"You don't need a formal conspiracy when interests converge. These people went to the same universities, they're on the same boards of directors, they're in the same country clubs. They have like interests, they don't need to call a meeting. They know what's good for them."

-George Carlin, from an episode of Politically Incorrect

https://youtu.be/VAFd4FdbJxs?si=BZOXSSkui3_FbyCd

There are powerful classes of people that oppress you, but not because they go to secret meetings where they plan to, power/capital simply tends to corrupt.

And from our perspective it feels coordinated because the capitalist's punches all come from the same direction: downard.

The truth is, they've bled us dry and have begun to turn on and eat one another having conquered the board with little room left to grow/metastasize. That's why entire economic sectors are turning into TimeWarnerHBODiscoveryParamountSoonEtc...

Relevant XKCD

"Alan... this is why no one comes to your parties anymore."

"It's not because they can't get in my house because of the size of my beard?"

"That is a related, yet ancillary, issue."

You can just say, "I don't know."

Oftentimes that's the best answer.

I think that there are probably quite a large number of groups that are trying to control things.

The thing is, stochastic chaos and multiple groups working in concert, in the same general direction, and even at cross-purposes greatly affects their ability to create lasting change that matters (even if only for them).

As such, for any one issue that is “progressing”, there is likely one or more groups working successfully in that direction combined with other groups that are either inadvertently affecting the results, or succeeding or failing to oppose that direction to various degrees.

There are likely vanishingly few examples of a single group attempting to affect a significant issue unopposed.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29081831/

In the present contribution, we examine the link between societal crisis situations and belief in conspiracy theories. Contrary to common assumptions, belief in conspiracy theories has been prevalent throughout human history. We first illustrate historical incidents suggesting that societal crisis situations-defined as impactful and rapid societal change that calls established power structures, norms of conduct, or even the existence of specific people or groups into question-have stimulated belief in conspiracy theories. We then review the psychological literature to explain why this is the case. Evidence suggests that the aversive feelings that people experience when in crisis-fear, uncertainty, and the feeling of being out of control-stimulate a motivation to make sense of the situation, increasing the likelihood of perceiving conspiracies in social situations. We then explain that after being formed, conspiracy theories can become historical narratives that may spread through cultural transmission. We conclude that conspiracy theories originate particularly in crisis situations and may form the basis for how people subsequently remember and mentally represent a historical event.

dare i say, this man sounds a bit unmoored

The universe doesn't care about us. It will continue regardless of our actions.

I find it both terrifying and comforting.

Everything is made up and nothing matters. This comforta me most sometimes

America stands for freedom, but if you think you're free try walking into the deli and urinating on the cheese

- The Vandals, "Anarchy Burger"

Nice conspiracy theory.

Stuck in your confines, chewing it over...
Whatever I say is a lie,
Stop staring

Have you heard of synarchy? An actually secret society controls the world via so-called secret societies (the ones you've probably heard of), even those with seemingly contradictory goals. Of course they're so secretive that you've never heard of them.

Just kidding I'm paraphrasing a conspiracy nut from Foucault's Pendulum (good read, but very Noun heavy).___

Well, the people who get their way the most are rich people (duh) and old people (because they vote more than young people)

Not really a conspiracy but still concerning.

We only have one rudder and it's the capitalists at the helm.

The only direction that boat can go is "more profit!" even if the waters that leads us to are literally boiling. :/

Yeah I had a similar epiphany that I find to be simultaneously comforting on an individual level and unsettling at a macro level.

Nobody knows what they are doing.

Nobody is in control of the world but some very few people have a lot of influence over all of us.

You think that's true, shirt brother?

Source that Alan Moore actually said this?