Conspiracies
In these odd and challenging times there is much discussion about conspiracies, as people try to explain the convergence of dynamics that feel at times overwhelming and unexplainable. Conspiracies from the left, from the right, from Bill Gates, the Masonic Order, the International banking empire, on and on…..there is a conspiracy theory of any flavour that you desire if you care to taste them.
I myself am not a ‘conspiracy ‘ believer in the standard sense that they are outlined. We all know of one or several of these supposed conspiracies and they can be enticing and entertaining to pass on. They are like an inside gossip or titillation for your friend or neighbour. The passing on of these narratives is possibly in itself a sociologically important way for people to find harmless common ground with each other. It is sociable to identify some force outside of their own orbit that may be responsible for something mostly negative in nature. When was the last time you heard of a conspiracy to do anything benevolent?
I enjoy a good conspiracy theory like anyone else. One of the key elements of any conspiracy is secrecy. Unfortunately, I can’t really believe in them for that reason alone. People cannot keep secrets.
However, there is a different way to consider the notion of conspiracy, and that is to understand them as existing in broad daylight. No secrecy is needed if the populace willingly becomes part of the so-called conspiracy. Instead of some unseen force or cabal of wizards behind the curtain, all that is needed is tacit agreement among the people in positions of power to act in concert with one another, or a compliant people to act accordingly. They do not delve into the ethical quagmire because at first blush they can see that aiding ‘the cause’ may be in their own self interest. It is a twisted version of John Nash’s celebrated Game Theory.
A very simple example is minimum wage. Why is it so consistently low across the political spectrum? Coincidence? I doubt it. The various constituents share both the business agenda to maximize profits and the social agenda to kneecap any social mobility. The result is to keep all but the most resourceful workers compliant. In the absence of strong unions to negotiate higher wages there is little pushback and even less mobility. The employers needn’t formally organize at all, yet in effect a ‘conspiracy’ is imbedded in all legislation, employment structure and political discourse.
Voter suppression, especially in the US, is standard fare - coincidence? NO. The politicians set the system up and ensure that as few people as possible vote, and for obvious reasons. Each party tries to suppress whatever group opposes them, although it appears that the GOP is better at it. Do they formally decide this in some secret meetings? No need if there is tacit agreement. The lineups and voting time restrictions, in addition to the arcane registration process, are obviously not there by accident.
In contrast, I will say that in my experience the voting in Canada is not difficult at all - I rarely line up and it is smooth. The problem in Canada is that there is no difference between the parties so it doesn’t matter who you vote for.
With respect to the John F. Kennedy murder ( the motherlode of all conspiracies ), I suspect it is not as simple as one lone disgruntled shooter in the book warehouse a mile away hitting a bullseye several times in a row. That defies logic. However, do I think there was a ‘conspiracy ‘ to cover it up? My experience in working with managements and groups of people provides a more plausible explanation - incompetence and laziness. NEVER overestimate people’s competence or intellectual rigour, and the bigger the group the lower the threshold . This may be at the root of many nonsensical conclusions by various commissions and investigations.. Whether it is incompetence, or in the case of the Central Park 5 judicial boondoggle many years ago, sheer bias and bigotry, what might look like a conspiracy may be just people of like minds in control who don’t even think about it.
Lastly, I reference Noam Chomsky’s interesting book entitled ‘Manufacturing Consent’, or the book ‘What’s the Matter with Kansas’ by Thomas Frank. Both books are well argued descriptions from different political angles on how the power elite effectively gets the populace to support things that are against their own interest.
Indeed, a conspiracy of dunces.
For an erudite examination of this subject, have a look at one of my favourites - Charles Eisenstein.
https://charleseisenstein.org/essays/the-conspiracy-myth/?_page=3