Stories of secret meetings, shadow governments and hidden knowledge are as old as we are—but you may have noticed them taking on a more active role in public discourse in the past few years. From Alex Jones to QAnon and Pizzagate to people who insist mass shootings are staged...there are some serious megaphones behind today's conspiracies. But how different are they from the original conspiracies? And why do they seem so prevalent amongst the citizens of our neighbour to the south?
Anna Merlan's new book, Republic of Lies, dives into the history of America and conspiracies to examine their origins and their staying power. What's the grandfather of all conspiracies? How do they gather such steam, so rapidly? What happens when they cross the line from Internet Content to real-life incidents? And are there any conspiracy theories out there worth believing?
GUEST: Anna Merlan, senior reporter, Gizmodo, author of Republic of Lies: American Conspiracy Theorists and Their Surprising Rise to Power