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Stop the online conspiracy theorists before they break democracy
The Guardian ^

Posted on 02/18/2019 9:32:20 AM PST by MNDude

Across Europe, conspiracy theories that mix old antisemitic tropes with new ones that demonise migrants and Muslims have gained huge traction since the refugee crisis in 2015. A recent study showed that a stunning 60% of Brits believe in at least one conspiracy theory. The ideas that a cabal of global elites run the world, that there is a plot to replace white English natives with Muslim migrants and that the authorities are covering up immigration numbers are among the most commonly held.

In QAnon forums, it is hard to overlook the holy mess of logical fallacies and contradictions. Its adherents link the MI6, Facebook and the Rothschilds to the Vatican, Hollywood, the Nazis, the Illuminati and aliens in order to explain that climate change is a hoax, the Holocaust never happened, the world is run by paedophiles, Satanists and cannibals and that the Queen is a direct descendent of prophet Mohammed.

Beyond inspiring attacks on perceived enemies, the spread of conspiracy theories can, in the long-term, sow societal divisions and undermine confidence in democratic processes, institutions and representatives. At a time when distrust in the political establishment runs exceptionally high, it is easy to tap into existing suspicions and fill information gaps with fabricated news and distorted statistics.

The architecture of social media platforms plays into the hands of extreme fringe groups by pushing users towards sensationalist content. The tech firms’ business models and algorithms are geared to maximise the time users spend on their platforms. Governments and big tech firms are slowly starting to push back against the systematic diffusion of disinformation.

(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat
KEYWORDS: brexit; chat; dnctalkingpoint; dnctalkingpoints; genderdysphoria; globalwarminghoax; greennewdeal; homosexualagenda; mediawingofthednc; nonplayercharacter; nonplayercharacters; npc; npcs; partisanmediashills; presstitutes; q; smearmachine; unitedkingdom
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To: SubMareener

Yeah. Of course everything The Guardian tells you is true. Right? No reason to find out for yourself.


21 posted on 02/18/2019 10:25:47 AM PST by MileHi (Liberalism is an ideology of parasites, hypocrites, grievance mongers, victims, and control freaks.)
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To: MNDude
"In QAnon forums, it is hard to overlook the holy mess of logical fallacies and contradictions."

In QAnon DNC emails and legislative proposals, and in liberal newspapers, classes, and forums, it is hard to overlook the holy mess of logical fallacies and contradictions.

There, I fixed it for them.

22 posted on 02/18/2019 10:30:12 AM PST by freeandfreezing
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To: MNDude; All

Folks REALLY DON’T WANT TO KNOW THAT THE CONSPIRACY IS REAL....and that it’s not a THEORY!!!

Hence...

Denial is killing America.

Read Springmeier’s “Bloodlines of the Illuminati”...IF you want your eyes opened. Its free online via any search engine.


23 posted on 02/18/2019 10:30:24 AM PST by Halgr (Once a Marine, always a Marine - Semper Fi)
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To: MNDude

“The ideas that a cabal of global elites run the world, that there is a plot to replace white English natives with Muslim migrants ...”

Cabal/plot or not, it’s being done. It’s a result of policy. It’s clearly on purpose, not some side-effect.


24 posted on 02/18/2019 10:32:55 AM PST by cdcdawg
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To: MNDude

Stupid. Without conspiracy theorists, cyber space would be a ghost town.


25 posted on 02/18/2019 10:33:26 AM PST by sparklite2 (Don't mind me. I'm just a contrarian.)
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To: MNDude

But those at The Guardian know better, and must guide them in the right direction.


Bear in mind, this is not the UK Guardian newspaper, but a blogger knockoff.


26 posted on 02/18/2019 10:35:43 AM PST by sparklite2 (Don't mind me. I'm just a contrarian.)
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To: MNDude
The Guardian, like the WP and the NYT and the networks, once again lamenting the loss of their role as the arbiter of what is and isn't to be known or believed by the masses.

I'm smarter than the editorial board of The Guardian and will determine, on my own, the veracity of individual items in the mountains of crap put out by both crazy websites and mainstream media outlets.

Just last week, the Guardian had a long, non-critical interview airing the ludicrous conspiracy theory Jesse shares with the Guardian:

Trump’s bigoted rhetoric and agenda have emboldened bigots and set the table for such incidents. “Hate and violence are raining down on our country,” Jackson said. “The rain is falling from the top.” Other prominent activists and celebrities, including the actress Ellen Page, have drawn similar connections between Trump and incidents like the one on Smollett...

27 posted on 02/18/2019 10:40:22 AM PST by dead (Our next president is going to be sooooo boring.)
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To: dead

The interview was with Jesse Jackson - I left that out!


28 posted on 02/18/2019 10:43:21 AM PST by dead (Our next president is going to be sooooo boring.)
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To: antidemoncrat

“The ideas that a cabal of global elites run the world..”

As opposed to the global elites just sitting there, wondering if the world will unfold in their favor or not. THAT is the true nutty theory. And that has never been true in all of history... not once.


29 posted on 02/18/2019 10:44:47 AM PST by DesertRhino (Dog is man's best friend, and moslems hate dogs. Add that up. ....)
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To: MNDude

“there is a plot to replace white English natives with Muslim migrants and that the authorities are covering up immigration numbers are among the most commonly held. “

Coudenhove-Kalergi plan anyone?


30 posted on 02/18/2019 11:25:38 AM PST by dljordan
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To: SubMareener

Beat me to it. Don’t lay on those crazy Q’uesters too hard, they’re still “following the plan.” HaHaHa...


31 posted on 02/18/2019 11:27:57 AM PST by Fungi
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Arthur Wildfire! March; Berosus; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; ...
...to explain that climate change is a hoax, the Holocaust never happened, the world is run by paedophiles, Satanists and cannibals and that the Queen is a direct descendent of prophet Mohammed.
Climate change is 100% natural 100% of the time -- AGW is a hoax, and the Guardian's clear agenda on that topic (including right up there) makes it obvious it is part of that conspiracy.

32 posted on 02/18/2019 12:05:05 PM PST by SunkenCiv (and btw -- https://www.gofundme.com/for-rotator-cuff-repair-surgery)
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To: Lurkinanloomin

FWIW, I can’t think of even one “conspiracy theory” that I’ve bought into which has been debunked. Remember when the “Deep State” was considered a conspiracy theory?


33 posted on 02/18/2019 12:08:51 PM PST by grania ("We're all just pawns in their game")
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To: SubMareener
WOW! Good thing FreeRepublic.com keeps these crazies in their own thread!

#IEscaped.

PROOFS NEGATE FALSEHOOD/CONSPIRACY ATTACKS.

Those who attack have an agenda or remain plugged into the biggest misinformation campaign to be ever witnessed.

You? I'm guessing option B.

You believe that I'LL believe anything. But you believe this column.

Which one of us is crazy?

😵


34 posted on 02/18/2019 12:13:31 PM PST by bagster ("Even bad men love their mamas".)
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To: MNDude

There are some plausible conspiracy theories, and there are some ridiculous ones. It seems that the majority of the left leaning mainstream media are hell bent on destroying all alternative media, and that in itself should make people realise the importance of independent and alternative media in exposing the lies continually perpetuated by these scumbags.

The Guardian recently lied about the Covington kids. They lied about Assange meeting Paul Manafort in the Ecuadorian embassy. They recently ran an article written by George Soros bemoaning the decline of the European union and the rise of nationalism in Europe.


35 posted on 02/18/2019 1:10:07 PM PST by winslow
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To: MNDude

You didn’t name the author. She’s a whackjob Leftist obsessed with the “far right.”


36 posted on 02/18/2019 1:57:07 PM PST by Jacquerie (ArticleVBlog.com)
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To: MNDude; bagster

Aw, you can find a better attack than that!

Pick a Network – Any Network. Search ‘Qanon’

https://www.nbcnews.com/pages/search/?q=qanon
https://abcnews.go.com/search?searchtext=qanon
https://www.washingtonpost.com/newssearch/?datefilter=All%20Since%202005&query=qanon&sort=Relevance&utm_term=.d3e179a0682e
https://www.nytimes.com/search?query=qanon
https://www.cnn.com/search/?q=qanon
http://www.msnbc.com/search/qanon
https://www.newsweek.com/search/site/qanon
http://fortune.com/search/?q=qanon
https://www.wired.com/search/?q=qanon&page=1&sort=score
https://www.theguardian.com/us (search: Qanon)
https://www.npr.org/search?query=qanon&page=1
https://www.vox.com/search?q=qanon
https://www.gq.com/search?q=qanon
https://www.pbs.org/search/?q=qanon
https://www.theverge.com/search?q=qanon
https://observer.com/?s=qanon
https://www.aljazeera.com/Search/?q=qanon
https://www.foxnews.com/search-results/search?q=qanon
https://www.breitbart.com/search/?s=qanon#gsc.tab=0&gsc.q=qanon&gsc.page=1
https://psmag.com/search?query=qanon
https://www.newyorker.com/search/q/qanon
https://www.latimes.com/search/?q=qanon
https://www.seattletimes.com/search/?query=qanon&sortby=mostrecent&page=1&perpage=20
https://www.esquire.com/search/?q=qanon
https://www.thesun.co.uk/?s=qanon
https://www.bbc.co.uk/search?q=qanon
https://qz.com/search/qanon/
http://nymag.com/search.html?q=qanon
https://www.politico.com/search?q=qanon
https://thehill.com/search/site/qanon
http://time.com/search/?q=qanon
https://www.vice.com/en_us/search?q=qanon
https://www.salon.com/search/qanon
https://www.dailydot.com/?s=qanon
https://www.miaminewtimes.com/search?keyword=qanon
https://www.rollingstone.com/results/#?q=qanon
https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/search?q=qanon
https://www.snopes.com/?s=qanon
https://www.buzzfeed.com/search?q=qanon
https://www.mediamatters.org/search/index?qstring=qanon
http://thefederalist.com/?s=qanon

Now, you want something a little harder to do?

Find an Enemedia article that tells what Q is about that is not an attack.

Methinks they protest too much.


37 posted on 02/18/2019 11:22:24 PM PST by EasySt ( Praise the Lord and pass the meme-unition!)
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To: MNDude

This article is even more information warfare against white, british people. I have been to london. There is an active intent to replace white british people with dark skinned muslims. In is not some false, conspiracy theory. Just go to Luton and you will see the end result of purposeful, islamic friendly government immigration policies.

JoMa


38 posted on 02/19/2019 3:43:25 AM PST by joma89
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To: MNDude; Regulator
“A recent study showed that a stunning 60% of Brits believe in at least one conspiracy theory.”

My British Grandfather, in the early 1970s, believed that Government was spying on citizens using the citizens' TV sets.

Turns out, he was right!

39 posted on 02/20/2019 1:30:59 AM PST by Does so (Build the Cpl Ronil Singh Memorial Wall...A Legal Immigrant...)
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To: MNDude

....speaking of “tropes” ....


40 posted on 02/20/2019 7:44:03 AM PST by mo ("If you understand, no explanation is needed; if you don't understand, no explanation is possible")
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