Conspiracy theory

:For the fictional film, see Conspiracy Theory (movie).

Conspiracy theory rationale and the status quo

There is a tendency to accept that conspiracy theories are (in the words of Christopher Hitchens) the 'exhaust fumes of democracy' - the unavoidable results of a large amount of information circulating among a large number of people, some of whom may have an explanation of events that differs from the official line.

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Insofar as human behaviour is not monocausal and psychological events are not always rationally determinable, there is something to be said for this explanation. It is possible, for example, that explanation 'A' is put forward for one event, while explanation 'B' is at least partially true or even equally true, but not considered or admitted. It is the real, or alleged, "Explanation 'B'" that the conspiracy theorist is interested in.

Related Topics:
Monocausal - Psychological

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For example, it is perfectly true to say that the public relations (PR) work of Edward Bernays was designed to increase sales for his clients (explanation 'A'). However, Bernays also admitted (in formal terms) that he saw his work as having a 'social control' aspect, which he gleaned from his uncle's famous work Civilization and its Discontents (explanation 'B'). Bernays saw PR as a necessary tool for manipulating public consciousness, but was careful to ensure that PR's use as a 'control mechanism' did not get discussed too widely.

Related Topics:
Public relations - Edward Bernays - His uncle's - Civilization and its Discontents

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This situation (official stories that sometimes break down or grow out of control) has been compounded by the rise of 'spin', which has increased widespread cynicism and suspicion about official explanations. Although not an entirely new phenomenon (cf propaganda), the use of the term - which has sporting connotations of a ball which comes at the batsman in an unexpected way - has itself arguably increased public dissatisfaction.

Related Topics:
Spin - Propaganda

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With the growth of the internet, there has been an increased tendency to express this dissatisfaction in public.

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Private citizens are attempting (as they see it) to wrest control of history's narratives back from the major media. Some of these citizens are well-informed and sincere. Others are not so well informed and possibly not so sincere.

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It is therefore interesting to examine the way in which the phrase 'conspiracy theorist' is applied to such citizens.

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The term conspiracist, the phrase "conspiracy theorist", or the colloquial can be used disparagingly to refer to a person who is likely to believe that an event can be explained by the workings of a secret conspiracy.

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Such a conspiracy nut may promote or believe conspiracy theories about current or historical events that are unfounded, outlandish, or irrational or otherwise unworthy of serious consideration. One reason a person may promote or believe in such unpopular theories is that the person seeks to promote a particular political belief. For example, a neo-Nazi might seek to promote claims of Jewish involvement in 9/11 - but then again, someone who is not a neo-Nazi might promote such claims on the basis that they are sincerely believed.

Related Topics:
Conspiracy theories - Neo-Nazi - 9/11

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Another reason is that the person lacks sufficient information, or has a tendency to distrust a person or group of people based on their performance. For example, some people continue to attribute the September 11, 2001 attacks to a conspiracy involving the U.S. government (or disfavored politicians) instead of to Islamic terrorists associated with Al-Qaeda. Please see 9/11 conspiracy theories.

Related Topics:
September 11, 2001 - Islamic terrorists - Al-Qaeda - 9/11 conspiracy theories

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On the other hand, sometimes criticism becomes a tactic to undermine dissent and defend the status quo.

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Ridicule, and even the diagnosis of schizophrenia has been used as a means of silencing political dissent, for example in the Soviet Union (see anti-psychiatry).

Related Topics:
Ridicule - Diagnosis - Schizophrenia - Anti-psychiatry

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The waters are further muddied by the fact that powerful groups or individuals may have an interest in trying to discredit those who accuse them of real or imagined crimes. The label of "conspiracy theory" has been used to mock or denigrate social and political dissent, for instance when a powerful public figure is accused of corruption. Claims by leftists in the 1960s that they were under surveillance by government agents were dismissed as "conspiracy theory" until the FBI's COINTELPRO program was uncovered.

Related Topics:
Political dissent - Corruption - Leftist - FBI - COINTELPRO

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This debate (opposed and mutually-exclusive claims of "dishonest them versus truthful us") usually leads into a dead-end situation in which some skeptics will not listen to anything they identify as a 'conspiracy theory', and some of the least credible conspiracy theories find numerous supporters precisely because the theories are rubbished by authorities.

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The situation is succinctly laid out in an essay by David Martin, called Techniques for Truth Suppression, which appeared in Apocalypse Culture II. It is a satirical guide for those who disbelieve in conspiracy theories, couched in terms of a briefing document and as such, leans heavily on the tradition of fantastical 'secret knowledge', such as the supposed Protocols of Zion or (at another remove) 'The Book' supposedly authored by Emmanuel Goldstein in Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four.

Related Topics:
Apocalypse Culture II - Satirical - Briefing document - Protocols of Zion - Emmanuel Goldstein - Orwell's - Nineteen Eighty-Four

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Although Martin is plainly on the side of the conspiracy theorist, some excerpts from his 14-point list are worth reading in a neutral sense.

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It provides valuable insights into the way in which debate on conspiracy theories is often conducted. Martin's definitions often cut both ways: in particular, he uses the word 'skeptic' in an unexpected fashion which undermines the present use of the word -- to denote those who disbelieve some orthodox explanations.

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• 1) Dummy Up. If it's not reported, if it's not news, it didn't happen.
• 3) Characterise the Charges as "Rumours" or, better yet, "Wild Rumours". If, in spite of the news blackout, the public is still able to learn about suspicious facts, it can only be through "Rumours". (If they tend to believe the "Rumours" it must be because they are simply "Paranoid" or "hysterical.")
• 5) Call the "skeptics"* names like "conspiracy theorist", "nutcase", "ranter", "kook", crackpot, and, of course, "Rumour monger". Be sure, too, to use heavily-loaded verbs and adjectives when characterising their charges and defending the "more reasonable" government and its defenders. You must then carefully avoid reasoned debate with the people you have thus maligned.
• 6) Impugn motives. Attempt to marginalise the critics by suggesting strongly that they are not really interested in the truth, but are simply pursuing a partisan political agenda or are out to make money (compared to over-compensated adherents to the government line who, presumably, are not).
• 7) Invoke authority. Here the controlled press and the sham opposition can be very useful.
• 10) Characterise the crimes as impossibly complex and the truth as ultimately unknowable.
• 12) Require the skeptics to solve the crime completely.
• 14) Scantily report incriminating facts, then make nothing of them. This is sometimes referred to as "bump and run" reporting.

Mark Fenster argues that "just because overarching conspiracy theories are wrong does not mean they are not on to something. Specifically, they ideologically address real structural inequities, and constitute a response to a withering civil society and the concentration of the ownership of the means of production, which together leave the political subject without the ability to be recognized or to signify in the public realm" (1999: 67). (See also Political frustration, below.)

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Some scholars of conspiracism such as Robert Alan Goldberg point out that when governments refuse to disclose information in a timely and transparent manner, it fuels speculation about conspiracies.

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