I share your skepticism of a "competent, intentional conspiracy", but I wonder if there might be an analogous, emergent phenomenon. I also find it plausible tha

I share your skepticism of a "competent, intentional conspiracy", but I wonder if there might be an analogous, emergent phenomenon. I also find it plausible that this (hypothetical) emergent system has been opportunistically capitalised upon, despite not being intentionally created. Does that seem unlikely to you?