Think tank Demos has released a new publication on the ‘radicalising multiplier’ effect of conspiracy theories and the use made of them by extremist groups. The report ‘The power of unreason: conspiracy theories, extremism and counter-terrorism’ is ‘an analysis of conspiracy theories in the ideology and propaganda of fifty extremist groups: religious, far-right and left, eco, anarchic and cult-based.’

From the report:

‘The government’s “Prevent” agenda should focus more on programmes that encourage critical thinking and deconstructing propaganda. More generally, the Department for Education and Skills should review how far the education system equips young people with sufficient digital literacy to navigate false and ‘counter knowledge’ on the net. There is an alarming increase in the amount of information that young people are consuming and trusting on the net. It is not clear they have the critical faculties to navigate the many bogus claims they encounter. While government cannot tell people what to think, they can help teach people how to think. Our education system must equip young people with the tools to discriminate credible information from its many imposters.

‘Counterterrorism agencies are inevitably the target of conspiracy theories because of the secretive and sometimes coercive nature of some of their work. For both resource and security reasons, much of what the intelligence agencies do must remain secret. However, there are some opportunities for greater transparency in counter terrorism work.

‘Civil society must play a more proactive role in confronting the lies and myths of conspiracy theories when they find them. Fighting conspiracy theories is something that, by definition, is almost impossible for government to do; but civil society groups do have credibility to do so more effectively. In addition, the public sector cuts means government capacity to respond will be necessarily reduced.’

The recommendations are sound and sensible and illustrate the importance of challenging conspiracies used by faith and non-faith based violent extremist groups. They also demonstrate the necessity of empowering citizens to challenge conspiracy theories and the false narratives employed by advocates of violent extremism. As well as the relevance of extending such measures to the internet given its growing role in creating an alternate universe of (mis) understanding.

It remains to be seen whether the report’s judicious call for enhanced cognitive reasoning and critical engagement with conspiracy theory merchants will be heeded by the government. Measures taken by the former Labour government to ban Al-Muhajiroun and by the current government, to ban some Muslim scholars from entering the UK, would suggest that silencing debate by fiat has been the preferred tactic of politicians rather than empower citizens and communities to engage in open and critical debate and reject of their own volition the misguided fallacies of conspiracy theorists.

Read the Demos report here.

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Nazi Stasi state  - Lies are Truth and Truth are Lies   |2010-09-04 14:37:15 So with two illegal invasions to its name, the right wing extremists are not content with their progress and death over in those countries. Goaded by Zionists they want to wipe out all opposition by telling people that opposition is futile. Pull the other one Demos. Your political alignments and funders are clear to independent objective people. This axis of evil that includes former war criminals such as Blair want to prepare us for anothe illegal war and are trying to quash objections in advance. I say, that Demos is a group or right wing extremists whose conspiratorial theories on what they believe to be the truth is a recipe for disaster in Britain. The sooner these mad voices hush themselves the better it will be for a healthy society in Britain. Will they accept also that their conspiracies of Weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and Al qaeda in Afghanistan were delusional and will they get some psychiatric help once they hand themselves over to the authorities? I bet the answer is no. So they should shut up about their other conspiracy theories about conspiracy theories.

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