Late February the Finnish publication Iltalehti published a sensational news headline about conspiracy theories:
Iltalehti's first comment suggests that only the content of mainstream media represents absolutely trustworthy information, while again alternative media's "conspiracy theories" are rumor, propaganda and misinformation. Conspiracies are something like mystical fairy tales, believed only by mentally unstable persons. This kind of black-and-white thinking is typical of the authoritarian personality type, who relates to social authorities in the same naive way small children relate to their own parents.
The second comment is very worrisome. It was not long ago when the attitude towards conspiracy theories was mainly mocking. Now they are perceived as a national threat and they are compared to terrorism and Nazism: France has already set a dangerous precedent by beginning to block web sites which in the opinion of the government, publish conspiracy theories and other "dangerous thoughts". Arthur Schopenhauer stated that truth goes through three phases: First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident. It seems we are in stage two at the moment.
The Iltalehti news story further commented on this Italian research, in which alternative media was assessed for its "conspiracy theory" behaviors on social media:
Complete story at - Mainstream media's schizophrenic attitude towards 'conspiracy theories' -- Puppet Masters -- Sott.net
Now it is proven: conspiracy theorists are fools living in a bubbleThis Iltalehti article refers to an article written in English on Vice Motherboard that itself refers to the Italian study at PLOS One.
The internet is the information highway for both good and bad, because on the net all content is equal and trustworthy content competes for attention among all kinds of misinformation. Among other things, conspiracy theories and the peddling alternative media, are spread widely within the depths of the net.
Rumors, propaganda, and other net-loopers have become such a serious problem, that the World Economic Forum, committed to monitoring the state of the world, named it as one of modern societies greatest threats alongside terrorism and cyber crime.
Iltalehti's first comment suggests that only the content of mainstream media represents absolutely trustworthy information, while again alternative media's "conspiracy theories" are rumor, propaganda and misinformation. Conspiracies are something like mystical fairy tales, believed only by mentally unstable persons. This kind of black-and-white thinking is typical of the authoritarian personality type, who relates to social authorities in the same naive way small children relate to their own parents.
The second comment is very worrisome. It was not long ago when the attitude towards conspiracy theories was mainly mocking. Now they are perceived as a national threat and they are compared to terrorism and Nazism: France has already set a dangerous precedent by beginning to block web sites which in the opinion of the government, publish conspiracy theories and other "dangerous thoughts". Arthur Schopenhauer stated that truth goes through three phases: First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident. It seems we are in stage two at the moment.
The Iltalehti news story further commented on this Italian research, in which alternative media was assessed for its "conspiracy theory" behaviors on social media:
The result was not flattering from the conspiracy theorists' point of view. Italians said that of the conspiracy site visitors over 90 percent like, comment, and spread only alternative media contents, and nothing else. According to the researchers, conspiracy theorists live in their own bubble and almost never interact with content outside of their own circle.
Complete story at - Mainstream media's schizophrenic attitude towards 'conspiracy theories' -- Puppet Masters -- Sott.net
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