TJ Walker points out the core contradiction in conspiracy thinking: the belief that government is simultaneously incompetent and capable of flawlessly executing massive secret operations. He argues that humans are terrible at keeping secrets, citing the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, and that real conspiracies like healthcare inflation and NRA lobbying operate openly, not in shadow.
Chapters
Ultimise. You know what fascinates me about conspiracy theorists? It's not their curiosity, it's not their skepticism, it's their ability to believe two completely contradictory things at the same time. Because on the one hand, the government is so supposedly incompetent it can't run a basic DMV without losing your paperwork, your patience, and possibly your will to live. But on the other hand, that same government is so brilliantly organized it can coordinate massive secret plots involving hundreds of people with flawless precision and zero leaks. Sorry, but that's not critical thinking. That's magical thinking with a Wi-Fi connection. Let's talk about this latest theory. The White House press secretary makes a throwaway line before Saturday night's correspondents' dinner that shots will be fired. She did say that before the show started, and it's clearly a joke. It's just an expression meaning that there will be verbal attacks. Clearly a joke, maybe not a great one, but still just a joke. And suddenly people online are acting like they cracked the Da Vinci Code. Aha, she knew about a staged assassination attempt. Really? That's where we're going with this. That's like hearing someone say, I'm going to kill that presentation tomorrow, and calling the police to report a premeditated murder. This is the problem with conspiracy culture. Every word becomes a clue, every coincidence becomes proof, and every bad joke becomes a federal crime. There's no context, there's no common sense, just a desperate need to feel like you're the smartest person in the room because you figured it out. But you didn't figure out anything. Yeah, you just ignored reality and replaced it with a storyline that makes you feel clever. Okay, now let me say something that will shock absolutely no one who's watched me for more than 5 minutes. I'm not exactly a fan of Donald Trump. I've criticized him relentlessly, enthusiastically, professionally at this point. But even I don't think he staged an assassination attempt. Not recently, not Saturday night, and not back in 2024 in Pennsylvania. And the reason is simple: human beings are terrible at keeping secrets. If you want proof, let's revisit the Clinton-Levinsky scandal. If there were ever a situation where someone might want absolute secrecy, it was a sitting president having an affair. For that matter, Monica Lewinsky wanted to keep it secret. You don't think Bill Clinton had access to every resource imaginable to keep that quiet. Intelligence agencies, legal teams, political operatives. And yet somehow it all came out. Well, why? Because people like to talk. They leak, they brag, they slip up, they send emails they shouldn't. They tell one friend who tells another friend who tells the entire country. That's how human beings work. So when I hear people say Trump staged an assassination attempt, I have to ask Do you understand how many people would have to be involved in that? You need shooters, security, medical staff, campaign insiders, law enforcement, probably media coordination. And you're telling me not one person leaks? Not one text message? Not one disgruntled participant? Not one idiot posting anonymously online? We can't even keep a surprise birthday party secret, and now we're pulling off precision political theater with live ammunition? And by the way, this is Donald Trump we're talking about, a guy who thrives on chaos, improvisation, and saying the quiet part out loud. We're supposed to believe he's secretly orchestrating some Ocean's Eleven-style operation where a bullet perfectly grazes his ear for dramatic effect? That's not a theory, that's a screenplay, and not even a good one. And here's where it gets even more ridiculous. The same people who think Trump is either wildly incompetent or dangerously reckless suddenly believe he's a strategic genius capable of coordinating a flawless multi-layer deception. This is a man who couldn't anticipate that escalating tensions with Iran might disrupt global oil routes, and now he's apparently directing sniper choreography like he's Steven Spielberg. Okay, just a light grace on the ear. We want sympathy, but not too much sympathy. That's absurd. Now, to be fair, because reality still exists, there are conspiracies in the world, real ones. I'm not denying that, but they're not the flashy cinematic nonsense people obsess over. They're boring, they're systemic, and they happen right out in the open. Take healthcare, for example. If a conspiracy is powerful people coordinating to enrich themselves while making millions suffer, then yes, the American healthcare system qualifies. Prices are dramatically higher, about 100% higher than they are in other developed countries. Outcomes are often worse, and yet the system persists. No secret meetings in a volcano lair, just lobbying incentives and complexity. Or gun policy, another conspiracy. Organizations like the NRA don't need secrecy They operate publicly, influence legislation, shape public opinion, and block reform. It's not hidden, it's normalized. And that leads to the biggest conspiracy of all: the conspiracy industry. Because while people are busy obsessing over imaginary plots, they're being distracted from the very real forces shaping their lives— wages, healthcare, education, infrastructure. These aren't hidden, they're just ignored. And the real tragedy is how effective the distraction is. You have millions of people, especially in struggling regions— I'm talking to you Alabama, Mississippi, West Virginia, Kentucky— consistently voting against their own economic interest because they've been conditioned to fear phantom conspiracies instead of examining actual policy. That's not random. That's not organic. That's influence. So no, the press secretary for the White House didn't secretly reveal a plot. Trump didn't stage a Hollywood-style assassination attempt. And no, there isn't a perfectly coordinated secret operation involving hundreds of people who all managed to stay silent, because if there were, someone would have leaked it. By now, probably on social media, probably for attention, maybe for a book deal, and definitely with a lot of bad grammar. If you want to be skeptical, great, but be skeptical of all the things that deserve it. Because if your theory requires perfect coordination, zero leaks, and genius-level execution from people you also claim are incompetent fools, then you don't have a theory, you have a fantasy. I'm TJ Walker. This is Filtered. There's more to come. Let me ask you something. How many times have you heard a great idea and thought, that's really useful, and then never used it again? It happens to all of us because without repetition, even the best ideas just fade. So instead of just collecting more information, do something different. Go to ultimize.com, U-L-T-A-M-I-Z-E.com, and grab the free course. You can start with communication skills. Or building better habits. But the key is it's designed to reinforce the message so it actually sticks. If you're already listening or watching this, you're halfway there. Just go to ultimize.com and take the next step. Ultimize.
