So, I have a private theory that there is a deliberate effort by government and industry to spread obviously outlandish conspiracy theories, to discredit people who are threatening government and industry’s operations by talking about the actual conspiracies that happen.

• US sprays biological weapons from the air onto Americans -> people find out and get upset -> weird chemtrails conspiracy theories -> helps discredit people trying to report the initial kernel of truth
• Lots of rich people are sex criminals -> people find out and start listing specific names -> QAnon -> helps discredit people talking about pedophilia by the powerful

I think a related thing happens in protest organizations, with part of the affected industry’s multi-million-dollar effort to combat their opposition, e.g.:

• Factory farming exists -> people find out how bad it is and get upset -> ag industry infiltrates PETA with people who say outlandish things -> people think PETA is crazy -> helps discredit opponents of factory farming
• Climate crisis -> people do protests to try to stop it -> energy industry infiltrates protest organizations and advocates for protest methods that are guaranteed to piss people off -> helps discredit climate protests

Ironically enough, I have precisely 0 shred of evidence or indication that any of this is happening. But, it makes so much sense that I believe it to be true.