The Conspiracy Fantasy and its Capitalist Basis

The Conspiracy Fantasy and its Capitalist Basis

In recent years, conspiracy theories have flourished all over the world. They have taken on important political dimensions by attracting certain sectors of the population. The current example par excellence is QAnon in the US, a group born of conspiracy theories that became a political support base for the right-wing government of Donald Trump, to the point of storming the Capitol in 2021 when he lost the presidential election.


Conspiratorial explanations of reality are flourishing among the working class today, thanks to the fact that capitalism provides fertile ground for their emergence. Alienation and the profit motive are its basis.


Marx points out that the capitalist production process, by separating the worker from the fruits of his product, generates individual alienation throughout society. Workers are unable to benefit from their labor, a well-known situation that also contributes to the creation of conditions of exploitation by the workers themselves, which capital uses for its domination. Yibing Zhang, one of the most important Chinese scholars of Marx, puts it clearly:


“The objectified results of workers’ past labour actually became the rulers and exploiters of tofays’ workers. The “past” created by workers becomes the ruler of the “present”… Hired labour necessarily created a ruling power transformed out of itself: capital. This is the actual alienation of capital and labour relations that Marx describes (Zhang, 2014, p. 481).
[...]

The Conspiracy Fantasy and its Capitalist Basis
This is just the introduction to a piece that provides a few excellent provocations.

One could say this is 'just' another application of the communist manifest on the postmodern culture wars, which would include the conspiracy industrial complex by now. Couldn't find anything to argue with, either. Good stuff, innit?


The perfect crime.
Have a great time!

originally posted by: Insurrectile


In recent years, conspiracy theories have flourished all over the world.

Unfortunately many have turned out to be.. true.


www.abovetopsecret.com...

a reply to: Insurrectile

What's the difference between a conspiracy and a fact?

Time. Nothing but time. Credit where credit is due, 2020-2022 there was only a several month gap between conspiracy and fact....

To be fair, and realistic, it doesn't matter what the political system is; Conspiracies will thrive wherever there is mistrust, evidence, and...... well, military and politicians in general.

I will admit however that there are less conspiracy theories floating around in communistic locations....... where their information and opinion is regulated and restricted to government approved statements only.

a reply to: karl 12

a reply to: karl 12

[...]
This is not to say that real conspiracies have not existed or do not exist. Capitalist and government groups act behind the backs of the population and profit from it. However, there are also clandestine leftist organizations that seek the overthrow of capitalism. The differences in action are undoubtedly absolute, as shown by the Iraq war promoted by the US, UK and Spain with false evidence, as opposed to the anarchist groups that through small actions seek to overthrow governments and the system itself. However, the right-wing benefits from conspiracy theories to create an enemy and mobilize workers in its favor. In this sense, the communist conspiracy and its various strands are essential for the right wing in constructing its identity, while serving as a preemptive strike against any attempt to change the status quo.


The left does not need a conspiracy to explain reality or to define itself. It seeks a way out of the exploitation of the capitalist system that feeds the conspiracy, and thus the emancipation of humanity. Only by being clear about the latter will it be possible to regain ground in the face of conspiracy theories.

The Conspiracy Fantasy and its Capitalist Basis

I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm asking anyone to argue with this logic cuz I Kant.

originally posted by: Insurrectile
Couldn't find anything to argue with, either.

Unsurprising...

Good stuff, innit?

Oh yeah... if you're a marxist/commie loving ignoramus.

a reply to: tanstaafl

Fair enough. Which part was ignored then?

originally posted by: dothedew
a reply to: Insurrectile

What's the difference between a conspiracy and a fact?

…….

Evidence.

In recent years, conspiracy theories have flourished all over the world. They have taken on important political dimensions by attracting certain sectors of the population. The current example par excellence is QAnon in the US, a group born of conspiracy theories that became a political support base for the right-wing government of Donald Trump, to the point of storming the Capitol in 2021 when he lost the presidential election.

It seems Mr. Ramirez is presenting the theory that some people were conspiring to support Donald Trump. So, is Mr. Ramirez's conspiracy theory true? Maybe.

But you have to agree with him when he says conspiracy theories seem to be more common these days. For instance:

The conspiracy theory that Donald Trump conspired with Russians to win the 2016 election. Some people even conspired to create fake evidence of this now debunked conspiracy theory.

Recently, some people conspired to push the theory that Covid vaccines were safe and effective. Another conspiracy theory busted. And we also have people conspiring to push the theory that humans are causing climate change on Earth.

Many in the movie industry are conspiring to push the theory that bad movie reviews are the result of people conspiring against the woke messages in the current crop of movies. It couldn't be that the movies are just bad, could it?

There are many more examples, but I think the largest pushers of conspiracy theories in the US would be the Department of Justice. They are always pushing theories that some people are conspiring to commit crimes. And I don't see that as a problem limited to capitalist regimes. Certainly, socialist, Marxist and communist regimes have at least an equal hand in pushing conspiracy theories.

I would have to disagree with Mr. Ramirez's conclusion that conspiracy theories are the sole province of capitalist governments. I'm sure that everyone on Earth has conspiracy theories of some sort. Apparently, even Mr. Ramirez himself.

a reply to: VictorVonDoom

I see the biggest difference between capitalist and communist conspiracy numbers is how they are presented. In capitalist societies, those against a conspiracy theory will talk about it to show how much the other side is nutty for it. In communist society, they don't talk about it lest they be delt with by the government. They all know something is not right but expressing that is very different.

a reply to: VictorVonDoom

I would have to disagree with Mr. Ramirez's conclusion that conspiracy theories are the sole province of capitalist governments. I'm sure that everyone on Earth has conspiracy theories of some sort. Apparently, even Mr. Ramirez himself.

That wasn't the claim, either. Conspiracy theories are the province of capitalist actors as well, and the Trump brand would certainly count as one.
He's not some broke artisan on a mission to sell paintings, is he?

a reply to: tanstaafl

The daily press and the telegraph, which in a moment spreads inventions over the whole earth, fabricate more myths (and the bourgeois cattle believe and enlarge upon them) in one day than could have formerly been done in a century

Guess who said that?

Marx was seen as kooky conspiracy theoriest back in his day. Most conspiracy theories that have taken shape in todays world were by left leaning anti government, anti imperialist, anarchist, thinkers and speakers who would blame the CIA For this and that, and that the capitalists were behind the banking systems etc, etc.

originally posted by: 1947boomer

originally posted by: dothedew
a reply to: Insurrectile

What's the difference between a conspiracy and a fact?

…….

Evidence.

To be fair, and realistic, it doesn't matter what the political system is; Conspiracies will thrive wherever there is mistrust, evidence, and...... well, military and politicians in general.

I already had that covered; Evidence and reading past the opening statement.

A conspiracy without evidence is nothing more than a fleeting thought in the Taco Bell public restroom. The vast majority of theories have evidence and correlation and/or causation within them.

I mean, if we want to get technical, the QAnon stuff as mentioned in the OP quote is one of the more off-the-wall, evidence lacking jumbles of weird.

To modify a line from Yakov Smirnoff; They have conspiracy theorists in Russia. They're dead, but they're there.

a reply to: Insurrectile

What a load of Marxist garbage...

a reply to: 1947boomer

There’s evidence everywhere.
However, can you name some ‘facts’?

I have a feeling that we can’t really ‘prove’ anything.
And that conspiracy theories are just piles of evidence that have not been ‘sanctioned’ by the world rulers as ‘facts’.

Fantasy

This thread is exhibit A

a reply to: EmmanuelGoldstein

What's left to prove when money rules the world already?

The cognitive dissonance is strong with us, that's all I can deduce from the few reactions in the thread. Nobody debunked a thing, and how could they?

originally posted by: VictorVonDoom And we also have people conspiring to push the theory that humans are causing climate change on Earth..

No, that's call scientific fact

The conspiracy theory is that for the past 50+ years tens of thousands of climate scientists and meteorologists have been paid a vast fortune by the "government" to perpetuate a hoax in order for said "government" to be able to use it to, er, raise taxes or reduce human population summat .....

a reply to: AndyMayhew

Actually, we even have a trackrecord of Big Oil hiding that very fact since they knew about it.

“The substance of the report,” Ikard told the industry audience, “is that there is still time to save the world’s peoples from the catastrophic consequences of pollution, but time is running out.” He continued that “One of the most important predictions of the report is that carbon dioxide is being added to the earth’s atmosphere by the burning of coal, oil, and natural gas at such a rate that by the year 2000 the heat balance will be so modified as possibly to cause marked changes in climate.”

Ikard noted that the report had found that a “nonpolluting means of powering automobiles, buses, and trucks is likely to become a national necessity.”

Who needs a conspiracy fantasy to explain their actions, any takers?