It would be so powerful if more people had a wider spectrum of information in order to liberally inform their views, freshen their opinions and expand their perspectives. Chomsky has always been on the list of intelligent, well-informed, learned and insightful sources and reminds me of a dryer, more laid-back, in-depth version of George Carlin.
This is where the conspiracy theory line is actually drawn and it draws attention to the difference between extremist, sensationalistic, big business conspiracists from Beck to Jones, and on. In fact, my favorite theory is that they thrive and influence people as a way to diffuse and detract from real groups and organizations that, by their nature, utilize misinformation, secrecy and distraction in order to garner support and/or to manipulate perception away from the agendas they have.
What underlies Chomsky's range of knowledge about politics, war, International diplomacy and the like is that he provides compelling, well-researched revelations that, without using the term "conspiracy theory" actually indicate a host of conspiracies that are not only real, but pose tangible threats to life, liberty, justice, the environment, etc.
In most cases, we rely on theory and, to be honest and open about the real nature of this complex and dynamic experience we call reality, it is useful not to lump things together into one bag and call it all garbage. There is usually a spectrum of examples that ranges from over-hyped, attention getting bullshit to in-depth analysis of crucial issues that actually require our attention and vigilance in order to check and avert them, otherwise the bliss of ignorance will assure that our attempts to understand and transform our situation through wisdom will become nothing more than folly.
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