Rumors, rumors, everywhere

According to the UK’s Daily Star, Vladimir Putin of Russia (who just celebrated his 71st birthday on 8 October) is terminally ill and may die within weeks. But never fear, they have doppelgangers (body doubles) to take over for him, and the evil fascist regime of Russia will continue to serve as the boogeyman of NATO and DC. (Yeah, the Daily Star seems to be the equivalent of the vanishing “checkout tabloids” here in the States, but the Daily Mirror also reports this.)

At the same time, Newsweek and other sources are spreading the story that a member of the Knesset is proposing use of nuclear weapons (carried by the fabled Jericho-3 (YA-4) missile) to deal with Hamas and Gaza. Calling it a “doomsday weapon,” sources say this threatens a Third World War. (Note: TPOL suggested that some in Israel might push for using nuclear weapons against Gaza and Hamas, before any of these stories came up. We still believe that, for bad or good, Israel is unlikely to use them.)

There are also various rumors (apparently started by Ukrainian claims) that Moscow (that sickie Putin) has been stealing NATO-furnished weapons off Ukrainian battlefields and giving them to Hamas in a disinformation campaign to discredit Ukraine. Among others, Business Insider repeats these claims. (We point out that the logo/seal used by Hamas’ military arm has apparently used an M-16 or AR-15 as part of its symbols for more than 25 years. There has been no report yet of just what weapons the Hamas fighters used: audio seems to support the use of AK-47 or similar weapons over American or other NATO weapons.)

Some pundits have even suggested that the Hamas attack (now being joined by Hezbollah out of Lebanon) is intended to open a “second front” against the West: with the “first front” being Ukraine. The WaPo is pushing this idea, even linking Taiwan to it as a “third front.” (This is different than Israel/talking-head worries about second and third fronts with Lebanon-based Hezbollah and Syria. Which in turn could result in a “fourth front” against Iran.)

And of course, any rational person, no matter how supportive of Israel or Hamas and the “Palestinian” cause, should be concerned that information about babies being beheaded, elderly people being tortured and killed in their beds, and other atrocities is accurate. Or false rumors and misinformation? Blurred out photos on X or other social media can be faked: we’ve been there before.

Back Stateside, we see some examples:

It’s been around for a quarter-century, but recently one rumor seems to gain new life in the States. That is the rumor or claim that the word “picnic” is racist and offensive because it comes from the phrase “pick a negro to lynch” and supposedly the first picnics in the United States were to observe and cheer on the lynching of black people. Though constantly refuted and ridiculed since then, it seems that now and then some goofball politician or activist demands we stop using the “offensive” word. (Which by the way, seems to have come from a French word meaning “dinner on the ground” and similar things.)

It is just one of the dozens of words we are no longer supposed to use, lest we be branded racist, perverted, dangerous, anti-democratic, or white supremicists. And canceled.

Some rumors are long-established and hard to keep separate from conspiracy theories. Whether we speak of Area 51 and alien landings, or new types of carburation or fuel injection, tales of false-flag events and newly revealed evidence on old events. They just keep popping up, and usually gore someone’s ox.

When rumors are not true or really accurate, they present grave dangers: they distract attention from actual hazards. And if people are suckered into believing them and spreading them, they become tools to use against those mistaken people – and anyone else who shares their outlook on almost anything.

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