The terms “conspiracy theorist” and “conspiracy nut” are used frequently to discredit a perceived foe using emotional, rather than logical, appeals. It’s important for the sake of true argument that we define the term “conspiracy” and use it appropriately, not as an ad hominem attack on someone whose point of view we don’t share.

According to my Webster’s Unabridged dictionary, the word “conspiracy” derives from the Latin “conspirare” which means literally “to breath together” in the sense of agreeing to commit a crime. The primary definition is “planning and acting together secretly, especially for a harmful or unlawful purpose, such as murder or treason.”

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