Radio Review: Marianna in Conspiracy Land. BBC Radio 4.
There’s an old saying about conspiracy theorists that people who believe in conspiracy theories are stupid people who want to sound intelligent. That’s a bit hard but there is an element of truth in it as so many of the more recent conspiracy theories don’t stand up if some basic research is undertaken.
I have had odd conversations with friends, family and work colleagues embracing conspiracy theories – sorry – not conspiracy theories but facts ignored by the Main Stream Media (MSN) – of which I am part.
The conspiracy theories according to people who I consider normal well educated individuals are many and varied: the BBC is a Tory mouthpiece; Covid vaccinations kill more people than the virus itself, oh and the virus is only flu; China is not a dictatorship but is a misunderstood democracy; global warming is a myth and is perpetuated by global elites; and America forced Russia to invade Ukraine to defend itself. I could go on.
All of course are rubbish but thankfully none of these ‘facts’ as they are usually presented include the idea of a globalist world conspiracy to deprive us of our individualism funded by a series of super rich Jewish business organisations.
The only race related nonsense I’ve heard is the singling out of people called ‘immigrants’ who arrive in Britain by small boats in search of a new life. Apparently they have caused the collapse of much of our social structures like the NHS and schools, rather than Government policies.
Marianna Spring’s BBC Radio 4 series Marianna in Conspiracyland has cast light on the spread of these and many others amongst people who should know better. She began her quest in search of why people ‘disappear down a rabbit hole’ into Conspiracyland rather than Wonderland – although the upside down world has many overtones with Lewis Carroll’s stories of Alice’s adventures in an alternative world.
The ten part radio series is gripping in the sense that you want to hear the latest whacky theory voiced by seemingly normal people. She begins her reports in Totnes in Devon where a small number of dedicated (brain washed) baby boomer hippies are turning to the a free newspaper being distributed. The Light mixes articles on yoga, self-help and dietary advice with opinions amounting to anti-semitism and implications that those in Government, the media and the NHS who perpetuated the ‘myth of Covid’ should be executed in a Nuremburg 2.0 trial. The editor Darren Nesbitt, is quizzed by Marianna and as she pushes him on some of the content he gets defensive, flustered and eventually nasty.
Each conversation Marianna has begins with conspiracy theorists starts in an everyday sort of way but as she calmly questions their ideas and asks for evidence things quickly get heated. The reason is they don’t like being challenged, consider her to be part of the lying MSM and of course they have no evidence to back up their bizarre theories.
She says in the publicity: “I expose radicalisation of UK conspiracy movement, investigating a paper and exposing connections and harm.”
Those connections link groups in various countries including German where one bunch of nutters even planned a coup. Fortunately they were arrested and the violence that was planned was snuffed out. But sadly, given enough oxygen and followers violence is the conclusion to conspiracy theories as they just want to force their arguments on the public.
Harry Mottram
To listen visit https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001mssm/episodes/downloads
Rapscallion Magazine is an online publication edited by Harry Mottram
Harry is a freelance journalist. Follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube etc
Email:harryfmottram@gmail.com
Website:www.harrymottram.co.uk
Mobile: 07789 864769
You must be logged in to post a comment.