Early UFO conspiracism and extreme-right conspiracism developed independently

Evidence

The development of New World Order conspiracy theories within ufology can best be understood as the product of two separate phases. The fi rst—from roughly 1975 to 1980—introduced increasingly conspiratorial motifs into UFO speculation, but without any discernible links to the conspiracy ideas that were prevalent on the extreme right. There seem to have been two separate conspiracist tracks that developed independently of each other. This lack of connection between the two is all the more striking because the late 1970s were a period of substantial right-wing activity, with the growth of such movements as Christian Identity and the Posse Comitatus. — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy, 423

Categorization

• QUESTION: Why did two conspiracist tracks develop independently with no apparent exchange during the same period? Worth chasing how they finally connected.
• XREF: connects to: Antigovernment politics fused with UFO belief throughout the 1990s — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic…, 47; New World Order conspiracy ideas and UFO beliefs merged into two diametrically opposed syntheses — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic…, 420; UFO conspiracy narratives absorbed right-wing plot motifs without clear influence — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic…, 457 (+2 more)

Broader Connections

• UFO conspiracy narratives absorbed right-wing plot motifs without clear influence #contradicts (0.85) — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy, 457