Conspiracy theory

About

A conspiracy theory is, technically, any theory (formal or informal) which supposes the existence of a conspiracy of some kind. The term has gained a number of implicit connotations, however, which depart from this definition:

• The term is generally used in contrast to "the official explanation" of any given event, even if the official explanation itself involves a conspiracy (as in 9/11, where the official theory claims a conspiracy of Muslim extremists, but is nonetheless not generally referred to as a "conspiracy theory"); the term is rarely (if ever) used to describe a theory that has official support.
• There is a derogatory connotation due to the widespread belief that anyone who doubts an official explanation must be a "nutcase". Describing a theory as a "conspiracy" theory carries the implication that the theorist is credulous and the theory lacks credibility.
• The term is also rarely used except in the case of high-level conspiracy, i.e. a conspiracy of people with significant power, authority, or influence who therefore command significant respect and trust from many people.
  • Although the official theory to explain the events of 9/11 also involves a conspiracy, it is not generally referred to as a "conspiracy theory" because the individuals involved were private citizens with no special authority.
  • A bank robbery involving multiple actors is also a "conspiracy" (one of the crimes would be "conspiracy to commit theft"), but a detective trying to piece together the evidence to determine what happened would never be accused of being a "conspiracy theorist" -- even though s/he literally would be.

Usages

This cartoon about global warming says:

A conspiracy theory can be defined as any world view that traces important events to a secretive, nefarious cabal. and whose proponents respond to contrary facts not by modifying their hypotheses but instead by insisting on the existence of ever-widening circles of high-level conspirators who control most or all parts of society.

Positions most often cited as conspiracy theories include:

• that there is a conspiracy of "evolutionists" to hide the supposed truth of creationism
• that money-grubbing scientists are conspiring with powerful government interests to promote global warming
• that the moon landings were faked
• the idea that the official account of the JFK assassination is inconsistent with known evidence
• any position questioning the actions of officials and authorities regarding the 9-11 attacks, especially those which argue that the official account is wrong in any significant way

Conclusions

Do slogans like this -- "Not every conspiracy is a theory" -- indicate a growing acceptance that "conspiracy theories" are not necessarily bogus? Or are they just helping to reinforce the idea that such theories are sensationalistic, purely the realm of unrealistic fiction?

There is certainly nothing inherently "wacky" about the idea that powerful people might conspire to defraud the public, yet many hypotheses arguing for specific instances of such events are quickly branded as "conspiracy theories" -- regardless of how sound their arguments may be.

It seems reasonable to conclude that the pejorative sense of the term "conspiracy theory" owes its popularity to its ability to stigmatize the entirely legitimate act of investigating cover-up operations.

Related Pages

• conspiracy theories: a list

Links

Reference

• Wikipedia
• Conservapedia
• dKosopedia no equivalent page (as of 2008-05-04)
• SourceWatch

Filed Links

version 3

• 2011-07-23T14:52:00 [L..T] Norway, Islam and the threat of the West Interestingly, this criminal is described by one unnamed Norwegian official as a "madman". He may well be, but this is one way that the motivations for heinous crimes can be airbrushed out of the story before they have the chance to take hold in the popular imagination.
• 2010-02-10 [L..T] Ridicule of Conspiracy Theories Focuses On Diffusing Criticism of the Powerful

version 2

• 2010-01-15 [Talk|Index] Obama confidant's spine-chilling proposal § “In 2008, while at Harvard Law School, Sunstein co-wrote a truly pernicious paper proposing that the U.S. Government employ teams of covert agents and pseudo-"independent" advocates to "cognitively infiltrate" online groups and websites -- as well as other activist groups -- which advocate views that Sunstein deems "false conspiracy theories" about the Government.”
• 2009-12-13 [Talk|Index] Making Afghanistan Safe for Heroin § “The "conspiracy theory" accusation comes up any time a journalist or a whistleblower points out that U.S. officials and agencies have been complicit in the global drug trade. ... It just can’t be true that America would support drug lords, can it? ... YES, IT CAN.”
• 2009-08-11 [Talk|Index] 9/11 Mind Swell § “The 9/11 truth movement, at best, gets meager public attention when it is derided and insulted, used as an example of persistent conspiratorial insanity.”
• 2009-02-01 [Talk|Index] The trouble with conspiracy theories § This article's glib dismissal of the entire genre of conspiracy theory makes me angry. -{{woozle.init
• 2008-10-15 [Talk|Index] Conspiracy's Uncanny Valley § “My guess is that standard stories about events like 9-11 are quite wrong about one time in a hundred or thousand, and that due to mole effects they are probably wrong more often on the very largest events. Loose Change being surprisingly persuasive then had me estimating about a one in ten to thirty chance....”
• 2008-05-04 [Talk|Index] Tell Me Again Why "Conspiracy Theory" is a Dirty Label § “Whenever any claim is made that the government has done anything wrong, government apologists say "that's a conspiracy theory!" ... conspiracies are committed all the time in the U.S., and many of the conspirators are caught and found guilty by American courts.”
• 2007-12-07 [Talk|Index] Conspiracy is an Absolute Fact § “These numerous exposed conspiracies are not the product of delusional mental patients -- although this image is promoted by those who have a vested interest in hiding the facts. These crimes are very real, always covered up, and numerous false "theories" accompany them in order to cloud the waters and to confuse the public.”
• 2007-06 [Talk|Index] Conspiracy Theories and the Internet: Controlled Demolition and Arrested Development § “It is [..] argued that the hyper-critical atmosphere of the internet has slowed down the development of conspiracy theories, discouraging conspiracy theorists from articulating [theories in a way which can be falsified]. The argument is illustrated with a study of the "controlled demolition" theory of the collapse of three towers at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.”

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