CTs = Conspiracy Theories and the Global Community of Interconnected Finance/Commerce/Industry, Etc. ...

[Stryder50]

The Primary concept here is that as we consider the Global Condition of Finance/Commerce/Industry/Etc. we should notice and recognize that there has been trans-national~trans-global agents and efforts/actions in play; if not for the past several thousand of years of human activity post last Glacial/Ice Age, than at least in the last couple-few centuries of the Global Exploration/Colonization/Exploitation efforts by the the dominating Powers/Nations of the Planet during that time-span; and those that have evolved since.

How the Planet/World has gotten to where it is today versus a couple/few centuries ~ 2-300 years ago is a fascinating topic and one worth extensive examination.

Meanwhile it is worth noting that many interests and factions have operated in the past few centuries to get us to this point, so worth acknowledging the parts they have played. Some would suggest that "conspiracy theories" fall mostly towards one side or the other, but objectively minded observers see them fall near equal to both sides. Keep such in mind when reading this obvious and blatant biased take .......

Bad Thinkers​

Why do some people believe conspiracy theories? It’s not just who or what they know. It’s a matter of intellectual character.

Bad Thinkers

Why do some people believe conspiracy theories? It’s not just who or what they know. It’s a matter of intellectual character.

getpocket.com

This plays equal upon both sides of the political spectrums ....​

 

[Grumblenuts]

This plays equal upon both sides of the political spectrums

"Both sides do it!" -- A great example of bad thinking.

 

[Stryder50]

This plays equal upon both sides of the political spectrums

"Both sides do it!" -- A great example of bad thinking.

Well, for the better part of recent 4-5 years we kept hearing from one side that "Trump colluded with the Russians...";OR "The Russians colluded with Trump ..." "to steal the election from SHillary Clinton." (Whom rightfully should have won the 2016 POTUS election.)

Now we are hearing from the other side that there were "voting irregularities" in the 2020 race and Trump should have won, not Biden. The election fraud might be voters whom shouldn't have voted, such as dead persons, non-citizens, or those whom had moved away from where their ballots were cast, etc. ~ OR the counting wasn't correct and/or objective, the counting machines rigged or hacked, etc. Meanwhile, one side things some ballot counts should be rechecked and the other side seems to protest too much about how such doesn't need to be done.

Those are just a couple of examples of how "conspiracy theory" isn't a partisan thing owned by only one side or the other in politics, or other affairs (see the thread here on 9/11 Twin Tower attacks for an example).

Taking from the article linked, this excerpt;
...
" Should Oliver be condemned for his weaknesses? Philosophers like to think of virtues as having good motives and vices as having bad motives but Oliver’s motives needn’t be bad. He might have exactly the same motivation for knowledge as the intellectually virtuous person, yet be led astray by his gullibility and conspiracy mentality. So, both in respect of his motives and his responsibility for his intellectual vices, Oliver might not be strictly blameworthy. That doesn’t mean that nothing should be done about them or about him. If we care about the truth then we should care about equipping people with the intellectual means to arrive at the truth and avoid falsehood.

Education is the best way of doing that. Intellectual vices are only tendencies to think in certain ways, and tendencies can be countered. Our intellectual vices are balanced by our intellectual virtues, by intellectual character traits such as open-mindedness, curiosity and rigour. The intellectual character is a mixture of intellectual virtues and vices, and the aims of education should include cultivating intellectual virtues and curtailing intellectual vices. The philosopher Jason Baehr talks about ‘educating for intellectual virtues’, and that is in principle the best way to deal with people such as Oliver. A 2010 report to the University College London Council about the Abdulmutallab case came to a similar conclusion. It recommended the ‘development of academic training for students to encourage and equip them not only to think critically but to challenge unacceptable views’. The challenge is to work out how to do that.

What if Oliver is too far gone and can’t change his ways even if he wanted to? Like other bad habits, intellectual bad habits can be too deeply entrenched to change. This means living with their consequences. Trying to reason with people who are obstinately closed-minded, dogmatic or prejudiced is unlikely to be effective. The only remedy in such cases is to try to mitigate the harm their vices do to themselves and to others.

Meanwhile, those who have the gall to deliver homilies about other peoples’ intellectual vices – that includes me – need to accept that they too are likely very far from perfect. In this context, as in most others, a little bit of humility goes a long way. It’s one thing not to cave in to Oliver’s attempt to turn the tables on you, but he has a point at least to this extent: none of us can deny that intellectual vices of one sort or another are at play in at least some of our thinking. Being alive to this possibility is the mark of a healthy mind.
...

Bad Thinkers

Why do some people believe conspiracy theories? It’s not just who or what they know. It’s a matter of intellectual character.

getpocket.com

 

[Grumblenuts]

No, I appreciate the read and thought. It's just that "Both sides do it!" has been so abused this past decade it's funny.. but only in a Man, you just gotta laugh sense. Else..

 

[Stryder50]

No, I appreciate the read and thought. It's just that "Both sides do it!" has been so abused this past decade it's funny.. but only in a Man, you just gotta laugh sense. Else..

I think I get your gist. Wasn't suggesting something on the line of Tommy whines to his mom, "But Billy gets to do it so why can't I?"; rather that there are somethings common to human nature and CTs tend to not always be a partisan perspective, or monopoly.