Conspiracy theory
A conspiracy theory is an attempted rationalization of an event or pattern of events that entails a often small yet powerful group of people who are plotting to preform an action on society, often with malicious intent. Conspiracy theories often reject commonly held knowledge or empirical fact, instead relying on a number of cognitive biases.
Conspiracy theories are often used by reactionaries and fascists as a means of overlooking the factor of capitalism in socioeconomic issues. Rather, they blame these issues on ethnic groups or vague "elites". In the past, conspiracy theories have been used to justify massive atrocities such as genocide.[1]
Examples
"White genocide"
"White genocide", also known as the "great replacement", is a white supremacist theory prevalent among modern reactionaries which supposes that "white" people are being systematically replaced or repressed by non-whites, often from South America or Africa. This conspiracy theory has been used to justify racist forms of oppression against immigrants and other marginalized groups and has been endorsed by powerful politicians in imperialist countries like the United States.[2]
"Jewish Bolshevism"
"Jewish Bolshevism" is an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory most popular in the 20th century which alleged that the Bolsheviks, October Revolution, and Soviet Union were funded and supported by Jewish bankers in Wall Street to undermine the Western powers. Similar variations of this conspiracy theory allege that Vladimir Lenin acted as an agent on behalf of Imperial Germany to support their interests in Russia. Little proof in any forms exists to suggest this took place.[3]
"Cultural Marxism"
The anti-Semitic "Cultural Marxism" conspiracy theory claims that modern institutions in Western society, particularly academia, media, and government, have been or are actively being infiltrated by a hidden communist or Jewish conspiracy in order to "undermine" Western culture. This conspiracy theory is directly descended from the concept of "Kulturbolschewismus" (Cultural Bolshevism) in Hitlerite Germany, which in turn derived from the "Jewish Bolshevism" theory.[4]
See also
References
- ↑ Douglas, K.M., Uscinski, J.E., Sutton, R.M., Cichocka, A., Nefes, T., Ang, C.S. and Deravi, F. (2019), Understanding Conspiracy Theories. Political Psychology, 40: 3-35. https://doi.org/10.1111/pops.12568
- ↑ Wilson, Andrew F.. 2018. "#whitegenocide, the Alt-right and Conspiracy Theory: How Secrecy and Suspicion Contributed to the Mainstreaming of Hate." Secrecy and Society 1(2). DOI: https://doi.org/10.31979/2377-6188.2018.010201
- ↑ Max Parry (January 19, 2021). "Separatism truth from myth". New Age. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
- ↑ Jamin, Jérôme (2014). "Cultural Marxism and the Radical Right". In Shekhovtsov, A.; Jackson, P. (eds.). The Post-War Anglo-American Far Right: A Special Relationship of Hate. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 84–103. doi:10.1057/9781137396211_4. ISBN 978-1-137-39619-8.