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How did we get so casual about conspiracy theories? (sh.itjust.works)

submitted 23 hours ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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How did we get so casual about conspiracy theories?

I was talking with someone today about nutrition. This person has a PhD in material science. They mentioned eating beef daily and I asked about the cholesterol implications. The answer was about a vague 'they' wanted us to think that, but it wasn't true anymore.

I hear the vague 'they' so frequently now it's just a normal conversation. In truth, as soon as I hear the vague they I dismiss the speaker's credibility on the subject, but how did we get here? Vague they wanted us to think X is a valid counter argument by the most highly educated people in our society?

This sounds like more of a rant than a question, but I do truly want to know how this happened? Was it pop culture like the X Files that made conspiracy theories main stream? Was it social media? When will the vague they stop being an accepted explanation? Has it always been this way and I didn't notice?

Thanks, love you!

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 20 hours ago* (last edited 20 hours ago) (1 children)

In regards to the beef guy. As someone who is on the carnivore diet, I’m guessing “they” are the lobbyists for Big Grain (or whatever) who fight to keep the Standard American Diet in place. You know, even though it hasn’t been working for decades and we’re fatter than ever.

(If anyone is curious, I was previously on carnivore to lose weight and it helped a lot. Nowadays I’m also on it because it’s the only thing that combats my long covid symptoms. Carnivore is an anti-inflammatory diet, so I guess it makes sense why it’s helping.)

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 hours ago

"They" can also just he normal people who don't want to be wrong. Doctors are famous for their humility and self reflection.

The cholesterol heart hypothesis was pushed by ancel Keys, who has since been shown to be a dishonest academic, leaving out data, or abandoning research if the results didn't math the preconceived conclusions. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancel_Keys

In medicine, like many fields, sometimes the old guard has to retire out before change can happen.

I'm also a [email protected] and I've satisfied myself that LDL by itself is not a risk factor I should be concerned with.