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I'm confused as to your intent here. The Hunter Biden laptop story was one of those QAnon conspiracy theories.

toomim 6y ago
And thus the problem: There's no objective distinction between a "conspiracy theory" and a legitimate investigation. So we have one side saying "You're caught up in conspiracy theories!" and the other saying "You're censoring the truth!" How do you solve that?
- Bjartr 6y ago
  You teach effective critical thinking in schools nationwide for a couple of decades. You encourage empathy for those you disagree with. You tolerate intolerant people (but not their intolerant views)
- Guvante 6y ago
  You dig deeper and tell everyone what you found. For the laptop story there was nothing to be found. Verification takes time, when someone dumps a ton of information publicly and exclaims it is true there is no avoiding some people believing it no matter what happens. If we are afraid about censoring that being transparent about what is censored and verifying it afterwards can help with that. However I don't think there is a true solve to misinformation. Lies are catchier than the truth after all.
- lwhi 6y ago
  As terms, 'conspiracy theory' and 'fact' both feel loaded today. I wonder whether reverting to more neutral labelling would held create a less heated dialogue? Founded and unfounded, for example.
throwaway84195 6y ago
I think of the Hunter Biden laptop story as being a lame Swiftboating slimy character assassination that isn't exactly a new thing in politics. Qanon is a different beast altogether because it stokes this really paranoid "they're all against you" mentality that a large portion of the population seems to have been increasingly susceptible to in recent years.
- cle 6y ago
  I’d argue that they’re not entirely wrong. The lives and problems of rural Americans are dramatically different than urban Americans, and given the all-or-nothing nature of the system, neither side is well represented when the other has power. QAnon is obviously garbage, but it’s a symptom of a broken system that can’t effectively represent the entire population, and not just one half.
free_rms 6y ago
No? Nobody was saying Hunter Biden ran a pedo ring with abductions and body doubles replacing key national figures. It's real-world verifiable that Hunter Biden made 600k/yr for several years for a foreign gas company while his dad was VP and involved in pressuring domestic politics in that country. And so we come back to GP's point: If mainstream media is calling everything that's not politically advantageous for the dems a "conspiracy theory", then they lose credibility. If everything's a conspiracy theory, nothing is.
- Craighead 6y ago
  But, there was a conclusive bipartisan investigation that presented the evidence and the conclusion that as VP no policy changes were made to mold around H. Biden being in a foreign gas company...
bra-ket 6y ago
The biggest conspiracy of all is “white supremacy” boogeyman.

And thus the problem: There's no objective distinction between a "conspiracy theory" and a legitimate investigation. So we have one side saying "You're caught up in conspiracy theories!" and the other saying "You're censoring the truth!" How do you solve that?

Bjartr 6y ago
You teach effective critical thinking in schools nationwide for a couple of decades. You encourage empathy for those you disagree with. You tolerate intolerant people (but not their intolerant views)
Guvante 6y ago
You dig deeper and tell everyone what you found. For the laptop story there was nothing to be found. Verification takes time, when someone dumps a ton of information publicly and exclaims it is true there is no avoiding some people believing it no matter what happens. If we are afraid about censoring that being transparent about what is censored and verifying it afterwards can help with that. However I don't think there is a true solve to misinformation. Lies are catchier than the truth after all.
lwhi 6y ago
As terms, 'conspiracy theory' and 'fact' both feel loaded today. I wonder whether reverting to more neutral labelling would held create a less heated dialogue? Founded and unfounded, for example.

throwaway84195 6y ago

I think of the Hunter Biden laptop story as being a lame Swiftboating slimy character assassination that isn't exactly a new thing in politics. Qanon is a different beast altogether because it stokes this really paranoid "they're all against you" mentality that a large portion of the population seems to have been increasingly susceptible to in recent years.

cle 6y ago
I’d argue that they’re not entirely wrong. The lives and problems of rural Americans are dramatically different than urban Americans, and given the all-or-nothing nature of the system, neither side is well represented when the other has power. QAnon is obviously garbage, but it’s a symptom of a broken system that can’t effectively represent the entire population, and not just one half.

free_rms 6y ago

No? Nobody was saying Hunter Biden ran a pedo ring with abductions and body doubles replacing key national figures. It's real-world verifiable that Hunter Biden made 600k/yr for several years for a foreign gas company while his dad was VP and involved in pressuring domestic politics in that country. And so we come back to GP's point: If mainstream media is calling everything that's not politically advantageous for the dems a "conspiracy theory", then they lose credibility. If everything's a conspiracy theory, nothing is.

Craighead 6y ago
But, there was a conclusive bipartisan investigation that presented the evidence and the conclusion that as VP no policy changes were made to mold around H. Biden being in a foreign gas company...

bra-ket 6y ago

The biggest conspiracy of all is “white supremacy” boogeyman.