When you think of any one of the major world events and search for information about it, you will surely come across a conspiracy theory that has been attached to it.
Often, conspiracy theories develop and strengthen around events that are hard to explain.
Take the 911 attack on Twin Towers, it took a few days before official Government statements became clearer about who the perpetrators were. The hours of speculation after the attack gave enough space for online conspiracy theorists to begin their own narrative about who was responsible, and why it had happened. The 911 attack left many unanswered questions, and strange events surrounding it gave rise to a conspiracy theory about a Government orchestrated attack that gave an excuse for them to attack Iraq.
“Truck loads of gold were transported out of secret underground stashes, hours before the attack”, “how come the buildings fell as if under a controlled explosion?” -“because experts were at work.”, there were many unanswered questions, and the US Government weren’t going to get themselves into a quibbling dialogue with the public to satisfy all of these questions. The conspiracy theorist come up with solid narratives and answers that seemed to awaken the public’s mind to weird events surrounding that terrible day of 911.
The most important element of any conspiracy theory, to give it the chance of getting full attention, is that it must contain the element of a cover-up by a powerful body of selfish people – normally, 1%er capitalists, the Government, evil scientists, or a Dr. No type character living on an island in the Indian Ocean.
The cover-up element allows for an ongoing dialogue of banter that feeds speculation. There is never a conclusion that could lead to an answer to the mysteries involved.
Conspiracy theories work in a similar way to soap operas that we enjoy on television. Each character is fascinating to watch and listen to, but they never develop beyond the cheap dialogue that reveals a shocking incident. We want the character to develop the story into a matured ending, but that would ruin the whole TV series. So, the character must always be static, and only teeter on the edge of giving us an answer to our questions. Our need for a resolution to the story is never satisfied. So, we keep watching.
The list of conspiracy theories is as long as the Trans Siberian Railway. So, for anybody looking for a major world event to gasp at, and discover that something weird and spooky caused it to happen, can easily find choice reading on any of the conspiracy theory websites that have been popping up over the last few years.
One thing about a conspiracy theory is that it’s often fun and exciting to read. It is full of well developed storylines that will lead you, and bring you into the world of suspended disbelief. That all important part of story telling, the writer’s ability to cause the reader to suspend disbelief early on in the story – normally, within the first paragraph. When something really happened, apparently, then it’s not so difficult to get your reader to believe every word you write. Just write or speak with the authority of a master storyteller, and you are tweaking their brain cells into becoming a believer.
We love stories, and we need stories. Even if you claim not to have read any books, or articles over the last twelve months, I bet my lizard skin boots you have been getting your fill of stories.
Humans need narratives to justify life, a story sets the scene, and the reader or listener will interpret as they please. Often, this interpretation of a story about events in the world are filtered through our own belief systems. We believe them when we sense that they fit into our idea of how the world works.
People who are more prone to negative thoughts, or even experience feelings of paranoia, will often latch on to a story about the Royal family being a bunch of lizards from outta space, but not read about Prince Charles and his gardening exploits.
A prominent conspiracy theorist, David Icke, presents his ideas in a well mannered, “educated” way. He draws the listener in with his apparent level headed approach to telling you about how the world works, which at first sounds plausible and true, then without skipping a beat he introduces a wild claim about how we all know that Barack Obama is the leader of the Lizard colony which has infiltrated our communities. They are here to sap our energy, and use our resources because their own planet is dying. Something like that, it tends to change slightly as time passes.
Ask any Brit if the Queen is a lizard, and they will reply, “No, don’t be ridiculous – but, Prince Philip really is a lizard”.
Many conspiracy theories are based on events that can be looked up on the internet. If you find it, read about it, but don’t find any evidence that the event is the work of evil overlords, don’t worry. The conspiracy theory websites will put you right. The news-media can’t afford to print the truth of the matter, they have to protect themselves and their paymasters. So, they are conveniently locked into being between a hard place and a rock, according to conspiracy theorists. The media would love to print news about aliens among us, lizard-people parties happening on Jeffrey Epstein’s secret island, but according to the conspiracy theorists this would blow everybody’s cover, and shut down the media.
The Sun, a U.K. newspaper, used to revel in absolute lies and BS about every prominent person they could think of. They got away with it for a while, then after being sued and fined, they toned down their rhetorical news stories to a trashy entertainment level.
Another solution to the problem is to tell the conspiracy believers that the Media is in on the whole thing, they are part of the plot to take over the world and enslave the human race.
The problem is in the proof. There isn’t any. So, it’s easier to talk about circumstantial evidence.
Evidence is easier to concoct for a reader or viewer, evidence is often the story itself. People love the feeling generated in a story. We all know instinctively that it’s safe to let our mind flow, and to wholeheartedly believe in a character in a book. The story will resolve, and we will close the book and return to the real world.
A conspiracy story will never resolve. There won’t be any “new evidence” presented soon. But the conspiracy theorist will lead you along and make you believe that something will soon be revealed, a resolution will be presented. But, just like in a soap opera, it never is.
Normally, these resolutions come in the form of a prophecy to be revealed on a certain date. QAnon’s websites and threads often refer to various prophetic events that will happen in the future. Similar to those of religious leaders who goad their followers with promises that start with The Meek inheriting the earth at some point soon, to receiving untold wealth when you’re dead. The Catholic religion has mastered the story telling principle very well. Their followers sacrifice everything in this life for the wealth of their leaders. The followers are promised a payout after death. Isn’t the human mind strangely illogical, at times?
The story of Jesus is that he will return and resolve the plot. It hasn’t happened yet, but according to various sub-religious cultures, there have been a few near misses. One cult claimed it had already happened, but most people didn’t notice. So, they suggested a new solution to a new problem. They will show us how we can manage life without the promise of being saved.
The spreading culture of believing in sensational news of conspiracy has found the vehicle of the internet, and mobilized the ability of anybody who fancies it to set up as a cult of conspiracy leader. The first step is to not mention that you are talking total hogwash. How do you do this?
There are various methods to attract attention on the internet. Write extremely well crafter stories and draw your audience in. One at a time, they will come, and they will tell others. Then tell them that you need money to run this show, they will buy your conspiracy book, or just post some money to you.
The other way is to scream and shout, and to cry in front of the camera. With tear stained face put your hands over your moaning fizzog and tell the audience that they have-to-believe-every-word, otherwise they are doomed for evermore. Alex Jones did a great job of presenting himself as the only one who knew anything about the “great conspiracy”, to overthrow just about everything he could think of.
Evidence is easy to present when your reader is already inside the story. Their sense of reality is based on the parameters of the storyline. They will accept that there is a secret meeting of world leaders each year, where these normally staid, conservative political leaders meet the money shakers and discuss how to further their political aims, and how to benefit big business.
A reader will doubt the line that introduces the idea that while these leaders gather at their meeting, they are also summoned to an inner sanctum where they willingly swear their allegiance to a goat that represents Satan and his legion of demons. ( thank you, Alex Jones).
But the reader doesn’t stop reading, they are looking for something to kill the doubt in their mind. By this time, they’ve been hooked into a storyline, and they need to know how it ends. The repetitious character of conspiracy stories helps the reader to wave a hand at some of their own doubts, and believe the next line. The next line doesn’t make much sense, but the writer will explain that it’s difficult to understand, just bear with me, you will understand if you open your mind to the possibilities that the world is not what you thought it was.
So long as some of the conspiracy theory makes sense, and some of it is clearly true, such as names of prominent people, places, timings, and a world event, then the trickery can do its work. The secret revealed, can never be explained. The goat and his demons were quickly whisked away into the dark night, and the politicians and business leaders moved on to enjoy a feast as if nothing had happened. Their cups filled with the blood of virgin sacrifice, they laughed and drank as each of them pondered a wealthier future for themselves.
Many conspiracy theories take a deep stab at the rich and influential. They are easy targets, and some people among the working classes and the unemployed gain satisfaction when they can confirm that rich people are evil, and that living close to poverty level promises some type of reward, in the future. That’s a promise from a YouTube conspiracy Guy.
Many people are smart enough to know that history has proved that poverty is a part of the capitalist system. Living off the backs of worker ants, and hogging resources. It creates a terrible divide that will come tumbling down one day. That’s economics.
This situation opened up a powerful debate that the internet hasn’t helped promote in any way accurately. We live in times of finger-pointing, everybody outside of the party is wrong, and you must support us because we are the righteous. No explanations needed. We have the Tower of Babel.
Conspiracy theorists want nothing more than to be adored, to be followed, to know that their voice is heard. They want to be rock stars on a stage. Their message doesn’t matter, they have no intention of helping others. They are the egoists, the bullies, and the screaming banshees who warn of death and destruction outside the window.
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