Watching the Anderson Cooper fiasco, I was wondering again about this: Why do we need conspiracies?

[Archae]

Because real life is boring.
And crazily random.

A kook can kill the President.
There are other religions in the world.
Airplanes sometimes leave condensation trails behind them.
The weather is changing, quite often for the worse.
People will sell you shit, and call it good for you.

[LuvNewcastle]

1. It isn't that we need conspiracy theories,

it's just that we have a corrupt government and we see evidence of conspiracies occasionally when officials are caught doing wrong. Some people are going to see bad people committing illegal or immoral acts in concert and begin to think that they're all like that, and they begin to think that conspiracies are SOP instead of events that happen on occasion. I can't say how common conspiracies are in our government, but I do know they happen, and after a while it begins to look like there's no one to trust. People are afraid, and that's essentially why conspiracy theories exist.

[global1]

5. Do You Mean Like A Mayor Running In A Close Re-election Race Supressing A Video Of A Cop .....

shooting a boy 16 times when the boy was walking away from the cop and paying $5 million in so called hush money to the boys' family so the video wouldn't become public so this Mayor could win the election. Is that the kind of wrong you are referring to?

[LuvNewcastle]

6. Oh, yes.

That's a good example. Unfortunately, you don't have to look far to find an example. That specific mayor belongs in prison. I can't think of anything good that the man has done.

[EdwardBernays]

2. because

The world is very complex, as is life, and conspiracies simplify things... they also give people the sense that there's a pattern, and that someone or something is actually in control, as opposed to life just being random...

So they comfort people and put order on chaos...

There's also the underlying fact that governments HAVE been manipulating people with propaganda for ages, and people can sense that to a degree, innately. And of course some conspiracies ARE true after all.

[ellenrr]

3. very true.. also conspiracy theories

allow people to feel superior to others.

"Oh, you think there was a moon landing."
(snide look)
"If you know what I knew, you'd know it was a hoax."

I think people who are insecure are drawn to conspiracy theories bec. they make them feel like they are "in the know".

(which is not say, as Bernays says, that there aren't real conspiracies.)

[liberal N proud]

4. Conspiracy theories are born out of paranoia

And paranoia is fed by propaganda.

Propaganda is created because some like to take advantage of others.

Avoid conspiracy theories by staying well informed, don't know everything but know something about everything, keep your mouth shut and listen unless you have verified facts.

That is how conspiracy theories live and die!

[Vinca]

7. We weren't terribly conspiracy-oriented until the rise of right wing hate media.

Lies, scandal and fear are the cash cows for 99.9% of right wing radio in this country and sometimes those are the only channels you get when you're driving around East Overshoe. People have made large fortunes off conspiracy theories. Think Glenn Beck.