\u201cPlease do not hang up now!\u201d said a haunting male voice on the other end of the line. Everything was quiet for a moment. Calm but resolutely he continued: \u201cI have something important to tell you, it will only take a few minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
This dramatic introduction leads us right into the middle of the topic: It’s about entertainment, it’s about fears. And it’s about the exciting feeling of being on the trail of something big.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you’re a fan of conspiracy theories, this is your drug.<\/strong> The sweet poison you should be getting away from. Let me tell you why \u2014 it’ll only take a few minutes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n First of all, no one pays me to write this, neither Mr. Soros, nor Gates, nor the Rothschilds. (You can find out more about my background here<\/a>.) I am writing to you because we have something in common: We both love the truth. And we do not like it when it is maliciously and perfidiously distorted. We both know the value of doubt, of independent and logical thinking. And we, like most people, are somehow satisfied when we find a conclusive explanation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n One important difference: I resign myself to the fact that sometimes you don\u2019t find out the ultimate truth. That the world is sometimes more complex than I understand or can learn as a lay person. The whole truth about the Kennedy assassination<\/a>, I don’t think we’ll ever know. No use in saying \u201cI believe \u2026\u201d or sinister murmurs \u2014 I don\u2019t know! And I’d rather bear that than accept a dubious statement, which an alleged expert is trying to convince me of in the alternative media. And yes, I trust in mechanisms that I know \u2014 even in their flawedness. For example, the academic world, journalism, good governance, NGOs, civil society or Wikipedia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let’s take a particularly blatant example: the conspiracy myth that the moon landing never happened<\/a>. The \u201cquestions\u201d that were asked were so stunningly unscientific and absurd that they made you question what these people were actually after \u2014 an entertaining horror story or the truth. Even interested lay people could and still can check the facts. The same applies to the spherical shape of the earth<\/a> or the question whether Michelle Obama is really a woman. Hoax videos that question such things are so unacceptably dumb that we don\u2019t have to put up with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Things become more tricky with secret political connections, which are difficult to prove and easy to assert. And here I ask you to follow me in a method that also works well in the criticism of religion: You look at how a theory is born and how it is spread. Using religion as an example, this would mean: If Islam were the true religion, or Christianity, why would God\/Allah have had to take the detour via an all too time-bound \u201choly scripture\u201d, or even prophets with an all-too-human way of life? Why don\u2019t these gods simply implant their rules into us from birth \u2014 as evolution has done, without us even noticing it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n The same can be applied to conspiracy myths: If the Protocols of the Elders of Zion<\/a> were a malicious fake (which they were). If an anti-Semitic myth, for which people of the Jewish faith are not responsible, continued to exist. If it is traceable how these thoughts have propagated against all reason and led to the racial madness<\/a> of Nazi barbarism. And if it is still visible how the myth is now being spun further. How it is only superficially freed from the tabooed term \u201cJewish world conspiracy\u201d … What level of truth should one then concede to an agitator who tells us about the Bilderbergers, the Illuminati, Freemasons or other embodiments of evil<\/a> par excellence?<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Have you read up to here without words like \u201ccult of guilt\u201d or \u201cSatan\u201d flashing through your mind? Then probably you are on the right track to look at the matter in an open and unbiased way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The perhaps most blatant example of conspiracy myths is the denial of the Holocaust<\/a>, a. k. a. the \u201ccritical questioning of whether the Holocaust actually took place in this form\u201d. Often combined with \u201cI\u2019m only asking questions!\u201d This one really gets my goat. Yes, I also find the denial of other mass murders (Herero, Armenians, Rohingya, Uighurs, under Stalin, Mao and many more) perfidious, unjust, hair-rising. There is not the slightest reasonable doubt about the exclusion, deprivation of rights, deportation, exploitation and extermination of Jews and other groups during the Nazi era. All this is well documented, not least by the Nazis themselves. Attempts to trivialize it are transparent<\/a>, but still: some people succumb to this propaganda. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So my question is: Can we imagine that a genocide could take place in the world without being brazenly denied afterwards by the followers of it\u2019s ideology? I doubt it. And interestingly enough, it is precisely those people who vehemently deny the Holocaust who would most like to repeat it \u2014 with the argument that \u201cthe Jews\u201d would play out their victim role<\/a> against \u201cus\u201d. How disgusting can one be. And such people find their audience, because they are posing to be so rebellious, modern, cool or likeable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For the record: No, we Germans today are not responsible for the Holocaust. We did not witness it and we are not personally to blame. We\u2019re only \u2014 perhaps a little more than others \u2014 responsible for ensuring that it is not denied and, above all, that it is not repeated. Just as we do not accept any other racism or xenophobia<\/a> that can be observed in many places in the world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Many paranoid<\/a> conspiracy myths are based on the tale of the eternal Jew<\/a>. There is talk of a rich elite that pulls all the strings, that controls the press and our thoughts \u2014 in Hollywood, on television, via 5G transmission masts. An elite that would\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 invent climate change (or use it) to make some profiteers extremely rich and to make fools out of us all. (Climatologists and wind turbine builders aren\u2019t exactly topping the Forbes list<\/a> of the super rich right now.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 instigate civil wars in order to set refugees in motion and thus bring about a great replacement<\/a> of Europe\u2019s or North America\u2019s population. (For what purpose is never explained \u2014 we are dealing with Evil itself here). <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 breed a virus in the laboratory<\/a> in order to either selectively eradicate Asians<\/a> or force a worldwide lockdown, which is supposed to rob us of our freedom. (The Covid-19 virus shows no signs of artificial production<\/a> and would be completely unsuitable as a biological weapon).<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 harms us through vaccinations<\/a> in order to earn money or make us compliant. (We don\u2019t have to have chips or nano-robots injected. Even the powerful pharmaceutical industry is populated by humans, and most of them \u2014 besides their income \u2014 are much interested in scientific progress and the common good).<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 torture babies to extract \u201crejuvenating\u201d adrenochrome<\/a> from them (which does not have this ascribed effect at all and which can be bought cheaply on the Internet).<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 stage<\/a> or even completely invent<\/a> horrific terrorist attacks to achieve political goals, such as the disarmament of Americans, a slander of Islam, foreign policy interests, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All these stories are very entertaining and give simple answers to questions that you and many others are concerned about. They are not logical or plausible, they do not stand up to any objective scrutiny \u2014 but they are exciting! And they make you feel like you are part of a group of initiates. Because, although the conspiracy theorists offer their plots on YouTube like a lemon, they always surround themselves with the nimbus of threatened top secret information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you accept this lunacy, it’s hard to let it go. Because, if you now simply believed what the news is saying (i.e. the \u201cmainstream media\u201d), then you would appear to be be naive! You would be a silly sheep and fall for the powerful, you would decide against the good and capitulate to the evil! How can one return to a halfway satisfied but banal life with such an attitude?<\/p>\n\n\n\n And that\u2019s how ideological thinking, sectarian thinking works. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 \u201cYou see, I told you they would leave no stone unturned to deceive you.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 \u201cThese vaccination opponents with the most ridiculous arguments are only provocateurs, paid by the pharmaceutical industry, who are supposed to discredit our justified criticism.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 Or under the Soviet regime: \u201cThere is no famine, only counterrevolutionaries say so.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n And so on. The hermetic thinking of conspiracists is legendary. If every counter-argument proves that this must be a manipulation, then it becomes difficult to impossible to argue reasonably.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Matrix<\/a> is a thrilling, dystopian science fiction. In a key scene the main character Neo has to make a decision: Does he want to know the truth of his subjugation (the red pill) or does he choose to remain in the beautiful illusion (the blue pill). The thing is: there is no red or blue pill to choose between, only the red one is on offer in reality. Right-wing populists and nutcases want you to take it, to follow them, to confirm and like them, to give their lives meaning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Deal with it: There is no central, secret plan to take away our freedom. Even if our brain likes to think in familiar patterns \u2014 the world is complex and constantly changing. There are many diverging interests in it. There is often a lack of information, poor research, sometimes conscious misdirection and disinformation. And of course there are conspiracies \u2014 but big plans are almost never kept secret for long. And it is not the presumptuous b- and c-list celebrities of this world who suddenly see through everything and happily trumpet it into the world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Now I ask you once again to take a look into the mirror, at yourself. What are you looking for? Most people encounter conspiracy myths in times of crisis, external or personal. They seek friends, allies, confirmation, closeness, they want to be right and understand this complicated world. These needs are understandable, but they don\u2019t justify exposing oneself to (usually unbelievably cheap) manipulations and giving up one\u2019s own logical thinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n You could…<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 illuminate questions from the other side, i.e. from the fearless, rational, logical and more likely<\/a> side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 instead of suspecting the great replacement, support integration to make it successful and help us feel safe together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 talk to people who are involved. If you really want to know what Covid-19<\/a> is like, you could talk to a nurse who has experienced it first hand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 examine dubious reports<\/a> for yourself, follow up on matters instead of getting mad about them. Often they are fakes, from totally different contexts etc. \u2014 and often this is revealed only a few days later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 just freely express your opinion without threatening or insulting other people. Because that is always possible (in liberal countries) and will not be suppressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n That was my short contribution to this painful topic. (Actually, I write on other topics, but it always caught up with me). Maybe you\u2019ll find your favorite conspiracy theory in this list<\/a> and re-think it critically. I hope I was able to give you some encouragement that the world is not controlled only by dark powers. That existing and harmful conspiracies can usually be addressed and halfway solved without fear \u2014 at least in constitutional states. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, grey areas remain: We don’t know exactly what the ‘Ndrangheta<\/a> is doing, what the Kremlin\u2019s communication strategies are, what interests are hidden behind the current counter-pandemic strategies of the government. We can only suspect this and be vigilant. But maybe we can keep calm and not spread nonsense as long as we don\u2019t know for sure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n They are a welcome tool in the hands of populists<\/a>. They can develop into a conversation, a rally or a pogrom<\/a>. Most of them fizzle out<\/a>, others lead to measles epidemics<\/a>, lynchings<\/a> or even help to prepare a war<\/a>. At present with QAnon<\/a> there is the danger of a powerful conspiracy-theoretical sect, which is decentralized, but coordinated and can be steered by unknown persons. Now, these people consider themselves \u201ccritical spirits\u201d! (More about QAnon here<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n I do not want to be a scaremonger and I believe in the stability of liberal democracy \u2014 precisely because it is pluralistic and allows for many, even mistaken, opinions. But before the erroneous opinion drifts off into delusion, I recommend to really<\/em> think for yourself!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enjoy \u2014 and welcome to the club of rationalists, humanists and sceptics!<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n You may have noticed: In this posting I have placed all source links on Wikipedia<\/a> articles. No one is claiming that Wikipedia owns the final truth. But it has the great advantage of being verifiable. The large community of authors sets great store by verifiable sources, rejects theorizing<\/a> on their pages, and makes all discussions, version histories and sources available and traceable with one click. This makes it a rich and multi-layered resource for own research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n I also recommend the relevant fact-checking websites<\/a> and to read some articles and books dealing with conspiracy myths. Even if, in your opinion, these may be \u201csystem media\u201d \u2014 they often refer to fakes and give explanations. If you want to compare fearlessly and openminded, you should get involved. <\/p>\n\n\n\n With “alternative” (= mostly national-chauvinist, right-wing extremist or conspiracy-theoretical) media, I personally had so many experiences of twisted facts in almost every single article \u2014 I just don\u2019t trust them one bit. Which does not mean that public broadcasting, for example, always reports correctly or neutrally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Organisations that are really care for transparency and civil rights include Transparency International, Reporters Without Borders, EFF, Amnesty International and many more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cPlease do not hang up now!\u201d said a haunting male voice on the other end of the line. Everything was quiet for a moment. Calm but resolutely he continued: \u201cI have something important to tell you, it will only take a few minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3394,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"\n \u201cPlease do not hang up now!\u201d said a haunting male voice on the other end of the line. Everything was quiet for a moment. Calm but resolutely he continued: \u201cI have something important to tell you, it will only take a few minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n This dramatic introduction leads us right into the middle of the topic: It's about entertainment, it's about fears. And it's about the exciting feeling of being on the trail of something big.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you're a fan of conspiracy theories, this is your drug.<\/strong> The sweet poison you should be getting away from. Let me tell you why \u2014 it'll only take a few minutes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n First of all, no one pays me to write this, neither Mr. Soros, nor Gates, nor the Rothschilds. (You can find out more about my background here<\/a>.) I am writing to you because we have something in common: We both love the truth. And we do not like it when it is maliciously and perfidiously distorted. We both know the value of doubt, of independent and logical thinking. And we, like most people, are somehow satisfied when we find a conclusive explanation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n One important difference: I resign myself to the fact that sometimes you don\u2019t find out the ultimate truth. That the world is sometimes more complex than I understand or can learn as a lay person. The whole truth about the Kennedy assassination<\/a>, I don't think we'll ever know. No use in saying \u201cI believe \u2026\u201d or sinister murmurs \u2014 I don\u2019t know! And I'd rather bear that than accept a dubious statement, which an alleged expert is trying to convince me of in the alternative media. And yes, I trust in mechanisms that I know \u2014 even in their flawedness. For example, the academic world, journalism, good governance, NGOs, civil society or Wikipedia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let's take a particularly blatant example: the conspiracy myth that the moon landing never happened<\/a>. The \u201cquestions\u201d that were asked were so stunningly unscientific and absurd that they made you question what these people were actually after \u2014 an entertaining horror story or the truth. Even interested lay people could and still can check the facts. The same applies to the spherical shape of the earth<\/a> or the question whether Michelle Obama is really a woman. Hoax videos that question such things are so unacceptably dumb that we don\u2019t have to put up with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Things become more tricky with secret political connections, which are difficult to prove and easy to assert. And here I ask you to follow me in a method that also works well in the criticism of religion: You look at how a theory is born and how it is spread. Using religion as an example, this would mean: If Islam were the true religion, or Christianity, why would God\/Allah have had to take the detour via an all too time-bound \u201choly scripture\u201d, or even prophets with an all-too-human way of life? Why don\u2019t these gods simply implant their rules into us from birth \u2014 as evolution has done, without us even noticing it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n The same can be applied to conspiracy myths: If the Protocols of the Elders of Zion<\/a> were a malicious fake (which they were). If an anti-Semitic myth, for which people of the Jewish faith are not responsible, continued to exist. If it is traceable how these thoughts have propagated against all reason and led to the racial madness<\/a> of Nazi barbarism. And if it is still visible how the myth is now being spun further. How it is only superficially freed from the tabooed term \u201cJewish world conspiracy\u201d ... What level of truth should one then concede to an agitator who tells us about the Bilderbergers, the Illuminati, Freemasons or other embodiments of evil<\/a> par excellence?<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Have you read up to here without words like \u201ccult of guilt\u201d or \u201cSatan\u201d flashing through your mind? Then probably you are on the right track to look at the matter in an open and unbiased way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The perhaps most blatant example of conspiracy myths is the denial of the Holocaust<\/a>, a. k. a. the \u201ccritical questioning of whether the Holocaust actually took place in this form\u201d. Often combined with \u201cI\u2019m only asking questions!\u201d This one really gets my goat. Yes, I also find the denial of other mass murders (Herero, Armenians, Rohingya, Uighurs, under Stalin, Mao and many more) perfidious, unjust, hair-rising. There is not the slightest reasonable doubt about the exclusion, deprivation of rights, deportation, exploitation and extermination of Jews and other groups during the Nazi era. All this is well documented, not least by the Nazis themselves. Attempts to trivialize it are transparent<\/a>, but still: some people succumb to this propaganda. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So my question is: Can we imagine that a genocide could take place in the world without being brazenly denied afterwards by the followers of it\u2019s ideology? I doubt it. And interestingly enough, it is precisely those people who vehemently deny the Holocaust who would most like to repeat it \u2014 with the argument that \u201cthe Jews\u201d would play out their victim role<\/a> against \u201cus\u201d. How disgusting can one be. And such people find their audience, because they are posing to be so rebellious, modern, cool or likeable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For the record: No, we Germans today are not responsible for the Holocaust. We did not witness it and we are not personally to blame. We\u2019re only \u2014 perhaps a little more than others \u2014 responsible for ensuring that it is not denied and, above all, that it is not repeated. Just as we do not accept any other racism or xenophobia<\/a> that can be observed in many places in the world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Many paranoid<\/a> conspiracy myths are based on the tale of the eternal Jew<\/a>. There is talk of a rich elite that pulls all the strings, that controls the press and our thoughts \u2014 in Hollywood, on television, via 5G transmission masts. An elite that would\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 invent climate change (or use it) to make some profiteers extremely rich and to make fools out of us all. (Climatologists and wind turbine builders aren\u2019t exactly topping the Forbes list<\/a> of the super rich right now.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 instigate civil wars in order to set refugees in motion and thus bring about a great replacement<\/a> of Europe\u2019s or North America\u2019s population. (For what purpose is never explained \u2014 we are dealing with Evil itself here). <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 breed a virus in the laboratory<\/a> in order to either selectively eradicate Asians<\/a> or force a worldwide lockdown, which is supposed to rob us of our freedom. (The Covid-19 virus shows no signs of artificial production<\/a> and would be completely unsuitable as a biological weapon).<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 harms us through vaccinations<\/a> in order to earn money or make us compliant. (We don\u2019t have to have chips or nano-robots injected. Even the powerful pharmaceutical industry is populated by humans, and most of them \u2014 besides their income \u2014 are much interested in scientific progress and the common good).<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 torture babies to extract \u201crejuvenating\u201d adrenochrome<\/a> from them (which does not have this ascribed effect at all and which can be bought cheaply on the Internet).<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 stage<\/a> or even completely invent<\/a> horrific terrorist attacks to achieve political goals, such as the disarmament of Americans, a slander of Islam, foreign policy interests, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All these stories are very entertaining and give simple answers to questions that you and many others are concerned about. They are not logical or plausible, they do not stand up to any objective scrutiny \u2014 but they are exciting! And they make you feel like you are part of a group of initiates. Because, although the conspiracy theorists offer their plots on YouTube like a lemon, they always surround themselves with the nimbus of threatened top secret information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you accept this lunacy, it's hard to let it go. Because, if you now simply believed what the news is saying (i.e. the \u201cmainstream media\u201d), then you would appear to be be naive! You would be a silly sheep and fall for the powerful, you would decide against the good and capitulate to the evil! How can one return to a halfway satisfied but banal life with such an attitude?<\/p>\n\n\n\n And that\u2019s how ideological thinking, sectarian thinking works. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 \u201cYou see, I told you they would leave no stone unturned to deceive you.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 \u201cThese vaccination opponents with the most ridiculous arguments are only provocateurs, paid by the pharmaceutical industry, who are supposed to discredit our justified criticism.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 Or under the Soviet regime: \u201cThere is no famine, only counterrevolutionaries say so.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n And so on. The hermetic thinking of conspiracists is legendary. If every counter-argument proves that this must be a manipulation, then it becomes difficult to impossible to argue reasonably.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Matrix<\/a> is a thrilling, dystopian science fiction. In a key scene the main character Neo has to make a decision: Does he want to know the truth of his subjugation (the red pill) or does he choose to remain in the beautiful illusion (the blue pill). The thing is: there is no red or blue pill to choose between, only the red one is on offer in reality. Right-wing populists and nutcases want you to take it, to follow them, to confirm and like them, to give their lives meaning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Deal with it: There is no central, secret plan to take away our freedom. Even if our brain likes to think in familiar patterns \u2014 the world is complex and constantly changing. There are many diverging interests in it. There is often a lack of information, poor research, sometimes conscious misdirection and disinformation. And of course there are conspiracies \u2014 but big plans are almost never kept secret for long. And it is not the presumptuous b- and c-list celebrities of this world who suddenly see through everything and happily trumpet it into the world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Now I ask you once again to take a look into the mirror, at yourself. What are you looking for? Most people encounter conspiracy myths in times of crisis, external or personal. They seek friends, allies, confirmation, closeness, they want to be right and understand this complicated world. These needs are understandable, but they don\u2019t justify exposing oneself to (usually unbelievably cheap) manipulations and giving up one\u2019s own logical thinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n You could...<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 illuminate questions from the other side, i.e. from the fearless, rational, logical and more likely<\/a> side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 instead of suspecting the great replacement, support integration to make it successful and help us feel safe together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 talk to people who are involved. If you really want to know what Covid-19<\/a> is like, you could talk to a nurse who has experienced it first hand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 examine dubious reports<\/a> for yourself, follow up on matters instead of getting mad about them. Often they are fakes, from totally different contexts etc. \u2014 and often this is revealed only a few days later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2022 just freely express your opinion without threatening or insulting other people. Because that is always possible (in liberal countries) and will not be suppressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n That was my short contribution to this painful topic. (Actually, I write on other topics, but it always caught up with me). Maybe you\u2019ll find your favorite conspiracy theory in this list<\/a> and re-think it critically. I hope I was able to give you some encouragement that the world is not controlled only by dark powers. That existing and harmful conspiracies can usually be addressed and halfway solved without fear \u2014 at least in constitutional states. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, grey areas remain: We don't know exactly what the 'Ndrangheta<\/a> is doing, what the Kremlin\u2019s communication strategies are, what interests are hidden behind the current counter-pandemic strategies of the government. We can only suspect this and be vigilant. But maybe we can keep calm and not spread nonsense as long as we don\u2019t know for sure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n They are a welcome tool in the hands of populists<\/a>. They can develop into a conversation, a rally or a pogrom<\/a>. Most of them fizzle out<\/a>, others lead to measles epidemics<\/a>, lynchings<\/a> or even help to prepare a war<\/a>. At present with QAnon<\/a> there is the danger of a powerful conspiracy-theoretical sect, which is decentralized, but coordinated and can be steered by unknown persons. Now, these people consider themselves \u201ccritical spirits\u201d! (More about QAnon here)<\/p>\n\n\n\n I do not want to be a scaremonger and I believe in the stability of liberal democracy \u2014 precisely because it is pluralistic and allows for many, even mistaken, opinions. But before the erroneous opinion drifts off into delusion, I recommend to really<\/em> think for yourself!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enjoy \u2014 and welcome to the club of rationalists, humanists and sceptics!<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n You may have noticed: In this posting I have placed all source links on Wikipedia<\/a> articles. No one is claiming that Wikipedia owns the final truth. But it has the great advantage of being verifiable. The large community of authors sets great store by verifiable sources, rejects theorizing<\/a> on their pages, and makes all discussions, version histories and sources available and traceable with one click. This makes it a rich and multi-layered resource for own research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\nThe question is simply: what is true?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
A critical approach:
checking the dissemination history<\/h3>\n\n\n\nEye-roll emoji: Holocaust<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
CT \u2013 dangerous like a sect<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Immune to criticism<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Just stop<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Why are you fascinated by conspiracy myths and what else could you do? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Conspiracy myths are junk food for your brain. It deserves better!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Because, let’s face it:
conspiracy myths are very dangerous. <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nA word about sources<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Fact check and exciting reads<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The question is simply: what is true?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
A critical approach:
checking the dissemination history<\/h3>\n\n\n\nEye-roll emoji: Holocaust<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
CT \u2013 dangerous like a sect<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Immune to criticism<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Just stop<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Why are you fascinated by conspiracy myths and what else could you do? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Conspiracy myths are junk food for your brain. It deserves better!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Because, let's face it:
conspiracy myths are very dangerous. <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nA word about sources<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Fact check and exciting reads<\/h4>\n\n\n\n