The label “conspiracy theory” is commonly used to try to discredit criticism of the powerful in government or business.
For example, just this week – after Tony Blair was confronted by the Iraq Inquiry with evidence that he had used lies to sell the Iraq war – Blair dismissed the entire Iraq Inquiry as simply being part of Britain’s “obsession with conspiracy theories“. (Not only did Blair know that Saddam possessed no WMDs, but the French this week accused Blair of using of “Soviet-style” propaganda in run-up to the Iraq war).