Journalists are lumping all kinds of gaslighting, misinformation, disinformation and lying into a bucket with an innocuous and playful label: conspiracy theories. The parents suffered under Jones’ lies for years, as he falsely accused the survivors of being complicit in the staged deaths of their children. “Conspiracy theory” noun : a theory that explains an event or set of circumstances as the result of a secret plot by usually powerful conspirators. It would be convenient here to super-charge my argument by saying the trafficking in so-called conspiracy theories is worse than ever right now. There are useful elements to the phrase “conspiracy theories.” There are many elaborate fictions in the world, and they deserve to be called out.

Source: New York Times August 12, 2022 14:41 UTC