The interesting thing about conspiracies is that they take on a life of their own. People become invested in their pet theory. And should the truth come out on a mature conspiracy, a significant part of the interested parties will simply refuse to believe it, and incorporate the event into their ongoing theory.

A conspiracy theory, IMO, is a means to an end, not a search for the truth. It comforts, it neutralizes a threat.

Conspiracy theories are a hedge against fear because they bring order back to the world. They deny that civilization is an incredibly fragile mesh of imperfect systems operating one step ahead of disaster, and instead focuses on the idea that events happened because they were planned. It is much easier to live in a world where malignant forces cause events, than one where terrible things happen for no good reason.

Taken to the next step of belief, a conspiracy theory empowers: you’re not some pointless wanker who doesn’t matter to your government or the economic powers-that-be or 99.99999999% of the population, you’re one of the ones who really KNOWS whats going on.

Conspiracy theories are beautiful; they are a direct, living link back to the distant days when oral traditions were the foundation of shared culture. They are the foundation of our writer’s trade, and they are proof that Humans are not as faceless a mob as they so often appear, but a community of people with depth.

The muse is upon me, and I am writing well. More as the project develops.