The biggest Western conspiracy is that the 'Western propaganda' itself is the most effective anti-Western propaganda possible (Captain Obviov).

In the Western(centric) (world)view the only possible Grand Narrative is the Western one. Any counter-narrative or even an attempt to create such narrative is seen as a threat and is labeled as ‘propaganda’, ‘conspiracy theory’, ‘lies’. The only small narratives which are accepted in the West are the ones that support the Grand Narrative in one way or another. Any challenge to the Grand Narrative is dismissed as apparently impossible: “How dare they break boiled eggs at the sharp end?!”. So ‘freedom of speech’ is, in fact, practiced only in the realm of the Grand Narrative.

The ‘nutty Russians’ can’t be right by default (exclusion: yes, they can sometimes they can but only if they reproduce the Grand Narrative). Those-who-disagree are called ‘lunatics’, ‘conspiracy theorists’, ‘Putin’s trolls/puppets’, ‘useful idiots’, ‘pro-Russian‘ ‘whataboutists‘, and so forth. I coined the term ‘stealth Russians‘, i.e. educated, Westernized Russians who challenge the Western master discourse of Russia. They are absolutely invisible to the Western MSM and their existence is less likely to be discussed than the existence of unicorns.

By the way, I don’t deny the fact that there is ‘Russian propaganda’. Broadly speaking, ‘propaganda’ is a tool which forms worldview of a person (cultural propaganda, soft power, etc.). The problem I have with ‘Western propaganda’ is that it tries to pass for the Absolute Truth and positions the promoted Grand Narrative as the only ‘objective’ one.

Thus, the principle which lies in the foundation of the Western Grand Narrative is as follows: the halo effect is for us and the horns effect is for others. In other words, it is a combination of self-idealization with a demonization/vilification of the Other.