PLANDEMIC!

PART I- The Joy of Conspiracy Theories

Ah, conspiracy theories, my guilty pleasure.

The wilder they are, the more intrigued I seem to be.

I don’t know about you, but I think one of the wildest conspiracy theories I have heard is that the government live in the moon- I don’t know the logistics and the technicalities, such as which government, how they survive or why they are even in there, but the concept is kind of exciting, don’t you think? Like something straight out of the Truman show (a film I only recently just watched actually)!

So, as I say, conspiracy theories are my guilty pleasure, even though I have a love for scientific research that broadens our understanding of the world we live in, there’s something appealing wondering about the unknown and the information that we do not have access to.

I honestly think that conspiracy theorists don’t get enough credit for thinking so outside of the box. Once upon a time, it would have been ‘crazy’ to even suggest that the universe does not revolve around the Earth.

Arguably these were all “conspiracies” – every scientific endeavour begins as a hypothesis or dare I say, a theory! People who consider themselves more educated tend to forget this and as a result, are quick to throw shade and uptight rebuttals at those who question our understanding of reality.

‘Flat-earthers’ are frequently ridiculed on social media yet, they remain some of the most stubborn individuals that I have ever encountered. Sure, the argument is scientifically flawed, but I have to hand it to them, I respect the hustle.

Let me not claim innocence, I too have struggled for a veryyyyyy long time understanding how a person born in the age of modern science could truly, whole-heartedly believe, that the earth is gliding around the sun like a frisbee in the wind… but now, although I still disagree with the argument, I kinda get it.

If you look at the core part of every conspiracy theory you will find that they are all based on the same principle, a principle I can respect and get behind. The idea is that we shouldn’t take facts for granted, we should challenge all information fed to us by institutions before accepting them blindly. It is important for us to constantly critique the information we encounter in our world in order to form an accurate interpretation of reality, what is true, and what is false.

So, when someone tells you they think the earth is flat, it is likely that the belief stems from a distrust of formal governments and societal hierarchies, a distrust that I cannot say is unjustified. After researching into the flat earth argument more thoroughly, I found that many ‘flat-Earthers’ refuse to conform to the current understandings of the solar system, not because they reject all modern science, but because they feel as if we are being manipulated to believe certain things for someone else’s gain.

Let me reiterate, though I find conspiracy theories interesting, I am not a ‘flat-Earther’ and personally I am more scientifically inclined. But, I have seen a lot of social media beef that spirals out of control when a science buff and conspiracist butt heads, and these arguments always seem unproductive opposed to informative. So, I am here to make a difference, I am gonna try and be the bridge between the two opposites, I just need both sides to hear me out.

PART II- COVID-19

I am almost certain that you are sick of hearing about the COVID-19 pandemic (no pun intended) but the corona virus is still wreaking havoc on the world and the lives of many.

Now, don’t worry, this is still the same article that was raving on about conspiracy theories, though to many the relevance may not be exactly clear.

For those who are unaware, I will catch you up to speed. There are currently many conspiracy theories circulating around the global pandemic, most of which have determined that COVID-19 is not as much of a threat as the media presents, and governments are using the pandemic as a scare-mongering tactic. The conspiracists are calling it a “PLANDEMIC”.

The first time I heard this was in a comment section row – yes, I am the science buff that butts head with conspiracists. What I gathered is that there seems to be resistance from some members of the public to obey orders set by authorities:

·        People feel that their freedom is being compromised because governments want to exercise their power

·        Some feel as though the COVID-19 statistics (infection and death rates) are being wildly exaggerated as a scare tactic

·        Others do not believe that the disease is real on the grounds that they do not know anyone who has passed away as a result of the disease

·        Some say COVID-19 is not a threat because we have survived COVID’s 1-18

Like I say, I love a conspiracy theory as much as the next guy; but when a conspiracy theory is not only grounded in ignorance, but also has such profound health, social, and economic consequences globally, that is where I draw the line.

So, throughout the rest of this article I will be debunking myths and misunderstandings surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.

1.      “BUT WE SURVIVED COVID’s 1-18”

I really want to laugh, but this is just a prime example of a lack of education and a misunderstanding generated between the transmission of information from the scientific field to the lay populace.

Just to clarify once and for all quite simple: COVID-19/ The Corona Virus/ Ms. Rona are all nicknames for the virus that has caused this pandemic. So, what’s this virus's government name? SARS-CoV-2!

Coronaviruses are not a new thing; they didn’t just suddenly spawn into existence over the last few months. Essentially coronaviruses are the scientific name for a range of strains of the virus that have different effects on humans and animals etc. It is highly likely that you have been infected with a coronavirus before, just of a milder strain. But this bad boy we are currently dealing with is a stronger and more dangerous coronavirus strain that has been circulating the human population towards the end of 2019. Hence the clever alias:

CO-VI-D-19

Corona- Virus- Disease- 2019

Soooo, although you may have survived other strains of the virus, this is a whole different ball game.

2.      “COVID-19 IS AN INTERGOVERNMENTAL SCHEME”

I actually really don’t know where to begin with this one. However, considering the fact that countries’ economies have plummeted significantly, labour forces have taken a hit, health care systems are under immense pressure and people are dying in thousands globally I don’t exactly know what’s gained.

I also think it is very bold to assume countries can cooperate on a mass scheme, yet they can’t even seem to agree on little things like I dunno, world peace?

On a serious note, our modern societies are run on capitalism. The state does not have the power you may think it does. Trading and industries, including health care industries, are controlled by independent private companies and corporations for profit. And let me tell you something, no one is getting very much profit now.

So, although I am aware that there is a wavering trust in the state, I don’t think we are a part of an elaborate intergovernmental scheme that was agreed to by every state world-wide. But I dunno, that’s just me.

3.      “EVERY DEATH IS BEING RECORDED AS COVID-19 INDUCED- YOU COULD GET HIT BY A BUS AND THEY WILL STATE YOUR CAUSE OF DEATH AS COVID-19” or “THE COMMON FLU KILLS MORE PEOPLE THAN COVID-19, BUT THEY ARE BEING CLASSED AS COVID-19 DEATHS”

Lord, knows I had a very passionate individual express to me how they think that the stats are being made up, and if I haven’t said this once, I’ve said it a million times, I don’t speak on what I don’t know, and at the time, I did not know.

I am not an ever-spewing fountain of knowledge, but I aim to be, so I did my research. And I have concluded that I agree with him to a minuscule degree.

I do believe that people with underlying health issues or diseases that have symptoms like that of COVID-19 are being assumed to have died from the virus, as a result of limited testing.

However, it is estimated that the thousands of deaths that have been recorded are actually an underestimate, and I’m gonna tell you why.

Annually, death rates and birth rates are tracked, and these statistics are made readily available in various reports and government websites. Along with these are statistical breakdowns that show you various things, such as, the leading cause of death in your country. Therefore, I can tell you that in 2018, the leading cause of death in the UK was dementia and Alzheimer’s disease- all from a simple google search.

These statistics are not only there for people like me to google to prove a point, (which I will land in a second), but also to improve population management and make medical and political adjustments.

So, this tracking thing is a big deal.

A big enough deal that when looking at death rates, it is literally people’s jobs to monitor any unexpected changes, because year in and year out, trends tend to be similar, and we must be prepared if they are not.

Annually, a certain number of babies are expected to be born, and a certain number of people are expected to die of various causes. When it came to early 2020 however, these people who typically expect to see a death rate of ‘X’ (I don’t know the exact value) are now seeing a death rate of ‘Y’ which happened to be significantly higher than that of ‘X’. This obviously raises a red flag.

So, what they then do is compare this year’s stats to previous years, and you know what they found? Yep, there were thousands of unaccounted for deaths that don’t fit in with any existing trends and knowledge.

You see where I am going with this.

So, these guys now have the job of working out what’s killing off the population, at an especially high rate, because I’m not talking about 50 or maybe a couple hundred extra deaths, but THOUSAAAAAANDS. There is clearly now a variable that did not exist in early 2019 that is causing people to die. Wanna know what the only difference is?? Yep, correct-a-mundo, COVID-19!

As a result, all excess deaths that could not otherwise be explained were now assumed to be a result of the only differing variable; and guess what, the death rates we hear on the news are still not matching up with the deaths trends, hence the likely underestimation.

(So, chew on that random internet guy I argued with at 4am.)

4.      “MY SISTER’S FRIEND HAD COVID-19 AND RECOVERED, NO ONE IS ACTUALLY DYING FROM THIS”

*Blinks in astonishment*

This is the perfect time to bring up one of my most favourite psychological phenomenon experienced by man:

The Egocentric Predicament

This is a term I heard in a VSAUCE youtube video when I was in secondary school and he explains it so well, but in my own humble words/ Wikipedia’s humble words:

It is a term coined by Ralph Barton Perry that essentially states that we cannot truly understand the realities of others as we are limited to own perceptions of the world.

So, although it is a difficult concept to grasp, just because you haven’t lost anyone during this pandemic does not mean that others have not, so please be considerate and empathetic for others who have.

Please remember the REAL people who have lost their lives and the REAL people who literally put their lives on the line doing essential work. Without sounding like one of those “stay safe adverts” this really has been a difficult time for everyone, so before you start whining about how your mask doesn’t go with your outfit, consider the fact that people have been dying in hospitals alone, and families have been denied proper funerals to celebrate the lives of their loved ones, lives that were cut prematurely.

So, to conclude, I’m down for a conspiracy theory and I’d love to hear some that you may have; but, if your conspiracy theory is going to harm others at a physical or psychological capacity, I don’t wanna hear it.  

Side note, can someone please explain the Italian Beyoncé conspiracy to me once you’ve read this??

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Thank you so much for reading this blog post! I am back after essentially a year-long hiatus, but I promise I am back for good and I have big plans up my sleeves. Like always, I hope you’ve taken something from this, (even if it’s just to #staysafe because Ms.Rona is real).

But ultimately, I just want you to know what I know, you know!

 

Signed,

IAMLENGA

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*Alongside my own opinions, this post and the points made within it were inspired by a range of literature that you may want to check out if you found this to be an interesting read:

·        King’s College London: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/investigating-the-most-convincing-covid-19-conspiracy-theories

·        Medical Futurist: https://medicalfuturist.com/debunking-covid-19-theories/

If you are into things that make you question your reality, I have 2 film recommendations that came to mind when writing this post and you might wanna watch them if you haven’t watched them already:

·        Inception

·        The Truman Show