This article is a bit more believable than your previous one on the topic, but does not go far enough.

Power acts by something I call 'decentering the subject'. This means removing 'sense making' from the hands of the individual and puts it into the hands of Power. The individual does not have the ability to know what is real or what is simply a narrative created by Power to control their behavior. It doesn't matter what is a conspiracy theory or 'power exercising power' to the subject. The subject has had their ability to comprehend reality taken from them. This turns everyone into a 'subject', or a victim to the abuses of Power. Subjects try to regain their sense making ability by thinking through various narratives. Conspiracy theories are simply jumps to conclusions where the subject lacks the knowledge to make sense of the situation.

Subjects try to restore their agency by an act of 'appropriation', making something their own. Conspiracy theories are an act of appropriation, by making the social narrative their own by thinking it through. They may not have enough information to make sense of the situation, but at least they are trying not to be oppressed.

Your criticism of 'conspiracy artists' and 'merchants' are way off the mark. I think we will see 'conspiracy theorists' in the future as victims who tried, but did not succeed, in rejecting exploitative narrative of Power. They are the new rebels in societies of control.