By David Jones, Socialist Alternative Merseyside
Conspiracy theories have become widespread in the social media age, escalating at a dramatic rate since the Covid-19 pandemic. Although they are not a new development, their increased prevalence must be carefully analysed by socialists. Most crucially, we need to consider what it says about the current state of capitalism and what they mean for the development of society.
Origins
Conspiracy theories are nothing new. An early form of such ‘theories’ existed around the Middle Ages, especially in the of antisemitic tropes. Some conspiracy theories can seem little more than eccentric, for example those who believe the earth is flat, or the moon landing was fake. But in reality the majority of conspiracy theories are concerned more with who runs society.
The common theme to all conspiracy theories can be reduced to a simple narrative. In simple terms, this is that some nefarious elite group is working together behind the scenes to control society. This tends to then be followed by a hero who spearheads a campaign to vanquish this shadowy group. This template echoes down the ages to the present day, where Donald Trump is the latest supposed hero challenging a supposed corrupt (and child-abusing) ‘elite’. However it is particularly capitalism in its advanced state of decay which has given birth to an explosion of these ‘theories’.
In a disordered world, where the old institutions that appeared to offer a degree of certainty and safety are crumbling or tainted, confusion can take hold. This is where conspiracy theories can find a hearing, offering a seemingly simple explanation for some. When people feel out of control and lacking in power, it is no surprise that they look for answers. It can be attractive to see the problem in some nefarious hidden organisation orchestrating society. The basis for conspiracy theories can be uncovered in a well-founded distrust of authorities, leading to a push against accepted truths. After all, if the authorities are working against the mass of working class people, why believe anything that is put forward by the authorities?
Conspiracy vs. conspiracy theorists
Many of us may believe in a conspiracy here and there, and some are indeed true. There are proven examples of governments seeking to infiltrate and undermine revolutionary organisations, clear evidence of attempts to discredit whistleblowers and to cover up the truth. The undercover police operations in the environment movement, the BBC misreporting of Orgreave, and the Horizon cover up in the Post Office are just some examples.
Many cover ups actually happen in plain sight. Authorities will seek to defuse attention through all sorts of means, such as commissions of enquiry. These will often take years to report back, by which time attention will have moved onto other issues. The establishment are also happy to resort to moles and agent provocateurs within the workers’ movement, one example being the use of undercover police in the environmental movement in the 1990s. This almost certainly will still be happening in some form today, albeit behind the scenes.
So conspiracies do happen. But naming conspiracies where they exist is not the same as what conspiracy theorists do. The conspiracy theorist movement reduces the world to nothing but conspiracies at every level. This explains how rarely will you ever find a conspiracy theorist who simply believes in one without believing in many at once.
The viewpoint of conspiracy theorists, despite often looking ‘anti-system’ or even ‘anti-capitalist’, actually overlooks the inherent chaos and tensions within capitalism and imperialism. Common themes are a dismissal of any evidence that doesnt fit in with the theory that there is a hidden elite that controls society, as well as a scepticism (at best) of science. In fact, scientists and other experts are dismissed as part of the establishment. This can be seen when Donald Trump dismisses any inconvenient issues, however well founded evidentially, as ‘fake news’.
The organisations which promote conspiracy theories often have their own agenda. They mix the cynical, fantastical and bizarre with frankly dangerous right-wing ideas. In the US, QAnon is reportedly accepted by around one in five people. At its heart, QAnon is a wide-ranging, completely unfounded theory that says Donald Trump is waging a secret war against elite Satan-worshipping paedophiles in government, business and the media. QAnon believers have speculated that this fight will lead to a day of reckoning where prominent people such as former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton will be arrested and executed. The riots in Washington on 6 January 2021 at the time of Joe Biden’s inauguration as President, were a culmination of these ideas.
The Light
In Britain, we have The Light newspaper: a free paper and Telegram channel which puts forward a miscellany of conspiracy theories, including anti-vaxx ideas, the concept of a global ‘great reset’, climate change denial, as well as ideas borrowed from QAnon. The paper’s articles are loaded with links and references to the internet, but they rely on readers not following them up, as the links often contradict the article. Revealingly, they claim to “trawl the web so you don’t have to”!
The 28-page monthly claims a print run of 100,000, though it carries very little advertising, so it’s clear that there is serious money behind it. There are clear links to right-wing extremists in Britain and beyond. For instance the paper liaises with a right wing extremist paper Demokratischer Widerstand (Democratic Resistance), connected to last year’s failed coup attempt in Germany. The Light’s sister publication in Ireland was connected to last year’s racist far-right riots in Dublin last year.
Additionally, we have seen organised interventions by Light paper distributors into trade union and anti-cuts demonstrations. This is an attempt to derail progressive movements away from action that can affect positive economic change. We need to guard against forces like these, seeking to channel the despair and the weaknesses of a progressive alternative to fuel the growth of a far-right party on the streets. The example of working class people in Stroud, who organised a community campaign against distributors of The Light in 2022, is an example that should be followed.
The far-right
The growth of conspiracy theorists has gone hand in hand with the rise of Messiah-like right-wing populist politicians – and that is not coincidental. Trump, Bolsanaro, Milei and others are all indicators of the rotten state of global capitalism.
These populist leaders are prepared to use conspiracy theories to their own end. We can see how Trump and Bolsanaro portrayed measures to combat Covid-19 as part of a grand conspiracy by the global elite, who somehow planned and managed the pandemic. In this narrative, lockdown restrictions were introduced not to curb the spread of the virus, but to deliberately bring about economic collapse and a ‘world government’, run for the benefit of a powerful cabal. Ridiculous of course, but the nebulousness of this view meant it gained credence amongst a wide layer of people, anxious about the state of the world, who were brought into the orbit of the far-right. Even a few left-wing activists have succumbed to these views, in a distorted way. This mindset led some of the left to shamefully defend Russell Brand in light of the allegations of sexual abuse, on the basis that he spoke ‘the truth’ about ‘the establishment’.
There is also the cynical misuse of the horrendous issue of child abuse. Nobody is going to defend the sexual abuse of young children, and thus it is an easy draw into the conspiracy theorist movement. There have been cover-ups of child sex abuse: Jimmy Saville, Jeffery Epstein and the Catholic Church are just a few of the very real examples. These cover-ups are a disgusting example of the way this system protects the rich and powerful, defends powerful men, and shields the reputation of the institutions that serve capitalism. However the idea that the ruling elite is entirely populated by a ‘cabal’ of child sex abusers is just wrong. In fact, it minimises and distracts from the pervasive child abuse existing throughout society, the vast bulk of which takes place in the home and is perpetrated overwhelmingly by men who are well known to the victim.
Social media and the incredibly fast-moving nature of information has undoubtedly aided the flow of baseless claims. However it would be wrong to state that social media is the fundamental cause behind the rise of conspiracy theories. Rather the growing sense of cynicism with the establishment parties is more significant. As capitalism has dismantled the welfare state, many people are forced into a more isolated, atomised existence, alienated from the world around them.
The sections of society that appear to be most drawn to conspiracy theories have been the most alienated layers: those in underemployment or unemployment, who have felt the brunt of falling pay rates and the hollowing out of the benefits system, as well as small businesspeople and the self-employed, who increasingly find their opportunities and standard of living squeezed by the ongoing economic crisis of capitalism. At the same time, the repressive character of the state, including increased police powers, is a genuine cause for concern for many working class people.
Revolutionary optimism, not despair
It is clear that there is something very wrong with this system. But finding a solution means clearly understanding the problem. Marxism, based on a scientific understanding of how the system works and where it came from, highlights how capitalism is run by a super-rich ruling class. Using weapons like the media and the state, they maintain their rule over the vast majority of oppressed workers and poor people internationally. Based on that understanding, we also know that it is the multi-gendered, multi-racial working class who, in their millions and billions, make society run – and that we have the power to change society ourselves. The capitalists themselves understand this to an extent, and are involved in a constant balancing act, based on concessions, as well as sowing division and repressing movements to maintain their crisis-ridden system.
Conspiracy theories, by contrast, are not based on a clear understanding of the world, but on pure disbelief and fear. This means serious strategic discussions on how to fight back are impossible. While Marxism points toward the working class as a force for change, conspiracy theories distract from the main causes of suffering in society and their solutions. It should not be forgotten that the ‘heroes’ that have gained from these conspiracy theories are all part of the same elite they claim to oppose. Donald Trump is himself a billionaire. Meanwhile, Milei in Argentina’s proposed ‘omnibus law’ would have sold off much of the country to imperialist institutions like the IMF, were it not defeated by a mass movement of working class people.
While discussion, debate, and counter-protests where far-right conspiracists organise can have an effect, the way we will combat these ideas is by building a socialist alternative that will win over the masses by the power of our ideas and our revolutionary optimism that we can create a better world. The ‘traditional left’ parties like Labour have demonstrated that they are mere shadows of the traditional capitalist parties. They offer no alternative to the problems workers face. Meanwhile trade unions have enjoyed something of a resurgence in the last couple of years, but they have not yet removed the self-imposed shackles of the insurance-based ‘partnership’ approach of recent decades.
There is therefore a vacuum on the left. A powerful campaign by a new left party of struggle would demonstrate that the future doesn’t have to be a bleak dystopia. The capitalist society that oppresses us, and takes control away from the vast majority can, and must, be replaced by a different society where working class people are in democratic control – not a tiny capitalist elite. Ultimately a socialist society would provide decent living standards and the freedom to develop to all. A united working-class struggle for socialism would sweep aside the need for conspiracy theories, as workers seek to take on the real enemy: capitalism. The task before us is to build such a movement that can transform society.
