Umberto Eco on Conspiracy Theories and Responsibility

"One need only translate the terms "conspiracy theorists" as "heretics" to know the tradition in which these terms stand and those who use them. Ultimately, it is about the accusation of apostasy from the ruling faith, which is determined by the ruling authorities and majorities. (Faith in this respect can also be translated as ruling doctrine, ideology, etc.). Thus, contrary to the subjective view of many of its users, the terms are themselves expressions of clerical and authoritarian thought structures based on subjugation as a basic psychological pattern. It is denunciatory, inquisitorial. It is directed against classical skepticism. Thus, the main purpose of these terms can only be to discredit "serious conjectures", hypotheses and facts, and thereby prevent real causal research. The term is linguistically barbaric and show an amazingly powerful psychological effect in suppressing independent thought. Where thought is undesirable, these clubs are used by default: You don't really want to...think about it. Independent thought is the enemy of government. Psychological operations, such as 9/11 or, say, the NASA "moon landing," are weapons of mass destruction whose target is independent thought." Daniel Neun