7am Conspiracy Nation part 1: The COVID conspiracy pipeline
Aug 13, 2025
Cam Wilson, co-author of Conspiracy Nation, delves into the intricate web of COVID conspiracies and the psychological pull behind them. He discusses how fears and conspiracies merged during protests, creating a 'conspiracy pipeline' fueled by distrust in authority. The allure of these theories often offers a comforting 'us versus them' narrative, while personal relationships can suffer as people dive deeper into fringe communities. Wilson also highlights how conspiracy theories can be exploited for profit and power in our post-pandemic reality.
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Conspiracy Thinking Fills Uncertainty
- People turned to extreme COVID conspiracies because they offered simple, certain explanations amid confusing information.
- Cam Wilson says conspiratorial thinking provided psychological certainty during early pandemic uncertainty.
Rally For Freedom: A Patchwork Of Beliefs
- Ariel Bogle describes attending the May 2023 Rally for Freedom in Sydney and seeing diverse conspiracy messages side by side.
- She observed posters about vaccines, 15-minute cities, a list called the "28" and Russia-Ukraine themes all occupying the same space.
Shared Distrust Unites Contradictory Beliefs
- Disparate conspiratorial beliefs coexist because participants share a common feeling of being lied to, not identical factual claims.
- Cam Wilson explains online networks bind people by shared distrust rather than consistent ideology.
