Why is "conspiracy theory" considered a dirty word?

[sparky]

A conspiracy theory is an explanation of an event or situation that invokes a conspiracy by sinister and powerful actors, often political in motivation, when other explanations are more probable.

point...score...game!

~S~

 

[sparky]

Why can’t they just trust their media and government

A tad short in the clarity,transparency or credibility departments

~S~

 

[Butch_Coolidge]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Questioner]

As a few other examples from history, off the top of my head:

The Business Plot

The Gunpowder Plot

MK Ultra

 

[G.T.]

Conspiracy theory isn't a dirty phrase.
Conspiracy theorist is a dirty adjective.

When your mind bends its cognition towards every fart, burp and hiccup being some nefarious conspiracy, you are head-fucked

 

[Questioner]

Conspiracy theory isn't a dirty phrase.
Conspiracy theorist is a dirty adjective.

When your mind bends its cognition towards every fart, burp and hiccup being some nefarious conspiracy, you are head-fucked

True, and there's a big difference between something plausible like Watergate, or Russian interference and something from the likes of David Icke (e.x. George Bush is really an alien lizardman in disguise).

 

[G.T.]

Conspiracy theory isn't a dirty phrase.
Conspiracy theorist is a dirty adjective.

When your mind bends its cognition towards every fart, burp and hiccup being some nefarious conspiracy, you are head-fucked

True, and there's a big difference between something plausible like Watergate, or Russian interference and something from the likes of David Icke (e.x. George Bush is really an alien lizardman in disguise).

Exactly. The implausible ones are usually blatantly fucking stupid, too like ohhhhh yeah dude good point the Earth ISSSSSS flat!

 

[LordBrownTrout]

Well you're at usmb. This is conspiracy heaven.

 

[Blues Man]

Not all conspiracy theories are "absurd" (e.x. George Bush is an alien lizard in disguise), nor are they wrong - Watergate was a conspiracy theory, so are the theories about Trump colluding with Russia.

The way the term "conspiracy theory" is used in propaganda media, it's generally used derogatorily, I've even seen some uneducated idiots dishonestly conflate a "conspiracy theory" with a "scientific theory", and so on, even when they have nothing to do with one another at at all.

As an example, there are some "anti-vaccine" conspiracies, which claim there is a nefarious motive behind vaccines; the reality seems to be that these "extremist" claims aren't very believable, but that corporations which manufacture vaccines put out a lot of this propaganda regarding "anti-vaxxer" conspiracies due to manufacturer defects in vaccines which may have lead to health problems (over-the-top claims, such as vaccines were intentionally manufactured for nefarious reasons aren't believable, as opposed to claims in manufacturer defects having harmed people, and potentially meriting lawsuits).

(As typical, in this area, I've seen some idiots stupidly or dishonestly conflating "vaccines", or the medical industry with "science", as in the physical sciences such as physics, when the two aren't related at all).

Actually the term conspiracy theory is two words

 

[g5000]

Watergate was a conspiracy which was proven true

And thus not a conspiracy THEORY.

 

[Questioner]

Conspiracy theory isn't a dirty phrase.
Conspiracy theorist is a dirty adjective.

When your mind bends its cognition towards every fart, burp and hiccup being some nefarious conspiracy, you are head-fucked

True, and there's a big difference between something plausible like Watergate, or Russian interference and something from the likes of David Icke (e.x. George Bush is really an alien lizardman in disguise).

Exactly. The implausible ones are usually blatantly fucking stupid, too like ohhhhh yeah dude good point the Earth ISSSSSS flat!

Even that's not really a conspiracy theory, it's more like just a "fringe idea or belief" - unless they're arguing that the "round earth theory" was invented by "elites" for some nefarious purpose.

 

[G.T.]

Conspiracy theory isn't a dirty phrase.
Conspiracy theorist is a dirty adjective.

When your mind bends its cognition towards every fart, burp and hiccup being some nefarious conspiracy, you are head-fucked

True, and there's a big difference between something plausible like Watergate, or Russian interference and something from the likes of David Icke (e.x. George Bush is really an alien lizardman in disguise).

Exactly. The implausible ones are usually blatantly fucking stupid, too like ohhhhh yeah dude good point the Earth ISSSSSS flat!

Even that's not really a conspiracy theory, it's more like just a "fringe idea or belief" - unless they're arguing that the "round earth theory" was invented by "elites" for some nefarious purpose.

It's for sure a conspiracy theory - in that they think that NASA and mainstream science is lying about the Earth being round.

 

[Questioner]

Conspiracy theory isn't a dirty phrase.
Conspiracy theorist is a dirty adjective.

When your mind bends its cognition towards every fart, burp and hiccup being some nefarious conspiracy, you are head-fucked

True, and there's a big difference between something plausible like Watergate, or Russian interference and something from the likes of David Icke (e.x. George Bush is really an alien lizardman in disguise).

Exactly. The implausible ones are usually blatantly fucking stupid, too like ohhhhh yeah dude good point the Earth ISSSSSS flat!

Even that's not really a conspiracy theory, it's more like just a "fringe idea or belief" - unless they're arguing that the "round earth theory" was invented by "elites" for some nefarious purpose.

It's for sure a conspiracy theory - in that they think that NASA and mainstream science is lying about the Earth being round.

Another is the "CFR" (Council on Foreign Relations) being in control of the mass media, supposedly there was an actual Rockefeller quote about wanting to use the mass media to influence the people toward the idea of a "world government".

 

[rightwinger]

Conspiracy Theory is just code for......I am Batshit Crazy

 

[rightwinger]

What makes a Conspiracy Theory?

Paranoia
Lack of evidence

 

[Questioner]

Conspiracy Theory is just code for......I am Batshit Crazy

You proved the point of the OP, you're just using conspiracy theory as a "buzzword" for anything "too patently absurd to be believed", or something so stereotypical that it probably appeared on an episode of "X-Files" during the 90s.

Instead of what conspiracies actually are, such as Trump Colluding with Russia, Oil companies being vested in the Iraq War, Nixon having hired people to spy on his opponents, corporations spreading propaganda against the idea of man-made global warming, the Koch Brothers having an agenda, white supremacists supporting Trump, cigarette companies marketing their products as " healthy", Hillary Clinton's leaked emails, Obama's birth certificate being forged, white supremacists infiltrating local police forces, and so on.

Usually I see people of the "progressive" persuasion the ones who abuse the term "conspiracy theory" the most, even though there's no logical connection between the idea of a conspiracy theory and any specific set of political beliefs, and said theories, true or false, can fit into "right" or "left" points of view, so this always strikes me as... odd... and more or less a complete non-sequitur.