The Human Condition: Conspiracy theories

By James Tubb on June 22, 2022.

It seems almost inevitable that, when we read of some group claiming Prime Minister Trudeau is destroying the country, some form of “conspiracy theory” is involved. Though Trudeau is decreasing the deficit, for example, he is supposedly doing so at the behest of a cabal of bankers or Communists, to nefarious ends. This kind of thinking unfortunately is commonly associated with Christian Conservatives, due to their stereotypical focus on spotting prophetic signs and such.

So why do such theories exist, and why do they proliferate? The key to these theories is their foundation: how they are intentionally unfalsifiable, through wording or ideology. 

For example, if I claim that Trudeau is working in secret with China to get rid of Christmas in Canada, there is no literal proof he is doing so. But there is also no proof I am wrong either, i.e. the lack of evidence means there could be evidence, so I am assuming there is.

Also, certain key phrases pop up in almost every conspiracy theory, such as “official story” or “the government’s version of events.” This makes a person feel that there are only two sides: what the government says, and the truth. That the government has told you something already makes it suspect, because it is assumed governments only lie. And if anyone agrees with the government, then they are lying too. Making the government permanently incorrect ensures any and all conspiracies seem true no matter what the truth is. Once again, the conspiracy is unfalsifiable because it is unquestionable, by design. 

This also applies to the government’s use of military or emergency legislation, such as Trudeau did last year during the Freedom Convoy, and Conservative media in both the United States and Canada wildly fear-mongered for weeks afterward. Both countries have used their emergency powers in a domestic capacity for riot control, security, and so on, due to circumstances that rightfully required them. Trudeau’s legal, parliament-approved actions were seen as conspiratorial and tyrannical, by a group that contained some who literally sought to end the rule of law in Canada.

But conspiratorial thinking is not without actual real-world parallels. The events of what is known as the Gulf of Tonkin Incident on August 4, 1964 were (in a sense) real: an American battleship did indeed fire at objects that occasionally appeared on its radar. But no actual return fire was received, no one visually confirmed any of the objects were actual boats, and the sonar sound of incoming torpedoes was actually the humming of the battleship’s own engines. Yet this event was declared an assault by the North Vietnamese, and used as an excuse for the United States to officially enter the Vietnam War. Ultimately, the idea that something has occurred is in fact evidence that the conspiracy theorist wants it to have occurred, regardless of the facts. It is that desire to believe that is most telling.

Thus, it is safe to say that the vast majority of conspiracies you encounter are based in either fiction, or outright lies. But they are a good reminder to keep reading and listening to objective news, as it is no secret that problems like gas prices and inflation are hiding in plain sight.

 

Dr. Daniel Schnee is an anthropologist and jazz/rock drummer

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