For most of us, the word conspiracy conjures images of black helicopters, secret rooms, and shadowy figures pulling strings. That is not what this page is about. The most effective conspiracies in modern politics don’t rely on secrecy at all — they rely on distraction. They succeed not by hiding information, but by overwhelming us with noise while steering our attention away from what actually shapes our lives.
I believe the Trump era, as spectacle, is nearing its end. There will be no shortage of outrage, parody, and performative reactions to whatever comes next. Others will cover that territory exhaustively. My focus here is different: the forces that operate quietly behind the scenes — oligarchic influence, dark money, and coordinated pressure on education, healthcare, and democratic institutions. These aren’t theories; they are systems. And the only way to recognize the next wave of propaganda is to understand how those systems work, so we can read between the lines rather than react to the headlines.
As I write articles, they will be added to this section, so come back often.
It tests something narrower: Whether a state can limit certain forms of outside influence Whether local accountability can be strengthened structurally Whether reducing scale changes behavior
The articles in this collection discuss dark money in politics—anonymous or undisclosed funding from private individuals, organizations, or special interests that can influence messaging and narratives behind the scenes. Importantly, the presence of such hidden
Continue reading Dark Money and Controlling The Narrative?
The conspiracy's that aren't. Far cheaper Less crowded with competing messages Less scrutinized by media More consequential per dollar spent
Accountability is stronger closer to home When decisions are made locally: The people affected are easier to identify The consequences are harder to ignore The distance between influence and impact is shorter
Once people understand what dark money is, the next question is obvious: If this creates so many problems, why does it exist at all? The short answer is not corruption or conspiracy.
“Dark money” sounds dramatic, like something illegal or conspiratorial. Most of the time, it’s neither. At its simplest, dark money is political spending where the true source of the money is hidden from the public
What's it going to cost to tear all that crap down? and what are we going to do with that pile of extra D's and T's?
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