Can We Deprogram Trump-Loving Conspiracy Theorists?

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Via Los Angeles Times

We have a serious problem with a large group of Americans who have fallen prey to conspiracy theories. They are largely right wing Trump supporters and they have been fed a huge diet of lies and, what would seem obviously ridiculous conspiracy theories. And yet, here we are!! 

Via Raw Story:

Political science expert Brian Klaas, in a Washington Post op-ed published on January 25, lays out some reasons why it is so difficult to "deprogram" Americans who have embraced far-right political cults and outlandish conspiracy theories.

"There is no doubt: the United States has a serious problem with pathological political delusions," Klaas warns. "So, do we have any hope of deprogramming the millions of Americans who are devoted to dangerous lunacy? Don't hold your breath….. Once people have gone far enough down the rabbit hole of conspiratorial thinking, it can be nearly impossible to get them back out."

Klaas goes on to list some reasons why it is so difficult to "deprogram" conspiracy theorists. According to Klaas, "First, conspiracy theorists are far more likely to have a Manichaean worldview, meaning they interpret everything as a battle between good and evil….. Second, those who seek to debunk conspiracy theories are precisely the people that true believers distrust…. Third, these organized mass delusions are designed to resist debunking."

Read the full article here.  

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