Corona Daily 398: A Lot of People Are Saying

A friend of mine believes wholeheartedly that 9/11 was an American plot to attack Muslim lands. CIA managed the operations, and the story of the 19 hijackers is a concocted one. Another friend believes coronavirus was made in a Wuhan lab. As irrefutable evidence, he sends to everyone a long WhatsApp essay by a Chinese scientist who allegedly worked in that lab. The essay by the Chinese is not a translation. It is written in English so beautiful that many native English speakers would be unable to match the articulation of the Chinese man. Both these friends are intelligent, the second one is a double degree holder in engineering. It is futile to argue with them. Their conviction in theories is stronger than my conviction in the scientific method.  

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If any profession has prospered as a result of the coronavirus, it is that of the conspiracy theorists. The Chinese think Americans have created this as a bioweapon. Americans accuse the Chinese of the same. In Iran they predictably talk about Zionist elements developing it against Iran. Jews created it to cause the stock market collapse. In the pandemic, the more alcohol you drink, the safer you are. Vegetarians are immune. (In India, probably all corona deaths were among the meat eaters). The list is too long to be covered in a short article.

Why are the conspiracy theories booming? First, because they are akin to fairytales for adults. Like fairytales, they have villains, a motive, and an intricate plot to harm good people. (Meaning those believing in the conspiracy theories). Many adults retain their childhood innocence in late adulthood. They continue to trust fairy tales.

Second, in crisis times, such theories help establish a certain logic to the events. It is psychologically comforting. When scientists say they don’t know everything about the virus, there is a knowledge gap. That void can be filled with a nice conspiracy theory.

Third, when people like Trump talk against science, public mistrust gets a boost.

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It is tolerable if a conspiracy theory remains just a fairy tale. It becomes dangerous when the believers start acting on it.

Since January, social media has linked coronavirus to 5G technology. In the UK, during the lockdown, anti-5G protestors were busy vandalizing 5G masts. Razor blades were hidden behind anti-5G posters on telegraph poles. Between April and June, there were 264 incidents of verbal and physical abuse against 5G engineers. 99 telecom masts have been set on fire.

Similar attacks and arson acts took place in New Zealand as well.

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In the UK, 60% of those who believe 5G causes coronavirus said they got their information from YouTube. Social media is the biggest source and disseminator for conspiracy theories. Facebook, YouTube and Twitter are unregulated platforms. Almost anything can be said and distributed on them. Due to pressure, they have now removed hundreds of thousands of videos and posts related to Covid-19 that could lead to imminent harm. In the UK, FB has attached warning labels to 50 million pieces of Covid-19 related content. Amazon removed more than a million products claiming to cure or prevent Covid-19 from their catalogues.

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Just because a lot of people say something, it doesn’t become the truth.

Ravi