(10-01-2014 08:48 PM)Smaug Wrote:  I think the appeal of the conspiracy theory is that it frightens people that some random nut can kill a president. There's an odd comfort in believing it was all part of some sinister plot.

This is a lot of truth in this statement.

Many people who believe in conspiracies are frightened by the randomness of horrific acts and balance that with the arrogance of believing they know more than experts. "I'm not stupid enough to believe your version of events..." This arrogance/belief provides the conspiracy theorist a level of control over the randomness of horrific acts.

I think that for a lot of people, it's easier to believe that our government is the enemy - full of evil doers and nefarious plots for the sole purpose of financial gain or neo-con land grabs or healthcare snatches - than to countenance a largely nameless, faceless enemy who willingly martyr themselves to kill others, with no other reason than quasi-religious fervor and multi-directional rage.