<html><body> I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiments below. But how does one explain the vibrancy and the appeal that conspiracism has had for many on the left and among progressive circles in recent years?  No matter how much a given conspiracy is discredited, conspiracism itself continues chugging along. ( A good example would be Dan Sheehan of the Christic Institute who injected conspiracy theory into the Central American Solidarity movement in a big way back in the 1980s. A few years ago Sheehan resurfaced peddling UFO theories.  When I point this out to former backers of his theories they shrug their shoulders and start talking about 9-11). <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">-------------- Original message -------------- > > I only browsed in the article itself, but my antipathy to conspiricism > is independent of both its popularity in any given instance and, even, > the correctness or incorrectness of any given conspiracy theory. > > I object to conspiracy theory because promulgating it (like throwing the > word "fascism" around) tends to deflect from the nature of capitalism > and of the fundamental policies of capitalist states. The charge > "fascist" against Bush or the charge of administration conspiracy in the > case of 9/11 (or of CIA involvement in the assassination of John > Kennedy) have the _material_ effect of giving aid and comfort to the > Democratic Party and to the arguments of those who claim that capitalism > is the best system but is corrupted by bad people in one way or another. > > The exposure of the Watergate conspiracy was _one_ of the factors in the > steady rout of the left after 1974. > > Carrol > > ___________________________________ > http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk </BLOCKQUOTE></body></html>