Conspiracy and Power

Conspiracy theories are neither delusions nor lies, neither simplistic fallacies nor psychological quirks: rather, they are a political problem. They are not so much about truth as about power. Rather than seeking to debunk conspiracy theories as the work of fringe groups and cranks, Donatella Di Cesare develops an original account that portrays conspiracy as the spectre of a shattered community. With the proliferation of conspiracy theories, the distrust of politics and politicians turns into a boundless and pervasive suspicion. Who is behind the scenes? Who is pulling the strings? The world, which seems increasingly confusing and impossible to read, must have a hidden side, a secret realm, that of the Deep State and the New World Order, where plans are hatched, information is gathered and thoughts are controlled. It is no longer a matter of a one-off plot or intrigue. Conspiracy is the very form in which citizens who feel condemned to a frustrating impotence, helpless before a techno-economic juggernaut, and manipulated by a faceless power relate to the world. This is why conspiracy, which exposes the emptiness of democracy, proves to be a fearsome weapon of mass depoliticisation.

Who pulls the strings? In the depths of intrigue Politics and its shadow-realm The unreadability of the world Enigmas and misunderstandings The workings of the plot Democracy and power The cause of all our ills Hungry for myths The Prague cemetery: the backdrop to the plot Spokesmen for the deceived Sovereign ressentiment The New World Order The “Great Replacement” and the QAnon patriots The extreme taste for the apocalypse. Hidden enemies Populism and the plot Victimhood and political powerlessness On the “heresy” of believers in plots: a critique of Umberto Eco Transparency and secrecy. In the press In praise of suspicion Beyond anti-conspiracism Notes