I largely agree.

But there's another side to it: a disturbingly large fraction of the right believes a lot of conspiratorial stuff on basically zero evidence. This doesn't mean that we don't need to look at the evidence every time, but we do need to talk about "OMG that is some crazy nonsense".

This isn't to say that the left is free of its own crazy nonsense--what are charges of apparently innocent statements being right-wing racist/nationalist dog-whistles other than a "conspiracy theory"?

But between the idea that the "deep state" is really in charge of everything; pretty much everything Alex Jones has ever said; Covid is a hoax (actually a flat-out hoax); the Big Lie (that electoral fraud was massive and widespread, not that there are places where security could be tightened somewhat to prevent even tiny fraud); and so on, the right seems inordinately fond of these sinister hidden plots--that is, conspiracy theories.

This isn't a reason to avoid checking every single time (at least unless it's too dumb for words and the claim is made sans any evidence at all). But it is worth naming the problem, and pointing out: you guys have a serious problem with reality over there. Do all of you? Heck no. But it should be profoundly disturbing, most of all to someone like you who claims to like evidence.

I lean more leftwards than right, but I spend most of my time arguing against leftish nonsense because, well, it's nonsense. I don't like nonsense, and if I consider myself left-leaning, that's the nonsense I'm closer to. Get it away! Ick!

But although I think you're right about "conspiracy theory" being code for "and now we can dismiss this without thinking", the phenomenon that the phrase is meant to describe also deserves a good deal of focus. Fantasizing conspiracies where none exist is not a particularly healthy mode of operation, and though the left is trying hard to catch up, the right has a huge lead so far.

Laughing at people laughing themselves into the abyss doesn't keep you out of the abyss....