Do you believe any conspiracy theories? I don’t, but I’m fascinated by them; I’ve read a few books about them over the years, and I used to talk about them (and aliens) with my uncle almost every time I saw him.
Some of my favourites include;
9/11:- There are those who believe that the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon weren’t brought down by the concerted efforts of Osama Bin Laden and his band of terrorists, but through controlled demolition, and insiders including President Bush, his vice-president, and anyone else in the American political structure that can be named.
Princess Diana’s death:- Prince Phillip and MI5 were the primary people behind the assassination of Prince Charles’ ex-wife, according to a small but concerted number of Diana supporters. The conspiracy made it onto the BBC TV series Spooks years ago, and it was a brilliantly-done episode.
Moon Landing:- It wasn’t long after the moon landing that the first conspiracy theories started to emerge. Stanley Kubrick, the film director, was said to have been a key figure, using the technology he used in 2001: A Space Odyssey. Buzz Aldrin was so enraged by these conspiracy theorists that he punched one of them in the jaw in 2002.
Paul McCartney is dead:- Sir Paul stormed out of a recording studio after an argument with his fellow Beatles in 1966, and had his head promptly cut off in a car accident. The man we see now is actually a look-a-like hired by the Beatles to keep their success going, and then the Beatles put clues in their lyrics to hint at this scandal they were trying to keep secret. Obviously.
JFK:- This is one of the more famous theories. Did Lee Harvey Oswald act alone? Was there a second shooter on the grassy knoll? Was it all organised by the CIA? The FBI? Soviet Russia?
Roswell:- Did a UFO really crash-land in Roswell, New Mexico in 1947? Or, more likely, was it just a spy satellite?
Flat Earth:- I actually saw two Flat Earthers in Broadstairs once, a couple of years ago, trying to encourage people to “think critically” about the “evidence” pointing to a flat Earth. Everyone I saw carefully walked past without making eye contact, and that included me.
Reptilians:- It’s possible that this one is my favourite. Queen Elizabeth II was one such lizard, as well as many other leaders and figureheads around the world. We had been conquered without a shot being fired, it seemed, by these shape shifting lizards. Why has there never been a film made of this? Our reptilian overlords have clearly suppressed it.
I wish I could create a story in which all of these conspiracy theories were somehow true; that would make a wonderful series of books, wouldn’t it? Some very earnest and serious people think that one or more of these are true, and I’m sure that nothing I could say would convince them otherwise. Still, I think I could craft a story around that … Hmm, now there’s a thought.
On another note, the Broadstairs Food Festival is this weekend, so Bryan and I will be perusing the stalls on Sunday for lunch. I like trying different food from time to time, so bring it on.
Lovely article. I wrote one myselfabout the conspiracy theorists themselves. But I do love the Lizards, all 9 foot of them curled up in a human skin!
Most of these ‘theories’ can be demolished by one question: how much would it cost?
This opinion column usually describes things that the writer has seen and done, so it is a bit if a departure to tread on the quicksand of conspiracy theories.
In my experience one person’s conspiracy theory is another’s unimpeachable truth.As long as governments or powerful corporations are not run or controlled by such people, we can agree to disagree.
The trouble is that social media is so all encompassing that sense and sensibility go out of the window,when one side or another tries to impose their will,and in so doing create an ‘ ocracy ‘similar to that of the Taliban or in Iran.
These things mostly exist because of the horrendous actual things governments did do-Operation Sea-Spray, Porton Down, The Green Run, MKUltra etc.
Of course conspiracy theories & the sorts of people they attract are highly useful for governments/military. Area 51 etc have been perfect covers with all the alien stuff for decades, distracting from the military stealth projects going on there.
I go from cynical amusement to sudden fear for the future of humanity when I hear these bizarre conspiracy theories. I suppose they flourish because very little that we are told by political or economic experts seem to come true. How long must we be told that “there,s no money for all the things we need” while a tiny few people get fabulously rich from all the money we can,t have ? We never seem to ever get to the economic success and security we want. Yet, all political Parties and all the journalists from whatever Tv programme or newspaper all say the same things about black holes in the finances etc.
Which sounds uncannily like a widespread conspiracy to keep us quiet.
See what I mean!
Mention conspiracy, and like the Spanish inquisition you can never suspect what will be said or proposed by someone.
The most ridiculous conspiracy theory is the one that goes “It’s a conspiracy theory”!
Challenge: try to find out what’s going on in Diego Garcia!
Small Indian Ocean (?) island, occupants turfed out by USA to build a military base. Longstanding legal action through UN, not getting much success. And UK also involved. That’s all I know without looking it up.