fiddletown
As to being common, I'd say the burden of proving a conspiracy with some solid evidence falls on the person claiming it exists. And it's just not helpful to imagine every unsatisfactory result or unpleasant circumstance is the the product of a conspiracy.
I agree with that. The burden of proof lies on the person making the claim. In fact, what we think of as conspiracies usually are not able to be proven in favor of the person who believes it a conspiracy. However, it is also not a good idea to ignore the truth or lack of facts to support the government's position on certain issues. For example, when every media outlet in the country runs the same news story with very little changes, then that is not a positive sign that the media is free and independent. I don't know about you, but my friends and aquaintances have a variety of opinions on different issues. I find it odd when the media gives us the same opinion on different news stations, etc.
Conspiracy? Maybe. Am I incorrect? Possibly. Am I correct? That is also possible.