cover of episode How Hurricane Helene Has Fuelled Far-Right Conspiracies

How Hurricane Helene Has Fuelled Far-Right Conspiracies

2024/10/16
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The Political Scene | The New Yorker
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Jessica Pishko
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Tyler Foggett
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Jessica Pishko: 飓风海伦对阿什维尔的破坏程度超乎预期，当地基础设施老化加剧了灾情。灾后信息传播受阻，导致虚假信息和阴谋论在网络和现实中广泛传播，例如关于FEMA资金被挪用、政府掩盖遇难者遗体等说法。这些谣言部分源于民众的焦虑和对政府的不信任，也受到一些政治人物的利用。右翼民兵组织试图参与灾后重建，但行动受到限制。共和党利用灾后重建的时机，通过夸大FEMA应对不足等方式，为本党候选人争取选民支持，同时迎合极右翼选民的反联邦政府情绪。马克·罗宾逊利用灾后救济活动进行政治宣传，试图转移公众对其个人丑闻的关注。灾后重建需要长期努力，包括恢复基础设施、学校和医院等。飓风灾害对竞选活动的影响对在职共和党候选人有利，而对民主党候选人不利。 Tyler Foggett: 飓风海伦过后，灾后重建过程充斥着阴谋论和虚假信息，例如关于联邦政府挪用救灾资金以及联邦紧急事务管理署（FEMA）没收土地的指控。这些阴谋论对即将到来的总统大选可能产生影响。北卡罗来纳州的政治格局复杂，两党在灾后救灾和选举问题上存在分歧。共和党在应对气候变化问题上的虚假信息传播，与飓风海伦造成的灾害之间存在联系。

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The chapter discusses the unexpected devastation caused by Hurricane Helene in Asheville, North Carolina, focusing on the impact of mudslides, floods, and the lack of updated infrastructure.
  • Asheville, 300 miles from the coast, was unexpectedly devastated by Hurricane Helene.
  • Mudslides and floods destroyed homes and businesses, cutting off communities from clean water and electricity.
  • The region's outdated infrastructure, including reliance on well water and aging water systems, exacerbated the disaster.

Shownotes Transcript

Jessica Pishko, who recently published a piece) about the devastation left behind by Hurricane Helene, joins Tyler Foggatt to discuss conspiracy theories that have emerged in the storm’s wake. On social media, people have falsely claimed, among other things, that the federal government has diverted disaster funding to migrants and that FEMA has seized peoples land. In a battleground state such as North Carolina, where the Republican gubernatorial candidate, Mark Robinson, has been mired in scandal, what do the confusion and conspiracies mean for the upcoming Presidential election? 

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