Off Topic Conspiracy theories ...

[Smug in Boots]

... appear increasingly popular.

Whichever news story is reported it seems there's always people saying they know 'the truth' and that anyone who believes the media is a gullible fool toeing the government line. Any questions to 'those in the know' are met with the inevitable response of, "You need to do some digging as I've done."

On the few occasions I've taken their advice it's lead me to some nut job who's finding 'the truth' on the internet from other nut jobs. Either that or they're some 'scientist' who's statements have been taken entirely out of context.

For the conspiracy theorists there doesn't seem to be anything that isn't actually the government colluding to 'control' the hoi poloi. By the look of most of them they don't seem capable of organising a decent haircut never mind deceiving the entire population.

Why do people want to believe everything has a hidden agenda, do they believe it makes them superior to the dummies who look at the news, shrug, turn over and get on with their lives ...

... I've no idea, perhaps I'm part of the problem.

 

[The Exile II]

The problem with dedicated conspiracy theorists is that, like any obsession, eventually everything becomes a conspiracy.

Take the Flat Earth lot. Most of them when asked say they'd been through every other conspiracy theory before getting to it.

There's some genuinely interesting stuff out there, but most of it can be attributed to incompetence, coincidence, or hoax.

 

[The Norton Cat]

I do think that the conviction that they know (or think they know) something that the majority do not know gives some of these people a feeling of superiority. In some cases, I think people just get hold of the wrong end of the stick or have been taken in by someone else.

There's a lot of this surrounding what I do for a living (pseudo-science perhaps rather than conspiracy theories) and what always makes me laugh is that the truth (or at least the plausible) is often more interesting, or stranger, than the fiction. That's maybe why I don't have a lot of time for conspiracy theories.

 

[Smug in Boots]

The trouble is that, with each 'situation' any of us could concoct a dozen different, entirely plausible, versions with quotes and 'evidence'. You could even put up an argument that the government has a secret office pumping out these conspiracy theories to divert people's attention away from the real conspiracy

 

[Blyth_bucaneer]

Fcuking Stewart Donald was good at the old conspiracy theories.

 

[SnakeEyes]

I really enjoy reading or watching these conspiracy theories. However, I know they are all fabrication or bent truths with little to no evidence.

I once worked with a lad that was convinced Russia was behind most thing's globally. He was genuinely scared of them. He used to go on about the European Union army as well. He was a fun guy to hold a conversation with.

I guess I'm just fascinated with how other people perceive situations and how they interpret information. I'm a scientist by trade, guess it comes from that.

 

[marcusblackcat]

More people have died from getting the vaccine than from COVID itself. Must be true… I saw it on Twitter from an anti-vaccine person. When I asked why they were anti vac, I got the “look it up” response you mentioned @Smug in Boots

 

[FellTop]

I dont mind a good conspiracy theory, so long as it isnt totally bonkers. Aliens for example is always a good one. It seems impossible for their not to be aliens. Whether they zoom around in saucers seems unlikely. The govts around the world though classify stuff so it gives lunatics like me pause to wonder what they are hiding. Might just be stealth aircrafts, or it might be some enemies of Buck Rogers and I want to believe, as the saying goes.

 

[gelders pie]

More people have died from getting the vaccine than from COVID itself. Must be true… I saw it on Twitter from an anti-vaccine person. When I asked why they were anti vac, I got the “look it up” response you mentioned @Smug in Boots

when I’ve been told on Facebook to “ look it up” I say I’d love to because I want to be informed like them , but I’m really pushed for time , so could they tell me the websites and links they used . Not one reply

 

[Smug in Boots]

when I’ve been told on Facebook to “ look it up” I say I’d love to because I want to be informed like them , but I’m really pushed for time , so could they tell me the websites and links they used . Not one reply

Whenever people tell me I should research 'what really happened' I just think ...

... 'nah, some bad people I'll never meet did some bad stuff, never mind'.

 

[C19RK73]

... appear increasingly popular.

Whichever news story is reported it seems there's always people saying they know 'the truth' and that anyone who believes the media is a gullible fool toeing the government line. Any questions to 'those in the know' are met with the inevitable response of, "You need to do some digging as I've done."

On the few occasions I've taken their advice it's lead me to some nut job who's finding 'the truth' on the internet from other nut jobs. Either that or they're some 'scientist' who's statements have been taken entirely out of context.

For the conspiracy theorists there doesn't seem to be anything that isn't actually the government colluding to 'control' the hoi poloi. By the look of most of them they don't seem capable of organising a decent haircut never mind deceiving the entire population.

Why do people want to believe everything has a hidden agenda, do they believe it makes them superior to the dummies who look at the news, shrug, turn over and get on with their lives ...

... I've no idea, perhaps I'm part of the problem.

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[SnakeEyes]

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The problem with modern media imo. Is the need for individuals to try and make a name for themselves. You then end up with news that is slanted one way or the other. Sometimes it ignores plain and simple facts to fit it's agenda for the public. There's probably all types of differing reasons for it. But I think it becomes plainly apparent most often in politics.

 

[Nacho]

I dont mind a good conspiracy theory, so long as it isnt totally bonkers. Aliens for example is always a good one. It seems impossible for their not to be aliens. Whether they zoom around in saucers seems unlikely. The govts around the world though classify stuff so it gives lunatics like me pause to wonder what they are hiding. Might just be stealth aircrafts, or it might be some enemies of Buck Rogers and I want to believe, as the saying goes.

There's almost evidence of life on Mars which is a stones throw away so I think it's safe to say that there's alien life out there taking into account the infinite nature of space and that we're surrounded by trillions of planets in every direction.

Personally I don't reckon there's any on earth, I think if we had been visited by aliens we'd know about it because we'd all be dead so they could harvest our resources. I doubt they'd travel so far just to say hello.

 

[Ozzymac]

There's almost evidence of life on Mars which is a stones throw away so I think it's safe to say that there's alien life out there taking into account the infinite nature of space and that we're surrounded by trillions of planets in every direction.

Personally I don't reckon there's any on earth, I think if we had been visited by aliens we'd know about it because we'd all be dead so they could harvest our resources. I doubt they'd travel so far just to say hello.

Not so sure about that mate. They stand out if you look closely enough so hopefully they don't manage to find their way into positions of power or influence.

Apparently the most obvious feature is their inability to maintain a decent hair do due to having webbed fingers.... Oh ****

 

[Smug in Boots]

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I'd have to disagree there tbh.

When the BBC had the monopoly, and Pathe News was active in the cinemas, the news was pure propaganda.

The problem with modern media imo. Is the need for individuals to try and make a name for themselves. You then end up with news that is slanted one way or the other. Sometimes it ignores plain and simple facts to fit it's agenda for the public. There's probably all types of differing reasons for it. But I think it becomes plainly apparent most often in politics.

I used to like John Craven's News round, they just had the news ... BRILLIANT

 

[The Norton Cat]

There's almost evidence of life on Mars which is a stones throw away so I think it's safe to say that there's alien life out there taking into account the infinite nature of space and that we're surrounded by trillions of planets in every direction.

Personally I don't reckon there's any on earth, I think if we had been visited by aliens we'd know about it because we'd all be dead so they could harvest our resources. I doubt they'd travel so far just to say hello.

I think given the unimaginable vastness of the universe, the probability that there is other life out there is pretty high. Whether or not that other life is aware of us is another question but this report is intriguing: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-57619755

I don't believe that there are aliens among us though and all of that cobblers about aliens bringing about organised civilisation is just laughable.

 

[Sunderpitt]

Generally it is a fact that it is more likely a cock-up has occurred than an organised govt conspiracy. You just have to look at Bonko and his chums to see they incapable of organising a piss-up in a brewery. Most times they are also incapable of even arranging a believable cover-up to hide the cock-up.

Personally, I think it likely that covid 19 originated in the lab at Wuhan...then there was a cock-up and it escaped into the nearby town. It also seems the Chinese govt are also not very good in having a good cover story to disguise this...

Then there are lots of Trump supporters who believe the election was a fraud...the big lie...so this is an unusual example of gullible folk believing a 'cover-up'. This is frightening, it seems you can fool a lot of the people a lot of the time!

 

[Neil]

What about the signal BLC-1 received from Proxima Centauri? You should look it up or just read about it here:

https://www.theguardian.com/science...liens-investigate-radio-beam-from-nearby-star
https://astronomy.com/news/2020/12/heres-what-we-know-about-the-signal-from-proxima-centauri

 

[Sunderpitt]

What about the signal BLC-1 received from Proxima Centauri? You should look it up or just read about it here:

https://www.theguardian.com/science...liens-investigate-radio-beam-from-nearby-star
https://astronomy.com/news/2020/12/heres-what-we-know-about-the-signal-from-proxima-centauri

What i can never understand is when aliens abduct us, it has to be a probe up the bum to investigate us?

 

[Smug in Boots]

Generally it is a fact that it is more likely a cock-up has occurred than an organised govt conspiracy. You just have to look at Bonko and his chums to see they incapable of organising a piss-up in a brewery. Most times they are also incapable of even arranging a believable cover-up to hide the cock-up.

Personally, I think it likely that covid 19 originated in the lab at Wuhan...then there was a cock-up and it escaped into the nearby town. It also seems the Chinese govt are also not very good in having a good cover story to disguise this...

Then there are lots of Trump supporters who believe the election was a fraud...the big lie...so this is an unusual example of gullible folk believing a 'cover-up'. This is frightening, it seems you can fool a lot of the people a lot of the time!

The 'eye test' cover up by Cummings was hilarious, as was the cover up for that cover up when he claimed it was actually because his family were in danger

The PM defended the 'man of the highest integrity' who then stabbed him in the back, the sides and the front ...

... then along came Hancock