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Just because we get a new calendar and the date changes on our phones, it doesn’t magically give us a pine-fresh brand new start and solve all of society’s problems. However, even knowing this and after the humbling year that was 2020, some people had hoped that 2021 would be better. While the year isn’t necessarily doomed yet, some already feel that it is because the first week of the new year has been terrifying, surreal, and exhausting.
The entire world was glued to their screens watching the events happening in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, January 6. Riled up by President Donald Trump’s unfounded claims that the election had been ‘unfair’ and ‘stolen,’ his supporters, who had been protesting nearby, violently stormed the US Capitol building. A lot of these rioters, whom some are calling ‘domestic terrorists’ and ‘traitors,’ firmly believe in the QAnon and voter fraud conspiracy theories.
Like after other scary and difficult moments, many people reacted to the situation the only way they knew how—with dark humor and memes. Many of them focused on how 2021 is just a continuation of the previous year. Bored Panda has collected some of the most popular comedic responses to the year so far, so have a look at the internet’s reaction below and let us know what you think of the events in the US, dear Readers.
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The storming of the Capitol left at least 5 people dead. The police shot a woman, 35-year-old US Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt, dead. Three people died from medical emergencies. And it was confirmed on Thursday night that police officer Brian Sicknick died in hospital after he was injured. Fourteen officers in total had been injured. So far, at least 68 people have been arrested while the FBI is aiming to identify everyone who took part in the events. Meanwhile, there are growing demands for Trump to resign. Many believe he’s to blame for the events because of his claims about voter fraud and other unfounded theories.
To get to understand people's belief in conspiracy theories better and what leads to their spread, Bored Panda reached out to Joseph M. Pierre, a professor of psychiatry at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. It might sometimes seem like more people are vulnerable to conspiracy theories than at any other point in history, and there’s evidence both in support and against this. The internet may have a lot to blame for the rise and proliferation of a lot of conspiracies like the QAnon theory, but the other half of the equation is the lack of trust in authorities.
According to Professor Pierre, researchers like conspiracy theory expert Joe Uscinski would say that there’s little evidence that would suggest that more people believe in conspiracies now than back in the past. Meanwhile, Pierre’s own ‘mistrust and misinformation’ model shows that there is some evidence to support “an ebb and flow in belief in misinformation including conspiracy theories over time that tracks with new informational technologies” like the internet, TV, radio, and newspapers. Similarly, the professor said that there are ebbs and flows in (mis)trust of institutions of authority for a variety of reasons.
Pierre’s model of conspiracy theory belief is a two-component model that consists of “mistrust in authoritative sources of information leading to vulnerability to misinformation and disinformation.” So if you ever find yourself in a situation where you’re trying to change a conspiracy theorist’s mind, the professor suggests talking to them about trusted sources of information. “Until you can find some common ground there, meaningful debate will probably be elusive,” he said.
“I think we can put some blame on the internet for the popularity of conspiracy theories today,” Pierre said. “Without YouTube, conspiracy theories might very well be less popular. But the other part of the blame pie can be attributed to a decline in trust, whether in government or in scientists, over the past half-century. We’re also living in a time unprecedented in our lifetimes in which American politicians have endorsed and exploited conspiracy theories as propaganda to this degree.”
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Samuel Chen 3 years ago
Yes! The simpsons! “Awww... dad, this is the worst day of my life.” “It’s the worst day of you life so far, Bart.”
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Martha Meyer 3 years ago
This is the truest one of them all. The whole Capitol storm was just a blip on the radar compared to these issues.
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Sprinkled Donut 3 years ago
Hopefully it won't be a show that ends up having 20 or more seasons...
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Tiredpossum 3 years ago (edited)
That dude is crazy. They all are. Idk why people can't be peaceful. Idk why the leader of a country would ask for violence in the country. Idk why he wants the cake and wants to eat it at the same time like do you want peace or a riot? Saying he's the best president my ass. And idk why he posted a video that sounded like a parent forcing a toddler to apologize and that wasn't even a real one!
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wandile dludlu 3 years ago
It actually is looking up for the rest of us... especially if you live in a 3rd world country, we were sheep and wore masks. we also had elections be decided by the popular vote and not whatever you people have
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Athena June 3 years ago
Ah well it’s a ( tiny) step up from last year when world war three was trending on the third day
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I'm a makeup addict 3 years ago
yeah, how is it almost March again? did it really go that quickly? It felt soooooo sloooowwww...
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What do you think ?
IcyRedWaffle 3 years ago
2021 wasn't going to be any different, yes it's a different year but that hasn't changed anything that was happening last year. Hopefully though, things will get better
BIG FOOT 3 years ago
I mean what do people expect? It's just another day nothing is going to change... sure you might change a number and it feels good. But honestly I'd rather go back to 2020 because the way our planet is going no one will be here much longer.
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Alan Green 3 years ago
Hopefully by the end of 2022 we'll be 2020 free :)
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IcyRedWaffle 3 years ago
2021 wasn't going to be any different, yes it's a different year but that hasn't changed anything that was happening last year. Hopefully though, things will get better
BIG FOOT 3 years ago
I mean what do people expect? It's just another day nothing is going to change... sure you might change a number and it feels good. But honestly I'd rather go back to 2020 because the way our planet is going no one will be here much longer.
Load More Replies... Alan Green 3 years ago
Hopefully by the end of 2022 we'll be 2020 free :)
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