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fredtheobviouspseudonym · 05-04-2012, 12:19 AM

Would what the conspiracy is for matter?

If it is strictly to gain power for its own ends the conspiracy and the individuals therein will have one set of motivations and little internal restraint on their behavior. If it is to produce some kind of social effect, the conspiracy and its members will have other motivations and constraints on their behavior. (If you want to "perfect" society destroying it in the process is undesirable -- unless you see this as the only way to get to point B.)

Examples: If the conspiracy is to create a socialist society where there is none, in which a benevolent elite rules the masses intrusively, but only for their own good (as certain US right-wingers believe is the secret objective of the US liberal movement) then operations that cause the masses harm would be counterproductive.

If the conspiracy is to create a plutocracy in which a tiny wealthy elite have absolute power and are happy to see the rest (shall we say, 99 percent?) as pawns to be exploited, tortured, or killed for the elites' amusement (as certain groups in the US think the US right wing intends to accomplish) then maneuvers that make rich people poor would be counterproductive. Unless, of course, they were the wrong rich people . . .

So the objective of the conspiracy will shape its methods, and in so doing shape its organization and planning.

05-04-2012, 12:19 AM	#16
fredtheobviouspseudonym Join Date: May 2007	Question: Would what the conspiracy is for matter? If it is strictly to gain power for its own ends the conspiracy and the individuals therein will have one set of motivations and little internal restraint on their behavior. If it is to produce some kind of social effect, the conspiracy and its members will have other motivations and constraints on their behavior. (If you want to "perfect" society destroying it in the process is undesirable -- unless you see this as the only way to get to point B.) Examples: If the conspiracy is to create a socialist society where there is none, in which a benevolent elite rules the masses intrusively, but only for their own good (as certain US right-wingers believe is the secret objective of the US liberal movement) then operations that cause the masses harm would be counterproductive. If the conspiracy is to create a plutocracy in which a tiny wealthy elite have absolute power and are happy to see the rest (shall we say, 99 percent?) as pawns to be exploited, tortured, or killed for the elites' amusement (as certain groups in the US think the US right wing intends to accomplish) then maneuvers that make rich people poor would be counterproductive. Unless, of course, they were the wrong rich people . . . So the objective of the conspiracy will shape its methods, and in so doing shape its organization and planning.