Read on Twitter
THREAD
A thread about #CoronaVirus conspiracy theories, how their sources and amplifiers so frequently promote other conspiracy theories, and why. Sorry it’s a bit long. I
A thread about #CoronaVirus conspiracy theories, how their sources and amplifiers so frequently promote other conspiracy theories, and why. Sorry it’s a bit long. I
First, a bit of background from @Otto_English in @BylineTimes https://bylinetimes.com/2020/03/10/the-coronavirus-crisis-has-public-still-had-enough-of-experts/
A lot of the #COVID19 conspiracy theories come from states, typically authoritian states whose weaknesses are exposed by the virus.
China, for example https://twitter.com/vorkoz/status/1238427431649886208?s=21
China, for example https://twitter.com/vorkoz/status/1238427431649886208?s=21
Venezuela is also pumping out fake news about the virus. Check this thread by @pauloCanning https://twitter.com/paulocanning/status/1238097055073144840?s=21
Cuba has its own propaganda machine going too, claiming they have a socialist cure for the virus if only the capitalist world would let them unleash it.
But in some ways worse than authoritarian states and their paid agents pushing disinfo is the volunteer army of fellow travellers who buy into and spread their myths. https://twitter.com/paulocanning/status/1238809365232201728?s=21
This UK-based Twitter tankie kid presumably believed this nonsense, even though almost everything he says here is easily shown to be false.
(Here’s a concise summary of why the Cuban anti-viral story is wrong https://twitter.com/sillyolyou/status/1238664409536434177?s=21 )
(A longer version in this thread https://twitter.com/dannyfiler/status/1238279822843039745?s=21 )
Young Josh and Professor Tim are (presumably) not paid agents of Cuba; they’re promoting lies because they believe them. In the next part of this thread, I’ll look at what leads to this way of thinking.
Got to head out now. Resuming later.
The bit after the break will draw on this thread, which is also still under development
https://twitter.com/patrickhilsman/status/1238517407750197249?s=21 https://twitter.com/PatrickHilsman/status/1238517407750197249
https://twitter.com/patrickhilsman/status/1238517407750197249?s=21 https://twitter.com/PatrickHilsman/status/1238517407750197249
This Yale Books blogpost has been getting some juice, giving some academic sheen to the Cuban magic drug meme. It’s by a scholar so it must be legit? Thing is, her scholarship isn’t on health; it’s about how cool Cuban “socialism” is. She knows about as much about viruses as I do
(As an aside for my fellow sectarian-left trainspotters, this academic is also an activist in—& daughter of the guru of—the tiny anti-imperialist cult called the Revolutionary Communist Group.) https://twitter.com/bobfrombrockley/status/1239134049689616384?s=21 https://twitter.com/bobfrombrockley/status/1239134049689616384
That’s typical of the conspiracy theory scene, which craves the authority of professors, and mimics the conventions of mainstream science, with “working groups” and “briefing papers” and acres of footnotes. https://m.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/the-useful-idiots_uk_5e2b107ac5b67d8874b0dd9d
Because there is a paradox at the heart of conspiracism: its starting point is a radical doubt, but it’s devotees are highly credulous and susceptible to the trappings of authority.
This is a point @KeithKahnHarris makes well in his brilliant book on “denialism”. He puts it like this: “Denialism is a mix of corrosive doubt and corrosive credulity.” https://www.nottinghilleditions.com/product/denial-the-unspeakable-truth/
https://twitter.com/bobfrombrockley/status/1239139425663291392?s=21 https://twitter.com/bobfrombrockley/status/1239139425663291392
https://twitter.com/bobfrombrockley/status/1239139425663291392?s=21 https://twitter.com/bobfrombrockley/status/1239139425663291392
Couple of examples of how conspiracy theory attempts to mimic mainstream science to exploit this corrosive credulity:
Michel Chossudovsky’s GlobalResearch, one of the main conspiracism websites, styles itself as a “research centre”, the the Centre for Research on Globalization.
Michel Chossudovsky’s GlobalResearch, one of the main conspiracism websites, styles itself as a “research centre”, the the Centre for Research on Globalization.
Or Mark Curtis, a widely shared conspiracist, is badged as an “author” and his books are heavily footnoted. But if you look carefully at the footnotes, as @Vorkoz did, you’ll see at least half of them are to other conspiracy theorists & Duginist websites.
Afraid I’ve got to take a break as too much on today, but I’ll be back later, and focus in on some of the Corona Virus conspiracy theories.
Ok I’m back. Next, a couple of points about how conspiracism works.
First, people who believe in one conspiracy theory are more likely to believe others...
First, people who believe in one conspiracy theory are more likely to believe others...
Because of the mix of radical doubt & credulity noted above, folks who distrust “official” knowledge on one topic start to question it on others - while remaining open to suggestion from the entrepreneurs of “alternative” knowledge...
Hence many Corona Virus conspiracy theorists are also Syria chemical weapons deniers or climate change deniers. https://twitter.com/patrickhilsman/status/1238519078710652930?s=21
This feature of conspiracism also enables its devotees to believe contradictory theories simultaneously. For example, Syria chem weapons truthers often push Seymour Hersh’s and Ted Postol’s versions of one 2017 attack, even though fundamentally incompatible. Same with COVID19…
GlobalResearch publishes claims that the virus is a hoax AND that it originated in the US. They can’t both be true. https://www.globalresearch.ca/selected-articles-latest-coronavirus-epidemic-coverage-global-research-your-inbox/5706262
Another break (am doing this while cooking). Back shortly.
