Black’s Law Dictionary defines a conspiracy as “a combination or confederacy between two or more persons formed for the purpose of committing, by their joint efforts, some unlawful or criminal act.” That is it, in a nutshell—and the marvel of modern journalism is that virtually any suggestion of an active conspiracy provokes knee-jerk charges of “paranoia,” “eccentricity,” or outright “delusional insanity.”

In fact, we are surrounded by conspiracies each day, around the world, in every walk of life. Each time a pair of thieves goes shoplifting, it is a conspiracy. Wherever prostitutes and pushers meet with johns and junkies, conspiracies thrive and multiply. Each time a bribe is offered and accepted, anywhere criminals or corrupt politicians plot illicit backroom deals for their own benefit, wherever police ignore the commission of crime—there lies conspiracy.