Since the beginning of the global economic crisis an increasing number of conspiracy theorists talk about secret societies of rich elites that control the world. They conclude in outrageous sci-fi scenarios about plans for de-population and other myths, claiming that everything happens behind closed doors. While it is true that conspiracies exist, (or, to be fair, they are the natural result of how power is exercised globally), and that the global wealth is being reserved by a very small minority [1], there is a vast difference between those who speak about secret plans – having, however, clear political knowledge and understanding about how the global economy works – and those who blindly adopt fabricated, plausible, right-wing myths, without criticising logically and prudently the capitalist system, and the socio-political power structures of our Western societies.
Propagandists of conspiracy theories often talk about a New World Order,the Illuminati, the Bildeburg club, the Hollow Earth, about chem-trails, UFOs, and secret trips to space, or they claim that the terrorist attack of 9/11 was a Jewish inside job (without providing scientific evidence). These theories often seem to be enlightening to an audience that has no contact with political research and philosophy, and therefore is unable to provide rational explanations, and formulate logical conclusions about the major political questions. Conspiracy theories can be used to drive our reactions not against the power-structures of the capitalist system, but against an imagined enemy. The idea that someone else is responsible for our misery and not capitalism itself – or not ourselves, who passively accept consumerism and become supporters of the unlimited expansion of the productive means (with severe consequences for the environment) – maintains the confidence of the masses towards this system, and keeps the Western society in lethargy. But in order to better understand this issue, a brief retrospect is necessary; we will see how conspiracy theories were used in various historical periods, and we will attempt a further definition of these theories.
A definition of conspiracy theories
By the term conspiracy theory we mean any argument according to which any event (or series of events), is interpreted as the result of conspiratorial and clandestine organized action of an insidious person or group of individuals (e.g. political party, obscure government, or coalitions). The best explanation, so far, is given in Christian Schlegel’s essay The rhetoric of conspiracy theories: “‘Conspiracy’ means the “act of conspiring, esp. joint planning of a crime [... or a] plan made by conspiring” (Oxford Advanced Learner’s 250). ‘Conspiring’ means to “make secret plans (with others), esp. to do wrong” (Oxford Advanced Learner’s 250) [...] The second word of the compositum is “theory”, which means a “set of reasoned ideas intended to explain facts of events [... or an] opinion or supposition, not necessarily based on reasoning [... or] ideas or superstitions in general (contrasted with practice) [... or a] (statement of the) principles on which a subject is based” (Oxford Advanced Learner’s 1330)” (5). In the broad political language, conspiracy theory is called any (arbitrary) conclusion followed by invalid information and hypothetical arguments, without evidence or logical interpretation of situations and events based on clear and testable methodologies. These, as I said above, are delusional and fabricated stories, but are foisted as true because of the plausibility attributed to them.
The nature of conspiracy theories
Conspiracy theorists rely on people’s fears, distracting them from what is important by creating fake enemies. Most of them (knowingly) ignore the socio-historical field when they explain the global political events, and instead adopt a very narrow approach; they interprate everything in oversimplistic, phobic ways, while often putting the blame on a single source like the CIA, the FBI (organisations that, in fact, are conspiratory up to a degree), Islam, the masons, the Jews, or they systematically scapegoat various groups: usually those who despise the establishment and put social institutions into question (intellectuals, anti-authoritarians, leftist activists), or, in extreme cases, those who are unprotected or belong to minorities (immigrants, homosexuals). “The rapid increase in right-wing extremist groups in the USA is partly down to government conspiracy theories in the mass media,” claims the Guardian. “The Ku Klux Klan, who believed in an international conspiracy of the Catholic Church, began to mimic the Catholic structures and rituals, and fanatical anti-communist organizations get involved in similar ideological crusades as the communist organisations. Klanshmen have always framed their enemies in conspiratorial terms. Accordingly, the character, methods and motivation of the Klan’s enemies have varied in the conspiracy theories that Klansmen have promulgated during different historical periods and in different places” says Peter Knight (415).
The issue is taking grotesque dimensions as conspiracy theorists ignore the influence of coincidence, chance, and the natural outcome of events, and instead unimportant and arbitrary details are disproportionately magnified. Conspiracy theorists appear as if they know something that we, the ignorant mob, fail to see. The tabloid media follow a relatively similar logic, paying attention to unimportant events, promoting a vile populist rhetoric, without appropriate analysis or room for debate. The French newspaper, Le Point wrote: “At a time when religion disappears, and political scepticism dominates, the need for faith, the desire to escape from reality lead to conspiracy theories, esotericism, and the invention of a paranoid ideology and mythology to win a huge audience”.
Who are the conspiracy theorists?
Often with strong nationalistic character, sometimes under the vale of paleo-conservatism, crafty merchants, radio announcers or TV show presenters, retailers with a hypocritical persona, they impose their opinion to the public using their easily acceptable but misleading propaganda.
Alex Jones is one of the most famous conspiracy theorists today, and, in a way, a representative of the American far-right. It is well documented that he supports various hard-core paleo-conservative organizations, such like the “Birch Society”, and similar groups that belong to the Survivalist movement. However, opinions are divided regarding his political direction and identity. He calls himself a right-wing libertarian, but in fact he is forced to adopt a political-correct profile because of his increasing popularity, hiding his ultra right-wing face [2]. In his broadcasts he concludes that wars, poverty, and starvation have to do with corruption caused by a conspiracy which directs and uses the capitalist system; he does not see corruption as a consequence of the system, agreeing in this with Ron Paul and other reactionary populist right-wing leaders. Jones never provides any valid evidence of what he supports, neither does he analyse the nature of capitalism, and the exploitation of the Third World as an integral part of it. He obscures the need for an analysis in terms of imaginary meanings: an anthropological analysis that would attempt to clarify the dominant institutions of a society, to see how the individual in this Western/capitalist social institution is structured, influenced, and alienated, how the masses react or not in every endeavor of enlightenment.
The history of conspiracies
Peter Knight (p. 36) investigating the influence of conspiracy theories in American history writes: “The U.S Civil War and the end of chattel slavery brought increased interaction among African Americans and whites, and with it an increasing number of conspiracy theories among both groups”. Many conspiracy theorists believed that black people would conquer the South, an argument that was used as an incentive for racist persecution, or to justify violent attacks and killings. Nonetheless, “conspiracy thinking is not U.S born. The Latin word conspirare -to breath together- suggests both drama and a deeply rooted past. The fear of conspiracy was a prominent feature on the mental maps of the first English settlers in the New World. Early colonists suspected both neighbours and strangers of secret alliances and dangerous plots. Subsequent waves of immigrants not only invigorated traditional beliefs, but expanded the pool of potential conspirators”. (1)
Taguieff in his voluminous book “Conspiracy Theories, Esoterism, Extremism” reports that in Europe many conspiracy theories were firstly used by counter-revolutionaries during the French Revolution in order to prevent its spread. Although Taguieff is a highly contradictory author, he clearly shows that conspiracy theorists were promoted in defence of the aristocratic ancien regime.
The “Illuminati” is the most famous conspiracy theory today. The Order of the Illuminati has been treated with deep hostility by many conservative Christians. Even today, several conspiracy theorists argue that this Order is acting secretly either to destroy traditions and customs, or to enslave the masses in misery. They ignore that its life did not last more than nine years (1776-1785). (Most of the conspiracy theorists believe that the “Illuminati” did not disappear. They survived during the centuries in secret by organizing secret societies in order to enslave humanity).
One of the most prevalent conspiracy theories is “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.” “It became both the climax and the synthesis of these conspiracy theories. They were forged in France in the midst of the Dreyfus Affair, with the assistance of the Russian secret police, probably between 1894 and 1899. The French right wanted a document in order to link Dreyfus to the supposed conspiracy of his race, and the Russian secret police needed it to justify Czarist, anti-Jewish policy. This time the “learned elders of Zion” again meeting in the Jewish cemetery of Prague, reflected every aspect of the modern world which the reactionaries in France and Russia, but also in the rest of Europe, feared so much” (Back and Solomos, p.198). During that time, writes Hanna Arendt, there was the widespread belief that Jews along with the Masons were preparing to create their own “super-state.” According on Arendt’s descriptions, the anti-Semitic conspiracy theories of the late nineteenth century, were widely embraced by the “mob” (a mass of people, according to her, who know what they want and look for leaders, doctrines, and vital lies, commonly known as the material basis of fascism/totalitarianism), and, somehow, were an integral part of the propaganda of totalitarian regimes (see The Origins of Totalitarianism, chapter “Anti-Semitism: a diversion of common sense”).
The majority of the conspiracy theorists today believe that the Zionists and the Illuminati are responsible for the “mass immigration” of Muslims to the West, (an example is Andres Breivik, the Norwegian, far-right, mass-murderer) or that this phenomenon is the result of communist and other secret conspiracies, who intend to destoy the European traditions, or to ensure cheap labour. Conspiracy theorists, encourage the population of a country to condemn bankers, politicians, judges, and various other governmental authorities that are “controlled by evil secret societies”, instead of outlining the nature of capitalism, and proposing alternatives. In many cases, they encourage the masses to remain united under the flag of a nation, under a religion, based on metaphysical understandings and irrational approaches of their identity. This results in the rise of neo-fascism, and promotes even more social divisions.
Why are conspiracy theories so popular today?
An answer to this question has been given by Le Point, as mentioned above. The most common explanation is the lack of education, of critical thinking etc. Although this position is obvious, and cannot be challenged, it does not advance the discussion because it equates the problem to itself. However, if we see things from a political-social perspective, the turn of man to conspiracy theories could be described as a symptom of the symptom.
The main reason that the population is attracted to them is the failure of the instrumental, capitalist “rationality” to achieve its objectives: prosperity and social progress on the empirical level. As long as homo economicus sweeps everything in his path, through the uncontrolled prevailance of production and economism in every aspect of life; as long us the culture of consumption and the dictatorship of insignificance continue to dominate, then the average person will keep seeking refuge in irrationality.
This “economic crisis” is not just economic. We are faced with the economistic logic of the instrumental rationalists: for a Neoliberal, the crisis is financial because money and profit define and control everything. In reality, the crisis is cultural, as well as a crisis of values. Conformism, consumerism, and apathy dominate, making the populations vulnerable to fascist ideals.
An integral part of European history is colonization, and the cultivation of the consciousness of the “superior white Europeans.” The lack of liquidity in the international markets, and the continuing loss of jobs, helped to scapegoat immigrants and vulnerable social groups, but the various complexes of superiority have always been present in the consciousness of the Western man. The financial crisis helped to bring to the surface this kind of “European superiority”, previously concealed by the political correct policies, which convinced generations that the State and the various repressive institutions are not our enemies, but protect us from injustice. But until we can give to ourselves and to society viable answers for the monstrous problems we face, the “guilty” will always be the “other”, the Jew, the Muslim, the Gypsie, who will have to pay for our lιstlessness; there will always be an invisible enemy, a secret conspiracy, an easy target for our hatred, so we will abnegate our share of responsibility. Or, is it up to us to reverse this situation?
Notes:
1. The richest 1% of adults alone owned 40% of global assets in the year 2000, and the richest 10% of adults accounted for 85% of the world total. The bottom half of the world adult population owned 1% of global wealth according to the World Institute for Development Economics Research at United Nations University.
2. It should be noted that this article does not aim to convince the reader that he/she should stop examining the background events of the political landscape, and accept the reality of the mainstream media. It is true that our entire political system is set upon conspiracies, scams, machinations, and provocations. A good historical example comes from the Nazi Germany. In 1933, members of the Nazi party destroyed the German parliament accusing the Communists. This provocation was the start of mass persecutions against everyone who was suspected to be an “enemy of the white race” (political opponents and activists, artists, minorities etc). Nonetheless, the Nazis supported their propaganda with numerous conspiracy theories. Their world-view was based on the idea that a secret group of Communists and Jews was planning to conquer the world, and for this reason their power should be annihilated.
There are apparently a lot of grey areas between a conspiracy theory and reality. For example, it has been proved that many food companies drop the quality of their production in order to maximize their profit. There are several examples of deaths caused by inappropriate food, such like those caused by Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy: “A British inquiry into BSE concluded that the epizootic was caused by cattle, who are normally herbivores, being fed the remains of other cattle in the form of meat and bone meal (MBM), which caused the infectious agent to spread” (BSE and CJD: Ethical Issues and Socio-Economic Impact, enotes). For this reason, the rejection of the foolery of the conspiracy theorists must be cautious, as it is easy for anyone who finds that these stories are a demagoguery scam to end up to a shallow anthropological neoliberalism; a supposed “common sense” which mocks the conspiracy theorists, but ends up denying any “second” level of reality behind the obvious.
Therefore, what really interests me, is the way we approach and understand the political scenarios, without submitting to arbitrariness of thought. The activation of our critical thinking is crucial, but consistency of reasoning and clarification of situations should always be our guide.
eagainst.com/articles/on-conspiracy-theories/
