Like George Monbiot, I am puzzled by the contradiction of likeable, otherwise rational people who promote conspiracy fantasies (‘You’re going to call me a Holocaust denier now, are you?’: George Monbiot comes face to face with his local conspiracy theorist, 4 May). George’s explanation that they lack rigour in trying to make sense of the world is a good one, but on its own insufficient for such a varied “community”.
There are probably many overlapping reasons. My favourite, ironically, is that there is a real, but probably diffuse conspiracy by rightwing activists to sow the seeds of distrust, fear and division at a time of political upheaval in order to garner support for populist solutions. In recruiting those who “lack rigour” to this worldview, they also convince them that they are special, almost anointed (there is a frequent cross-over with fundamental Christianity).
If it were known who funded The Light newspaper, a very professionally produced monthly conspiracy publication that promotes all the fantasies that George describes, we might have a better idea of what is going on – if something is going on. On the other hand, I might just have fallen for the latest conspiracy, but at least that makes me feel rather special.
Patrick Cosgrove
Bucknell, Shropshire
• What a brilliant article by George Monbiot. I hadn’t thought of conspiracy theories in that light before – the actual conspiracies versus the bonkers ones, and why some people seem to focus ardently on the conspiracies for which there is no reliable evidence.
The piece seems to me to be an important piece of research (although a very small sample) on the psychology of the issue and how to move forward.
Alison Carter
Lindfield, West Sussex
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