Conspiracy theories, generally speaking, can be understood to be “the belief that an organisation made up of individuals or groups was, or is, acting covertly to achieve some malevolent end”.
They can appear, in many cases, to be harmless enough, often tangled within popular culture. Is La Toya Jackson just her brother in disguise? Could Elvis Presley or Tupac actually still be alive? These kinds of questions are just the tip of the conspiracy theory iceberg.
However, some are far more menacing. Conspiracy theories can be downright dangerous. Notable examples are those that are pedalled by the far right.
The far right has a dark and extensive history with conspiracy theories, several of which have found support in Australia.
Conspiracy theories, generally speaking, can be understood to be “the belief that an organisation made up of individuals or groups was, or is, acting covertly to achieve some malevolent end”.
They can appear, in many cases, to be harmless enough, often tangled within popular culture. Is La Toya Jackson just her brother in disguise? Could Elvis Presley or Tupac actually still be alive? These kinds of questions are just the tip of the conspiracy theory iceberg.
However, some are far more menacing. Conspiracy theories can be downright dangerous. Notable examples are those that are pedalled by the far right.
The far right has a dark and extensive history with conspiracy theories, several of which have found support in Australia.
Brendan Fay discusses how Joseph Goebbels, Reich Minister of Propaganda in Nazi Germany, used the Ministry of Propaganda to spread conspiracies and misinformation about the international reach and influence of Jewish power, infamously through many mediums, including films such as Der ewige Jud (The Eternal Jew) and Jud Süss (Jew Süss).
These conspiracies played a significant role in spreading antisemitism in Germany and Europe, as well as justifying the Holocaust.
Read the article in the Monash LENS.