Conspiracy Shmonspiracy

Warning! This is not actually about "the news" per se. Or even inspired by some media I've recently absorbed.

Actually, I had a very entertaining dinner conversation last night, and it's kind of set me on a particular train of thought. It's a great treat to sit around a table with a group of smart, opinionated, totally insane people, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

But, much of our conversation seemed to revolve around the same idea: conspiracy of control, and conspiracy of power.

I distinguish between these two things because, in the former case, we're talking about political and social management - groups like the Illuminati and the Freemasons would fall into this category. In the latter case, we're talking about language, image, symbol and media influence used in service to one person's (or one group's) agenda - no one person or group falls into this category all the time, but applies to many at certain times: Tom Cruise, Osama bin Laden, Paris Hilton, Anna Wintour, and Salman Rushdie all fall into this category (along with an endless list of others).

We navigated away from discussions of a New World Order pretty quickly, but the one thing that stuck in my mind is this:

Can you believe in conspiracies even when you observe how chaotically, desperately, irrationally and inconsistently the human species evolves?

Because if you can, I challenge you to create a logical, linear map of connections between the motives and actions of the practitioners of these conspiracies. I believe it can be done, but I've never seen it.

The other thing that I find fascinating about conspiracy theorists (if not the conspiracies themselves) is their desire for an explanation of things that they can not, or do not control. I can totally relate! Who the fuck elected George W Bush, when I would have made a much better President? It must be a conspiracy.

Ultimately, I fall on the side of not really caring either way. Here's why:

- If some group of superemely powerful individuals is controlling the planet, they're doing a terrible job, and need to be ignored or overthrown - whichever will contribute to more people getting what they want out of life sooner.

- If said group is controlling the planet, I have a hard time calculating exactly how they are gaining from all the wars, diseases, economic volatility, environmental degradation, religious fundamentalism and simultaneous decline, independent and corporate media, exhaustion of resources and social dysfunction that they are apparently planning and executing for their own benefit.

- Most people never control shit anyway. Most people don't want to be in control, of their own lives, even. So, great, there's a group of megalomaniacs telling those people what to do. Good for them.

- I'm either destined to be in this group or I'm not. Until I get "tapped" or threatened with death for my rebellious and revolutionary actions, I'll never know. But that's not going to stop me from taking every possible opportunity to make this world a better place for everyone.

- Get over the entitlement that life is fair, that "the people" have a say, that we all have the right to a more rewarding life experience.

Are you kidding? Wake up and smell the reality. Life sucks, and it's still up to you - New World Order or no - to make it what you want. Don't waste your opportunity complaining or pointing fingers. Fucking DO SOMETHING!