Reducing conspiracism requires curing underlying social unfairness

Evidence

We will not be a less paranoid country until we are a fairer one. We need genuinely representative elections, better education in science and media literacy, a less moneyed system of democracy, true and permanent government transparency. Banishing some types of conspiracism will also involve grappling with our past, which is replete with actual cover-ups and human rights abuses. — Anna Merlan, Republic of Lies, 992

Categorization

• SEED: Article angle: argue that debunking efforts treat the symptom while the actual cure is distributive — linking real historical cover-ups to current paranoia.
• XREF: connects to: Real democratic vulnerabilities gave fertile ground to conspiratorial theories — Anna Merlan, Republic of Lies, 900; AIDS conspiracy beliefs directly reduce condom use among black men — Anna Merlan, Republic of Lies, 181; Inoculation can spread socially like herd immunity against misinformation — Sander van der Linden, Foolproof: Why Misinformation Infects…, 989 (+3 more)