How to quelch political conspiracy theories

[Anonymous]

I tell them, be careful, I have a microchip in me that is monitoring everything you say.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There’s a MAGA+QAnon supervirus. Those who crave absolute power are happy to feed horse paste to nourish the basest instincts of the infected. They’re coming for the schools and libraries. They’re coming for marginalized populations. They’re coming for birth control and abortion. It’s a mob mentality that has roots dating to the political intimidation and violence of the 1850s. One of the most significant threats are the so-called “constitutional sheriffs”!who believe they are above federal and state law.

Who knew horse paste could be bad?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Reducing the overuse of the term would be a good start.

Responsible and trustworthy media institutions would also help.

+100

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reducing the overuse of the term would be a good start.

Responsible and trustworthy media institutions would also help.

+100

What would you propose to call the many made up and clearly false stories that MAGA believes in?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reducing the overuse of the term would be a good start.

Responsible and trustworthy media institutions would also help.

so would an ex-potus not spreading these conspiracy theories.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-spreading-conspiracy-theory-lies-160109721.html

It would also help to not have someone who buys into all these conspiracy theories running one of the biggest social media networks. But alas.

[Anonymous]

Glad you raised this topic, OP. I was dismayed just this morning to read in today's WP the following headline:

A quarter of Americans believe FBI instigated Jan. 6, Post-UMD poll finds
More than 3 in 10 Republicans have adopted the falsehood that the FBI conspired to cause the Capitol riot
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/01/04/fbi-conspiracy-jan-6-att
ack-misinformation/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GOP folks, anyone here to comment or you just believe the BS?

NYT seems to think it's not just a GOP phenomenon. Who knew...

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/15/upshot/why-more-democrats-are-now-embracing-conspiracy-theories.html

Seven years ago. Who’s consuming most of these now?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:GOP folks, anyone here to comment or you just believe the BS?

I am laughing hysterically at the irony of this whole thread. That is all.
Carry on!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GOP folks, anyone here to comment or you just believe the BS?

I am laughing hysterically at the irony of this whole thread. That is all.
Carry on!!!

You must be in really deep. How much did you pay for those Trump NFTs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:GOP folks, anyone here to comment or you just believe the BS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There’s a MAGA+QAnon supervirus. Those who crave absolute power are happy to feed horse paste to nourish the basest instincts of the infected. They’re coming for the schools and libraries. They’re coming for marginalized populations. They’re coming for birth control and abortion. It’s a mob mentality that has roots dating to the political intimidation and violence of the 1850s. One of the most significant threats are the so-called “constitutional sheriffs”!who believe they are above federal and state law.

Nah, I call bu11cr@p. You watch too much msnbc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:GOP folks, anyone here to comment or you just believe the BS?

The rule of thumb is this regarding conspiracy theories. Give it 6 months. The we'll see what happens. Some of us don't care about the 24 hr news cycle and keep track historically. Best to just sit back and watch them eat each other alive! Makes great I gotchas!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There’s a MAGA+QAnon supervirus. Those who crave absolute power are happy to feed horse paste to nourish the basest instincts of the infected. They’re coming for the schools and libraries. They’re coming for marginalized populations. They’re coming for birth control and abortion. It’s a mob mentality that has roots dating to the political intimidation and violence of the 1850s. One of the most significant threats are the so-called “constitutional sheriffs”!who believe they are above federal and state law.

LOL.
Hey, OP....... ^^^^ Here are some conspiracy theories you can work on squelching......

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Conspiracy theories are eating the Republican party alive. Yes, it does seem to be mostly the Republican party though I know the left is not immune to conspiracies either.

I am a middle of the road person who can see/understand conservative points of view on some political topics. However, I'm so absolutely disgusted with how the Republican party caters to conspiracy theorists, even from their leaders. It's absolutely revolting and repels potential voters from the entire party.

Every time a new one arises, it alienates me, a middle of the road voter who could vote Republican as it terrifies me how GOP leaders will entertain those accusations. I'm not just talking about the latest round of it with what happened to Pelosi's husband, but all of it from the despicable things said about Sandy Hook to what happened on Jan 6.

I have family who actually believe Sandy Hook was staged, they believe pretty much every conspiracy theory out there. I grew up with close family who I knew leaned Republican, but never knew they believed these extreme things till one holiday some years ago when my jaw fell on the floor talking about their beliefs about Sandy Hook. Then they accused me of being the crazy one because I was so disgusted I started shouting "how can you believe that?!" so my reaction ended up just further confirming their view of the left as unhinged. Mind you, we live in CT and one of my family members knew a family member of a child and STILL believe that though kids died, it was staged to promote gun control.

Is there any way that is actually successful to dispute conspiracy theorist's beliefs? Has anyone ever had success with that? If you used to believe conspiracy theories and stopped, what helped?

This is far too general a question. Every [conspiracy] theory is different.

The facts you use to cite democrats wrong when they believed close to 50% of all persons catching Covid would need to be hospitalized is not the same as the facts you would use to cite democrats wrong when they believed Trump would nuke everyone on the planet if he was elected president in 2016.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Conspiracy theories are eating the Republican party alive. Yes, it does seem to be mostly the Republican party though I know the left is not immune to conspiracies either.

I am a middle of the road person who can see/understand conservative points of view on some political topics. However, I'm so absolutely disgusted with how the Republican party caters to conspiracy theorists, even from their leaders. It's absolutely revolting and repels potential voters from the entire party.

Every time a new one arises, it alienates me, a middle of the road voter who could vote Republican as it terrifies me how GOP leaders will entertain those accusations. I'm not just talking about the latest round of it with what happened to Pelosi's husband, but all of it from the despicable things said about Sandy Hook to what happened on Jan 6.

I have family who actually believe Sandy Hook was staged, they believe pretty much every conspiracy theory out there. I grew up with close family who I knew leaned Republican, but never knew they believed these extreme things till one holiday some years ago when my jaw fell on the floor talking about their beliefs about Sandy Hook. Then they accused me of being the crazy one because I was so disgusted I started shouting "how can you believe that?!" so my reaction ended up just further confirming their view of the left as unhinged. Mind you, we live in CT and one of my family members knew a family member of a child and STILL believe that though kids died, it was staged to promote gun control.

Is there any way that is actually successful to dispute conspiracy theorist's beliefs? Has anyone ever had success with that? If you used to believe conspiracy theories and stopped, what helped?

What a blizzard post. Why do you care what other believe? Other's knowledge or believes should have no influence on how you analyze the facts or how you vote. Direct your energy and efforts to something else.