Misinformation kills. Propagating damaging half-truths for the sole purpose of assuaging fear of the unknown or threats to one’s belief system is outright malicious. Spreading outright lies for political clout has become mainstream. Look no further than the COVID19 pandemic for proof that believing this malignant garbage is dangerous and is a threat to civilization itself. Who knew that irrefutable scientific evidence would become political. Constitutional fundamentalists, who have a tenuous grasp, at best, of the numerous nuances in colonial writings, became enraged with governments and private business began handing down masks mandates. “It’s my body and I have the right to control myself as I see fit,” they would scream at frightened store managers when asked to put on a mask. (We won’t put out the irony their demands for the government to cease intervention into individual rights). Their ire didn’t subside when vaccine mandates started to roll out the following fall. As a result, thousands of otherwise healthy people needlessly died because they fell prey to misinformation and outlandish conspiracy theories. What is truly tragic is how their countless lies and poor decision making affected those around them. The same family that refused to mask up or get their regiment of vaccines unknowingly passed the virus to grandma and her roommate at the nursing home. As we all know, the elderly and immunocompromised individuals have a much more difficult time fighting off this deadly virus. Thousands of more people, who still followed masking and social distancing mandates, unfortunately passed during the initial waves of the virus that spring and summer – all because selfish self-proclaimed “Patriots” refused to follow common sense and fell for divisive rhetoric. Forgive us for putting a cynical spin on the national conversation and mood, but dangerous conspiracy theories, such as these, are undermining the foundations of democracy, as evident by how quickly politicians could so easily politicize basic science for national clout.
How Did We Get Here?
How did we get to the point that thousands upon thousands of Americans needlessly died due to misinformation and self-serving lies? Since when did over-the-top conspiracy theories hold more weight than proven medical breakthroughs and facts, which are both time and laboratory tested? Even the most impenetrable tenets of our democratic system were tested by ardent propagandists and misled “truth seekers.” Why are humans, in general, so prone to false narratives and folly? Maybe it’s because normal lives and the daily world are too trivial or boring for these people to latch onto. Who wants to go and sit through a three hour long movie about getting up, going to work and coming home to go to bed? No, we need more excitement than that. We need a grand fantastical tale to put a nice ribbon on and for everything to come full circle to make sense of this nonsensical world we believe in. It’s those little constant hits of dopamine to the brain that keeps conspiracy theorists coming back from more. To simply blame the media for sensationalizing stories through conjecture and pandering is only part of the reason. Marginalizing their beliefs from a pretentious and elitist standpoint is one of the many culprits. When you ridicule someone’s belief system or become to believe they don’t matter, they turn to the fringes of society to find solace and company. This is how several people become radicalized or led to believe in outrageous lies. We can’t ostracize them for their beliefs either, we have to bring these individuals back into the informed fold for the benefit of the masses. But we still must not blame contemporary scholars and the enlightened for the meandering ways of liars and conspiracy theorists. Most Americans also came of age during the height of the printed word. Only tabloid magazines got away with printing lies and this was only because it was believed that no logical person could possibly believe such out-of-this-world stories.
Remember FEMA Camps? How Did That Turn Out?
One of the more prominent conspiracy theories to subvert all logic and rationality was the installation of FEMA camps on American soil. Basically, the theory posited that the government would round up all dissenters and political opponents into these massive 800 concentration camp styled facilities. While there, the citizens would be reeducated or held permanently. None of these theories outlined a clear objective as to why the camps would exist, but that hasn’t stopped the conspiracy from flourishing in all darkened corners of the internet. The theory steadily grew following the attacks of 9/11 and often referenced the internment of Japanese citizens during WWII as precedent that it could happen again. Pandemonium surrounding the conspiracy once again swept across America during the early stages of the pandemic. Government shutdowns and stay-at-home orders further fueled wide speculation that the concentration camps would soon pop-up after martial law was declared. Of course the shutdowns had nothing to do with subjugation, but everything to do with public health and slowing the virus’s spread. If anything the pandemic and the government shutdown proved the FEMA camp conspiracy was just that and nothing more. If the government was going to follow through on mass detention and establishing a new order, they missed the perfect opportunity with the pandemic. Public fear was at a fever pitch, akin to how American citizens turned to their government for help following the attack on Pearl Harbor. The federal government would’ve had little trouble imprisoning millions of Americans under the guise of public health and isolating the infected from the healthy. And like all of the other conspiracy theories and Doomsday scenarios, the perpetrators of these dubious claims were nowhere to be found once proven false. How ironic. They also almost certainly retreated to the shadows to cook up yet another outlandish scheme to divide the masses.
How to Protect Your Family From Misinformation
So much confusion and consternation can be avoided with a simple Google search. Software engineers have worked diligently to write code and algorithm to ensure that only authentic and fact-checked information makes its way back to your browser. This prevents dubious and flat-out lies from clouding your judgment. Google is like the Encyclopedia of the Modern Age. Only the most genuine, up-to-date, and accurate information makes its way to the top shelf. It’s ironic that we live in the Information Age when so many lies and half-truths are allowed to circulate. But the fact remains that you can’t sway others with common sense. Some people, whether it be for political or religious reasons, will always choose against logic. These people could be someone across the state, town or even you’re next door neighbor. In the event of societal collapse or any type of uprising, you will want to protect your family from such extremism and irrational individuals. If they can act with such wanton disregard during times of relative peace, how do you think they will act during any type of national emergency or natural disaster? Humans are animalistic in their approach. They will turn to their worst possible instincts and impulses to get what they need during uncertainty. Your family and valuables won’t be an exception. You need guaranteed steel protection against the enraged ignorant hordes. A panelized safe room from U.S. Safe Room can be discreetly installed into any existing room, office or hallway. This can offer you first line defense against home invasion and burglars.
