The subtitle is a pun. The book doesn't promulgate any specific conspiracy theory, but rather lays out a theory about conspiracies. Walker summarizes numerous conspiracy theories from the colonial era to today, and proposes a taxonomy based on the identity of the "folk devil" behind the conspiracy. He also shows that these theories occur at all times from all points along the political spectrum, not just during contentious times from the lunatic fringe.
Walker's main argument is that conspiracy theories "reveal something true about the anxieties of those who believe and repeat it." I don't doubt that at all, and it's not news to me. I found the argumentation to be a bit sloppy, and the book covers some topics that aren't really conspiracies at all. The entertainment value of the book comes from learning about historical conspiracies, like the one at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. (The United States was founded by a conspiracy!)
While Walker explicitly demurs from claiming whether individual theories are true or false, I found his most interesting insights in the final chapter (about post-9/11) where he violates this principle and demonstrates how the "facts" get constructed.
Walker's main argument is that conspiracy theories "reveal something true about the anxieties of those who believe and repeat it." I don't doubt that at all, and it's not news to me. I found the argumentation to be a bit sloppy, and the book covers some topics that aren't really conspiracies at all. The entertainment value of the book comes from learning about historical conspiracies, like the one at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. (The United States was founded by a conspiracy!)
While Walker explicitly demurs from claiming whether individual theories are true or false, I found his most interesting insights in the final chapter (about post-9/11) where he violates this principle and demonstrates how the "facts" get constructed.
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