Conspiracy theories are growing. Should they be addressed?

[hamsterjill]

I’m interested in DU’ers thoughts. Conspiracy theories are growing which is no surprise as we get closer to the election. I regularly troll three former classmates Facebook pages for entertainment purposes only. But I see people actually believing the stuff that’s shared.

Should Dems address the idiocy? Or ignore them?

Personally, I feel they need to be addressed. I think the idiots who propogate these theories need to be exposed and I feel the lack of doing that in 2016 allowed this shit to grow. Not a big campaign but more a tasteful “No, JFK Jr. is not QAnon” once in a while to simply refute the stupidity. But I could be wrong.

I’m interested in what other people think. Your thoughts on the matter, please? I’m listening...

[Nature Man]

1. Best to ignore and not deal with people who traffic in such nonsense

ridicule them if they are insistent.

Same way I wouldn't "argue" or "debate" with a flat earther or any other stripe of fool.

[hamsterjill]

2. But they aren't even being ridiculed.

That’s my point.

[Nature Man]

7. Tend your own garden

you can make a difference EVERY DAY and ridicule any cretin whenever they come into your world.

If you're looking for any kind of "justice," poetic or otherwise, well, it's like Mom said: "life isn't fair."

[TheBlackAdder]

21. Everyone should be addressed. But in an extremely mocking way to cast the presenters as morons.

Last edited Thu May 21, 2020, 02:25 PM - Edit history (1)

[hamsterjill]

35. +1

n/t

[SoonerPride]

3. Tell them you heard the republicans plot a stealth coup and will replace trump at their convention

trump is unwell and mismangaed the virus and the economy and the big donors are planning a secret coup to yank him off the ticket at their convention.

feed them more nonsense.

they will eat it up

[rusty fender]

29. Bingo!

Make the shit stirrers eat shit

[sop]

4. Refuting a CT is just seen as further evidence the CT is true.

[Corgigal]

5. Read an article

last night in The Atlantic. The authors opinion is that it’s getting to be a dangerous time. They also believe, like others, that f Trump loses the election we will have violence.

If you get time, read it.

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/06/qanon-nothing-can-stop-what-is-coming/610567/

[hamsterjill]

10. Great article. Thank you!

And it scares the crap out of me because the idiots believe it all and act. One of the people I mentioned in my OP is a psychologist herself and she believes this crap.

From the articles:

“QAnon is emblematic of modern America’s susceptibility to conspiracy theories, and its enthusiasm for them. But it is also already much more than a loose collection of conspiracy-minded chat-room inhabitants. It is a movement united in mass rejection of reason, objectivity, and other Enlightenment values. And we are likely closer to the beginning of its story than the end.”

[MineralMan]

6. The risk with debunking conspiracy theories is that

every debunking post or attempt also spreads the CT further. It's like telling people, "Don't think about an elephant." If you say that, people will, in fact, think of an elephant when they wouldn't otherwise do so.

There's always a risk that refuting a false accusation merely makes the accusation more likely to spread.

Human nature.

[hamsterjill]

33. Very true.

But then again, things are easily spread via venues of today which were not available even in the 2008 election.

[erpowers]

8. They Need to Be Addressed

There needs to be attempts to end these conspiracy theories with facts. Not addressing conspiracy theories just allows people to be misinformed. People need to be informed.

[dustyscamp]

25. 1+ yep

[Baked Potato]

9. With the time and effort it takes to play Whack-a-mole with conspiracies,

one could respond with a quick witticism such as, “Trump has been impeached”. Or, ignore them. These people are not rational or sane. Posting thoughtful truths debunking their crap allows them to feel they must be on to something or nobody would have responded.

[jberryhill]

11. DU has a "Propaganda Debunking" forum

Every now and then, someone has an idea, it is deemed to be good, enacted, and then forgotten

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1022

That is also what the "Creative Speculation" forum was supposed to be about.

[hamsterjill]

14. I see.

Too bad. It would be an interesting concept if it had taken off and kept current.

[RobinA]

12. It Won't Do Any Good

I troll a former high school classmate's Facebook for entertainment myself. Flat Earther and all that entails. They are logic proof. They already have an answer for everything you can say, and a Youtube by some supposed expert explaining why your argument is all wrong. Plus, it's just too stupid. Hell if I'm going to argue with somebody who thinks the moon landing was staged, over why Bill Gates is not trying to kill children.

I've got real things to learn.

[hamsterjill]

13. I totally agree and see your point.

The concern I have are the people who start to believe and actually follow the many times faked and manipulated content. Look at how much traction the Bill Gates stuff has gained in the last two months.

I don’t have the answer. The situation just scares me. The ranks of the idiots seem to be growing faster than the ranks of the rational. I hope I’m wrong on that! There have always been conspiracy theories, but social media platforms have added a whole new dimension to the equation.

Thanks for your response. Stay safe.

[ibegurpard]

15. The value in addressing them

If you can stomach it, is not to try to convince them otherwise but to let others who might be watching know the truth and that they aren't the only non-crazies out there.

[hamsterjill]

18. Bingo!

The ones who are susceptible but still have rational thought.

[Demsrule86]

16. Not on this site...and we should block them Facebook.

[brooklynite]

17. Answer: no.

You're debating the election on their terms. The people who accept the "theory" weren't voting for Biden in the first place.

[hamsterjill]

19. Agreed, but they spread lies and may infect others.

I’m not going to convince anyone on Facebook who already hates Biden that Tara Reade isn’t telling the truth. But there are people who don’t take the time to study shared content and simply drink it in.

I don’t have the answers. But the CT’s are too broadly spread not to at least have a discussion about them IMHO.

Thanks for your response. Always a pleasure to get your perspective.

[Demsrule86]

20. It would be inappropriate to discuss such thing on the site.

[hamsterjill]

30. Why would it be inappropriate when it is a very real thing?

I’ve never known DU to shy away from issues and I’ve been here a long time.

These issues played a role in the 2016 election and they will no doubt play a role in 2020. Ignoring them doesn’t make them go away.

[Demsrule86]

38. You would be spreading right wing shit...let it die.

[hamsterjill]

39. I'm not discussing the actual right wing shit.

The discussion is about why the Dems aren’t addressing it. I’m not proposing furthering their conspiracy theories. But ignoring the shit in 2016 didn’t work out so well, so I’m asking the question as to whether these stupid theories should be addressed in some rational way. Allowing the to grow unheeded seems a bit reckless to me.

Thanks for your response.

[ancianita]

22. Growing conspiracy theories attempt to confound, to harness a black hole of energy that,

when focused, stays true to the big new ideas of the Democratic Party.

Do not engage any doubt machinery stories that create fear and hopelessness. As Obama has said:

"You don’t need an effective government or a robust press or reasoned debate to work when all you’re concerned about is in maintaining power.

In fact the more cynical people are about government, the angrier and more dispirited they are about the prospects for change, the more likely the powerful are able to maintain their power."

The more vulnerable they are media horse race, hype and horror stories, and public dramas. We have to pull together, stay clear, and know signal from noise.

Let's not get dragged into their playbook, which only helps the powerful minority stay in power.

[muriel_volestrangler]

23. Are these conspiracy theories specifically to do with the Democratic party?

If not, then it's not up to the Dems to address them - there's no point in the party, or people generally identified as "a Democrat" getting tangled with the nutcases and trolls.

Simple refutations should come from whoever has the best authority to disprove the nonsense. A scientist, a journalist, whoever has first hand experience of whatever is being transformed into the bullshit. And that doesn't need entering into debates with the loonies, just a short "here are the facts, everyone with actual knowledge knows this, now no one will listen to your ridiculous claim, so we'll move on."

[hamsterjill]

31. Many involve Biden, Obama and Hillary.

Yes, they should be refuted by facts and those professionals who can back up those facts. But show me, please, where this is happening.

I’m not seeing it myself.

[FM123]

24. That is a good question.

I think the answer is yes with "certain people".

I have an older neighbor who voted for trump that turned a corner and now hates him, I never expected it. Like most of trumpy's blind followers they are addicted to Fux News and refuse to accept other major news outlet like CNN or MSNBC as legit. I don't know if it made a difference or not but I sent him a Newsweek magazine article about Fux News being so erroneous (and dangerous) that 74 journalism professors had to write a letter to the owner Murdoch so it's viewers wouldn't die with wrong Covid19 info. https://www.newsweek.com/journalism-professors-fox-news-end-coronavirus-misinformation-open-letter-149568

[TheFarseer]

26. I say meet them head on

Lay out why it’s BS so people can understand it. People will quit believing conspiracy theories after you make a few of them look ridiculous.

[hamsterjill]

32. Thank you.

I tend to agree to a great extent. I’m not suggesting an all out campaign. But I loved the way Joe Biden addressed the Tara Reade issue head on...and then moved on.

[TheFarseer]

37. Yeah, that's the other thing

Once you address it, then you can say we already addressed that or that’s old news and you can almost always move on.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

27. Oh puhleeze! Who told you that? Our shape

shifting reptilian overlords, who are trying to take control of our bodily fluids with their secret Illuminati technology??....

[hamsterjill]

34. No, silly. It was Elvis.

The absurdity, right???!!!

And yet, some believe.

[kimbutgar]

28. My friend was posting The plandemic video and other right wing stuff on Facebook

The last straw was her linking a breitbart link. I told her it was a propagnada site meant to divide us. She never answered back to that. She kept pushing that plandemic video so I froze her for 30 days. She is an old friend who just graduated from high school and doesn’t read much. So I give her some slack but I needed a break from her.

[rgbecker]

36. I've been dealing with a facebook "Friend" for the last 6 weeks....

Anti-vaxer, Plandemic promoter.....wasted a lot of time trying to inform her. Most recent line from her was her explaining to a fellow anti vaxer how to block "Fact checkers" on her facebook options page!

I suggest simply posting articles that correct their fake news on their threads without adding any personal comments. That will at least correct the record for those that stumble onto their CT craziness. The NY times and other reputable news sources have run articles addressing the lack of facts on the "Plandemic" movie etc.