Global Opinions
Opinion: Why is it so hard to deprogram Trumpian conspiracy theorists?
Opinion by Brian KlaasGlobal Opinions contributorJan. 25, 2021 at 2:50 p.m. EST
For the past four years, the United States was governed by a conspiracy
theorist in chief. Whether by retweeting QAnon accounts from the Oval Office or
painting himself as the victim of shadowy “deep state” plots at rallies,
President Donald Trump injected the toxin of baseless conspiratorial thinking
straight into America’s political bloodstream. On Jan. 6, America saw how far
that venom had spread, as a ragtag group of militias, racist extremists and
flag-waving disciples of Trumpism stormed the Capitol.The insurrectionists were
unified by their support for Trump. But many of them shared another crucial
trait: They were conspiracy theorists. And while hundreds of people stormed the
Capitol, there are millions of Americans who share their views. There is no
doubt: The United States has a serious problem with pathological political
delusions.So, do we have any hope of deprogramming the millions of Americans
who are devoted to dangerous lunacy? Don’t hold your breath.
Psychologists and political scientists have been interested in conspiracy
theories for decades, but their research has taken on new urgency. And what is
clear from their findings is this: Once people have gone far enough down the
rabbit hole of conspiratorial thinking, it can be nearly impossible to get them
back out.There are a few reasons conspiracy theories are so “sticky” once
they’re in someone’s head. First, conspiracy theorists are far more likely to
have a Manichaean worldview, meaning they interpret everything as a battle
between good and evil. That makes it harder for dispassionate evidence-based
arguments to break through. (For QAnon believers, Trump is the central
superhero in an epic saga to vanquish a shadowy cabal.)Second, those who seek
to debunk conspiracy theories are precisely the people that true believers
distrust. If someone believes the media is controlled by sinister but unseen
puppet masters, fact checks from CNN will never convince them they’re wrong.For
the past four years, those who have worked hardest to dispel QAnon believers of
their fantasies are the very people that “Anons” trust least: anti-Trump
academics like me, news outlets such as The Post and politicians who they
believe to be co-opted by the “deep state.” Political scientists Brendan Nyhan
and Jason Reifler have documented the risks of a backfire effect, in which
correcting misperceptions actually ends up entrenching them. In the world of
conspiratorial thinking, the harder the pushback, the greater the proof that a
coverup is afoot.Third, these organized mass delusions are designed to resist
debunking. When Armageddon fails to materialize on a precise date predicted by
a cult leader, believers often chalk it up to miscalculation and simply pick a
new date. The same is often true for conspiracy theories. When Trump failed to
fulfill the QAnon prophecy of arresting Joe Biden and staying in power, some
believers began suggesting that Biden was secretly in on the plan. No matter
what happens, there’s always another explanation.Chris French, a professor who
heads the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit at Goldsmiths, University of
London, recently told me that conspiracy theorists often even believe mutually
contradictory claims. For example, those who believe that Princess Diana faked
her own death often simultaneously believe that she was killed by the
government. “They can’t both be true,” French said.But while political science
and psychology have effectively demonstrated the cognitive biases that cause
such deranged beliefs to stick, there’s a crucial dimension that isn’t getting
enough attention. Conspiracy theories, for too many people, are fun. That’s
particularly true because groups such as QAnon have developed into robust
online communities in which believers forge digital friendships. Our mental
image of tinfoil-hat-wearing loners isolated in dark basements is outdated.
Modern conspiracy movements such as QAnon, are thriving in church groups and
yoga classes. They’re social. And that means that deprogramming is that much
harder.In 1995, Harvard political scientist Robert Putnam wrote an essay called
“Bowling Alone,” in which he argued that Americans were becoming atomized.
Bowling leagues were disappearing even as more people were bowling. And that
reflected a deeper fracturing of American society.Today, with the rise of
social media, one can be alone but feel part of a group — and some of those
groups are glued together by unhinged beliefs. Bowling alone has been replaced
by tweeting together — a cardboard cutout for real social interaction, but one
that has a seductive allure to millions of people. Many of the fanatics who
stormed the Capitol were neither poor nor social misfits, but rather had found
a digital community to augment or replace their offline one.We can no longer
pretend that conspiracy theorists are beneath our attention. They’ve shown they
have tremendous capacity to inflict damage on society. Bringing the deluded
people who populate Trump’s political base back to reality will be difficult.
But to find the right antidote, we need to at least accurately diagnose who has
taken the poison. And that means acknowledging that those who sympathize with
the Capitol insurrectionists are not far-off lunatics. Some, most likely, are
your neighbors.And, given the staying power of conspiratorial thinking, they
aren’t likely to change their minds anytime soon.
-----Original Message-----
From: Didi Pei <didi@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: pa64@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <pa64@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thu, Jan 28, 2021 11:21 am
Subject: [pa64] Re: Didi's life work is to deprogram the listserve. This shows
why it won't work.
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{}#yiv6368078708 div.yiv6368078708WordSection1 {}#yiv6368078708 Randy can you
copy/paste the article? From: pa64-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<pa64-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>On Behalf Of rhelkins
Sent: Thursday, January 28, 2021 8:17 AM
To: pa64@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [pa64] Re: Didi's life work is to deprogram the listserve. This shows
why it won't work. Actually my world view is far more nuanced. There is
evil, really evil, and really really evil;. Then, of course, there is good,
really good and really really good. Deep, complex thinking is my specialty.
-----Original Message-----
From: Matthew McClure <mjmcclure@xxxxxxxxx>
To: pa64@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Wed, Jan 27, 2021 11:02 pm
Subject: [pa64] Re: Didi's life work is to deprogram the listserve. This shows
why it won't work. I don't know, Randy. I certainly would never suggest that
you had a Manichean viewpoint. Good vs. evil? Black vs. white? Randy?
Preposterous. On Wed, Jan 27, 2021 at 4:09 PM rhelkins
<dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/01/25/why-is-it-so-hard-deprogram-trumpian-conspiracy-theorists/
