[silicon2401]

The term 'conspiracy theory' is one of those words that has strong, inherent connotations. It's impossible to productively discuss conspiracy theories and theorists (IMO) because of those connotations. As with so many things, rational, objective discussion is critically dependent on appropriate words and wording. Nobody would deny that elite groups have agendas and get up to shady stuff, as we have concrete evidence of this happening all the time, and even both extremes of US political parties can be called "conspiracy theorists": extreme liberals think every white person is actively and consciously out to conspire against minorities, and extreme conservatives think covid vaccines are a way for the government to install nanochips or whatever. But nobody will respond constructively to being called a conspiracy theorist, they'll just get defensive and the discussion dies as soon as it starts.