Yes, and it happens when there are no apparent viable alternatives, when there are alternatives such as The Grayzone, TJDS, Chris Hedges, Ralph Nader but they a

Yes, and it happens when there are no apparent viable alternatives, when there are alternatives such as The Grayzone, TJDS, Chris Hedges, Ralph Nader but they are buried, undiscoverable, inaccessible, and/or banished from the mainstream for going against nationalist fervor. So, it's much easier for people to make up an imaginary bogeyman or "they" that they don't have to and can't do anything about because it psychologically excuses them from internal locus-of-control and taking the initiative against powerful forces who would likely crush them, i.e., Assange, Manning, or activists and reporters in Mexico or Russia. Conspiracy theories also give people a chance to tribally bond over some "secret, forbidden knowledge" when their lives are otherwise so entirely horrible and devoid of a sense of community.