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> A conspiracy theory is something that the other political side believes in, but which your side rejects fully. Not all conspiracy theories have political str

> A conspiracy theory is something that the other political side believes in, but which your side rejects fully. Not all conspiracy theories have political stratification. In fact, what is often incorrectly considered the Ur-conspiracy theory--the JFK murder--has adherents of every political descriptor under the sun. You've got people thinking the once-communist Oswald was working on behalf of the USSR or Cuba. To which people would reply that the CIA would never allow a former Communist back in _unless he was willing to work for them_.

MrBuddyCasino 6y ago
There are overlaps, certainly, but ideas labeled as "conspiracy theories" usually boil down to the instinctive left vs right values, but that is not always apparent at first sight. Example: anti-vaxxers. Why would this be RW? Well, RW fear "being controlled" and have a deep distrust of the state. They like their freedom, and don't like to be told what to do, even if that would be in their best interest. So they reject this idea of being told "inject this into your body" and concoct stories about how the state plans to give everyone autism. Same with flouride in the water, etc. At the same time, well-off mums that probably vote left or green reject vaccines too, but for different reasons.
- ianleeclark 6y ago
  I'm really confused at how you went from: > A conspiracy theory is something that the other political side believes in, but which your side rejects fully. to (paraphrase): > both sides can harbor the same conspiracy > There are overlaps, certainly, but ideas labeled as "conspiracy theories" usually boil down to the instinctive left vs right values, but that is not always apparent at first sight. If any group of conflicting political adherents harbor the same conspiracy theory--e.g., JFK's murder was a conspiracy--then it indicates that the conspiracy theory isn't polarized, only that ideology changes how the event was perceived. The conspiracy theory isn't what is polarized; the political implications of "resolving" the conspiracy are polarized.

MrBuddyCasino 6y ago

There are overlaps, certainly, but ideas labeled as "conspiracy theories" usually boil down to the instinctive left vs right values, but that is not always apparent at first sight. Example: anti-vaxxers. Why would this be RW? Well, RW fear "being controlled" and have a deep distrust of the state. They like their freedom, and don't like to be told what to do, even if that would be in their best interest. So they reject this idea of being told "inject this into your body" and concoct stories about how the state plans to give everyone autism. Same with flouride in the water, etc. At the same time, well-off mums that probably vote left or green reject vaccines too, but for different reasons.

ianleeclark 6y ago
I'm really confused at how you went from: > A conspiracy theory is something that the other political side believes in, but which your side rejects fully. to (paraphrase): > both sides can harbor the same conspiracy > There are overlaps, certainly, but ideas labeled as "conspiracy theories" usually boil down to the instinctive left vs right values, but that is not always apparent at first sight. If any group of conflicting political adherents harbor the same conspiracy theory--e.g., JFK's murder was a conspiracy--then it indicates that the conspiracy theory isn't polarized, only that ideology changes how the event was perceived. The conspiracy theory isn't what is polarized; the political implications of "resolving" the conspiracy are polarized.