The truth is, it’s getting harder to describe the extent to which a meaningful percentage of Americans have dissociated from reality. As Hurricane Milton churned across the Gulf of Mexico last night, I saw an onslaught of outright conspiracy theorizing and utter nonsense racking up millions of views across the internet. The posts would be laughable if they weren’t taken by many people as gospel. Among them: Infowars’ Alex Jones, who claimed that Hurricanes Milton and Helene were “weather weapons” unleashed on the East Coast by the U.S. government, and “truth seeker” accounts on X that posted photos of condensation trails in the sky to baselessly allege that the government was “spraying Florida ahead of Hurricane Milton” in order to ensure maximum rainfall, “just like they did over Asheville!”
As Milton made landfall, causing a series of tornados, a verified account on X reposted a TikTok video of a massive funnel cloud with the caption “WHAT IS HAPPENING TO FLORIDA?!” The clip, which was eventually removed but had been viewed 662,000 times as of yesterday evening, turned out to be from a video of a CGI tornado that was originally published months ago. Scrolling through these platforms, watching them fill with false information, harebrained theories, and doctored images—all while panicked residents boarded up their houses, struggled to evacuate, and prayed that their worldly possessions wouldn’t be obliterated overnight—offered a portrait of American discourse almost too bleak to reckon with head-on.
Even in a decade marred by online grifters, shameless politicians, and an alternative right-wing-media complex pushing anti-science fringe theories, the events of the past few weeks stand out for their depravity and nihilism. As two catastrophic storms upended American cities, a patchwork network of influencers and fake-news peddlers have done their best to sow distrust, stoke resentment, and interfere with relief efforts. But this is more than just a misinformation crisis. To watch as real information is overwhelmed by crank theories and public servants battle death threats is to confront two alarming facts: first, that a durable ecosystem exists to ensconce citizens in an alternate reality, and second, that the people consuming and amplifying those lies are not helpless dupes but willing participants…
… “The primary use of ‘misinformation’ is not to change the beliefs of other people at all. Instead, the vast majority of misinformation is offered as a service for people to maintain their beliefs in face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary”…
… As one dispirited meteorologist wrote on X this week, “Murdering meteorologists won’t stop hurricanes.” She followed with: “I can’t believe I just had to type that”…
I’m talking about the people I know personally. Also, this shit doesn’t make me feel better. That’s a dumb thing to say.
You want to pretend we’re scientists? OK cool, what are you basing your opinion on other than gut feelings? I don’t see any links to studies or anything else scientific in your comments, just a vague reference to Hanlon’s razor. Am I supposed to be so impressed that you’ve heard of that concept that I immediately change my view? You’re trying to make it seem like you have the data behind you but you’re speculating just as much as I am.
Engage with the topic or don’t, I don’t care, just quit being so pretentious about it.
Then say people you know are bastards and you hate them cause you think they are evil. Wide sweeping statements are a crutch to not think about others critically and is just for you. It’s easier to reduce people even if you don’t feel good about it.
Boohoo for you for being called out that you are not on topic but just airing your issues with people you know and treating it like truths.
I am engaging your bad argument you just don’t want to hear it.
You might be the most undeservedly smug person I’ve ever interacted with and that’s quite the achievement. Congrats and fuck off.