• We have updated the guidelines regarding posting political content: please see the stickied thread on Website Issues.

Trapped In A Hoax: Survivors Of Conspiracy Theories Speak Out

crazy and appalling reading, that in some cases intersects directly with various sections of this forum, eg. content and posts re comet ping pong and the mccanns
 
(Warning : This article will probably make you feel angry)

What happens to those caught up in the toxic lies of conspiracy theorists? The Guardian spoke to five victims whose lives were wrecked by falsehoods

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/jan/23/conspiracy-theories-internet-survivors-truth

Pardon my French, but for fuck's sake. I'm more disturbed than angry, though. It's as if a world where you're the victim is the only one that makes sense to millions of people, but their victimisers are pure science fiction. They're like addicts seeking their next fix of paranoia. And because the world seems crazy to them, they're actually making the world crazy for everyone else.

I appreciate the restaurant owner's optimism at the end of the article. Gotta get through this.
 
I think our Western culture has lost the ability to distinguish between reality and fiction. Come to think of it, I'm not sure we ever had it. But once upon a time, people more or less had some shared, trusted sources of information. The BBC / ABC / CBS / CBC type of broadcasters, and a range of trusted newspapers and magazine.

Modern technology has resulted in people seeking out "alternative facts" - and the results are scary. U2 recorded this in 1982

And it's true we are immune
When fact is fiction and TV reality

- and where are we now? Beyond immune. (Unless you don't vaccinate your kids...)
 
Comet Ping Pong was just damaged in a fire, believed to be arson.

"The same establishment was targeted by online trolls during the presidential election. They circulated a fake story about a child sex ring -- a man who believed the fake stories shot up the restaurant in December 2016. "
 
Back
Top