I’m somewhat optimistic that, finally, social media platforms are being held accountable for some of the disinformation that they are putting out there. Now it’s time to hold the theorist themselves accountable, and it’s long overdue.

Conspiracy theories are like a malignant cancer that metastasizes throughout society and given the communication age we live in, can travel worldwide in seconds.

People who think that they can put out unproven information feel that it is their First Amendment right to do; obviously, they have not actually read the First Amendment. The media platforms and those who “share” unproven information should be held liable for damages and prosecuted to the full extent of the law for slander.

None of us are immune to this plague. It just takes just one ticked off person who wants to inflict pain on you or your loved ones to get the ball rolling potentially damaging your reputation and livelihood.

If people would become more knowledgeable about history, they would realize how catastrophic some of this disinformation can potentially be. A good example of a conspiracy theory that ended up causing great pain and suffering on a massive scale is “Mein Kampf,” which directly led to the extermination of over 6 million people because of their religious affiliations or the misfortune of coming into this world with a disability. And it was a catalyst of a world war that claimed the lives of over 75 million people.

“Mein Kampf” is published in English and you may recognize the author. At least read some of the excerpts from it and see if you came draw any parallels to what’s going on today.

But, of course, conspiracy theorists have conspiracy theories about conspiracy theories, and the cancer continues to metastasize.

 

Gerard Austin

Solon

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