> The term "conspiracy theory" is itself the subject of a conspiracy theory, which claims the term was popularized by the CIA in order to discredit conspiratorial believers, particularly critics of the Warren Commission, by making them a target of ridicule.
> The earliest known usage was by the American author Charles Astor Bristed, in a letter to the editor published in The New York Times on January 11, 1863. He used it to refer to claims that British aristocrats were intentionally weakening the United States during the American Civil War in order to advance their financial interests.
What else would you like us to call a theory about an alleged conspiracy? What's your preferred term that accurately encompasses the collection of quite-plausible all the way to batshit-insane possible explanations that have been proposed?
I provided it: "plausible-but-unproven accusation"
You had said "this is itself a conspiracy theory" and then provided evidence that it was false. Therefore it is simply false. But the implication seemed to be that "conspiracy theory" = "something that is false but people still believe"
My point was that, similar to many of the other "-ist"s, a term can have a technically valid meaning yet still be misused in bad faith to shut down debate. (Not at all saying that's what you were doing - just seemed like a relevant place to make the point.)
I think anything that isn't also a term that people like you have spent decades using as a slur would suffice.
The problem isn't the term. It's the connotation. Many conspiracy theories are baseless, some are not. When people like you constantly use the term as an umbrella slur for people who are alleging that things aren't quite as they are being purported (often times they are not even alleging that conspiring is happening) for reasons that the public would not like it no longer becomes useful for it's original intent. See also: retarded.
The problem isn't the term. It's that it's a constant game of cat and mouse with you. Over decades people like you will co-opt it in order to lump people who have legitimate "hey, this press release says X because Y but the facts all seem to say Z" criticism in with "the politicians are lizards" type garbage.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conspiracy_theory#Etymology_an...
> The term "conspiracy theory" is itself the subject of a conspiracy theory, which claims the term was popularized by the CIA in order to discredit conspiratorial believers, particularly critics of the Warren Commission, by making them a target of ridicule.
> The earliest known usage was by the American author Charles Astor Bristed, in a letter to the editor published in The New York Times on January 11, 1863. He used it to refer to claims that British aristocrats were intentionally weakening the United States during the American Civil War in order to advance their financial interests.