V zadnjem času je skoraj nemogoče slediti socialnim omrežjem brez da bi naleteli na različne reference na prikrite mahinacije globalnih elit. V nekaj urah brskanja lahko npr. ”izvemo” naslednje stvari: da je trenutna pandemija COVID-19 pravzaprav nateg, del obsežnega plana postavitve oddajnikov 5G, da predstavlja uverturo v prisilno cepljenje prebivalstva ter da je med glavnimi odgovornimi za ta zločin proti človeštvu kar sam Bill Gates, sicer del mednarodne satanistične pedofilske zarote, pred katero nas lahko reši zgolj Donald Trump. Ta verjetja, ki bi jih še par let nazaj našli predvsem na margini, pa prihajajo v zadnjem času vedno bolj v ospredje medijske pozornosti – od izredno branih novičarskih portalov, preko viralnega kroženja po socialnih omrežjih do komunikacijskih strategij dobrega dela populistične politične sfere.

Interpretacije družbene dinamike in delovanja političnih nasprotnikov kot posledic zaodrnega delovanja temačnih sil imajo dolgo in pestro zgodovino. Upravičevale so diskvalifikacije in eliminacije političnih nasprotnikov in nepokornih delov prebivalstva – od protikatoliškega gneva v Angliji in Škotski 17. stoletja, preko pogromov nad Judi, pa vse do discipliniranja notranjih političnih disidentov na obeh straneh hladne vojne. Primerov je seveda še veliko več.

Toda kljub tej dolgi in pestri zgodovini se zdi, da živimo v zgodovinskem trenutku, ki je posebej ugoden za širjenje teorij zarote. Katere so najaktualnejše teorije zarote, ki jih danes najdemo na spletu? Kako poteka njihova politična instrumentalizacija? Kaj se lahko naučimo iz zgodovinskih primerov političnih rab teorij zarote? Ali so pogoste spremljevalke našega družbenega in političnega življenja, ali obsedejo javnost le v redkih trenutkih? Na katere probleme in potrebe – politične in osebne – pravzaprav odgovarjajo?

It has become almost impossible recently to follow social media without encountering different references to the hidden plots of global elites. In a few hours of browsing social media and other websites one can thus ”discover” the following things: that the current COVID-19 pandemic is actually a scam, part of a massive global plan of erecting 5G transmitters, that it is an overture to the forced vaccination of the population and that one of the main culprits of this crime against humanity is none other than Bill Gates, himself part of an international satanist pedophile conspiracy, from which only Donald Trump can save us. These beliefs, which up until a few years ago were found mostly on the margins, have recently come to the forefront of media attention – from widely read news sites, to going viral over social media and representing a part of the communication strategies of a significant part of the populist political sphere.

Interpretations of social dynamisms and the actions of political adversaries as a consequence of a plotting and scheming of dark forces behind the scenes, have a long and varied history. They justified disqualifying and eliminating political adversaries and unobedient strata of the population – from the anti-Catholic ire of 17th century England and Scotland, to the pogroms against the Jews and the disciplining of political dissidents on both sides of the cold war. One could, of course, mention many other cases.

Regardless of this long and varied history it seems that we live in a historical moment which is especially conducive for the spread of conspiracy theories. Which are the most contemporarily relevant conspiracy theories of today? How are they politically instrumentalized? What can we learn from historical examples of their political uses? Are they a common feature of our social and political life or do they obsess the public only on rare occasions? Which problems and needs – both political and personal – are they addressing?