Code Switch

This Conspiracy Soup Contains Bugs — And Racism

Jul 19, 2023
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ANECDOTE

Mealworm Protest

  • Thierry Baudet, a Dutch far-right leader, dumped mealworms on stage during a farmer's protest.
  • He connected bug consumption to the EU's nitrogen emission reduction plan, claiming it threatens Dutch farming.
INSIGHT

Bugs as Conspiracy

  • The "bug-eating" narrative is linked to broader conspiracy theories about global elites controlling food.
  • Tucker Carlson's special "Let Them Eat Bugs" highlighted this connection, amplifying existing fears.
INSIGHT

Origin and Spread

  • The link between bug-eating and far-right ideologies originated in a 2019 blog post by a white identitarian.
  • The phrase "I will not eat the bugs" spread as a meme on 4chan and Twitter, fueled by white supremacist groups.
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