Words change, and when society uses certain words changes. In a vacuum the phrase "conspiracy theory" would apply to a theory about the existence of a conspirac

Words change, and when society uses certain words changes. In a vacuum the phrase "conspiracy theory" would apply to a theory about the existence of a conspiracy. Now it means "fictitious myth that crazy/irrational people believe in". That's fine. Words develop new connotations over time. No one is saying you can't theorize about the existence of actual conspiracies, ala Snowden and government surveillance, it's just that the terminology has changed. And in my opinion, it changed because of so many nutjobs that believe in patently crazy theories. I don't think normal people object to the theorizing about the existence of conspiracies, like the origins and intentions behind the Iraq invasion. But they do object to lizard people and flat earth and Hilary Clinton drinking the blood of babies. But as in many other things, extremists can ruin things for the average people.