"Conspiracy theory" has got to be the one of the most overused denigrations of our times. The idea that powerful people are mostly bad (clearly true) and pursu

"Conspiracy theory" has got to be the one of the most overused denigrations of our times. The idea that powerful people are mostly bad (clearly true) and pursue their interests through indirect means is not a "conspiracy theory". It's how the world actually works. Small-c conspiracies exist. People are naturally conspiratorial. They form in-crowds for specific, often socially unacceptable, purposes and attempt to pursue their goals in secret and through indirect means. There isn't one Conspiracy to rule them all-- the idea that you can "blow up the room where they all meet" and liberate humanity is clearly a fantasy-- and elites will compete with each other as often as they collude. The reason why traditional "conspiracy theories" are so ridiculous is because they fail to account for in-fighting and discord within the world's elite, a set of people that, while deeply evil, is far from homogeneous. If you believe that Arab oil sheikhs give a damn about American college tuition, then you're probably a "conspiracy theorist" and you're wrong. If you believe that powerful people will often work together to pursue corrupt goals both in secret and through substantial indirection, then you're going to be right some of the time. What's being discussed here, however, isn't even a conspiracy. It's what happens when people in authority pursue their own interests. No coordination or clandestine meetings are needed.