US Founders Anticipated Political Elite Demonizing Conspiracy Theorists

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[From article]
Might this mean that the conspiracy theorists, held in such disdain by polite society, have an intellectual self-confidence and mental stability to deal with the possibility of being wrong?
Lance deHaven-Smith, a professor and scientist at Florida State University, says quite possibly so.
In his book “Conspiracy Theory in America,” he says that history proves that the campaign to label those who hypothesize about large scale national events “conspiracy theorists” is a conspiracy itself.
He investigated how America’s founders warned in the Declaration of Independence of the possibility that the political elite will use their power to defame those who criticize their motives.
Invented term
DeHaven-Smith said that the term “conspiracy theorist” was invented and made popular intentionally by the CIA in an effort to discredit those who asked questions surrounding the assassination of JFK.

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The study collected comments and organized them into “conspiracist” and “conventionalist” categories. They assert that “conspiracy theorists” might be more well-grounded, even more sane, than those who accept conventional wisdom on contested events.

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Conventional commenters in social media seemed more reactive and became more hostile and fanatically attached to their conventional beliefs.
Additionally, they were less tolerant of dissenting ideas, illustrating an inability to discuss ideas and remain civil.

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Two recent studies published in American Behavioral Scientist seem to support evidence that the brains of “conspiricists” work differently than the brains of conventional thinkers.
Psychologist Laurie Manwell of the University of Guelph said that conventional thinkers are unable to process information that conflicts with their pre-existing belief and then integrate it into their hypotheses of possible outcomes.

These studies sound like corollaries to Stanley Milgram's Obedience to Authority, and his mentor Solomon Asch's, Desire to Conform.

http://www.wnd.com/2013/10/are-conspiracy-theorists-really-the-sane-ones/

ARE CONSPIRACY THEORISTS REALLY THE SANE ONES?
University study shows they are more well-grounded than others

Gina Loudon

October 6, 2013