5G, Bill Gates’ vaccine and a Wuhan lab: Understanding the conspiracy theory pandemic

by FRED FUENTES

The past few months has seen a proliferation of memes and stories on social media linking COVID-19 to everything from 5G technology and a laboratory in Wuhan to Bill Gates and his push for global vaccinations. Even segments of the media and political figures such United States President Donald Trump have helped disseminate these theories.

Indications are that these theories have gained traction. An Essential Poll conducted in Australia in May showed 39% of those surveyed agreed COVID-19 was engineered and released from a Chinese laboratory; 13% blamed Bill Gates for the pandemic; and 12% believed the 5G wireless network was being used to spread the coronavirus. A similar survey in Canada found 46% of those polled believe at least one key COVID-19 myth.

Such theories have become so widespread that authorities have been forced to publicly respond and refute them, while some people have sought to take matters into their own hands, attacking 5G towers in various countries, including Australia.

The rise of conspiracy theories is generally blamed on ignorance or deliberate misinformation campaigns seeking to create distrust in liberal institutions such as the government, media or academia. The solution therefore tends to be pleas for people to “listen to the experts” or for politicians and the media to put aside politics and focus on “honest leadership”.

But this generally only have the effect of further fuelling belief in these theories, because it misunderstands the root cause underpinning the rise of conspiracy theories.

Into the mainstream

Conspiracy theories have existed for centuries, even if their influence has generally been limited to the fringes of society. Since the turn of the century, however, conspiracy theories have slowly permeated into the mainstream. Today, significant minorities believe theories such as the September 11 terror attack was an “inside job” or Russian bots won the election for Trump.

Several conspiracy theories currently in vogue are themselves not new. But the COVID-19 pandemic has served to expand the audience for these theories, while acting as a grand unifier for these differing theories.

Right across the political spectrum, people have used their own conspiratorial lens to understand the pandemic. This has even led to groups with seemingly opposing political views — for example, far-right militias that oppose “big government” lockdowns and hippies who reject Big Pharma’s vaccination push — uniting in opposition to a supposed “plandemic”.

What most of these conspiracy theories have in common is suspicion, if not outright hostility, towards “the establishment” or “elites”. Stories about vaccines, 5G technology or “New World Order plandemics” generally involve the belief that an evil, hidden force is controlling events.

What helps these theories gain traction is that they often contain a kernel of truth, though in an extremely distorted form. For example, believing vaccines are a plot to microchip the population is absurd, but there are many legitimate reasons to distrust pharmaceutical companies that seek to profit from deadly health crises and misery.

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