Thank you for the links, Insider. There is a phenomenon I have observed countless times, which is:

People with a preconceived prejudiced idea of "how things are" (and that includes just about everybody) have a strong tendency to discount or ignore any evidence that refutes or alters their established view of how things are. As a result, they seldom even encounter such evidence, except in passing, so to speak, and they do not dwell on it because they don't believe it in the first place. They do dwell on things which they do believe.

There are only 2 likely events which can cause them to change their minds...

1. A direct encounter with such radical new evidence, in a way which is undeniable.

2. A statement in favour of such new evidence by an authority in whom they place great trust. The authority can be said to be a "father" or "mother" figure. Most commonly that authority is the government, the news media, a church, the scientific community, the economic advisors, the medical community.

In cases where these authorities decide, for strong reasons of their own, to mislead the public, to lie, or to conceal information...then it is probable that they will succeed in fooling most of the people most of the time.

This has been demonstrated amply in every powerful dictatorship and every corrupt government since the dawn of civilization.

Unless confronted directly by stark reality most people simply go on believing whatever it is that they already believe, and all the more so if their "leaders" tell them to believe it.

"Don't follow leaders" - Bob Dylan   

Think for yourself.