The illuminate

This is an excellent pamphlet on this very question:
http://libcom.org/library/how-overthrow-illuminati

Movies and the TV shows typically portray "failures" of the state and capitalism as some sort of conspiracy. You won't find any class analysis. Also, decades of persistent anti-communism (particularly in the US) have ensured that any kind of class based analysis is pretty much marginalised in mainstream discourse, to the extent that it's virtually non-existent. If people don't have the right tools for the job, they make do with what they've got to hand.

As for how to deal with that, I don't really know. (Particularly as there is a strong, almost reflexive, rejection of ideas that sound even vaguely communist. And to make matters worse, conspiracy logic inherently rejects reasoning and evidence based arguments as being a part of the conspiracy.)

Omen's pretty much beaten me to this, but it comes from a very poor understanding of capitalism. People are recognizing that it is oppressive and unfair but not that this is actually inherent in capitalism, that if only it wasn't for (insert whatever) the system would be working properly. It's a very common opinion, that capitalism can be improved upon by various mechanisms, for some people it's things like more regulation of the financial system, or nationalizing utilities etc, for some it's exposing and ridding ourselves of the secretive elites which are controlling capitalism for their benefit instead of ours. Basically these conspiracy theorists are not challenging capitalism, rather they think that these elites are interfering with it in some way and it would be much better without them. And it's not a massive leap to take because there are obvious elites in the world, very rich and powerful people and organizations, but they're not the cause of the oppression per se, rather they are just a part of the system.
Also, there are actual, real world conspiracies going on all the time, so it's not much of an extrapolation for conspiracists to see them at the top of government etc. eg. I know there's a conspiracy going on concerning me at the moment, it's a very nice one, people are actively plotting and conspiring and if they pull it off I'll be a very happy bunny next week. However, like most plots, there are people involved who are crap at keeping secrets and I'm pretending I don't know what's going on. Secrets and lies are always at the heart of government and everytime something comes out, conspiracist see it as evidence of of the conspiracy.
I would be a grade-A hypocrite to tell you not to argue with conspiracy theorists. I do it all the time and get endless entertainment out of it. But it is the most frustrating and infuriating thing to do. You cannot argue with them by pulling apart their conspiracy. The more you do that, the more "evidence" they will find to counter it and the more they will argue that you are just unaware or even part of it. The best thing I could suggest would be to try and explain the actual mechanisms of capitalism and let them try and work it out for themselves but it's actually quite impossible to try and prove to someone that shape-shifting alien overlords don't exist.

btw, there are some fantastic conspiracy theories out there. Did you know that the reason the US went to war in Iraq was to gain control of Saddam Hussein's Stargate?

Fleur, your arguing with the 911 conspiracy theorist was one of the best things I have ever read on libcom. Actually, we should turn it into a pamphlet or something!

Spot on. There are three points I'd like to make:

1. Every conspiracy theory needs an agent - a group of people who are behind the conspiracy and who benefit from it. Dig deep enough and you'll find that the people peddling the conspiracy (though not necessarily everyone who's swallowed it) believe it's the Jews. It's not convenient to say that in public these days, so they usually leave that bit for the inner circle (oh, the irony!).

2. Conspiracy theory is useful for people in two ways:

(a) To mobilise people behind a reformist campaign of a "leader" who is going to fix the system without changing it structurally; or

(b) As an excuse for not struggling to improve their position, since the conspiracy has such control that the struggle will be defeated and/or the leaders bought off.

3. Conspiracy theory starts to lose its appeal when people actually go into struggle and face practical questions for which the conspiracy theories have no application. It might be a struggle which the conspiracy theorist observes close hand without being involved, or it might be one in which they are swept up because of the people around them (e.g. a strike).

The Ultimate Conspiracy Theorist

Well, iexist, at least it seems like you've been having no lack of interesting interactions lately.

I exist, the argument with the conspiracy theorist was here:
http://libcom.org/forums/theory/zeitgeist-07012009

Twelve parts in total.

There are so many, but one of the most laughable.

Aw shucks, thank you, blushes a bit.
Regrettably, I'm not a shape-shifting alien lizard queen with the ability to change the laws of physics and I just don't have the time to do anything with it right now. It think it might be a very time consuming job just to remove the snark & sarcasm, truther-baiting and all those shitty youtube videos of people blowing up tin cans in their backyard in order to prove how they know how they brought down Building 7.

Sounds like someone's birthday is coming up soon! Ooohooh!

Basically, all the arguments put forward on this thread are really good - and I really want to second Steven about just how awesome you were on that 9/11 thread, Fleur.

iexist, again man, I get it, wanting to argue politics and prove people's arguments wrong, but I'm not actually sure that's the best way to change people's minds.

Like you said your conspiracy theory friend believes cutting jobs in response to a minimum wage increase is justified. I wouldn't worry so much about if he believes in the Illuminati, rather just ask some provoking questions: is it right that their livelihood is contingent upon their boss making a certain amount of profit? Do they want to live in a system where decent wages and enough hours are used as a ransom against us, a gun against our heads? Do they not think they deserve a reasonable standard of living?

I think once people start to draw a connection between the wealth of their direct employer and how it relates to our wages, well then all that Illuminati stuff is going to fall to the wayside anyway.

Not, of course, like Uncle Sam's allies in Syria, who will only rip your liver out and eat it.