#1583 Alluring Conspiracy Culture vs Capitalism: The Driving Forces that are Attracting People into Conspiratorial Thinking About Trump, COVID, Economics, Military Affairs and More.
Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy
Jay Tomlinson
4.5 • 3.4K Ratings
🗓️ 18 September 2023
⏱️ 61 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Air Date 9/18/2023
Exploring the captivating world of conspiracy theories! We are all wired to believe misinformation to some degree, but not all to the same degree. With help from Naomi Klein, and other experts, discover why people are drawn to conspiracies, the psychology behind belief and ideas about the best way to prevent conspiratorial thinking.
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SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: Why we are all attracted to conspiracy theories - The Guardian - Air Date 3-10-21
Belief in conspiracy theories is far more widespread than the stereotypes that dominate pop culture.
When Naomi Klein discovered that a woman who shared her first name, but had radically different, harmful views, was getting chronically mistaken for her, it seemed too ridiculous to take seriously. Then suddenly it wasn't.
Ch. 3: Why Do Conservatives Fall For Fake News? - Leeja Miller - Air Date 6-28-23
Why do conservatives fall for fake news? Is it just them, or are we all culpable? How did Americans become so susceptible to falling for disinformation? And what can we do about it??
Klein explains her initial motivation for the book was her own alter-ego, the author Naomi Wolf, for whom she has often been mistaken.
Ch. 5: How Conspiracy Theories Capture the Mind - UChicago Institute of Politics - Air Date 4-8-22
Journalisms role in solving the spread of misinformation
This past year, COVID-19 and the U.S. elections have provided fertile ground for conspiracy theories—with sometimes disastrous consequences. Karen Douglas, PhD discusses psychological research on how conspiracy theories start & why they persist.
Ch. 8: Birds Aren’t Real? How a Conspiracy Takes Flight | Peter McIndoe - TEDTalks - Air Date 9-13-23
Peter McIndoe isn't a fan of birds. In fact, he has a theory about them that might shock you. Listen along to this eye-opening talk as it takes a turn and makes a larger point about conspiracies, truth and belonging in divisive times.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
MAGA supporters not only believe that Donald Trump is still president, but that he's in charge of the military.
Like millions of Americans, Karen Robertson of Iuka, Mississippi believed in conspiracy theories. But one day she had an experience that convinced her to challenge her beliefs. She spoke about that moment with student reporter Makenna Mead
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 11: Final comments on the importance of making connections while avoiding conspiratorial thinking
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to this episode of the award winning best of a left podcast, in which we shall |
| 0:07.2 | take a look at the world of conspiracy theories, because we are all wired to believe misinformation |
| 0:12.9 | to some degree, but not all to the same degree. |
| 0:16.8 | So with help from Naomi Klein and other experts, discover why people are drawn to conspiracies, |
| 0:22.2 | the psychology behind belief, and ideas about the best ways to prevent conspiratorial thinking. |
| 0:28.8 | Sources today include The Guardian, Big Questions from Penguin Books UK, Legion Miller, |
| 0:36.0 | Democracy Now, the University of Chicago Institute of Politics, Speaking of Psychology, and |
| 0:42.9 | a TED Talk with additional members only clips from The Daily Show and the PBS News Hour. |
| 0:54.1 | If the question is, why do people believe conspiracy theories? |
| 0:57.6 | The question you're really asking is, why do people believe anything? |
| 1:02.2 | And the answer is, for a lot of reasons, there isn't just one factor. |
| 1:07.2 | And it would be easy if we could pin it on one thing, like, oh, it was Twitter, made |
| 1:10.9 | everyone believe this, or they were dropped on their head, or they happened to fit a |
| 1:15.0 | particular demographic, or they have some psychological problem. |
| 1:19.5 | But that's not going to explain most beliefs for most people. |
| 1:22.6 | My eyes are open. |
| 1:24.1 | And once you're open, believe me, well, you still look normal, seems insane, and now keen, |
| 1:27.8 | don't you think, what do you think this has something to do with that? |
| 1:31.1 | The reality is that we all share certain hard-wired evolutionary traits that help us navigate |
| 1:36.8 | the world. |
| 1:38.6 | One such trait is how we verify information without direct personal experience. |
| 1:44.8 | We only have a certain knowledge, normally it's what's all around us. |
... |
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