Conspiracy theory type thinking is an attempt to reduce the complexity space of the world to something manageable. That doesn’t excuse the intellectual failures there, but I can understand why people feel compelled to attempt to reduce the absurd convolutions of the modern world to something they can hold in their mind.

However, combine that with America’s weird definition of freedom (I can do whatever I want no matter the harm to others), it’s particularly dangerous in times of pandemic — or even climate change.