Ibram X. Kendi’s Conspiracy-Theory Rabbit Hole
A conspiracy theory is soothing to the believer not just because it promises a complete explanation for all that appears wrong with the world, but also because it confirms the sense that something is wrong with the world. Society is in flux: New technology is altering how we work and think, centuries-old definitions of gender are collapsing, long-trusted institutions are crumbling, the weather itself seems to be in revolt. Any or all of these changes might make you feel unmoored, as if you are no longer in control. The conspiracy theorist comes along and says you are right. And more than that: Someone, or some group, is completely to blame; they are actively working to take away what you so recently took for granted. If this answer flies in the face of all observable truth, if it reduces life to a zero-sum game, it can still feel plausible because the conspiracy theorist is speaking to a human anxiety about the good and prosperous life being a limited commodity. As Naomi Klein put it in her …
