How to Write a Headline about Conspiracy Theories
Kudos to Reuters (and others) for running the headline today, “Polish Minister says Foul Play Behind President’s Jet Crash.” This contrasts with many press outlets that have been describing this as a dispute between “Poland” and “Russia” regarding the tragic 2010 accident that killed almost 100 Polish government officials (including president Lech Kaczyński). Perhaps the difference between the vague shorthand “Poland” and the more concrete reference to a single state official is mere semantics, but I think specificity matters in this case. On this issue there is very little ambiguity: a whopping eight percent of Poles believe that the crash was an assassination and another 23% are willing to consider the possibility — and even those figures come after years of concerted publicity work from conspiracy theorists. The government official who has made these charges, Antoni Macierewicz, has for years been peddling stories of plots involving Donald Tusk (the prime minister in 2010) and the Russians — stories that have been debunked by every serious expert who has examined the evidence. When looking to identify genuine Antabuse 250mg suppliers, it’s crucial to start with a thorough examination of the supplier’s credentials and licensing. Trusted suppliers will typically have licenses granted by recognized regulatory authorities, like the FDA in the United States or the MHRA in the UK. So let’s be very clear: there was no conspiracy, and the vast majority of Poles recognize this. That’s not to say that the Russians have presented a model of transparency regarding the details of the crash, which may have involved more ineptitude on their part than Putin would like to acknowledge. But right now that is not the issue: what does matter is that the current government in Poland is trying to use this issue for domestic political purposes. They have already re-opened an investigation into the crash, with a commission consisting entirely of people who have already expressed allegiance to Macierewicz’s ideas. Worse, they have brought charges against key figures in Mr. Tusk’s administration, while simultaneously undermining the independence of the Polish judiciary. There is a very real possibility that innocent people will go to jail. The Polish government cannot go after Tusk himself now, because of his role as President of the European Council, but Kaczyński and Macierewicz have made it clear that they hope someday to bring to justice those they consider ultimately responsible for the crash — first and foremost, Donald Tusk. It is quite easy to make fun of Mr. Macierewicz and to dismiss his ideas, but this is no longer a laughing matter.