Conspiracy of Conspiracy Theories

So, I have this theory about conspiracy theories.  That they themselves are part of a conspiracy.  A huge conspiracy.  I've come to the conclusion that they have been promulgated by shadowy forces as part of a long term plan to completely undermine public confidence in, well, reality itself.  Bear with me here while I try to explain. We have to go back to basics here and ask ourselves exactly what conspiracy theories are designed to do: to question the veracity of accepted idea or historical event, suggesting that it has actually been fabricated by the establishment in order to hide the 'real' truth.  They do this by highlighting supposed 'anomalies' in the accepted truth that somehow undermines that truth.  The idea is that by sowing these seeds of doubt in peoples' minds, they will eventually end up questioning the accepted version of events.  In effect, they offer up 'alternative facts' in order to establish an 'alternative truth'.  Take the moon landings, for instance.  According to the conspiracy theories, despite being established fact, these were in fact faked by the US in order to 'win' the space race with the USSR.

Now, at first, such theories were widely dismissed as being the products of cranks.  But, over the decades, these cranks have persisted with their supposed 'anomalies' in the evidence of the moon landings' reality, so that they have seeped into the public conciousness and taken root.  Their spokesmen have infiltrated even the respectable media, always looking and sounding, not like the cranks they are, but like respectable and rational suit wearing types.  After a while, the rebuttals of their 'evidence' by NASA and other experts start to sound too trite, too glib, because they are unchanging, (because they are true) and, worst of all, because those relating them to the media are part of 'the establishment' with vested interests in maintaining the alleged falsehood.  Eventually, we end up with the current situation where we have a significant minority of apparently otherwise rational people who believe that the moon landings were faked, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.  Facts are no longer sufficient to establish truth.  Particularly when they are presented by experts.

The moon landing conspiracy is just one of a plethora of these theories currently in circulation, all of them collectively eroding a section of humanity's belief in reality.  Nothing, these theories keep saying, can be accepted as fact - if you don't like a particular event, history or news story, it is OK to dismiss it as fake: if you root around enough you can always find, or more likely be told, some 'alternative facts' that seemingly contradict it.  Lies suddenly become currency as they never have before.  The path is paved for the likes of Trump - populists who embrace this idea that the 'establishment' and established facts can't be trusted - to sweep in and present themselves as anti-establishment saviours, here to rescue us from all this 'fake news'.  Thanks to this 'conspiracy of conspiracy theories', the sinister forces of the extreme right can now manipulate the political debate like never before opponents and opposing ideas can be undermined by suggesting that they are the conspiracy and by deploying 'common sense' to supposedly undermine those pesky facts.  I mean, just look at the way climate change is attacked: 'Hey, if there's global warming, how come it's snowing, eh? Eh? EH?  Explain THAT pointy headed scientists, you dumb asses!'  Or renewable energy: 'Hey, what if the wind stops blowing, eh?  Your wind turbines will stop and you won't have any electricity!  You DUMB ASSES!'

If you do believe either of these things I'd just point out that the first 'common sense' statement conflates global climate changes with localised weather conditions: just because it is cold where you are today, doesn't mean that overall global temperatures aren't rising.  As for the business about wind generated power, the fact is that wind turbines are deliberately deployed in positions where wind speeds rarely, if ever, drop to zero, (offshore, for instance, where there are usually well above average wind speeds).  Moreover, they are designed to be able to generate electricity while turning at relatively low speeds which require only gentle winds.  Besides, wind power isn't the only form of renewable energy - solar power generation, for instance, is becoming ever more significant.  (Yeah, I know, if the sun goes in you'll have no electricity, etc).  But why let facts get in the way of your bigotry - ignorance is far easier.  In fact, it's bliss, so I'm told.  Especially if you are some sinister right wing cunt out to destroy civil society as we know it in search of a quick buck.