A lack of real conspiracy doesn't equal no real problem

[2PhiloVoid]

Obviously, a number of us have political and social concerns in our contemporary world. Some worry that there is a world wide conspiracy of sophisticated individuals who want to acquire and/or maintain power over various populations and economic entities. Others, in contrary opinion, think that those who are susceptible to conspiracy theories are a bit on the neurotic side of things. Still others, like myself, aren't worried about recognizable patterns in politics that are conspiratorial per say, but even so, this doesn't mean that there aren't bad actors in and among various elites who, if given the opportunity, won't reach for power over others.

In the attempt to think about the nature of 'conspiracy' in a more academic vain, I submit the following video from Dr. Ashley Hodgson who teaches Economics at St. Olaf College. I'm not inferring that she has 'guru' status in any of this, but I like the way she lays out a more realistic view of how we may assess when some political situation could be a conspiracy and when it probably isn't. What she says is similar (although not identical) to how I assess Politics.

Conspiracy-Non-Conspiracy Thinking - Dr. Ashley Hodgson​

 

[FireDragon76]

Systems theory is useful, but it lacks an understanding of transcendence or purpose. Some of these "emergent" behaviors aren't strictly emergent, but have their own teleology, there's a spiritual dimension not accounted for.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

Systems theory is useful, but it lacks an understanding of transcendence or purpose. Some of these "emergent" behaviors aren't strictly emergent, but have their own teleology, there's a spiritual dimension not accounted for.

Right. But I didn't say that her 'answer' is somehow comprehensive in nature. It's just additive and supplemental, perhaps offering us a few nuances which many of us don't normally consider. She has other things in other videos that I also think are relevant.

 

[FireDragon76]

Conspiracy thinking is just proof the system's logic has exhausted itself. Even the colonization of the imagination no longer works to keep people in line.

I don't think "healing" the system is quite the right way to think of this. Change usually comes from somebody prophetically speaking, or acting, from the margins, not from the centers of power, who rejects the logic of the system and points out how it is broken. This is different in motivation from a conspiracy theorist, who doesn't have the ethical grounding or discernment to speak prophetically with clarity and credibility.