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Conspiracy Theory as a Substitute for Social Critique

Conspiracy theories have exploded in recent years, targeting COVID, vaccines, 9/11, George Soros, the Frankfurt School, and more. Conspiracy thinking has also become more prominent in left and in ecological movements, often under the guise of alternative health, counterculture, and simplified critiques of US foreign policy. This presentation by anarchist and historian Dr. Peter Staudenmaier explains why conspiracy theories offer false analyses of the social problems we face and steer us towards non-emancipatory political solutions.