ABSTRACT
Public fascination with conspiracy theories is, however, not limited to the US or western Europe. Globally, conspiracy theories persist as a popular means of articulating the opposition to the forces of international capitalism, globalisation, America’s military and political supremacy and the more general rise of the transnational political order. There are some regional variations though. In Eastern Europe, and especially Russia, anti-Westernism, a staple ingredient of populist politics in the region, continues to be based on the idea of a sinister Western conspiracy intended to undermine or destroy local culture and traditions. In many Islamic countries, from Egypt to Malaysia it is the idea of a vast Jewish plot that permeates the rhetoric of politicians with disturbing frequency, while in subSaharan Africa, conspiracy theories about the nature and origins of AIDS are so widespread that they have become an important obstacle to the success of public health campaigns.
