Quote
PaulO
I'm familiar with conspiracy minded people. I know a couple who earnest believe that the earth is flat. And that 9/11 was an inside job. And that Sandy Hook was a hoax, along with every mass shooting since. It is basically impossible to reason with them. They are so distrustful of government and media sources, and even science, that there is no common ground from which you can build a dialogue. I even know another person who legitimately thought the world was going to end in 2012. I have first hand experience with conspiracy minded people.

****** Having experience with conspiracy-minded idiots does not translate to an understanding of all skeptics.

So it was very unusual to me when people who have always been smart and reasonable began to show similar signs of conspiracy against Trump after the election. These are educated people, who should know better, but they seem to completely buy into every random accusation that pops up. They likewise re-interpret everything Trump says and does to fit what they want. Everything is ulterior motives. And perhaps worst of all, there is no reasoning with them. It's all hidden motivations, and "I know it looks like X, but it's really Y. As evidence, here's a random blogger making vague, emotional non-sequitur arguments."

****** No rational, halfway-educated individual should require much in the way of spoonfeeding to see the Trump Circus for what it is: a massive, well-engineered and well-produced distraction. People (fine people), whether conspiracy-minded or no, have access to the lessons of history and the true shape of American power and influence. Anyone focusing or encouraging others to focus on Donald Trump the reality TV star is playing beautifully into the hands of those wielding the true power.

Why is this? I don't know. Scott Adams makes a specific, non-emotional argument for mass hysteria here. It's interesting to consider:
[blog.dilbert.com]