CONSPIRACY THEORY VS. TRUTH
JANUARY 6, 2022, by Old Man Hippy or Bob
The earth is flat.
9-11 Was a plot by the US govt. To let them start a war.
The moon landing was faked.
The CIA assassinated JFK.
The holocaust was a myth.
Mass shootings like Sandy Hook are ‘false flags.’
Top democrats are behind a child sex ring.
Covid is a plot to control us by inserting microchips along with the vaccine, or as a plot (by Bill Gates) to use the virus for population control.
Donald Trump actually won the last election.
If you believe any of these, you probably won’t like this post.
I suppose conspiracy theories have always been a problem. In ancient Rome people spread conspiracy theories by scratching them into the stone walls of buildings. In 1307 the king of France, King Philip the Fair, used them to help bring down the powerful Knights Templar. The list goes on and on.
People have always used conspiracy theories to explain the world when their misunderstanding of science or the fear of change has caused them unease. The uneducated, or naïve, or maladjusted, find some comfort in being able to blame other people, or institutions, or ‘God’ for things that scare them, hurt them, confuse them, or impact them. Educated people have often found conspiracy theories as an easy and handy way to deflect blame from themselves or to profit off others fear. And in-between the two are people who, due to one form of delusion or another, ignore their education and latch on to whatever outrageous thing supports their twisted view of the world.
Conspiracy theories have, and likely always will be, a part of the human condition. But it is important that people who appreciate truth, who appreciate science, who understand the danger some conspiracy theories can pose to democracy and peace, do what they can to correct the misconceptions. It is also important that people hold those accountable that espouse the conspiracy, and that includes the media.
There is no question that a strong, independent media is critical for a valid democracy to survive. It is also true that over time the media in this country has become a way to sell products more than it is a way to shine a light on corruption, greed and lies. The media has become divided, much like our population, between those on the far right and those on the far left. Moderates of either side are less and less likely to have a voice. It used to be that the highest form of journalism was to investigate something completely and then report on that from an unbiased viewpoint.
Today, for the most part, the media on the left and on the right try only to play to their base. They do it in different ways. The media on the left usually does this by how they decide which stories to cover, and which aspects of that story are important. The media on the right does it by totally ignoring any pretense of truth. They know that, as Nazi Joseph Goebbels has often been quoted as saying “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.” (Very unlikely he ever said that by the way) While one can argue which is the worse way to do real journalism, if you think both are not harmful you are fooling yourself.
The job of journalism is to present all the facts, no matter if they support their audience or not. The job of journalism is truth and only truth, and if truth can’t be determined, the job of a journalist is to say that too. This has, for the most part, been lost by our current media. There are exceptions of course, but certainly the corporate ‘news’ groups care more about the bottom line than anything else. Because of this we must stop watching biased media and focus on independent and fair journalists.
The media should stop giving airtime, or print space, to those who present conspiracy theories as truth, except when doing so is needed to point out the lie and correct it.
We as individuals also have a responsibility. When we hear or see someone sharing a conspiracy theory that we know is wrong we should call them out. No matter if they are friends or not, we should not let the lie stand unchallenged. We can do it gently, usually the best way, or we can do it with conviction and the power that truth gives us. We cannot simply turn away and let it go. That is abdicating truth to lies.
So, remember…
The earth is not flat. FACT
The moon landing was not faked. FACT
The CIA did not assassinate JFK. FACT
The holocaust did happen and was worse than most realize. FACT
Mass shootings like Sandy Hook are real. FACT
Top democrats do not run a child sex ring any more than top republicans do. FACT
Covid is not a plot about anything. FACT
Donald Trump lost. Period. FACT
Speak truth to lies. It is our only hope.
