Oct 3, 2024 10:32 PM
(This post was last modified: Oct 3, 2024 10:38 PM by C C.)
https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/conspir...-medicine/
EXCERPTS: . . . These two claims – that there is a conspiracy to suppress already known cancer cures and that alternative treatments can cure cancer, are related. They are representative of the symbiotic relationship between the conspiracy subculture and the CAM industry.
This relationship is perhaps most disturbingly and cynically represented in the persona of Alex Jones. According to many sources, the Info Wars empire exists solely to sell snake oil. That’s really it – it is a dietary supplement business that uses conspiracy mongering as a marketing tool. The conspiracy messaging has been market tested in every broadcast, and the message tweaked to maximize sales. Jones apparently hit upon a pre-existing relationship, and then turbo-charged it with the heartless precision that only a con-artist can (without the baggage of actually believing anything).
That there is a huge overlap between CAM true believers and conspiracy theorists is not surprising. Both are the natural consequence of rejecting science, the institutions of science, and expertise. The thought process flows naturally. If, for example, we begin with a claim – that coffee enemas cure cancer – proponents of this claim run into a hard brick wall of fact. Coffee enemas do not cure cancer. Within a scientific framework, for various claims, we might say that there is no credible evidence the treatment works, or that there is no plausible mechanism, or that direct clinical evidence does not show any benefit, or that there are risks far in excess of any potential benefit. In short, we use science to answer the question – is this intervention safe and effective.
This is a problem, however, if you want to sell coffee enemas to cure cancer, or use the claim to sell your services as a health guru. So what’s a snake oil purveyor to do? The pseudoscience handbook provides an answer – just dismiss the scientific evidence as part of some conspiracy. “They” don’t want you to cure your cancer with coffee enemas so that they can keep you sick and sell you their drugs.
Unfortunately, the conspiracy narrative is inherently emotionally compelling to the human brain. Some people seem to be innate conspiracy theorists, and buy pretty much every conspiracy. That is just how they see the world. But there is a continuum, and at the other end there are those with more of an analytical thinking style who are relatively resistant. But most people are in between, and are “opportunistic” conspiracy theorists – they will latch onto conspiracy theories that support their existing belief system or their tribal identity.
Conspiracy thinking is also a trap because it contains feedback loops of positive reinforcement. If you reject authoritative sources of information as part of a conspiracy, then you will likely reject any information that can disprove the conspiracy. Any information that contradicts the conspiracy, or lack of information that would prove the conspiracy, are part of the conspiracy. A shadowy “they” then hovers over all information, which gives you permission to reject, ad hoc, any inconvenient data point.
Conspiracy thinking can also be emotionally appealing... (MORE - missing details)
EXCERPTS: . . . These two claims – that there is a conspiracy to suppress already known cancer cures and that alternative treatments can cure cancer, are related. They are representative of the symbiotic relationship between the conspiracy subculture and the CAM industry.
This relationship is perhaps most disturbingly and cynically represented in the persona of Alex Jones. According to many sources, the Info Wars empire exists solely to sell snake oil. That’s really it – it is a dietary supplement business that uses conspiracy mongering as a marketing tool. The conspiracy messaging has been market tested in every broadcast, and the message tweaked to maximize sales. Jones apparently hit upon a pre-existing relationship, and then turbo-charged it with the heartless precision that only a con-artist can (without the baggage of actually believing anything).
That there is a huge overlap between CAM true believers and conspiracy theorists is not surprising. Both are the natural consequence of rejecting science, the institutions of science, and expertise. The thought process flows naturally. If, for example, we begin with a claim – that coffee enemas cure cancer – proponents of this claim run into a hard brick wall of fact. Coffee enemas do not cure cancer. Within a scientific framework, for various claims, we might say that there is no credible evidence the treatment works, or that there is no plausible mechanism, or that direct clinical evidence does not show any benefit, or that there are risks far in excess of any potential benefit. In short, we use science to answer the question – is this intervention safe and effective.
This is a problem, however, if you want to sell coffee enemas to cure cancer, or use the claim to sell your services as a health guru. So what’s a snake oil purveyor to do? The pseudoscience handbook provides an answer – just dismiss the scientific evidence as part of some conspiracy. “They” don’t want you to cure your cancer with coffee enemas so that they can keep you sick and sell you their drugs.
Unfortunately, the conspiracy narrative is inherently emotionally compelling to the human brain. Some people seem to be innate conspiracy theorists, and buy pretty much every conspiracy. That is just how they see the world. But there is a continuum, and at the other end there are those with more of an analytical thinking style who are relatively resistant. But most people are in between, and are “opportunistic” conspiracy theorists – they will latch onto conspiracy theories that support their existing belief system or their tribal identity.
Conspiracy thinking is also a trap because it contains feedback loops of positive reinforcement. If you reject authoritative sources of information as part of a conspiracy, then you will likely reject any information that can disprove the conspiracy. Any information that contradicts the conspiracy, or lack of information that would prove the conspiracy, are part of the conspiracy. A shadowy “they” then hovers over all information, which gives you permission to reject, ad hoc, any inconvenient data point.
Conspiracy thinking can also be emotionally appealing... (MORE - missing details)
