Tag Archives: conspiracy theories

Why Belief in Phony Conspiracies?

Why do people believe in wild conspiracies. I look into some theories.

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Why Conspiracy Theories Beat Logic

Philosopher Mladen Dolar cites Socrates and Hamlet to explain why conspiracy theories are so resistant to logic.

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When News Resembles an Onion Headline

A recent case of an American man arrested for parodying a police department elicited a supportive brief from “The Onion.”

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Spenser Would Understand QAnon

In “Faerie Queene,” Redcrosse Knight must contend with the monster Errour. Think of her as rightwing conspiracy theories.

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Eliot Explains Conspiracy Theories

In “Middlemarch,” Eliot gives a succinct explanation as to why people are drawn to conspiracy theories.

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A Partial Defense of Plato’s Poet Ban

Perhaps Plato banished poets from his ideal society because he appreciated the destructive potential of stories. He’s relevant in light of today’s conspiracy theories.

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Trump’s Shadows? The Nothing That Is

Satirist Alexandra Petri uses a Wallace Stevens line to satirize Donald Trump’s conspiracy mongering.

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On Labeling Survivors as “Crisis Actors”

Murakami has the perfect analogy for the vast rightwing echo chamber that labels mass shooting survivors as “crisis actors.”

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McConnell as Moriarty, Trump as Figaro

Mitch McConnell is proving himself to be a veritable Moriarty in his ability to weave devious plots to get his way. Trump, by contrast, is more a trickster figure a la Figaro or Mac the Knife.

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