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Different Drummer

(7,621 posts)
Sat Jun 30, 2018, 02:36 PM Jun 2018

Flat Earthers: Australia is a fake country and its citizens are actors paid by NASA

Cross-posted from the Weird News group.

Source: DeadState.org


Of all the crackpot conspiracy theories circulating the web, the claims of Flat Earthers are the most fascinating — at least to me anyway. Anti-vaxxers, 9/11 Truthers, “chemtrails” believers — all these particular brands of insanity are at least rooted in a tangible, albeit false, method. Although most brands of conspiracy do this at some level, Flat Earthers are forced to outright deny what’s in front of their very eyes. Their explanations for a flat earth get the most mockery because so much of it sounds satirical, and one of their latest claims to circulate the web is no exception. It’s downright hilarious.

For being the most cartoonish and easily mocked of pseudoscience purveyors, Flat Earthers are surprisingly well organized. In Birmingham, U.K., this past April, more than 200 of them showed up to a conference to hear lectures on the movement’s (yes, this is a movement) various theories. One of these theories involves the country of Australia — or should we say, the *alleged* country of Australia.

As the New Zealand Herald points out, some Flat Earthers think the massive continent down under doesn’t exist. But what about those lovely Australians we all know and love? Actors, all of them. Who’s paying for this massive fraud? Why, NASA of course.

According to those who’ve done a little digging, the theory first originated in a Flat Earth Society internet forum back in 2006, but found new life in a now-deleted Facebook post by a woman named Shelley Floryd back in 2017 (see the screenshot via the NZ Herald below).

More at http://deadstate.org/flat-earthers-australia-is-a-fake-country-and-its-citizens-are-actors-paid-by-nasa/

37 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Flat Earthers: Australia is a fake country and its citizens are actors paid by NASA (Original Post) Different Drummer Jun 2018 OP
The Flat Earth Society marybourg Jun 2018 #1
It may have started that way, Tucker08087 Jun 2018 #5
I always assumed so. Ron Obvious Jun 2018 #6
and 4chan used to be a cartoons & video game/misc interests forum 0rganism Jun 2018 #12
Was a time, The flat Earth Society was front loaded with egghead geeks wearing..... Brother Buzz Jun 2018 #13
Don't underestimate them - They have... lame54 Jun 2018 #14
I saw that! Didn't u see the sign that says 'don't feed the animals'? Volaris Jun 2018 #33
It was. I remember when it was mainly a drinking group... JHB Jun 2018 #27
okay.................. Takket Jun 2018 #2
I don't know, but Tucker08087 Jun 2018 #7
Oh. Well, then. Ok. smirkymonkey Jun 2018 #3
I knew it! jberryhill Jun 2018 #4
Don't sneer until you hear all the evidence... meadowlander Jun 2018 #8
Teach the Controversy! The Genealogist Jun 2018 #9
It's easy enough to prove that it's not flat kudzu22 Jun 2018 #10
Now where did I leave my tape measure? defacto7 Jun 2018 #17
Oh that one is easy to explain! csziggy Jun 2018 #21
If Australia didn't exist, it would have to be invented... First Speaker Jun 2018 #11
Hi Different Drummer syringis Jun 2018 #15
That it is, syringis. That it is. n/t Different Drummer Jun 2018 #16
Ok. I admit it. My trip to Australia in 2001 was faked. I'm a deep stater. roamer65 Jun 2018 #18
It's an awesome set! treestar Jun 2018 #24
Yeah. I can't wait until I go on the moon landing. roamer65 Jun 2018 #37
I remember a fragment from a Star Trek paperback... krispos42 Jun 2018 #19
NASA owes me several million in backpay canetoad Jun 2018 #20
are they as bad as George Soros? treestar Jun 2018 #25
Had to look that up canetoad Jun 2018 #31
Why is this in gd? Tipperary Jun 2018 #22
LOL don't they get that treestar Jun 2018 #23
Well THAT map is a lie. Volaris Jun 2018 #34
Well, that explains a lot. I always suspected these were actors. milestogo Jun 2018 #26
I've been to Australia, it is a real continent dumbasses. kimbutgar Jun 2018 #28
Well, you're no fun. Laffy Kat Jun 2018 #29
I just can't get people not understanding the obvious. kimbutgar Jun 2018 #30
I suspect the current generation canetoad Jun 2018 #32
I knew it was fake. Crocodile Dundee 1 & 2 were probably filmed on same set as Lunar Landings. TheBlackAdder Jun 2018 #35
I've been to Australia three times and it is breathtakingly beautiful! lucca18 Jun 2018 #36

Tucker08087

(621 posts)
5. It may have started that way,
Sat Jun 30, 2018, 02:56 PM
Jun 2018

But we have flat earthers who live in this town, and they truly believe what they are saying. (And frankly the people I know aren’t organized enough to pay dues or smart enough for satire.)

 

Ron Obvious

(6,261 posts)
6. I always assumed so.
Sat Jun 30, 2018, 03:00 PM
Jun 2018

But I wonder just how many are in on the joke these days.

Even the ancients knew the earth wasn't flat and a Greek came up with a pretty accurate estimate of its circumference.

Mostly anti-science hipsterism and yokelism, I assume.

0rganism

(23,957 posts)
12. and 4chan used to be a cartoons & video game/misc interests forum
Sat Jun 30, 2018, 03:55 PM
Jun 2018

(which it remains to some extent, but it is much more now...)
the time for dismissing these people out of hand is long gone, they are determined and organized and willing to destroy western civilization if they can.

Brother Buzz

(36,444 posts)
13. Was a time, The flat Earth Society was front loaded with egghead geeks wearing.....
Sat Jun 30, 2018, 04:01 PM
Jun 2018

pocket protectors and proficient with slide rules until they were usurped by knuckle draggers

Volaris

(10,272 posts)
33. I saw that! Didn't u see the sign that says 'don't feed the animals'?
Sat Jun 30, 2018, 09:04 PM
Jun 2018

Well maybe occasionally on accident but that what u did was intentional and don't u tell dirty lies about it.

JHB

(37,161 posts)
27. It was. I remember when it was mainly a drinking group...
Sat Jun 30, 2018, 08:14 PM
Jun 2018

...that mainly existed just to troll the Solid Citizen scientists by existing.

But those people got bored with, went on to to other things and left, leaving only the genuine tin-foilers.

And those genuine tin-foilers had enough overlap with other conservative tin-foilers that they felt right at home, and normalized.

Takket

(21,577 posts)
2. okay..................
Sat Jun 30, 2018, 02:45 PM
Jun 2018

so.... what does that get them?

If the world really WAS flat, that wouldn't mean Australia can't exist. Australia's existence has no bearing on whether the world is round.... or flat for that matter..............

Therefor.... if Australia didn't actually exist, how does that make the world flat?

Tucker08087

(621 posts)
7. I don't know, but
Sat Jun 30, 2018, 03:02 PM
Jun 2018

I can tell you right now that I am NOT paying thousands of dollars to sit in a tiny little airplane seat for 16 hours that is just going to fly in circles to land in some movie set that used to be miles of corn crops in Iowa just to interact with actors and trained gators, that’s for SURE!

kudzu22

(1,273 posts)
10. It's easy enough to prove that it's not flat
Sat Jun 30, 2018, 03:47 PM
Jun 2018

Just take a rectangular state like Wyoming (where I'm sure a lot of these nuts live). All four corners are perfect right angles -- but the northern border is shorter than the southern border. Impossible to achieve on a flat surface, therefore, round. QED.

csziggy

(34,136 posts)
21. Oh that one is easy to explain!
Sat Jun 30, 2018, 05:08 PM
Jun 2018

Remember, when Wyoming was originally laid out, they used chains to measure by. Metal contracts when it gets cold so as they moved north to measure Wyoming's northern border, the chains got shorter. People have just left it that way since they are lazy!




























syringis

(5,101 posts)
15. Hi Different Drummer
Sat Jun 30, 2018, 04:15 PM
Jun 2018

The only flat thing I see is their brain activity. It's really very, very, very smooth....

krispos42

(49,445 posts)
19. I remember a fragment from a Star Trek paperback...
Sat Jun 30, 2018, 04:36 PM
Jun 2018

... where Spock noted to Kirk and McCoy that the Flat Earth Society branches sprung up on a few other worlds in the Federation.

I used to think that was really funny...

treestar

(82,383 posts)
25. are they as bad as George Soros?
Sat Jun 30, 2018, 07:59 PM
Jun 2018

You know, about sending the checks. And it's a full time job, no breaks at all! 24/7 - that must be exhausting.

canetoad

(17,169 posts)
31. Had to look that up
Sat Jun 30, 2018, 08:58 PM
Jun 2018

Btw, found some hysterically funny stuff about Soros and paychecks. I think they're worse, I have to supply my own coffee and toilet paper.

treestar

(82,383 posts)
23. LOL don't they get that
Sat Jun 30, 2018, 07:55 PM
Jun 2018

if you dig far enough you will come out on the bottom and that Australians are on the other side of the flat earth?

[IMG][/IMG]

kimbutgar

(21,163 posts)
28. I've been to Australia, it is a real continent dumbasses.
Sat Jun 30, 2018, 08:27 PM
Jun 2018

And my husband sailed around the world, it is not flat.

canetoad

(17,169 posts)
32. I suspect the current generation
Sat Jun 30, 2018, 09:00 PM
Jun 2018

Of flat-Earthers are trolls, contrarians, nerds and incels. Kinda yearning for the old days of the idiots who believed it themselves.

TheBlackAdder

(28,209 posts)
35. I knew it was fake. Crocodile Dundee 1 & 2 were probably filmed on same set as Lunar Landings.
Sat Jun 30, 2018, 09:40 PM
Jun 2018

.


Why, thank you. Thank you very much!



.

lucca18

(1,242 posts)
36. I've been to Australia three times and it is breathtakingly beautiful!
Sat Jun 30, 2018, 09:56 PM
Jun 2018

If I had to move, it would be Australia!

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