly real), and also creates extra noise that people must sort through, which helps cause fatigue and also makes people start to tune out entirely.
But yet so many here don’t have the resident trolls here on ignore > _ <
 

Amused

Elite Member
Apr 14, 2001
56,536
16,306
146
Bingo. People making fun of conspiracy nutters and morons like flat Earthers actually helped spread their bullshit. By addressing it, it both gives it the air of legitimacy to people that do not understand (and are easily swayed into at minimum believing that its something potentially plausibly real), and also creates extra noise that people must sort through, which helps cause fatigue and also makes people start to tune out entirely.

I completely disagree.

Understand this: IT HAS THE WORLDS MOST EFFECTIVE PLATFORM NOW. Ignoring it is not enough. It didn't used to have a platform like this before.

I ignored it my whole life until I couldn't anymore. It has grown from fringe to over a third of our country. Not only that, but it has coalesced into the GQP. The GQP became the big tent party for nutters and now virtually every anti-vax/flat-earth/crystal rubbing/illuminutti/et.al loon is posting right-wing propaganda because it VALIDATES them.

Where once there were virtually identical numbers of fringe nutters on the left and right... has now become virtually all right leaning.

Seriously, virtually EVERY SINGLE FUCKING left-wing hippy who loves crystals and is scared of radio waves and vaccines has RACED over to the right and now posts 100% right-wing propaganda that validates them.

Their echo chambers need to be invaded. Trolled, ridiculed. Facts posted to make the curious see both sides.

Polarization isn't a bug, it's a fucking feature to separate them into a very insulated cult.

The best disinfectant is sunlight. And the best way to STOP the spread is to constantly expose it as the fucking stupid idiotic joke it is.
 

Greenman

Lifer
Oct 15, 1999
20,936
5,560
136
Can't be any worse then blind acceptance! ;)

Silence when you read/hear something you KNOW is BS being extolled = complicity.
There are any number of things I ignore because the belief in them is pointless. Chemtrails, go ahead and think that it's the government spreading mind control drugs. We already did venom in the water, so I'll skip it. Flat earth? Jump on that band wagon and have a good time, it won't pay your rent.
Most of the conspiracy theory's are just peoples way of dealing with being ineffectual or failing. Assigning blame for all the evils that befall us on some group of super villain's absolves them of guilt or any sort of introspection.
I learned long ago that I can't force anyone to change their beliefs, so I quit beating my head on that particular rock.
 
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Captante

Lifer
Oct 20, 2003
30,316
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There are any number of things I ignore because the belief in them is pointless. Chemtrails, go ahead and think that it's the government spreading mind control drugs. We already did venom in the water, so I'll skip it. Flat earth? Jump on that band wagon and have a good time, it won't pay your rent.
Most of the conspiracy theory's are just peoples way of dealing with being ineffectual or failing. Assigning blame for all the evils that befall us on some group of super villain's absolves them of guilt or any sort of introspection.
I learned long ago that I can't force anyone to change their beliefs, so I quit beating my head on that particular rock.


In extreme cases where it's obvious nonsense to anyone with sufficient blood-flow above the neck area (like the above) I agree.

(plus at least I'm fairly sure you're a real person/poster with real opinions even though I don't always agree with them!)
 

sportage

Lifer
Feb 1, 2008
11,492
3,161
136
Well I really don't know why so many people couldn't see thru Trump in the first place? I was in shock how the seemingly normal could fall for his BS from the beginning. I am still shocked. So there must be a conection with these Trump people and menral health where they would see Trump as such a great guy and now believe in Q. Sometimes, I think they are just putting us on. Trying to drive us crazy in believing they are serious. That would be scary if they were that smart to just be putting us on. Us thinking they are crazy when actually they are making us crazy. I know Mike Flynn was into all of that mind control crap and Flynn has been a big part of the Trump scheme. Now THAT would be a conspiracy you'd think the Q's would believe in, Trump as a plant and Flynn as the mastermind.
 

Greenman

Lifer
Oct 15, 1999
20,936
5,560
136
In extreme cases where it's obvious nonsense to anyone with sufficient blood-flow above the neck area (like the above) I agree.

(plus at least I'm fairly sure you're a real person/poster with real opinions even though I don't always agree with them!)
I'm real, unless we really are living in a computer simulation. If that turns out to be the case the guy that codded me had a demented sense of humor.