Believing that conspiracies explain the world is as misguided, unproductive and silly as believing that heroes or gurus can explain it to you. Of course, there are conspiracies, but it's plain lazy to think they provide a useful explanation of how the world works. That is Chomsky's point. Do the work. Why does the CIA exist? Who sponsors it? Why does it have the role and powers it has? What lines did JFK cross? Chomsky has the useful answers to these larger questions that help us understand the significance and likelihood of conspiracy theories, proven or unproven.
Believing that conspiracies explain the world is as misguided, unproductive and silly as believing that heroes or gurus can explain it to you. Of course, there are conspiracies, but it's plain lazy to think they provide a useful explanation of how the world works. That is Chomsky's point. Do the work. Why does the CIA exist? Who sponsors it? Why does it have the role and powers it has? What lines did JFK cross? Chomsky has the useful answers to these larger questions that help us understand the significance and likelihood of conspiracy theories, proven or unproven.