Conspire with me

[saustin5432]

What conspiracy or hoax has someone you know been all in on or tried to convince you was true? Had you heard of it before? What was their source of truth? Did you try to tell them they had it wrong? Let's hear your crazy stories from your crazy relatives, friends and coworkers.

My son and I were laughing about flat Earth last weekend on our road trip across the right side of the US, but yesterday broke the bank for me on conspiracies.

My parents hosted a picnic at their place. They're a "little bit" right-wingnut and we were discussing the economy. My step-dad throws out that the commies (Democrats) are sabotaging food production in order to create a food shortage in the US so they can inflate prices and force people to turn to the government for help, so they'll vote Democrat.

This was a new one to me, so I asked what on Earth he was talking about, to which he responded that they're burning down factories and even started crashing planes into them. I asked where he heard about this. Tucker. And you see, Tucker always has video footage, so you know he can't make stuff up. A quick Google and darned if this isn't a pervasive conspiracy theory even though the evidence shows that the fires at food production facilities are no more frequent or destructive than they generally are in recent years and the ONE plane that crashed, crashed near a plant and didn't even affect production, employees, etc. SMH.

 

[ToPleaseHim]

I’m amazed at what people believe. Have you watched the Q-anon documentary? I’ll have to go get the name of it; I can’t remember it.

I have a good friend who believes so much of the right wing nut job stuff. (Yes, there are left wing nut jobs, but the bend is different). I just have to stay calm and rational when we discuss the latest thing she saw on Facebook and I poke holes through it.

ETA: Documentary title: Into the Storm

 

[aussiegeekygal]

There was a guy in Texas who would drive around with a spirit level taped to a telescope in the bed of his truck as "proof" that the earth was flat. He also painted his house with flat earth conspiracies. It was pretty epic and slightly sad.

 

[saustin5432]

There was a guy in Texas who would drive around with a spirit level taped to a telescope in the bed of his truck as "proof" that the earth was flat. He also painted his house with flat earth conspiracies. It was pretty epic and slightly sad.

Wait wait wait? The theory here is that if the Earth was curved, the level should change with the curvature?

 

[saustin5432]

ETA: Documentary title: Into the Storm

Today I'll say thanks....but if I end up swaying to Q-anon after watching, Litsters you know what happened to me.

 

[ToPleaseHim]

Today I'll say thanks....but if I end up swaying to Q-anon after watching, Litsters you know what happened to me.

It’s painful but illuminating. Also, you’re too smart to fall for it. Your jaw will be hitting the floor while you watch, though, I’m quite sure.

 

[jordanp76]

Hour long ride with a cab driver who explained in exquisite detail how the Twin Towers were actually brought down by a secret cell of the US military industrial complex, who were testing a top secret sonic wave weapon.

 

[saustin5432]

Hour long ride with a cab driver who explained in exquisite detail how the Twin Towers were actually brought down by a secret cell of the US military industrial complex, who were testing a top secret sonic wave weapon.

Ooh, I'll bet the Havana syndrome thing going on gives credence to this top secret weapon. First buildings, now people.

 

[aussiegeekygal]

It’s painful but illuminating. Also, you’re too smart to fall for it. Your jaw will be hitting the floor while you watch, though, I’m quite sure.

I live and work with Q-anoners. It's incredible the shit they believe and when I can step aside from the disgust, it's fascinating to me to see the mechanisms used to propagandize and entire sector of the world.
There's a reason their own party calls them "useful idiots". They're so controlled by the echo chamber.

 

[jordanp76]

Ooh, I'll bet the Havana syndrome thing going on gives credence to this top secret weapon. First buildings, now people.

I’ve heard a couple versions of that one too!

 

[aussiegeekygal]

Hour long ride with a cab driver who explained in exquisite detail how the Twin Towers were actually brought down by a secret cell of the US military industrial complex, who were testing a top secret sonic wave weapon.

I've really explored this topic because there are some interesting "US involvement" conspiracies out there. I watched all three Zeitgeist films which was a bit of a trip but fun to look into.

 

[jordanp76]

I've really explored this topic because there are some interesting "US involvement" conspiracies out there. I watched all three Zeitgeist films which was a bit of a trip but fun to look into.

I was just glad the guy actually delivered me to my destination without doing anything weirder. At a certain point I just started making lots of agreeable “hmmm” noises

 

[aussiegeekygal]

Am I weird that I enjoy going down conspiracy theory roads with people? I like to learn what other people think and try to understand their arguments. It can be a shit ton of fun, because most conspiracies need just enough truth to be perpetuated and it's entertaining to pull the truth from the rest of the bullshit.

 

[Mrtenant]

I can remember a time reading these conspiracies online. They never end. It is always something. Something else. And then something else. That kind of insanity, I can do without.

To my deep embarrassment for my hometown and state, these things get out in the open with regularity.

The latest, was here in Dallas, people literally marched in Downtown Dallas, with tshirts, hats, signs, holding forth their belief that JFK was going to appear that day, being not really dead, and somehow restore the Presidency to Trump. Or that Trump actually is JFK. I shit you not.

This is just an example of the many articles you can see on it.

https://www.vice.com/en/article/v7v...ding-back-to-dallas-for-another-second-coming

 

[aussiegeekygal]

I was just glad the guy actually delivered me to my destination without doing anything weirder. At a certain point I just started making lots of agreeable “hmmm” noises

Lol.
To him it's just small talk. I bet that's all he does with his time.

 

[aussiegeekygal]

I can remember a time reading these conspiracies online. They never end. It is always something. Something else. And then something else. That kind of insanity, I can do without.

To my deep embarrassment for my hometown and state, these things get out in the open with regularity.

The latest, was here in Dallas, people literally marched in Downtown Dallas, with tshirts, hats, signs, holding forth their belief that JFK was going to appear that day, being not really dead, and somehow restore the Presidency to Trump. Or that Trump actually is JFK. I shit you not.

This is just an example of the many articles you can see on it.

https://www.vice.com/en/article/v7v...ding-back-to-dallas-for-another-second-coming

I remember that

 

[aussiegeekygal]

Did y'all hear about the congressman who went and gave an impassioned rant on the floor because he believed that high schools were going to replace toilets with litter boxes? It was some kind of furry epidemic in our schools. It was great. I'm going to go find it.

 

[Mrtenant]

Am I weird that I enjoy going down conspiracy theory roads with people? I like to learn what other people think and try to understand their arguments. It can be a shit ton of fun, because most conspiracies need just enough truth to be perpetuated and it's entertaining to pull the truth from the rest of the bullshit.

Yea, BTDT, I got other things to entertain myself with- like myself , *holds my pants open and looks down

But go ahead, it has its laughs and is shocking how crazily people hold onto these beliefs.

 

[saustin5432]

I can remember a time reading these conspiracies online. They never end. It is always something. Something else. And then something else. That kind of insanity, I can do without.

To my deep embarrassment for my hometown and state, these things get out in the open with regularity.

The latest, was here in Dallas, people literally marched in Downtown Dallas, with tshirts, hats, signs, holding forth their belief that JFK was going to appear that day, being not really dead, and somehow restore the Presidency to Trump. Or that Trump actually is JFK. I shit you not.

This is just an example of the many articles you can see on it.

https://www.vice.com/en/article/v7v...ding-back-to-dallas-for-another-second-coming

Oh gosh this is rich. I missed this one. I thought the J stood for John, not Jesus.

 

[JK515914]

There's an English former professional football player (soccer if you're American) called David Icke who is now a professional conspiracy theorist.

He believes lots of crazy shit, but the best one has to be that the human race is controlled by a cabal of inter-dimensional alien lizards disguised as humans.

 

[aussiegeekygal]

Bruce Bolsterman's Speech

 

[saustin5432]

There's an English former professional football player (soccer if you're American) called David Icke who is now a professional conspiracy theorist.

He believes lots of crazy shit, but the best one has to be that the human race is controlled by a cabal of inter-dimensional alien lizards disguised as humans.

I was just talking with a Litster about this yesterday. There is an 80s mini-series about this called V.

 

[jordanp76]

For this thread allow me to recommend this classic—Richard Hofstadter, The Paranoid Style in American Politics. Not sure if it belongs in PG but I guess the mods will let me know

 

[Mrtenant]

Did ya hear about H.A.A.R.P.? It is a weather study station somewhere in Alaska, that somehow actually controls the weather and can mindcontrol people also through it's obscure technology. President G. W. Bush is said to have control of it.

 

[JK515914]

I was just talking with a Litster about this yesterday. There is an 80s mini-series about this called V.

If you're going to go nuts and come up with a wild conspiracy theory, you've got to swing for the fence!