> You need to have expertise in the specific area to know whether it's a lie or not That is exactly my point. The knowledge that the expertise is based on is a

> You need to have expertise in the specific area to know whether it's a lie or not That is exactly my point. The knowledge that the expertise is based on is available for everyone. If you actually read the conspiracy theories around the virus, and don't allow popular media to tell you they're all idiots, you'd find there is very well researched information out there. You don't need an academic position to know how to do research. And if you know enough, you can validate for yourself of what you're told is true - unless you advocate taking the official sources as unquestionable. > Reality has disproven this more than enough. I was thinking the current distrust of the WHO and China was enough evidence of my claim being true. Not to mention the declining trust in mass media (though whether that last one is deserved is a rather partisan question). Getting caught in a lie is not "just a temporary sting": it's why people become "conspiracy theorists", which is another way of saying, someone who doesn't trust the official story.