Thread by @_MAArgentino

1/ How are conspiracy theories dangerous? There are three main categories to consider: A) conspiracy theories can lead to radicalization and violence, B) conspiracy theories can disrupt democratic processes, C) conspiracy theories are a threat to public health

2/ The connection between conspiracy theories and violence is not new, @annamerlan, Michael Barkun, JW van Prooijen, Chip Berlet have covered this in books and academic publications. In the 90's NWO conspiracy theories generated fear and violent actions from some groups

3/ Bartlett and Miller in a Demos piece argued that "conspiracy theories are indeed a radicalizing multiplier: they hold extremist groups together and push them in a more extreme and sometimes violent direction."

4/ Benjamin Lee argued that "conspiracy theories are not only catalysts for radicalization but that they also have the function of preventing deradicalization within extremist groups because they improve solidarity and insulate believers from external challenges to their ideas"

5/Uscinski & Parent showed that 16% of survey respondents categorised as high on conspiratorial
predispositions deemed violence as an acceptable mode of expressing disagreement with the government. This is compared to around 8% agreement by those with low or medium predisposition

6/ Giry and Gürpınar explain that conspiracy theories centred on prejudices and stereotypes contribute to the production and circulation of social hate and the exaltation of ingroup values, status and identities. Particularly endemic in periods of riots, violence or crisis

7/ Conspiracist movements have been used and manipulated by authoritarian regimes that owe their rise, consolidation and perseverance to these propensities, with many authoritarian regimes establishing and legitimizing themselves

8/ In a global pandemic (especially) conspiracy theories play a role in denying established medical and scientific knowledge around COVID, vaccines, and the effectiveness of masks.

9/ What is especially dangerous is how conspiracy theories will lead those who believe in them to endanger themselves, their family and friends and their communities do to their beliefs.

10/ Medical conspiracy theories foster a false sense of security in those who believe in them as they claim COVID does not exist, it is a plot by a global-elite, there is a hidden agenda behind it, evil forces are doing this and those who are awake need to fight against them.

11/ With vaccines rolling out anti-vaxers & conspiracy theorists are walking hand in hand claiming that COVID vaccines cause harm, are killing 1000s of people, that the vaccines for a fake disease are a way for the elite to get rich or they are going to implant a chip to track us

12/ Those who believe this will refuse to inoculate themselves and their families thus endangering those who depend on hard immunity, as well as themselves and those close to them.

13/ Conspiracy theories also lead to a distrust in the political system & the foundations of democracy. This leads to a disruption of democratic processes by the dissemination of disinformation (voter fraud, stop the steal, mail-in-voting) to violent insurrections on capitol hill

14/ The reason to take these movements seriously is because they are a threat to core elements to our societies and democracies, and currently pose a public health risk to our societies and they will present themselves as a barrier to ending the pandemic.