Merlin Mann once tweeted:
Which seems pretty dead-on to me.
The alternate to conspiracy theories is just good old failure.
Most of the time it’s a confluence of bureaucratic negligence aided by individual cupidity.
I want what I want, and if the system lets me get away with it. Or the people running the system tries to get as much out of its individuals (who only have so much to give) that corners get cut.
Eventually compounds until something breaks and then fingers get pointed all around.