Author Topic: The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories  (Read 789 times)

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Offline Michael Hardner

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Re: The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories
« Reply #30 on: February 24, 2018, 10:21:32 am »
OOPS.

New one: the Missouri Republican Party is blaming Soros for their governor's woes:

https://www.snopes.com/2018/02/23/missouri-gop-blames-soros-for-governor-indictment/

Time for the Democrats to step right, pick up the centre and get a new left party ?

Offline kimmy

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Re: The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories
« Reply #31 on: February 24, 2018, 12:08:54 pm »
https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/23/us/infowars-youtube-videos-trnd/index.html

Alex Jones is one step closer to being banned from YouTube. 

It kind of bugs me that if you post a copyrighted song or video, you're gone. No strikes, you're gone. But you can advocate to your legions of mentally unstable followers to harass teenagers, you get a stern wag of the finger.

Part of the problem is that YouTube makes money off Alex Jones.

The other part of the problem is that if they take action, they make him a martyr of sorts, in the minds of his deranged followers.  Think back a few years to when Twitter banned Milo Yiannopoulos (or "MILO" as he calls himself) after Milo had his legions of retards harassing Leslie Jones to the point that Jones quit Twitter in very public fashion. It was a black eye for Twitter to have an actual celebrity quit their platform because it had become overrun with racist verbal diarrhea that Twitter couldn't do anything about. But on the other hand it was argued by some that Milo had been the victim of censorship and blah blah blah and that his political view was being silenced.  And if YouTube bans Alex Jones they will similarly face accusations of censorship, and "covering up the real truth!" and will confirm in the minds of his idiot audience that there's a global conspiracy to oppress "the truth".


Can Alex Jones' bullshit survive on its own, as opposed to existing as a pervasive troll on mainstream channels ?

I believe he built his brand through his own network of websites (infowars, prisonplanet, and related entities) and I don't think he's dependent on YouTube to get his bullshit out there. Youtube can't put a cork on this bottle.

 -k
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Offline ?Impact

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Re: The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories
« Reply #32 on: February 24, 2018, 03:11:56 pm »
I believe he built his brand through his own network of websites (infowars, prisonplanet, and related entities) and I don't think he's dependent on YouTube to get his bullshit out there. Youtube can't put a cork on this bottle.

Streaming video in high volume is beyond most websites.

Offline Michael Hardner

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Re: The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories
« Reply #33 on: February 24, 2018, 03:39:30 pm »
  I don't think he's dependent on YouTube to get his bullshit out there.

Is Bill O'Reilly, Glenn Beck and such going to still be known quantities in even ... one year ?

They don't have a host, you see ?

Offline Michael Hardner

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Re: The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories
« Reply #34 on: February 27, 2018, 07:58:48 am »

Offline kimmy

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Re: The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories
« Reply #35 on: February 28, 2018, 12:13:37 am »
Is Bill O'Reilly, Glenn Beck and such going to still be known quantities in even ... one year ?

They don't have a host, you see ?

After leaving Fox, Glenn Beck started his own right-leaning news site, called The Blaze.  I'm not sure how popular it is.   He has also moderated his views in recent years.  Expressed regret for some of the divisive stuff he said about Obama, expressed disappointment that voters bought into Trump's racist rhetoric, expressed concern over the increased divisiveness in US politics, stuff like that. This is kind of where he's been at lately:

https://www.theblaze.com/video/liberal-millennial-pens-powerful-message-to-glenn-beck-after-cnn-interview

He was on CNN on election night saying the same sort of thing.  I think, and I'm not kidding, that he had mental health issues and is getting treatment for them now.

 -k
Paris - London - New York - Kim City

Offline Michael Hardner

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Re: The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories
« Reply #36 on: February 28, 2018, 05:39:24 pm »
After leaving Fox, Glenn Beck started his own right-leaning news site, called The Blaze.  I'm not sure how popular it is. 

That's the thing.  I think there may be something about these guys needing to be attached by the MSM.

Quote
He has also moderated his views in recent years.  Expressed regret for some of the divisive stuff he said about Obama, expressed disappointment that voters bought into Trump's racist rhetoric, expressed concern over the increased divisiveness in US politics, stuff like that. This is kind of where he's been at lately:

https://www.theblaze.com/video/liberal-millennial-pens-powerful-message-to-glenn-beck-after-cnn-interview

He was on CNN on election night saying the same sort of thing.  I think, and I'm not kidding, that he had mental health issues and is getting treatment for them now.

 -k

Right.  Well, maybe there's a pill for AJ too.  Beck has a few hundred million so his mental illness served him well.  :)