Some things really are cults. I don’t think that’s what’s going on here. Maybe there’s some foul play in “prediction markets” and that kind of crap, but what you’re suggesting with these comparisons is that this entire phenomenon is some deliberate ruse…
Nothing I've said suggests deliberate ruse. It's entirely possible for a cult to be created completely honestly by people who believe in it. Most medieval heresies are an obvious example.
