> The truth is there is no conspiracy (at least no grand, all-encompassing one), it's worse than that; systemic incentives create alignment and remove the need for intentional coordination.

Exactly.

Which is why it's so infuriating to see people dismiss ideas they don't like as "conspiracy theories" even when they clearly don't involve conspiracy.

That said,

> Rational people will pick the ideology which has the fewest contradictions. Irrational people will choose that which serves them best.

This is only first-order rationality. "Choosing what serves you best" is rational insofar as it is rational to seek the best outcome for yourself. The key definition of "rational" here is (per M-W) "Consistent with or based on reason or good judgment; logical or sensible"; but what is sensible or well-judged depends entirely on your goals.