cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/933697
When it comes to spreading disinformation about climate change or the risks of smoking, I can clearly see how it protects economic interests (e.g. the value of the assets of the fossil fuel industry or the tobacco industry). I therefore understand that these lies are (have been) regularly pushed by people who do not necessarily believe in them.
But what are the strategic considerations behind the active spread of anti-vax theories? Who gains from this? Is it just an effective topic to rile up a political base? Because it hits people right in the feels? Is it just a way to bring people together on one topic, in order to use that political base for other purposes?
Or is anti-vax disinformation really only pushed by people who believe it?
Some perspectives:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29081831/
In the present contribution, we examine the link between societal crisis situations and belief in conspiracy theories. Contrary to common assumptions, belief in conspiracy theories has been prevalent throughout human history. We first illustrate historical incidents suggesting that societal crisis situations-defined as impactful and rapid societal change that calls established power structures, norms of conduct, or even the existence of specific people or groups into question-have stimulated belief in conspiracy theories. We then review the psychological literature to explain why this is the case. Evidence suggests that the aversive feelings that people experience when in crisis-fear, uncertainty, and the feeling of being out of control-stimulate a motivation to make sense of the situation, increasing the likelihood of perceiving conspiracies in social situations. We then explain that after being formed, conspiracy theories can become historical narratives that may spread through cultural transmission. We conclude that conspiracy theories originate particularly in crisis situations and may form the basis for how people subsequently remember and mentally represent a historical event.
More:
- https://publicmedievalist.com/pizzagate-cults/
- https://www.psypost.org/2021/08/conspiracy-theorists-and-religious-people-are-more-likely-to-commit-a-conjunction-fallacy-in-contexts-related-to-their-worldviews-61675?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook
- https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/finding-new-home/202208/why-belief-in-conspiracies-is-sometimes-adaptive-and-logical
I also implore everyone interested in the subject to read this:
https://medium.com/curiouserinstitute/a-game-designers-analysis-of-qanon-580972548be5
