As the threat of Ebola spreads, a much more contagious disease travels with it – the conspiracy theories.
This is not new. Conspiracy theories aimed at trying to shift public attitudes have always been around — how AIDs really got started, are there really aliens at Roswell, who was really behind Kennedy’s assassination – the list could go and on.
Professor Fenster, via The New York Times states, “I view these things [conspiracy theories] as a way of framing the world, of offering us narratives, and they’re not necessarily a bad thing. Conspiracy theories are something that’s available in American discourse as a way of telling stories, as a way of explaining who we are.”
With more than 4,000 West African people dead from Ebola, there are many conspiracy theories making their way to our news media. Speculations have risen as to how this once relatively contained virus suddenly re-appeared, and so quickly grew out of control. Consistent, credible answers are difficult to obtain. Viewers are being bombarded with updates — between the news shows, talk shows, radio, and Internet blogs. Everyone is talking Ebola. But, despite the media blitz and continuous statements and press conferences with prominent local and governmental health care leaders, there remain many unanswered questions that evolve into conspiracy theories. Did this all start with a bat bite, or is the US government behind it all?
The purpose of this article is not to convince you on one theory or another, but to open you mind to the world we live in. As readers, we must be able to sift true information from the hysteria and media hype. Below are several historical accounts as well conspiracy theories. It is your choice whether to believe they are fact or fiction.
Robert Garry of Tulane University reported to NBC News, as well as FOX News, that Ebola was first linked to a traditional healer in Sierra Leone who tended to a 2 year-old patient, “Patient Zero” over Guinea border. The boy died soon after, taking the lives of his mother and older sibling as well as the healer, who were all infected by the disease. Patients attended the funeral of the healer and subsequently 14 more people were infected because of contact with the remains.
According to Garry,
“All viruses mutate, and scientists can use the mutations as a kind of clock to trace the evolution and movement of a virus. Right now the Ebola virus strain in West Africa appears to be mutating twice as fast as it did in the past when it lived in an animal “reservoir,” probably a bat.”
With poor conditions in Africa, people are forced to eat what they can find. They hunt animals including rats and bats. Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases stated via The New York Times, “It’s likely that Ebola is transmitted to humans when they hunt or eat infected bushmeat.”
Nana Kwame from Ghana’s capital Accra paints a much different picture and is allegedly working hard to voice theories to the western world. In his blog, Ebo-lie, he states that the Red Cross and the American government planted Ebola in order to get US troops on the ground in Africa. Kwame claims that only those people who have been treated by the Red Cross have contracted the virus. He asserts that the Red Cross is infecting people through vaccines, and those who are not treated by the Red Cross have not been infected.
Via Facebook, Kwame posts,
“People in the Western World need to know what’s happening here in West Africa. THEY ARE LYING!!! “Ebola” as a virus does NOT exist and is NOT “Spread.” The Red Cross has brought the disease to 4 specific countries for 4 specific reasons and it is only contracted by those who receive treatments and injections from the Red Cross. That is why Liberians and Nigerians have begun kicking the Red Cross out of their countries and reporting in the news the truth.”
Reason # No. 1:
According to Kwame, the US needed a reason to get troops into Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. Accusing the US of stealing the new oil reserves, Kwame goes as far to say that the missing schoolgirls from Chibouk, who were abducted last April by the group known as Boko Haram was a hoax. “There ARE NO GIRLS MISSING.” Kwame claims that when the Nigerians began telling the truth — that the girls were not actually abducted, the US needed another reason to get troops on the ground.
Reason # No 2:
Sierra Leone has the world’s largest supply of diamonds. Due to harsh labor conditions, low wages and slave-like conditions, workers have been on strike. He claims, by using Ebola, troops are able to go and handle the strike first hand and ensure the diamonds continue to be transported. More information concerning the harsh labors of the diamond mines can be found Here via NBC World News.
Reason # No. 3:
The Red Cross is trying to infect more people for personal gain. The US states they are bringing in more troops in order to contain the virus, while Kwame states,
“In addition to stealing Nigerian oil, and forcing Sierra Leone back to mining, troops have also been sent in to FORCE vaccinations (Deadly “Ebola” Poison) onto those Africans who are not foolish enough to take them willingly.”
Reason # No. 4:
“Last, but not least, the APPEARANCE of this Ebola ‘pandemic’ (should Americans not catch on) will be used to scare the countless millions into taking an ‘Ebola vaccine’ which in reality is the pandemic. Already they have started with stories of how it has been brought to the U.S. and has appeared in Dallas, how white doctors were cured but blacks infected are not being allowed to be treated, etc.” Kwane continues to state that Ebola is a bio weapon designed to target a specific race via DNA and eliminate it.
Rev. Louis Farrakhan also suggests this in a blog post stating,
“There is a weapon that can be put in a room where there are Black and White people, and it will kill only the Black and spare the White, because it is a genotype weapon that is designed for your genes, for your race, for your kind.”
Thomas Duncan, a Liberian nationalist, was the first patient to be diagnosed with Ebola on US soil. At first, misdiagnosed and sent home, he returned the next day, sicker and was admitted, isolated and diagnosed. But many feel that the treatment he received was too little, too late. Spokespeople from the Dallas hospital say that he received the best treatment possible, but others state that Duncan was not given the proper amount of treatment.
“Unfortunately, in our initial treatment of Mr. Duncan, despite our best intentions and a highly skilled medical team, we made mistakes. We did not correctly diagnose his symptoms as those of Ebola. And we are deeply sorry,” stated Dr. Daniel Varga, chief clinical officer and senior vice president at Texas Health Resources to Congress.
Is the spread of Ebola a terrorist attempt? An accident? A plot to depopulate? A genotype weapon? There is even a theory that Glenn Thomas, an Ebola expert, was killed on the MH17 plane crash in order to keep the virus spreading.
One thing is for sure, many mistakes have been made; many lives have been lost. And it’s conceivable that it will get worse before it gets any better. We all continue to have more questions than answers. And if there are those that have the real answers, they are either not sharing or we don’t believe the truth.
And when there are no definitive answers, there is speculation. Speculation leads to hysteria and hysteria, unfortunately, will lead to even more conspiracy theories.
Photo Via Huffington Post
