Rise of the Fake Truckers!

Conspiracy theories are an invention of neither this century nor the last. They have been running rampant for as long as humans have run rampant on earth. The excitement that having a view that is different than the majority of people often overtakes the values of credibility and truth. Conspiracy theorists seem to have a liking to the anonymous quote, “Even the stupidest person on earth will attract at least a few followers if they stand for a cause.”

Conspiracy theories have a long history, but they have never been featured as prominently as they are in the current political and social setting and landscape. The published letters to the New York Times editor indicate that a higher than the average number of people believed in conspiracy theories during the 1950s when the fear of communism prevailed and in the late 1800s while the global depression had been taking its toll. A study indicates that the people who have a higher number of unsatisfied psychological needs are more likely to believe in conspiracy theories than people who are psychologically content.

It is the natural need of people to know the truth that draws them towards lies. It is a need of the people to feel good about the groups they associate themselves with and feel secure and safe. When people do not have these natural needs of theirs met, they find conspiracy theories appealing. Evidence exists that such theories and ideas we a common norm in ancient Rome, proving that they do not need the internet to spread, but merely bored humans, surfing the internet for some spice.

The internet and social media play a big role in fueling conspiracy theories as well. From the ideas that the earth is flat and the moon landing was faked to the theories that reptilian humanoids rule the world and 9/11 was an inside job, stories that are designed and put out there for the purpose of sparking conspiracies seem to have embraced social media as a natural home. Tech media and the internet loves sensation as it draws higher interaction levels. People split into groups to agree and disagree with the theories, and debates erupt that benefit the online platforms by allowing for more minutes spent over them. For these reasons, they welcome any and every opportunity to give conspiracy theorists a voice, whether they are fringe minorities or disenfranchised hypocrites.

Conspiracy theories are usually drawn from unusual, uncommon, or accidental events: JFK’s assassination, 9/11, mass shootings like Sandy Hook, Moon landing, Princess Diana’s death, etc. Conspiracy theorists, therefore, are always seeking happenings that they can bank on and pounce on one as soon as it appears. The same was the case with the Covid-19 pandemic. The over two years it has been prevalent saw a number of conspiracy theories; the virus is spread as a population control measure, being one of the most drastic of them. The Covid-19 vaccination came, and conspiracy theorists had yet another thing on their hands that they could exercise their imagination with, and they made sure not to miss the opportunity. They came up with, ‘the vaccine contains tracking microchips,’ along with many others. But what is even more laughable than these statements is the hypocrisy of such conspiracy theorists. A person using a smartphone to send a post on a social media platform about how governments track people through smartphones is worse than the act of making up a false theory itself.

Some people and groups have even adapted to using conspiracy theories as weapons in their political battles without any intellectual or moral obligation. The recent peace disruptions in Canada from the misnamed ‘Freedom Convoy’ seem to be nothing more than desperate and pitiful attempts of turning people against the government by using a bunch of fabricated truths. The “truckers” that started by stating that their protests will be peaceful later resorted to honking horns in the Parliamentary Precinct and welcoming extremist groups to their groups from all across the country. Initially, their primary demand was to end the quarantine mandate that required truckers crossing the border to undergo a quarantine period. It quickly shifted to ridding the country of its current Covid-19 vaccination mandate and then to completely put an end to vaccines.

As mentioned earlier, social media and the internet fuel conspiracy theories by giving them a voice. However, the extent of popularity that conspiracy theorists actually gain from the platforms on the internet is something that scholars have been concerned with for several years now. There have been cases when such opportunists have been seen flourishing on social media, and there have been cases that have proven otherwise. But what is certain is that the internet is full of tools, resources, and opportunities for such individuals and groups to underpin their efforts.

How Conspiracy Theories get Fueled by the Internet

The internet and social media offer a number of utilities that are ideal for conspiracy theorists. The theories they look to spread do not reach indiscriminately from one individual to another but rather, shared within groups and communities that are already aligned with the idea or ideas. For instance, a conspiracy theory against Covid-19 vaccination will be shared on groups that are there for the purpose of enabling anti-vaccination people to communicate with each other and share related material. These theories are neither read by everyone nor are they shared or adopted by a large number of people.

What it does is that it fosters polarized and distinct communities on social media among the believers of a conspiracy theory. This fortifies the views of believers even more, and they join in the efforts to communicate and share the “evidence” and opinions with more and more people. Over time, the beliefs of these homogenous groups become stronger, and they manage to grow a few (generally, very few) more followers as well. For example, in the case of Freedom Convoy, the supporters are not growing in numbers despite the growing unpopularity of the government, and only minority groups that have been seen taking a liking to different conspiracy theories are joining hands, spewing kindergarten politics and road rage analysis. This behavior is also backed by a study that found that believing in conspiracy theories is more of a habit than anything else.

Also, the people who share information on the internet that is conspiracy-related tend to start ignoring contrary and contradicting information. This filtering-out of information, along with the ‘believers’ communicating in echo chambers, cloud their minds even more. Thus, the internet and social media are undoubtedly major catalysts of implausible and false conspiracy theories.

The example of the Freedom Convoy is extremely relevant in this case as the size of the convoy and the magnitude of its activities’ presence on social media, reaching pages of countries on the other side of the globe, contradict extensively. The supporters, as well as the leadership of the movement, are portraying the protest as a completely peaceful one, while the reports from the police and the clear affinity of the movement with the toxic authoritarianist and Trumpist politics depict a completely opposite picture. An online video even shows a member of the convoy expressing his hope that the protest will turn into a riot that is like the one that took place in the US on the 6^th of January 2021 by Donald Trump’s supporters.

How Conspiracy Theories Can be Dangerous

“Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.”

– George Carlin

Conspiracy theories can sometimes prove to be dangerous. For instance, the anti-Covid-19 vaccine theories that nourish and spread ideas like the Covid-19 vaccination is harmful can discourage people from getting themselves or their children vaccinated. Similarly, the message that conspiracy theorists who call climate change a hoax are getting out there can keep people from trying to reduce their carbon footprint. These powerful consequences need to be prevented by you, me, and government authorities at relevant levels. We can certainly not allow an easy and clear path for menaces to peace, such as the Freedom Convoy. While you and I can only speak against it and try to change the minds of the followers, the governments can and should definitely confront the toxicity head-on.

Final Thoughts

The hypocrisy of individuals within such groups is commendable. Looking at their history, it is clear that racialized groups that are usually the target of violence and hate are faced with a particular risk from the priorities, grievances, attitudes, and resulting actions of conspiracy theorists. It is no secret that right-wing extremism has been on the rise on different social media platforms in Canada, and groups like Freedom Convoy, through their conspiracy theories, are only giving way to hate crimes and peace disruptions. They saw Covid-19 as a landscape that could underpin their efforts of spreading uncertainty and fear to achieve their political gains and made sure not to let the opportunity pass.