Conspiracy theory
Conspiracy theory is a derogatory buzzword for our times. The Oxford dictionary definition of conspiracy theory is “a belief that some secret but influential organization is responsible for an event or phenomenon.”, not an epithet to fling at anyone who questions the conventional consensus.
Actual conspiracies are rare. They exist, or we wouldn’t have the RICO act, a federal law that allows prosecutors to link together apparently unrelated criminal acts committed by the same organization. This law is normally used to prosecute racketeers, but has been used to prosecute terrorists and corporate malfeasance.
That said, many events may mimic conspiracies but in reality have other causes. Businesses and/or governments can take advantage of a situation to consolidate their power and increase their profits. New technologies can be pursued just because they’re possible without consideration as to their utility and safety. Businesses and/or government may engage in cover-ups of their wrongdoings that accentuate those wrongdoings. One event may trigger another, in a related, but unplanned, cascade. A phenomenon can arise out of the zeitgeist of the time. I’m turned off by phrases like “plandemic” and “great reset” because they imply nefarious plotting by an evil enemy when the truth is so much more complicated.
Believing that COVID was caused by a deliberate bioweapon released by evil scientists who want to take over the world is a conspiracy theory. Wanting to get to the truth of COVID’s origin, or questioning the safety and utility of “gain of function” is not conspiracy theory. Believing that Bill Gate used the mRNA vaccine to implant chips in people’s veins is conspiracy theory. Pointing out that Elon Musk’s company Neuralink currently manufactures chips that go into people’s brains is not.
Keeping an open, curious mind is not conspiracy theory. Asking hard questions and drawing connections between disparate events and fields of knowledge is not conspiracy theory. It’s critical thinking.
To dismiss critical thinking as “conspiratorial” is—to use another overused, but apt, buzzword—gaslighting.