As part of 92Y’s partnership with Salon.com, political reporter Alex Seitz-Wald spoke with us at The Jefferson Hotel in Washington D.C. about conspiracism and the top stories that are really conspiracy theories.
Alex started off explaining the vaccine conspiracy theory that links giving children vaccines with autism. Alex warned us about the danger this conspiracy theory presents to our children:
"You're talking about children's lives that are on the line here because people don't want to get their children vaccinated based on a notion that is completely false."
Next Alex looked at climate change conspiracy theories, pointing out Senators and organizations that are baselessly charging the scientists in support of global warming with being payed off by the government.
Seitz-Wald also brings up the mainstream media "liberal bias" notion as a conspiracy theory, suggesting it is absurd to think that thousands of journalists with competing interests are working in a "secret kebal" to prop up the Democrats.
Alex's last conspiracy theory looks at the charge that Muslim advocacy groups like CAIR are secretly working for Hamas and Hezbollah:
"It's a pretty dangerous notion...something that would not be accepted if they were talking about Jews, or black people or any other minority."
This interview was filmed at The Jefferson Hotel in Washington, D.C.