Tom Noonan

We have apparently reached a point in our democracy where any ridiculous conspiracy theory will be given currency.  There was a time when such theories were reserved for the denizens of the fever swamps on the left and the right.  But it appears that on January 20, they will have a prominent place in the White House.

The latest example is what is being dubbed “Pizzagate.”  On Sunday, Edgar Maddison Welch, a 28-year old with reportedly a history of arrests involving alcohol and drugs was able to bring his AR-15 assault rifle into a Washington, D.C. pizza shop and fire at least one round.  He reportedly told police he was “self-investigating” allegations that were wide-spread on a lunatic segment of the internet.  (This information is from Allegra Kirkland’s piece in Talking Points Memo.)

The allegations concerned the central role played by Hillary Clinton in an international pedophile ring that was being run from the basement of the pizza shop.  Seriously.  According to one writer on Facebook, his New York Police Department source (needless to say, unnamed) told him “Hillary has a well documented predilection for underage girls.”

Of course, if there was even a shred of evidence supporting these allegations, at least one of the myriad federal, state and local law enforcement agencies with jurisdiction would investigate.  And certainly no person with even a dollop of common sense would traffic in what, on its face, is a ludicrous assertion.

But then, we have this:

General Flynn

This is Donald Trump’s selection to be his National Security Adviser.  National Security Adviser.

We still have not recovered from the consequences of a President who ignored a briefing in 2001 that Osama bin Laden was prepared to strike within the United States, and now we are going to have a National Security Adviser who apparently will believe anything, regardless of how ludicrous, if it supports his political views.

Naturally the conspiratorial fringe has a new theory.  Alleged gunman Welch was not someone inspired by lunatic conspiracy theories, but rather a plant to discredit the websites pushing the Clinton conspiracy theory.  Perhaps General Flynn will take this on as one of his first assignments.