General Discussion

which of course doesn't provide a single ounce or degree toward making those theories TRUE !

A 'healthy questioning of power' - does not run to fabulist invention and crackpot theory.
Lending real credence to an assertion such as, "The Russians are now in control of all our leaders .." (used purely as example) doesn't qualify as either critical thinking, or a 'healthy questioning of power'. There has to be some distinction between reasonable assumption (backed up by some degree of fact, information, or logical inference) - and the onboarding of every instance of overwhelmingly credulous nonsense.