• NigelFrobisher@aussie.zone
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      10
      ·
      23 days ago

      Conspiracy theories are all bollocks. Real conspiracies don’t even bother to hide because they have the power and who’s going to stop them anyway?

    • Tattorack@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      22 days ago

      There are a handful, but they’re either too mundane for the typical conspiracy guy, or actually invalidate certain conspiracies.

      Like climate change deniers. They believe that climate change is created by scientists to make more money or by shadow government to keep people in line with fear, or some combination of both.

      The real conspiracy is, however, that Exxon Mobile knew about climate change 11 years before scientists at large discovered it and spent all that time creating the climate denying talking points we all know and love.

      https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/exxon-knew-about-climate-change-almost-40-years-ago/

      • canofcam@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        22 days ago

        Right, but a conspiracy theory would be to go back to before climate change was a widely accepted thing and then claiming that Exxon were sitting on information that could ultimately lead to the end of human civilisation.

        Many people make such claims about things that are currently happening, and are all lumped in together as insane people that should not be trusted.

        Who are you to say there “are a handful” of legitimate conspiracy theories? Have you yourself looked into them yourself, or are you just saying what the majority would?

        Just with the Trump administration itself, I would say there are hundreds of conspiracies going on there. Whilst many of them are out in the open, there are others we can theorise on.

      • chicken@lemmy.dbzer0.com
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        9
        ·
        23 days ago

        NSA spying, Epstein, diamond engagement rings, are some examples of conspiracy theories widely established to be real.

        • RobotsLeftHand@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          23 days ago

          Yes, and countless crackpots reference Galileo when shouting out their latest thing that scientists don’t want you to know about. The one doesn’t automatically give even the slightest credence to the other.

          • chicken@lemmy.dbzer0.com
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            22 days ago

            Sure, but it works the other way around too; you can’t automatically rule out conspiracy theories as false just because they fall into the category of conspiracy theories. This is itself a plausible conspiracy theory; that the trope of conspiracy theories being associated with crazy idiots, and the prevalence of very stupid conspiracy theories, is supported and encouraged to provide additional cover for the real ones.

            • PunnyName@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              1
              ·
              22 days ago

              You can until they provide evidence. Because the onus of proof is on the claimant.

              Acquire proof.

              • chicken@lemmy.dbzer0.com
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                2
                ·
                edit-2
                22 days ago

                I would argue that even before the point where the conspiracies I mentioned were conclusively proven and accepted as common knowledge, it still made sense to seriously consider the possibility and not dismiss people doing so only because they were engaging in conspiracy theories (which absolutely happened). That mindset just helps them get away with it.

        • PunnyName@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          edit-2
          22 days ago

          And yet, pizza gate, school shooting crisis actors, “Bush did 9/11”, fake moon landing, firmament, HAARP weather control, JFK killed by the CIA, et. al (to name a few) are all ephemeral bunk with no conclusive evidence to back them up.