Thread by @MollyMcKew

Short thread in mainstreaming conspiracy:

How does a conspiracy theory go from Infowars to an amendment on the NDAA causing a headache for the Pentagon to mainstream media?

A Republican Congressman writes an amendment based on "alternative health" conspiracies/misinfo. /1

Whole books try to prove the conspiracy that Lyme disease was a bioweapon accidentally released by USG, but it all sources back to 1 semi-statement/question by a guy maybe not fully in his faculties. This piece explaining weakness of conspiracy is good /2

outsideonline.com/2395909/bitten…

This by @KELLYWEILL, documenting the rise and success of the toxic "natural news" -- which has now been banned from most social platforms -- is great. You should not it got a boost from its Infowars affiliation.

Conspiracy is an exploitable mindset. /3

thedailybeast.com/how-natural-ne…

This explains the "alternative reality" offered by "Natural News."

At its core are things you will recognize. Antivaxxerism. HIV denial. Anti-medicine/anti-GMO stances.

It is all sophisticated & well-built conspiracy w/ a successful business model /4

mcgill.ca/oss/article/qu…

@HASCDemocrats + @HASCRepublicans use a collaborative process, which is admirable. But in this instance, it allowed a conspiracy theory embraced by one Congressman to become an opinion of "the House" that the Pentagon will have to address. /5

These conspiracies find new life when they get their fingers into reality like this. Because now it isn't "Natural News" and fringe blogs. It's this: /6

And low and behold -- the Infowars 360 is complete as the story goes all the way around the spectrum back to Kremlin propaganda! Surprise! Except the distance between RT and Infowars is like |--| that big. /7

And that is how you get a conspiracy theory into the NDAA, and into the mainstream, where it will always seem real -- and impossible to disprove, because conspiracists are not going to believe a government report -- and survive forever on the Internet. Huzzah! Not. /8

The New Jersey delegation should probably have a convo with Chris Smith about his "news" sources.

Just, ugh. /9