Im in my bedroom on january 6th watching thousands of people at the United States capitol on the day that the president ial election was supposed to be certified. Like most of us, last winter i watched live as people stormed the United States capitol. Fueled by the baseless claim that the election was stolen. Make no mistake, this election was stolen from you, from me. Stop the steal stop the steal this is the consequence of Conspiracy Theories rung amok. Accusations of lies, treason, even pedophilia flew from all directions. It begs the question, how did we end up here . Americans have always been fascinated with alternate versions of the truth. The clues were all there, actually, that it had the potential to get as huge as its become. But in the last decade, Conspiracy Thinking has gone mainstream, and it may not be entirely our fault. If youre a democrat and im a republican, the algorithm is incentivized to push us apart. Tonight were taking a closer look at a system thats designed to stoke paranoia and play off our fears. Its psychological warfare with us as children. To meet someone who dove headfirst into a Conspiracy Theory. I cant get you that information. I couldnt stop thinking about it, and it broke me. And someone whos still very much in it. You cant stop whats coming. And what do you think is coming . Justice. Wed like to think were immune from misinformation. But the truth is far more complicated, and these days, harder than ever to discern. Last year, or world changed overnight. Stores emptied. Stadiums went silent. And all of us learned the meaning of social distance. At the same time that we isolated from each other we have the biggest oneday death toll so far the volume of our news feed went to full blast. We tried our best to keep up appearances, but as weeks, then months went by under lockdown, it got harder and harder. Theres suffering and theres death about five months into this world wide pandemic people who looked like they had it together were silently coming apart. A video started spreading on twitter, showing a woman knocking over a display of masks in a target store. She livestreamed the entire event. The video became a viral sensation and garnered the meme target karen. But for the person who posted it, it was the end of a rapid downward spiral. At the beginning of the pandemic, i was just spinning trying to learn as much as i possibly could so that i could be informed, not only to make decisions for my health and my familys health, but to advise clients. Melissa rein lively is well versed in appearances she runs a small Public Relations firm catering to luxury and lifestyle. But her business was upended when the pandemic devastated arizonas hospitality industry. How did the pandemic start to affect you personally . I honestly didnt know what to do with myself. It was just this dead zone of time where i just had nothing to do other than panic. Melissa had recently been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and was prone to extreme anxiety. And like many of us, she was faced with an information overload. My issue with dr. Fauci right out the gate was initially he had said no masks are necessary, then he dialed it back and said masks are necessary. I think that the juxtaposition of information that was just so polar opposite was really what caused me to crack. I began to question what was happening. As she dug deeper into the internet, trying to make sense of it all, melissa discovered a new theory. The pandemic was a cover up for something far worse. What were some of the things specifically that you saw that really affected you after going down that rabbit hole . I saw clips of videos that were floating around on twitter. It was people in positions of power abusing children with proof, you know, thats their voice, thats their house, and i had never seen anything like that. Melissa had stumbled into americas Fastest Growing Conspiracy Theory, qanon. The information seemed very real and very credible, and horrifying. But did you ever think that that all could be contrived . I considered that. But i was deeply affected by the Save The Children messaging and the claims about widespread pedophilia. I just wanted to see justice and the truth come forward and i just couldnt let it go. By now, most of us have heard of the qanon Conspiracy Theory, a global trafficking ring, thousands of pedophiles, and one man who will vanquish this evil now former president donald trump. It sounds ridiculous, but some studying qanon say there are reasons why so many are people are drawn to it. We all have a desire to fight for what is right and to feel like we are part of something, Something Big and something heroic. Our country and our elitists are literally using the blood of children to fuel everything Conspiracy Theories really tap into peoples desire for connection. For people who might have been feeling isolated or not feeling like they had a ton of purpose, this is incredibly seductive. Im speaking with anna merlan, an investigative journalist who has tracked how conspiracy movements like this one have risen to the surface. What is qanon and where did it come from . Qanon is a Conspiracy Theory that really took hold pretty early on in Donald Trumps presidency and it is basically the idea that he is secretly fighting a cabal of evildoers. And that we are being told what he is doing through mysterious clues dropped by someone calling themselves q who has implied that theyre a highlevel operative in the trump administration. How has that become something that people have found themselves wanting to partake in . Qanon has become a massive online role playing game. And its very addictive, because it gives people a sense of participating in something really big. Like if you put these clues together correctly, you will vanquish an unthinkable evil. Anna tells me, qanon is more than just memes and viral clips, its part of a much older, darker story. The idea of a secret group of sexually abusive evildoers is literally a medieval Conspiracy Theory. It is an antisemitic idea, which holds that jews specifically were meeting in secret late at night to slaughter christian children and use their blood in rituals, but it has spread beyond that. You can see elements of it in qanon which claims that evildoers are meeting in secret to abuse children. Our kids are not for sale the ancient lie has been weaponized again and again throughout global history but still didnt deter melissa, who herself was raised jewish and descended from holocaust survivors. Even though there is a lot of antisemitism that goes along with what qanon is about, that still didnt dissuade you . I picked and choosed what i ascribed to, and the rest of it, i was like, i dont like that, im going to ignore that. And the more detached from reality i got, the more of a rift that it had in my relationship with my husband. Finally, things got so heated here that he was like, either you cut this qanon out or were done. So i was like, fine. Ill go stay in a hotel. I was just filled with rage. I was thinking about everything that i had learned about qanon, its like, theyre doing this to us. And when i saw the masks, i just lost it. I cant do it because im a blonde, white woman . [ bleep ]ing wearing a [ bleep ]ing 40,000 [ bleep ]ing rolex . I dont have the [ bleep ]ing right to [ bleep ], [ bleep ] up . The target video was just one of several posted by melissa when she was following qanon. In them, she bragged about connections to q, loyalty to donald trump, and used a torrent of racist language. Yeah, i use the n word, i use it all [ bleep ] day. [ bleep ], [ bleep ], [ bleep ]. Overnight, melissa lost clients, friends, and nearly her marriage, after her husband filed for divorce. Call donald trump and ask him, if you dont believe me. Do you have his phone number . Do i have his phone number . Im on the phone with him all the time, im [ bleep ]ing wired. When you look at that video, what do you think about . Never in a million years would i think that i would have been the type of person to join a cult, but thats exactly what i did. Its very easy to get swept up. Based on a poll conducted in 2021, an estimated 15 of the American Public believed a secret group of pedophiles were controlling the government, thats millions of people. So now im looking at this reddit page called qanoncasualties, stories of people who have gone down this qanon rabbit hole. Heres one that says, i lost my mom to this qanon bull [ bleep ]. Today, she finally talked about celebrities killing small children and drinking their blood. The saddest thing about all of this is how grounded in fear people are. Were all afraid, we are all unsure of whats going to happen tomorrow. And where is it going to end . I have no idea. Thats also really scary. Qanon is a digitalage phenomenon, but nothing exists in a vacuum. 9 11 was an inside job as it turns out, the paranoia that fuels q is as american as apple pie. Introducing new sweet and savory crepes. For a limited time, buy one, get one free. With five flavors that are delicious any time of day. Only from ihop. Download the app and earn free food with every order. My active Psoriatic Arthritis can slow me down. Now, skyrizi helps me get going by treating my skin and joints. Along with significantly clearer skin, skyrizi helps me move with less joint pain, stiffness, swelling, and fatigue. 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Whats the big deal . Whats the big deal . Marching band music Marching Band Music ill get a cart. Get two Scotts Daylawn saving is the biggest deal of the year. Stock up early and save up to 20 dollars on the best scotts products. Next on behind the series. Let me tell you about the greatest roster ever assembled. The monster, the outlaw. And you cant forget about the boss. Sometimes you just want to eat your heroes. The subway series. The greatest menu of all time. Lowes knows you never come in for just one thing. So weve got to know a lot of things about a lot of things. Like what makes your lawn thrive, paint that adds color in one coat and a dishwasher that handles all the dirty work. You got this. And we got you. Its easy to think of Conspiracy Theories as something new a byproduct of the digital age. But journalist anna merlan points out that this has happened over and over again in america. Conspiracy theories tend to come to prominence more during times of social upheaval, social change, confusion about major world events. All of those things can lead to an environment where peoples imaginations really can run wild. In the mid20th century, most Conspiracy Theories spread by word of mouth. Like today, it was a time of rapid social change. While an escalating cold war bred fear of communism and the Civil Rights Movement threatened to upend a system of white supremacy, a small group on the farright sought to capitalize on the resistance to change. The anticommunist John Birch Society were engaged in spreading pretty virulent Conspiracy Theories. They openly accused their political opponents of being communists, that the government was riddled with secret communists who were working to sort of undermine the workings of the government, and this was an existential threat. The Civil Rights Movement, as we know it today, is simply part of a Worldwide Movement organized and directed by communists to enslave all mankind. Its something that we have seen subsequently that people who dont believe what you believe ideologically are actually a danger to the United States, and that idea has recurred quite a lot. These ideas can also take root when people have lost trust in their leaders. Conspiracy theorists, they dont have to do very much work to make people believe that the government is capable of real atrocities, because they have perpetrated them in the past. Whether were old or young, we can probably remember a time in our lives when something we thought was true was exposed as a lie. Peace will be necessary for final success. We will do this because our own security is at stake. Let me just say this, i have never obstructed justice. We did not, repeat, did not trade weapons or anything else for hostages. The erosion of trust took its toll. By the end of the 20th century, studies showed that over 50 percent of americans believed in at least one Conspiracy Theory. The first time i noticed that Conspiracy Culture was really popular in america was when i was going to gun shows. There was probably more people crowded around the Conspiracy Table than the ar15 table. The clues were all there, actually, that it had the potential to get as huge as its become. Jon ronson is no stranger to bizarre stories. An author and filmmaker, hes covered secret military programs, psychopaths, and mind control. But two decades ago, it was a story about extremism that led him to the world of Conspiracy Thinking. When i first heard about these extremist groups, i thought they would have nothing in common. But they all believed that there was a shadowy cabal secretly ruling the world from inside a secret room. Its a very clear hoax that, of course, influenced the nazis, influenced White Supremacists right up until today. Jon wanted to learn more about how these ideas were spreading in Fringe Groups on the right and discovered a devoted fan base determined to expose the threat of a New World Order. Victory is ours against the New World Order against the communists, socialists, bankers that run the whole filthy show. One obscure Public Tv Host from texas had amassed a cult following selling mailorder videos. His name was alex jones. And now that they run the world, they plan to sack this country, are you going to let em . What was your relationship with alex jones . I first met alex jones when he was completely unknown, broadcasting out of a childs bedroom in his house. No longer is the New World Order some foggy apparition over the next hill, the talk of extremists. But ronson discovered that he and jones shared a common fascination. There actually were powerful groups meeting in secret, vips who gathered on weekend outings in remote locations. Like Bohemian Grove, this weird campsite in Northern California where people are rumored to attend a ritual that ends in a human effigy being burned in front of a giant stone owl. The Bohemian Club was exactly what jon was looking for a secretive mens retreat whose attendees have included power brokers, celebrities, and even former president s. For 150 years, the gatherings had been a Lightning Rod for conspiracy theorists, alleging that this was where plots were hatched to build a New World Order. When i heard that, i thought i must try to sneak in and find out if its true. Were going to go blow the party for em and get the Information Out to people. And then i remembered that guy alex jones. So i called him up and i said, thinking about sneaking into Bohemian Grove, do you want to come . And youre not going to do anything stupid this weekend . Im completely nonviolent when it comes to just going out there and trying to get the information. Thats what im trying to do. And what did you see when you got there . Oh, well, i mean, the whole thing was amazing. We watched this ceremony which alex managed to film from the camera in his bag. The owl is in his leafy temple. Let all within the grove be reverent before him. The footage was shaky and dark but captured what was clearly a ritual. They pick up the human effigy and throw it in the bonfire. Bring fire and they all play when the saints go marching in. And then this big fireworks display. It turned out what jon and alex jones witnessed was the Bohemian Clubs annual summer kickoff called the cremation of care. Creepy looking, yes, but more of a summer play put on by rich men. Okay. So it was a weird event, but probably not particularly nefarious. It was odd, but not nefarious. But then alex brought out a video called dark secrets inside Bohemian Grove like hed stumbled into some sort of satanic ritual. Spinning it to, we had possibly witnessed an actual human sacrifice. If we kind of dissect this for a moment, what you observed was something that actually happened. And this video is an example of how something can be spun into something that riles a lot of people up and instills fear. What we actually saw was extraordinary. You know, that these High Society People would do this on their summer vacations. Yet alex wanted to turn it into something crazier, an actual human sacrifice. Would you say that that was one of the events that kind of gained alex jones some legitimacy in certain circles . Yes, dark secrets inside Bohemian Grove was alex joness first hit, but then came 9 11. And that was the thing that really sent him flying. That is the world trade center, and we have unconfirmed reports this morning that a plane has crashed into one of the towers. 9 11 was an incredibly shocking and violent and sudden event. People immediately started wondering if there was a political benefit to allowing the 9 11 attacks to happen. We want a new investigation into 9 11 9 11 truth will set us free 9 11 happened right around the time that blogging and youtube started to take off. All of a sudden, people who had alternate theories about 9 11 were able to share them in ways that they couldnt have before. The fuel would have burned off immediately upon impact. Therefore, it is scientifically impossible that 12 tons of steel and titanium was vaporized by kerosene. Loose change was a documentary about the 9 11 attacks that was put out in 2005. It was from top to bottom just a collection of 9 11 Conspiracy Theories. Starting as a cult fascination when it hit the internet, loose change quickly soared in popularity. Followers who called themselves truthers shared the video, Drawing Millions of viewers in under a year. It showed that a Conspiracy Theory didnt need to be promoted by someone really powerful. Anybodys ideas could go viral. Seems like a perfect storm now, but the evolution of all of those sites really expedited the ability of that information to start spreading. Nothing was ever the same. The promotion of Conspiracy Theories was never the same. And 9 11 was really the first one where we saw how that was going to work. Waiting in the wings to coopt a growing movement was alex jones. Where he once sold video tapes one by one, alex jones now had a main line straight into american households. A new website called infowars, which he used to amplify the 9 11 truth movement. Alex very quickly became the worlds leading 9 11 truther, promoting the idea that it was an inside job. It was always these elitists, the New World Order, the fbi, theyre all trying to destroy our freedoms. But after the 20 o00s drew ta close, jones turned to his megaphone to start promoting an even more outlandish theory, and his egregious accusations would target the most vulnerable. Ect t. The Subaru Solterra electric suv. 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My life was relatively mundane, i guess you could say, as a normal high school student. I was actually interested in going into Broadcast Journalism to tell other peoples stories, and was just getting ready to apply to school and everything, and then the shooting happened. Three years ago when david hogg was only 17, his high school became a hunting ground. Ive just gotten a horrific piece of news. I am sorry to have to report here that were talking about a high school, shots have been fired. You see chaos, terrified students, their hands on their Heads Running to safety, frightened parents rushing to the school, waiting for word on their children are they dead or alive . Fourteen of davids classmates and three Staff Members were killed. He had just experienced the Deadliest School shooting in american history. You mentioned that one of your first thoughts was your sister who was in school with you. From the time that you started to feel that, to the time you found out she was okay, what was that like for you . It was horrifying. And then getting home and not knowing how to console my sister, after shed lost what we initially thought was Three Friends but we found out was eventually four. How do you help someone thats 14 years old cope with that . You cant. Devastated by the shooting in his community and eager to voice his anger, david returned to the high school on his bike where National Media had converged on the scene. I found a camera crew, who was recording for Laura Ingrahams show and said, hey, you know, i was there. And now on to an eyewitness, a student who was at Stoneman Douglas as this horrific event unfolded. I was just talking to anyone that wanted to talk to me. I was out until, like, 3 00 in the morning. And then i got up the next morning, after like getting three hours of sleep and went straight back to do more interviews. Collectively, david and his classmates participated in over seven interviews in the 48 hours following the shooting. Soon after, they found themselves on a Collision Course with alex jones, who had started using his infowars webcast to spread outrageous lies about Mass Shootings. My gut is, with the timing and everything that happened, this is staged. The crisis actor Conspiracy Theory was really popularized after the sandy hook shootings. And it was basically a claim that Mass Shootings are not real, that theyre staged by the government with the use of what are called crisis actors. By spinning this horrific lie, infowars had seized on fears that the federal government was planning a massive seizure of privately owned guns. They are going to try to physically ban all semiautomatic handguns and rifles and make you turn them in. Of all the things that alex jones has promoted, it is one of the worst. The idea that they are not real people who actually died, but you know, actors playing a role. At around 2 30 we heard a gunshot in my ap Environmental Science class, and we initially thought it was a drill all right, just stop. I cant handle it anymore. Hes saying on these videos the timeline, this is when its beginning in the closet. But when its beginning, hes at his house and rides three miles on his bike. Not true at all. What they do is they take videos of me that say that i went back to school on my bike, and edit that to make it sound like i wasnt at school in the first place, when i was. You can ask students in the classroom, you can ask students that i was with during the shooting, i was there. I mean, the fact that you would even have to try to prove that you were there during a Mass Shooting is ludicrous. Yeah, it is. It is absolutely ludicrous. Fueled by infowars and conspiracy forums, accusations began ramping up. And when someone posted a video on youtube claiming david was an actor, it skyrocketed to number one on the platform overnight. What was that like when you first found out about it, and to be the subject of all of that . Youtube absolutely has control over what goes on their trending page. The fact that they made money from that through the monetization of that hatred is disgusting. But i realized the entire point of those things is to stop me from speaking. Its psychological warfare with us as children, to stop us from advocating for what we believe in. End gun violence no more silence the activism of parkland students did attract attention, a lot of it. And what started as small protests snowballed into a national youthled movement for gun reform. What do we want gun control when do we want it . Now how soon did you start to get Death Threats after you started speaking out . Basically, immediately. There were people that sent letters that said, f with the nra and youll be doa. There were photos that were sent of me having my head cut off by isis. There were people that showed up with guns at our protests, they would follow us to our hotel with their gun in their hand. What did all this do to your family . How did it affect them . Its been incredibly traumatizing for them. I got a call from some random number that was the sheriffs office. Theyre like, hey, is somebody holding a gun to your head thats killed your entire family demanding 100,000 right now . I was like, no. And theyre like oh, well, we got a call about it. And the entire s. W. A. T. Team for the county is on your front lawn with Police Helicopters around and snipers literally down the street pointed at your front door. Local camera crews flocked to the scene and the incident was broadcast nationwide. Do you ever get concerned, david, that the more you speak out, the more you invite Conspiracy Theories to spew information about you . Yeah, but the reality is i cant let that stop me. These Conspiracy Theories exist because theres a vacuum of truth. And the easy thing about that, to combat that side of it, just tell the damn truth. You know, i love and enjoy youtube as a platform. I use it all the time. And, you know, we have seen great things come from them, but they also have the power to do just as much damage. Misinformation packaged into Youtube Content has caused real harm. And social Media Companies are facing questions about how Conspiracy Theories spread on their platforms. As it turns out, its baked into the very dna of how they were created and how they turn a profit. Int that adds color in one coat and a dishwasher that handles all the dirty work. You got this. And we got you. The gillettelabs with exfoliating bar. Removes unseen dirt and debris that gets in the way of the blades. For effortless shaving in one efficient stroke. Gillette. The best a man can get. Guys, its time to stop treating your groins like junk. 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Amidst growing public pressure, the United States Congress Went to social media giants for answers. Its not possible to catch every piece of harmful content without infringing on peoples freedoms in a way that i dont think we would be comfortable with as a society. Simply put, your companys bottom line compels you to amplify extremist and dangerous content. Youre not bystanders, youre encouraging this stuff among those testifying were former executives who now harbored doubts about the design of their business. I wanted to improve the world that we all lived in. Instead, social Media Services that i and others have built have torn people apart with alarming speed and intensity. I fear we are pushing ourselves to the brink of civil war. When tim kendall was hired by facebook in 2006 to be the head of monetization, it was his job to determine how the platform could make profits. How do social Media Companies make money . They sell ads. The way they grow is to extract more attention tomorrow than they did today. Lisa signs up for the service, and it takes in all these inputs about her and your behavior. Its collecting my data . Collecting your data. We have this content, and then we have this notion of who influences you. And then we have this allknowing algorithm that knows sort of what your weaknesses are, what your inclinations are, and then the algorithm is given a really clear piece of instruction. Get lisa to spend more time tomorrow, and then a little bit more tomorrow. So tim, if you and i have different habits and we consume different kinds of news and information, would you receive different information than i would receive based on absolutely. The data thats been collected . Yes. You and i could get very different results depending on prior data about ourselves, prior data about the people around us, and even where were located in the country. Weve seen this play out with covid and the divergence of facts and opinions on that, like what is true . Lets Use Hydroxychloroquine as an example. If i am someone who thinks that there is a grain of possibility that it is the answer to our covid woes, and im seeking that Information Out, will i continue to receive information that validates what ive been looking for . Yes. Yes. And if you, on the other hand, discount it entirely, would you receive information that continues to discount it . Yes. Yes. So how do you know whats real . How would anyone know whats real . Thats the essence of why im so concerned. I mean, ten years ago, it was pictures of our friends, and that was enough. But now its Conspiracy Theories, incendiary content, violence, tribalism. The algorithm has figured out that driving wedges between people on these controversial issues is just wonderful business. Do you think that there is this concerted effort to incite this kind of tribalism . My view is they dont have malicious intent. I think theyre negligent. These algorithms, can they be built to work differently . To stop spreading information that is not true . Youd have to agree on a source of truth. And then youd have to feed that truth into the algorithm. And then youd have to tell the algorithm, create engagement, meet the profit numbers, but do it without lying. The reason thats not happening, in my view, is the incentives arent there. Even though i believe it is within their capability. You mean that facebook wouldnt make money . They wouldnt make as much money. In your congressional testimony, you expressed fear that the consequence of all this could be civil war. Why do you believe that . I was thinking about civil war, because i think its the natural extrapolation from an allknowing algorithm that has the financial incentives to pull us apart. Studies have shown that it only takes a few minutes of exposure to a Conspiracy Theory to alter your perspective. 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When im ready, i spend less than 1 minute a month taking kesimpta. How i spend the rest of my time is up to me. Ask your doctor about treating rms with kesimpta. You said close your eyes dont look down fall into me and ill catch you, darlin well dance in the street like nobodys watching its just you and me celebrate every kiss. Get zero down special financing with the kay jewelers credit card. [announcer] do you have an Invention Idea but dont know what to do next . Call invent help today. They can help you get started with your idea. Call now 8007100020. Make no mistake. This election was stolen from you, from me. After Donald Trumps baseless Conspiracy Theory that the election was stolen ended in violence, his twitter account was suspended permanently. And after he left office, many qanon followers left the Online Movement and disavowed it as a hoax. But a Hardcore Group of believers still identify with their message, and im trying to find out why. So facebook, twitter, and instagram have really been cracking down on people who are posting anything qanon related. So many people have moved to this other site that has no content controls and claims to be the worlds premier free speech platform. The site is called parler, one of a handful of forums that have virtually no restrictions on hate speech or misinformation. Log on, i set up a page. I want to just engage in some conversation. A few days later, someone connected with us. He remains committed to q and agreed to chat on camera if we concealed his identity. How are you . Im good, how are you . Im doing well. Thanks for talking to us. He calls himself dc and tells me that he, too, was banned from facebook, but only after a group he created grew to over 90,000 followers. The name of the group was qanon great awakening. The main purpose of that Facebook Page was to make quoteunquote normies aware when q posted we would amplify that post on facebook. What role does donald trump play in your world view . He showed us what a real president can do. It is that simple. He was on got, if it werent for covid, trump would have probably had the best economy in history. And it was on to squash the economic boom. You think covid was something that was generated to defeat donald trump . No its america in general. In all fair starts, where do you think america is headed . People are going to die. How do you think people are going to die . Vaccinations become mandatory, that is a good way to kill a bunch of people. And your friends do they believe what you believe . No, i have mention id it to them. I do not pitch it around them. Ive lost too many friends already. If you are going to stop being friends with someone, police are the end reason. My end goal is to expose, people need to know. Now that donald trump is no longer president what do you think is going to happen to the movement . Maybe it is time for the people to take what theyve learned and put it into action. How far are you willing to take this . You obviously feel very strongly about your beliefs. One thing i take more at issue with than anything if you wanted to quiet me down you would crack down pedophilia. If that was the only thing that would go away i would be happy. But dc what if its not true . Like what if its not true . If its not true we cant bring it into the light now can we . All im doing is asking questions. All i have is is a Parlor Account with maybe 30, 40,000 followers, enough that im trying to warn everybody. I believe The Best Is Yet To Come and i believe that you cant stop whats coming. And what do you think is coming . Justice. I think thats carvana. Lets go. Lets go. Adjusting the amount. Adjusting the amount. Yes, please. A lot can happen in a moment. Whoa. I just bought a car from carvana. Like finding your perfect mix of down and monthly payments. 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Like what makes your lawn thrive, paint that adds color in one coat and a dishwasher that handles all the dirty work. You got this. And we got you. As we emerge from the pandemic and rely on research and facts to guide us forward, one thing is clear the truth is more important than ever. But becoming harder and harder to pin down. Ive always thought rationality and reason would be the thing that saves us but thus far it hasnt. Reason has been surprisingly ineffective. What do we want . When do we want it . Now. Some lies never really go away. These are not fringe ideas, being promoted by a fringe audience, these are fringe ideas from people very much in the mainstream. What i worry about is people will have no way of knowing what is true and not true. Pressure continues to build on social media giants to intervene and fighting a more active role in fighting disinformation. In response, ceos from twitter, google and facebook, deplatforming users who spread conspiracy threers. Some of you will say were doing too much and removing free speech rights. Some of you say were doing too much and end up creating harp. Both ways are reasonable and Warning Labels and significantly reduce its distribution. The system isnt perfect but its the best approach weve found to address misinformation in line with our countrys values. Quite a number of social Media Companies have deplat formed people who have been spewing Conspiracy Theories, is that enough . My concern over the deforming to date is that it doesnt appear to be particularly consistent. I think there need to be more transparent policies about what people can do and say on these platforms and these companies have to exercise judgment around applying their policy so that society doesnt unwind. Until we get to a time and place where social Media Companies take full responsibility for misinformation on their platforms we can listen to the people who have fallen down the rabbit hole and learn from their experience. When i really started to understand as i had come out of qanon what it really was and how deep that hatred and racism was sowed, i was absolutely horrified that i was involved in it in any way. I am deeply sorry and, you know, i will spend the rest of my life trying to make it right. We are starting to see what it looks like, when our sense of reality is incredibly fractured and divided. So what is the end result . If we continue along on this path . Where do we go from here . What happens . If we cant come to a shared sense of what we want this country to look like or even the basic facts of what were fighting about we very literally cant get anywhere. We are mired in a more heightened division of the heightening divides that weve been in for 50 years. No one wants to give up on shared truths. If there is a way forward it wont be found within the comfort of our own virtual bubbles but in the open, transparent and sometimes uncomfortable exchange of ideas. Hello and welcome to viewers joining us from the United States and all around the world. Im leil