A contemplation of the modern conservative conspiracy theory of a "deep state" leads me back to the dawn of modern conspiracy theory, the Enlightenment, when the ultimate conservative conspiracy theory was born as an explanation of the French Revolution: the Illuminati!

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Some background music on the episode is copyright Alex Kish. Contact Alex at AlexKishMusic.com to license music for your own project. Other background tracks, including "Wake Up," "Remedy for Melancholy," "Delirium," "Laburnum," and "Marée," are by Kai Engel, licensed under an International Creative Commons Attribution license (CC BY 4.0).

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The Illuminati Illuminated, Part One: The Order's Origins