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Probably some small scale predictions were right, but I did not maintain a complete log of everything that was said. The general picture about when and how things will go to hell did not play out. This is the single thing I care about most - that disaster scenario did not happen in two-three weeks, despite being predicted many times. And most of the time it wasn't a "balanced" prediction like "if we are unlucky millions die, but most likely only few thousands"; it was more often than not pure fear mongering.

Also, I think it's really uncharitable to use the word "fixate" here.

Sure, I know experts may not know everything. However I'd like people taking responsibility for what they said. I don't see anyone admitting "Yes, I was wrong but I did my best to approximate the truth". I don't see anyone explaining what exactly they were wrong about and how their thinking has changed few months later; what they would have said in hindsight. That's what I'd expect from true authorities but it never happens.

So I'm a conspiracy theorist and at this point I have no hope of stopping to be one.

Simple example that resonates well with current situation - when covid broke out I was spending a lot of energy ingesting everything I could. To my surprise, the vast majorities of predictions made by experts did not come true. I remember back in April-May-June media would predict that cases will skyrocket in two-three weeks and everything will go to hell. But it did not; in "two-three weeks" someone else would again say "we are two-three weeks away from disaster". No one ever retracted their pieces or issued a correction, everyone just forgotten about predictions that never came true. Most of my friends are happy to keep on listening to such experts. The media are happy to promote the experts further.

So how am I supposed to not be... heavily sceptical when we don't held opinion makers accountable for what they say?

(I know what I'm saying is not 100% related to article, but I just want to see through media bullshit, and need to vent somewhere.)

> I am sure the flat earth stuff and the 5gs are manufactured conspiracies, for the sole reason of developing a mechanism to basically discredit any public suspicion once something gets slapped the "conspiracy theory" term.

Also "vaccines cause autism". There was well documented fiasco around swine flu vaccine (pandemrix) that seems to have given narcolepsy to some people, but more often than not bringing that up labels you as an anti-vaxer and noone wants to listen. It's ironic that article speaks about "thought-terminating cliches" where some conspiracy theories are used as such to cover actual issues.

My point here is that most issues are subtle: I'm happy I was given polio vaccine when I was a child, but I don't trust pharma that much and I'd rather not take anything that didn't go through years of testing and I think big pharma's bad reputation is well-earned.