Conspiracy Theories : A social phenomenon?

[panama]

From the "Gordon Brown" thread:

I think for this debate to go much further it should probably be broadened to encompass the modern social phenomenon of ‘conspiracy theories’

Are conspiracy theories a modern phenomenon? What are their basic natures? Why do they exist? How does one distinguish between real conspiracies and those that only exist in the heads of the paranoid?

Lets have a general debate on the subject.

[Croydon Bob]

I think that conspiracy theories and paranoia go back as far as history is recorded.

For instance: There was a widespread belief amongst Parliamentarians and clubmen during the English Civil War (1642+) that Prince Rupert's poodle was a demon that was helping him to win battles. Not so different an idea to the lunatic stuff about Bush being in league with aliens.

Of course conspiracies go back as far as conspiracy theories. Any organisation that has had three or more members has had two of them plotting together over something. Conspiracies are (sometimes) real and it is healthy that we are sceptical about motives and connections between powerful people.

The modern situation is that media has allowed for global conspiracy theories. when President Garfield was assassinated nobody in the UK saw it on the telly, when Kennedy was wacked everyone saw it. And if some nutter had a theory about Garfield's death he told his friends, in the 60s they were able to publish pamphlets and books, now there's the internet to spread the stupid around.

Modern internet troofers and Ickites are just the 21st Century equivalent of old ladies gossiping in the town square, "I've heard she talks to her cat, obviously a witch."