One of the key reasons for the unprecedented polarization of society that we are currently observing lies in the fact that in an attempt to convey their point of view, one party disseminates its ideas to its target audience and tries to discredit its opponents through conspiracy theories and narratives. This is a very dirty tactic, as it affects people with problems with critical thinking and who are highly prone to fanaticism.
Something urgent needs to be done about this, otherwise it can very quickly lead to catastrophic consequences for society up to fascization, which will be extremely difficult to reverse.
I have prepared two versions of a petition with measures that could counteract this threat. The first version concerns only the internet and media - it does not contain any radical measures and does not even require removing conspiracy content. This version is available at the link below. I consider all the measures mentioned in it necessary, but nevertheless, I would like to receive some assessment or critique with the aim of possible corrections: Link
The second one aims to address the problem more comprehensively. It also does not require the removal of conspiracy content, but includes points aimed at preventing the spread of conspiracy beliefs and internal extremism through other channels. It is addressed not only to governing structures and social network administrations and online services, but also to ordinary people who could make some effort to prevent the spread of such ideas in their circle of communication. This is a draft version, and I am still not sure about some points. For example, I am not sure whether the “inflammatory speech” with vivid descriptions of the consequences if fascization does indeed occur should be left in, but on the other hand, I’m not sure whether it should be removed because many people still perceive this threat too lightly. This version, I do not urge to sign; instead, I want to first receive feedback and an assessment of the correctness of such text. This version is available at the link below: Link
In your opinion, what of this is easier and faster to implement, and what is most likely not achievable in the short term?
Theories should never be dismissed because it’s a theory. Also, don’t generalize.
https://history.howstuffworks.com/history-vs-myth/11-unbelievable-conspiracy-theories-that-were-actually-true.htm
Firstly, the actions in the examples you provided were exposed not because someone repeatedly made baseless accusations. The exposure of such actions occurs under the pressure of concrete facts and evidence, not gossip and rumors. Secondly, this is one of reasons why I do not call for completely removing conspiracy content. Let conspiracy theorists publish as much as they want, but they should not be able to make money and gain popularity from it. They should not be able to find new followers by having their posts appear as “recommended” to others. This has already gone too far.
And regarding terminology - it is important to understand that the term ‘conspiracy theory’, although established, is not entirely accurate. A theory is a proven hypothesis. However, much of what is called conspiracy theories has not been proven and some have even been refuted. And yet, they are still called conspiracy theories, and we clearly understand that this usually refers to something unproven.