Ep. 25 - Finland Doesn't Exist
In the Cold War era, Japan and the Soviet Union supposedly shared a secret about a stretch of the Baltic Sea between the Soviet Union and Sweden. Around the mid-20th century, the two nations collectively spread the idea that there was a landmass known as Finland on that stretch of ocean, to keep the good fishing between themselves. The Japanese were free to fish as much as they liked there without worrying about international laws, so long as they give a share to Russia. The company of Nokia is actually owned by the Japanese and is used to hide the shipments from this secret fishing industry in the guise of hardware. To get all this food across the continent, the trans-Siberian railway was built for this express purpose.
This is the conspiracy theory that surfaced in 2015 on an unassuming Reddit thread. Not long following, it went viral, traveling across social media and taking on a life of it's own. The fallout was fast and fierce. While many responded jokingly or dismissively, some responses were highly critical, and even outright insulting. Understandably, some Finnish users within Reddit were offended that such a claim was gaining traction. And traction it saw. Spreading across social media sites such as Tumbler and 4chan.
The question remains, what made this amusing conspiracy theory resonate so well with the public? Why did it capture our imagination, inspire discussion and spur debate? Is it due to some internet "law" that speaks to parody and sarcasm, or is it rooted in something more substantial in literature, like the concept of satire? Why does it speak to us? We try to tackle this issue on this episode of Conspiracy Theoryology.
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Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com
Links:
http://yourbrainonfacts.com/
http://turnofphrases.com/
https://explorefinlandpodcast.com/
https://truecrimefinland.squarespace.com/
https://inktank.fi/podcasts/
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/xyd48w/this-dude-accidentally-convinced-the-internet-that-finland-doesnt-exist
https://theculturetrip.com/europe/finland/articles/does-finland-exist-many-dont-think-so/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poe%27s_law
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/2qjohv/what_did_your_parents_show_you_to_do_that_you/cn6pn30/?context=8&depth=9
https://poseidon01.ssrn.com/delivery.php?ID=362104126089102077125098103024071124050050034063008064066127015031027097112117071089098124053005104010109116078101117081119071104015058046044076005011115077027011064090081060009019103123026083118095091029113076094006066024126126099098024124026086119091&EXT=pdf
https://www.reddit.com/r/finlandConspiracy/comments/2y0oog/the_finland_conspiracy_and_all_you_need_to_know/
http://www.bodahub.com/does-finland-exist-conspiracy-theory/
http://www.stat.fi/tup/satavuotias-suomi/suomi-maailman-karjessa_en.html
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/feb/12/safe-happy-and-free-does-finland-have-all-the-answers
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satire
https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.bing.com/&httpsredir=1&article=1065&context=srhonorsprog
https://thetowerphs.com/2015/12/arts-and-entertainment/satire-influencing-audiences-through-emotional-appeal/
https://theculturetrip.com/europe/finland/articles/podcasts-to-help-you-understand-finland/
War Escalation - Discussion of Ukraine Conflict w/Scott Compton
False Flag Fake Out w/ Scott Compton
COVID Testing and Overdiagnosis
Mandate Games
Awakenings and Activation with NK Kranda
Bones of Tyranny - Breakdown, Civil War, and the Stand Alone Complex
Bones of Tyranny - Operational Contingency and Continuity of Government
Flu Shots and Face Masks - Moral Panic and Social Control Theory
Masking the Truth - Face Masks, Empathy and Dis-inhibition
Crisis Apparitions and Connectedness
The Dogs of Lore - Dogmen, Black Dogs, Werewolves and Dog Domestication Theory
Pandemic Panic (Part 4) - Realities of the Spanish Flu
Quarantine Quiet Time with NK and Ryan
Pandemic Panic (Part 3) - The Spanish Flu of 1918
Pandemic Panic (Part 2) - COVID19, Communication and Pandemic Uncertainty
Pandemic Panic (Part 1) - Wuhan Coronavirus Outbreak
Synchronicity
Do Extraordinary Claims Require Extraordinary Evidence?
Haunted Houses and Prospect-Refuge Theory
Seeking Witchcraft (w/ guest Ashley of Seeking Witchcraft Podcast)
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