Rising fuel prices prompt conspiracy theorists in the US

As always in such cases, without any evidence at all, people on social media platforms claim that the rising fuel prices in the US are not the result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but that President Joe Biden’s administration was deliberately driving up prices to get more American drivers behind the wheel of an electric car.

“$6.00 a gallon gas is how you get people to buy electric cars,” claims one popular meme, ignoring the historical precedent of war in the middle east, which had also greatly affected fuel prices.

There is an academic explanation for the prevalence of conspiracy theories over the last years: “At this point, conspiracy theories have become so ingrained in people’s psyche and because of social media, they spread like wildfire,” said Mia Bloom, a Georgia State University professor who recently authored a book examining the QAnon conspiracy theory. “If it’s not this conspiracy theory this week, it’ll be another one next week.”

Hopefully this time they won’t attack another pizzeria.
apnews.com