Posted on 10/10/2024 2:18:01 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
Wildly improbable conspiracy theories about Hurricanes Helene and Milton have spread largely unchecked on social media. The storms were engineered to clear the way for lithium mining. They were sent to help the Democrats in next month’s election. They were formed by weather-controlling lasers.
The claims persist despite attempts by scientists and government officials to debunk them with evidence. They survive all calls to reason.
The falsehoods, which have been circulating on X, TikTok, YouTube and other platforms, can resemble the conspiracy theories that plague modern American politics. Prominent figures are pushing them, citing unrelated, misleading or outdated evidence.
But the risks are often more immediate. Online climate-related conspiracy theories can quickly cause damage offline, disrupting emergency communications and recovery efforts. Officials have said this week that the disinformation about Hurricanes Helene and Milton was making relief workers a target, and the American Red Cross warned that the outlandish claims could prevent survivors from seeking help.
“If they’re telling you that the government is responsible for the disaster, that doesn’t help you at all in getting ready for it,” said Jose E. Ramirez-Marquez, an associate professor of systems engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology and a co-author of a journal article this month on how hurricane-related information traveled through X.
The increasing frequency and devastating power of major storms, heat waves, wildfires and other weather-related catastrophes tend to elicit an especially strong emotional response, allowing climate denialists, lobbyists for the oil and gas industry and rumormongers to exploit people’s concern and confusion.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
More lying in an attempt divert attention away from both their incompetence and malfeasance.
its another false, manipulative NY Times narrative.
That some people may hold conspiracy or other unapproved theories about weather, climate change or government - has NOTHING to do with state preparation or FEMA’s budget or FEMA’s performance.
The “prominent figures” pushing BS all have FEMA badges
************
Pretty rich of the NYT to say this as they are not exactly champions of objective reason.
One word: Russia Russia Russia
Exactly how are those claims and conspiracy theories hindering the relief efforts? They are slowing down the helicopters from the NG and Ft Bragg from reaching Western NC? They are keeping funds from being disbursed for emergency help by FEMA? They are hindering the restoration of electric, internet, telecommunications, water, fuel, etc. by FEMA?
Good thing that there wasn’t any ‘Bizarre Falsehoods’ about Katrina back in the day... That was an all out sh*tshow in comparison to the response for this double hurricane debacle... Which is being ‘oh so well’ handled by Biden.
The NY Slimes will be always Slimes.
Intelligence agencies still hard at work trying to ensure that there are more lies available to be believed, than Truths.
(They thrive on universal uncertainty.)
The worst always comes from the enemy, to enable them to crow about what you “fell for”.
Except when what they are covering up, turns out to be even worse than what we “conspiracy theorists” thought possible.
What a crock.
So, When did the Times start telling the truth?
The New York Times is known to be dishonest about anything having to do with conservatives. These are the falsehoods that are attempting to destroy the country. It’s really a laugh to see the New York Times make their comments when they are a prime operator of falsehoods, misremembering, fake news and so forth. What a bunch of pathetic putzes.
“The falsehoods, which have been circulating on X, TikTok, YouTube”
Yeah lots of people believe what they see on TikTok!! All of it is always 100 percent true!
Now the NYT will throw into the TikTok rubbish the claim that FEMA spent $700 million to house and feed illegal immigrants - which is 100 percent true and KJP said it at a press conference and was damn proud of it. And they will mix in with the TikTok freaks, the claim that FEMA is offering only $750 for the victims of the flooding, even though Harris said it on TV and was damn proud of it.
Online theories, meaning words typed by people online and read by other people online in areas away from disasters because in the areas where there are disasters, there's no power to do any of that, those remote activities disrupt emergency communications and recovery efforts in the disaster areas. Now who's spreading falsehoods?
Yeah, the volunteers on the ground sure can’t be trusted to tell the truth.
Status: Abandoned.
And after reading that “patent”, I’m not surprised. It’s hand-waving nonsense from beginning to end. The surprising part is that it got accepted in the first place.
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