The World Gone Mad

When I saw this headline in the NYT I thought it must be a spoof:

Meteorologists Face Harassment and Death Threats Amid Hurricane Disinformation

 

Nope. It's real. People are actually threatening to murder meteorologists because they're covering up the true fact that the government controls the weather. 

Many of the falsehoods about the hurricanes have been spread by conservatives and supporters of former President Donald J. Trump, including a former Trump administration official and a Republican congresswoman.

Of all the conspiracy theories and disinformation that have circulated, meteorologists say one falsehood that has especially gotten out of hand is the claim that the government is creating or controlling the storms. Forecasters have been harassed for either failing to promote these claims or for disseminating accurate information that counters them.

 

But wait, there's more:

 

Emergency workers have also been targeted with abuse. In the aftermath of Helene, Federal Emergency Management Agency personnel received a significant amount of harassment, including false claims that the agency was stealing donations and diverting disaster aid to Ukraine. Calls were made for residents to form militias to defend against those workers, who also faced antisemitic and misogynistic threats.

 

This isn't even worthy of a headline or its own article, it appears. I have to admit I'm starting to wonder whether electoral democracy can still work. But I can't think of an alternative. 

UPDATE: I cannot believe this:

Some FEMA operations paused in North Carolina after reports National Guard troops saw ‘armed militia’ threatening them