Does this mean that the age of conspiracies is over, or just beginning?
In the original X-Files the little group of hackers was framed as an eccentric and motley crew of misfits. And in terms of conspiratorial thought in the past (or at least the perception of it), that wasn't entirely inaccurate. But now? Decades of lies, conspiracies, and misdeeds have created the scenario you're alluding to. Public trust in the government peaked in the JFK era, at 77%. Today? It's at 16% [1] and trending to the single digits.
The overwhelming majority no longer trust by default, but this doesn't mean they have no opinion on what the truth may be.
In the original X-Files the little group of hackers was framed as an eccentric and motley crew of misfits. And in terms of conspiratorial thought in the past (or at least the perception of it), that wasn't entirely inaccurate. But now? Decades of lies, conspiracies, and misdeeds have created the scenario you're alluding to. Public trust in the government peaked in the JFK era, at 77%. Today? It's at 16% [1] and trending to the single digits.
The overwhelming majority no longer trust by default, but this doesn't mean they have no opinion on what the truth may be.
[1] - https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2023/09/19/public-trust...