Jim Henley chides conspiracy-theorists:
If there is a ‘they,’ they’d far rather you worry about the UN or the Rothschilds than about the things like no-knock raids, the profusion of federal SWAT teams, civil asset forfeiture and the administrative law court system, all overt, structural issues that got born in broad daylight. They’d rather you talk about how Waco had to be a UN plot than about the known facts that the BATF lied about a methamphetamine lab to get a warrant, and that the FBI spent six weeks trying to drive the Branch Davidians nuts – using the same psychological warfare tricks (sleep deprivation, lights, noise etc) we used on Manuel Noriega – so that afterward the President could say:
“Well, they were crazy.”
The enthusiasts of the ridiculous theories – say “least provable” if you prefer – became the unwitting allies of the forces in power.
I would add that it’s very handy for ‘Them’ to be able to use the ‘black helicopter nuts’ as symbols of their opposition as a whole. I guess the only way to prevent that is to ensure that the first catchy symbol is a sane one. Protest movements need smart marketing.
A quibble: I thought the meth lab appeared later, when the FBI needed the drug exception to Posse Comitatus so they could borrow military equipment.
Update: Henley clears that up.