The Pied Piper Conspiracy Theory
and theories about online popularity and how it is used against you
The Pied Piper conspiracy theory draws inspiration from the fairy tale where a Pied Piper uses a magical flute to lure children away from their village due to unpaid debts. This theory is seldom discussed, yet it may contain elements of truth. It posits that agencies like the CIA or FBI intentionally spread false information. The theory claims that the state amplifies bizarre conspiracy theories, such as flat Earth or reptilian narratives, to distract the public from genuine government corruption.
But why would the state engage in such tactics? The answer is straightforward: by guiding people down these rabbit holes, they occupy them with trivial matters. This strategy effectively neutralizes dissenting voices and redirects focus away from meaningful inquiries into corruption. Essentially, the Pied Piper serves as a distraction, allowing real issues to remain unexamined.
The rationale behind the theory appears sound; the state possesses both the motive and the resources to conduct such disinformation campaigns. It's essential to maintain skepticism regarding outrageous conspiracy theories that lack substantive evidence. Moreover, it's worth considering that individuals may unknowingly contribute to this phenomenon. For instance, a popular content creator might earn significant income by addressing the "right" topics. Government or corporate entities could create fake accounts to support creators who disseminate sensationalist and misleading information.
Weak evidence will be boosted; strong evidence will be filtered out.
Creators do not even need to focus on the most wild theories, they can also focus on sharing weak evidence. As long as the evidence presented online is weak enough it could be amplified by this system. Amplifying such weak evidence would distract attention away from stronger evidence, which fulfills the purpose of maintaining the system.
The momentum of popularity
And does the state even need to get involved if there is momentum? Once people latch on to these bizarre conspiracy theories, or weak evidence, these tales roll around like a snowball, growing bigger and obstructing rationality. People are lured in by the popularity of the creators who speak about increasingly insane theories or weak evidence. At the very least consider the possibility that the content that you are consuming is entertainment and will not aid in the liberation of any group of people, let alone those who want freedom.
As an example, I know someone who speaks the truth but is ignored by larger accounts.
was banned from X in 2024 and is ignored, blocked, or attacked by popular Substack accounts.Poetic posts gain popularity, yet meaningful evidence doesn't. Online content is often fake. When something is popular, question why. Do they avoid the truth? Bots drive traffic, so ask: Why do bots favour this account? A popular account might make a poetic post lamenting that people have moved on from COVID while not addressing the evidence that has been revealed at the Scottish Inquiry. However, hopefully now you can see that if they were to reveal this stronger evidence, their ratings would likely fall, and the profits (sometimes in the form of stock advice, as Mark Kulacz explains in this post) they rely on would evaporate. This is why these creators stick to poetry.
Do you find it odd that many considered "fringe" don’t address these concepts? Personally, I do not.
Remember to question and verify the narratives you encounter, staying vigilant and informed!
A healthy amount of scepticism is essential in everyones approach to life.
Leslie
Excellent article Renee! So refreshing! I've realised the popular ''truth'' movement groups and gurus are not too concerned with the truth. Case in point. https://biologyphenom.substack.com/p/scottish-covid-19-inquiryclosing