In 2014, two researchers from the University of Chicago published a paper entitled, “Conspiracy Theories and the Paranoid Style(s) of Mass Opinion” (American Journal of Political Science). Using data from four nationally representative surveys, they found roughly half of adult Americans routinely endorse at least one conspiracy theory. And while personal ideology is predictive of the type of conspiracy theory that one might endorse, the best predictor for willingness to support conspiracy theories is a “willingness to believe in other unseen, intentional forces and an attraction to Manichean narratives.”
Conspiracy theories share several traits including the insinuation that there is a secret plot led by a group of conspirators and when explaining the conspiracy, the advocates describe evidence that can be viewed as suggestive of the alleged conspiracy, but never definitive. Conspiracy theorists don’t believe that anything happens by chance but rather from dueling forces of good and evil. Naturally, select “experts” are cited as knowing the “truth” and that powerful forces silence these brave souls.
Given this, it is worth analyzing a recent letter to the editor that attempts to discredit COVID-19 vaccination efforts. The author begins by noting that more than 600,000 deaths have been attributed to COVID-19, but this is done in a dismissive manner by putting the number in quotes and listing a number of mainstream media as touting these numbers to link the claim to potential conspirators.
He then claims that the CDC has removed 150,000 records of vaccination-related deaths from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System followed by statements intended to raise conspiratorial doubt including, “ … or is it some other number? They don’t tell us. They get coy and evasive about the real figures.” Cue ominous music.
We are then told that a “highly credentialed” expert, with “a pedigree a mile long” has been “blanked out” after claiming early during the pandemic that masks are worthless and people just need to take more Vitamin D to “arrest COVID-19 symptoms.” This claim may have originated from a meeting of the Edmonton City Council (Nov. 13) during which the person in question called in and misrepresented his professional credentials. Two medical professional organizations have issued statements correcting the record. Hmm, more conspirators?
We are then given anecdotes suggesting validation of the conspiracy. The first mentions a 12-year-old tennis player who died “after the jab.” The child in question lived in Italy and the academy where she played says the social media claims are false. No local media mentions COVID-19 in relation to the child’s death, and very few children of that age receive such vaccines in Italy.
The second anecdote is that “Four British Airway pilots expire, their deaths linked to the vaccine.” The airline has issued a formal statement denying this was the case. One captain died of COVID-19 infection. Another was found unconscious next to his mountain bike. Hmm, was someone trying to silence him?
The third claim was that “the greatest boxing middle-weight of all time succumbs after receiving his injections.” The person in question was “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler and his wife denies his death had anything to do with vaccination (she also told the conspirators this is a private matter and they can bugger off. Hmm, what is she covering up?
I was able to trace documentation of these lies with about 10 minutes of effort.
According to the writer, all of these and many more events are “explained away insouciantly by the corporate media, the academes and World Health Organization types” (Whoops, I guess that includes me; cue the ominous music). The writer ends by implicating the bishops from his own church for supporting vaccination efforts. So, we come full circle to the Manichean narrative.
In fact, The Associated Press and National Public Radio have independently reported that in June, fewer than 1,200 of 107,000 COVID-19 hospitalizations were unvaccinated individuals, and only 150 of 18,000 deaths were individuals who were fully vaccinated. These deaths are nothing short of tragic because they are entirely unnecessary and because people are avoiding vaccination in part because of the lies coming from conspiracy theorists. With the Delta variant, chances for the unvaccinated to get sick and die are greater than ever.
Call (he/him) is a microbiologist and father of three. He first discovered the Palouse 38 years ago.
