Why are conspiracy theories flourishing?
Conspiracy theories are thriving on social media and also at demonstrations. According to them "evil forces" are behind the pandemic, politicians, journalists and doctors are "carriers of dark secrets", and there is talk of censorship, compulsory vaccination and surveillance. Commentators see this as a highly dangerous trend.
A desire to restore our shattered world
Conspiracy theories have a decisive advantage against science, so it's no surprise that there are so many of them right now, Dnevnik writes:
“They make perfect sense and generally don't suffer from contradictions. Science, on the other hand, comes up with new, often completely contradictory opinions about Covid-19 every day. Almost every aspect of this new virus is under debate. Conspiracy theories, on the other hand, offer easily understandable and congruent explanations of current events. ... In this way they offer us something that science cannot: the restoration of our shattered world.”
Murdoch's media poisoning millions
By downplaying dangers and spreading conspiracy theories, Rupert Murdoch's media empire is playing a significant role in making matters worse in the crisis, The Irish Times complains:
“Most countries treat the knowing infection of other people, or reckless disregard for the possibility of transmitting a virus, as crimes. Spit at one person and you go jail. Put millions at risk for your own profit by pouring lies into their ears, and as Murdoch announced he would do on Friday, you graciously forgo your corporate bonus. Murdoch is no different than the mine owner who sends his workers into tunnels that might collapse, or the chemicals mogul who knows his plant is poisoning the local population but keeps it going anyway. He is one of the world's great polluters, pumping out noxious disinformation 24 hours a day.”