In your face, Tucker Carlson
We live in an age that is beset by conspiracy theories. As a reader, you could no doubt rattle off three or four of your pet theories; flat-earth, moon landing, JFK, global warming, COVID, magnetizing vaccines, microchip/5G vaccines, placebo vaccines, Commies, Alt/earthers, hollow-earthers, Area 51, Little Grey Men, cattle mutilations, crop circles, lizard people, QAnon, Big Lie, voter fraud. The list goes on. And on.
Thankfully, there are some conspiracy theories which have rather few adherents, but even those few must be of concern. Someone spouting prophesy received from the sunken continent of Mu, via his dental fillings, should be in the charge of a mental health care professional.
Most of you would agree, I think. ‘Conspiracies do exist, you know.’ And people do actually win the lottery. And people are struck by lightning. But rarely. Yes, indeed, one must take care when dissing and disregarding conspiracy theories. Right. One must.
One must do that in the same way one should regard any explanation of political or social events; with a critical mind generating questions regarding the verisimilitude of new information. Can what is being proposed be shot full of holes? Can the immense gas-bag be punctured by facts?
If I were a rich man; dydle, dydle, dydle-dum… I’d give everyone a copy of the ‘Baloney Detection Kit’ in their native language. Therein readers would find a list of false arguments and a glossary of buzz words by which they might steer a clear course through the ocean of bull-shit presented glibly by fervent conspiracy theorists. Then, of course, since I’m wishing on rainbows, everyone would already be of critical mind and capable and dispassionate enough to discern truth from road apples.
Sadly, such is not the case and those who are not englamoured by smarmy preachers and slick pitchmen need to stand our ground and call out corrosive fantasies. One must not simply mutter and turn away when someone tries to pass off a conspiracy theory as a well-accepted fact. It takes resolve. We must be resolved to dissuade people from being loons.
That guy in Montana did just that; Mr Dan Bailey called out Tucker Carlson to his lying face on video. In a fishing shop. (Think of all the harmful twaddle that Tucker spews on any given night.)
Mr Bailey also accused Tucker of killing people with vaccine misinformation and supporting ‘extreme racism’ in a post. Good on him!
NBC reports that the Anti-Defamation League has also called out Carlson for promoting or defending ideas embraced by white supremacists and conspiracy theorists.
Good on them, too, but it’s the personal touch that will make the most difference.
Kudos to Mr Dan Bailey for putting Tucker in his place. Be like Dan.
