In her article on conspiracy theories, Natalie Nougayrède writes that, according to Marine Le Pen, enemies of the Front National “join forces in obscure ways” to hinder her party (The conspiracy theories of extreme right and far left threaten democracy, 19 December). Nothing in the least obscure about it. Despite having scratched one another’s eyes out at the first round of voting in the recent French elections, the mainstream left and right openly allied at the second round to prevent the FN winning in regions where it was most strongly placed. To accuse Ms Le Pen of seeking refuge in a conspiracy theory is yet another example of the refusal of French commentators and the political establishment to face the facts, which can only further fuel the FN’s ascent – as it has for the last two decades.
Jonathan Fenby
London
• Natalie Nougayrède doesn’t seem to realise that linking “the rise of the new populist and insurgent parties” with conspiracy theories is itself a conspiracy theory. And there is nothing inherently anti-democratic about such theories. To deny conspiracy is to be very naive about how power works in the world. It is true there are some wacky theories around, but there are just as many that are open to and seek out empirical verification.
Nougayrède refers to “the things-aren’t-what-they-seem school of thought”. I would argue that it is nearly always the case in politics that things aren’t what they seem, since protagonists of any view always attempt to “spin” it, and good journalists often define their role as “getting behind the headlines”.
John Quicke
Patrington, East Yorkshire
• Unfortunately, Natalie Nougayrède did not mention some classic and very real conspiracies. The Iran-Contra affair was a classic conspiracy, as too was Watergate and Ted Heath’s government’s efforts to quash legitimate trade union action – no need for theorising there. The powerful say they have “plans” and “strategies”, and describe all those without political or financial power and who try to see around those schemes as “conspiracy theorists” – who uses which terms is part of power play.
Robin Le Mare
Allithwaite, Cumbria
• Just as Natalie Nougayrède behoves us to abandon our conspiracy theories of “the system” and “the regime”, we find that you report, on the same day, that Messrs Murdoch and Osborne have been at it behind closed doors (Osborne met Murdoch twice in run-up to BBC licence fee deal, 19 December). Though, of course, these meetings had nothing at all to do with “the regime’s” subsequent attack on the BBC.
Tom Oliphant
Craghead, County Durham
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