Ilya Somin over at Volokh Conspiracy proposes an explanation for why bizarre conspiracy theories enjoy such widespread support. This isn't just an American problem; I remember seeing several years ago that 40% of German young people were convinced that 9/11 was done by the U.S. government, and the Muslim world is even more awash in bizarre conspiracy theories to explain everything.
I have an alternative explanation proposed by my wife that explains not only 9/11 Truther craziness, but much of the religious fervor associated with the global warming cult. One of the reasons why the 9/11 Truthers are so big is this very understandable psychological reaction to fear: If the greatest thing we as Americans have to fear is terrorists, then there's not much we can do about it, except hope that our government does its job well--while always obtaining all necessary warrants, and treating suspected, alleged, possible, maybe terrorists with tea and crumpets.
On the other hand, if 9/11 was all an elaborate conspiracy by neo-cons, Jews, and all the rest of the enemies of the 9/11 Truthers, then there is something that can be done: electing a new government! That electing Obama or Kucinich or Nader isn't going to stop the terrorists--it will probably embolden them, if anything--doesn't matter. It is the desire to have something that you can do something about that drives this.
In some ways, it is a weird form of Stockholm Syndrome. For a lot of Americans, they haven't literally been taken hostage by terrorists--but the prospect that at some point in the near future, terrorists might set off a nuclear weapon, or a dirty bomb, or crash airliners into an American city--has the same effect. It creates fear--and the only response to that fear that some people can imagine is to either deny the fear is real (9/11 Truther) or decide that our invasion of Iraq caused 9/11. (And yes, I know people who make statements almost that crazy--that America was attacked because we are the biggest bully in the world.)
Global warming religious fervor has a somewhat similar component. If you are a person who can't do anything about terrorism--is there something that you can fix?
I'm reminded of the story about the police officer who asks a man why he is crawling around under a street light. "I lost my contact lens over there" and points to an alley some distance away.
"So why are you looking here, if you lost it over there?"
"The light's better here."
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