CONs and CONspiracies… One and the Same?

Nero fiddled while Rome burned, we all know this bit of historical doggerel…it's been seen in paintings and movies, been written about in books, and is still used in its current idiomatic form to depict and denote someone who is so crassly self-centered and ego-bound that they don’t care about a crisis affecting others…but rather go about their own selfish routines as others suffer.?

It turns out that this story which has lasted two thousand years or so was an early conspiracy theory that actually had two parts based on a catastrophic event (the key trigger throughout the ages).

Rome did burn in 64 CE. For almost a week the city was turned into an inferno as the wooden homes burned, whipped into a firestorm by a ceaseless wind. Most of the city was destroyed. Many died and huge numbers were left homeless.?

Nero was out of town when it began, but returned to organize relief and rebuilding.?

• Conspiracy Number One: Nero planned the fire in order to rebuild Rome in his own image. This pissed him off to no end and he spread his own…
• Conspiracy Number Two: The growing Christian community set the fire and spread the rumors…and many of them were crucified and burned alive in “punishment.”

There are earlier examples of this pattern as well, and needless to say, our own world and time are awash in similar drivel.

And, as pointed out, while the stories change…while the catalysts and targets morph and evolve…the one constant is coping with a crisis of one kind or another. Basically, people look for control in simple answers (marketers take note). They want targets to blame and hate, and for the spreaders, the long-term win is to create a sense of besiegement requiring diligence and constant vigilance. Racism and Anti-Semitism flourish in that environment.?

Truth is, I began this Imagine by wondering if our digital world had made us more susceptible to Fake News Conspiracy Theories, and by extension, to the seeming prevalence of outrageous con jobs that, in my view, start in similar swamps but manifest differently…yet, often, with equal damage.?

Thank you, TK, for the inspiration which began with a share of a Vanity Fair article on Anthony Ritossa…basically the male flip side of the Anna Delvey story.

You know the basics: fake backgrounds; building up high-end, wealthy, royal (non-existent) connections and friendships; lie piled on lie…money pouring in spent on keeping up the lifestyle of the lie until it all collapses.?

Wait…we live in the age of Digital Information—where we search out all we can about folks we have a causal coffee with—how come it took so long to ferret the fakers out?

Hold that thought and keep Nero in mind.?

Like conspiracies, con games are as old as history. You’ve seen the shell game…you know, where a ball is placed under one of three shells which are shuffled around as you are told to keep your eye on the ball under a shell. If you pick the right one when the shuffler stops, you win. Ah, yes…you have watched someone win and it seems so easy. It’s a (shill of course) game played all over the world, today in many different ways…sometimes with playing cards as well. It goes back to ancient Greece…at least…pre- Nero.?

What is it about the con? It’s all about control, the same with conspiracy spreading…and FOMO, the fear of missing out on something certain that others will benefit from…much like the something certain that drives the targeting of certain groups with the spread of a conspiracy lie.

And again, it seems that we should be able to get to the real truth in both instances…NO? HMMMMMMM.

Here’s the unfortunate news…we live in a world where the Con and Conspiracy have conflated. They’ve joined forces to wreak havoc, and are in my view, a danger to all.?

Theranos…another story you know. Massive fraud. Elizabeth Holmes was convicted of such and is awaiting a sentence. It’s fascinating that while she has a classic con job case history, she also has a history of believing in conspiracy theories (9/11) and is now promulgating all kinds of conspiracy stories around her downfall…and yes, some folks believe them.?

EV…electric vehicle start-ups are ripe for fraud and cons, and if you have been following, there are way too many examples to share. I will also point out that Elon Musk has become a source of conspiracy theories as well…just saying.?

Crazy, right? With all the info at our fingertips, the digital closets full of easy-to-find skeletons, we are still spreading lies and getting taken to the cleaners as the expression goes by the unscrupulous.

I have become passionate about this and want you to as well. CON and CONspiracy are related…they’re linked and dangerous to us all as we face elections all over the world and stories about the next “disruption” coming our way in tech.?

What are we to do?

• Think before you share – CON/CONspiracy requires our full and active participation, as sharers, in order to succeed.?
• Check your moral compass — CON/CONspiracy thrives when we are happy to overlook ethical and moral behavior because we convince ourselves that we are part of something more important…getting in on a secret, especially if we are convinced we are skating on the edge and watching the enemy we can save the world from.
• Replace FOMO — with PROMO: passion; reality; openness; morality; optimism.

Nero is still part of our language and metaphor…all these years and advancements later…

Don’t be fiddling while our world burns…

What’s your view??