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Can anyone cite a time in history when people DID NOT have a favorite conspiracy theory? "Slackening grip on reality" the title says. My question is, when has mankind ever had a grip on reality?

Isn't Qanon just a recycled old idea? Whatever happened to the Protocols of the Elders of Zion? Or the Illuminati? And, the Masons - I guess they have been rehabilitated, right?

It’s hard to describe the movement that Philip fell into.

Movement. Humanity has another collective bowel movement, and mankind collectively has to examine the results. Long and round, tapered on the ends. Mostly smooth and brown, with a few chunky bits, and possessing an odor slightly different than recent movements.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_conspiracy_theories [wikipedia.org]

Wikipedia has an incomplete list of older conspiracy theories. Some have more evidence to support them, others have less evidence. Mehhh. Wiki leaves out a lot of older theories, some of which had impacts on history. How 'bout the Sinking of the Maine?

One nice thing about conspiracy theories is, they lend themselves well to the writing of novels.

Have any good novels been written about that whole Russian Collusion with Trump conspiracy theory? How about that Alt-Right conspiracy theory that a certain Soylentil has obsessed over for years now? I guess c0lo is going to jump into the Qanon rabbit hole, and see where it takes him. I won't be surprised if he comes face to face with Aristarchus down there. All those rabbit holes are connected, eventually. Qanon and Alt-right are in the same neighborhood after all.

https://www.butte.edu/departments/cas/tipsheets/thinking/conspiracy.html [butte.edu]

https://owlcation.com/social-sciences/A-Brief-History-of-Conspiracy-Theories [owlcation.com]

What Is the Point?
So why is it that we have conspiracy theories in the first place? Well, there's a few reasons. In an article on Our Great American Heritage, Allen Cornwell explains, "Conspiracies are alternative stories about real events. These stories develop because a part of our society refuses to accept the official explanation."

One might suspect that conspiracy theories satisfy some psychological need of the human animal.

I find it kinda amusing that left/dem/progressive conspiracy theorists don't put their own thories forward, so much as they follow and theorize about those theories that are preoccupying centrist and right wing people. You guys are lacking in originality, aren't you? Come up with your own theories for a change.

Oh, wait. My bad. You HAVE come up with one, haven't you? That whole Critical Race Theory is a progressive conspiracy theory. Everything in history - that is everything - has been built on the black man's back, by evil white people. Sorry, gotta give credit where credit is due - you guys can be creative.