Contemporary conspiracy theories function as politically serviceable tools for right-wing ends
Evidence
Our current conspiracy culture, then, is deeply entwined with the promotion of a radically right-wing and socially regressive worldview, one that elevates strongmen like Assad and Vladimir Putin to venerated positions and advances cherished conservative goals. Denying the death of mass shooting victims serves the gun lobby; denying Assad’s chemical warfare supports a set of geopolitical interests; denying that rape and assault exist, are common, and that victims should be believed strengthens a retrograde, sexist culture. In nearly every case, contemporary conspiracy theories aren’t random offshoots emerging spontaneously. They are politically useful. — Anna Merlan, Republic of Lies, 121
Categorization
- XREF: Directly extends vault claims on authoritarianism/prejudice psychology and shared epistemic style of Christian nationalism — conspiracy belief serves in-group political interests rather than random error. — connects to: The 2016 Trump era mainstreamed conspiracy-peddling anti-immigrant and white-supremacist groups — Anna Merlan, Republic of Lies, 30; Once-fringe conspiracies can enter mainstream political discourse en masse — Anna Merlan, Republic of Lies, 44; Conspiracy theories satisfy epistemic, existential, and social needs — Sander van der Linden, Foolproof: Why Misinformation Infects…, 179 (+9 more)
- SEED: Angle for an essay: mapping how each major denial (Sandy Hook, Assad chemical weapons, victim-blaming rape culture) maps onto a concrete political constituency served — conspiracies as symptom-solving beliefs.
Broader Connections
- Liberal Islamophobia legitimizes and amplifies right-wing anti-Muslim conspiracy theories
#corroborates(0.85) - Liberal framing of the good-bad Muslim divide enables right-wing conspiracy theories
#expands(0.82) - Liberal defenses of Muslims feed rather than block right-wing conspiracy theories
#corroborates(0.82) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 733 - Conspiracy theories satisfy epistemic, existential, and social needs
#qualifies(0.80) — Sander van der Linden, Foolproof, 179 - Liberal and conservative Islamophobia jointly enable far-right conspiracy theories
#corroborates(0.80) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 721 - Conspiracism functions as a political explanation of hidden power
#expands(0.78) — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy, 1077 - Conspiracy theories are accessible ways to speak truth to power
#qualifies(0.75) — Joseph E. Uscinski and Joseph M. Parent, American Conspiracy Theories, 842 - Conspiracy theories are necessary lymph, not sickly disease, of politics
#qualifies(0.75) — Joseph E. Uscinski and Joseph M. Parent, American Conspiracy Theories, 841