exaggerate

Foreign policy analysts routinely, and often wildly, exaggerate the threat level posed by anti-American or anti-Western forces, presenting them as shadowy hordes ready to overrun civilization at any moment.

The email contains a section entitled "inaccurate news reporting", having earlier in the week heavily criticised media organisations for "fabricated and exaggerated narratives".

It is likely to be exaggerated this month as a result of a 'major lunar standstill' which took place earlier this year - the effects of which can still be seen.

"Right now, what we're seeing is a lot of rhetoric of catastrophe, either overpopulation or shrinking population, which leads to this kind of exaggerated response, and sometimes a manipulative response," says Dr Kanem.

Many alarm-sounders were ignored, marginalized, mocked, attacked and told they were exaggerating and engaging in hyperbole by the gatekeepers in the news media and political class.