Hello, my name is Chris and I am a Conspiracy Theorist

Crackpot conspiracies are in the news again due to Robert Kennedy Jr and Joe Rogan.

(Kennedy is an anti-vaxxer in public, but in private his family are all vaccinated, as are any guests who are invited to visit.)

Conspiracies and conspiracy theories abound around this community at the best of times, some wild, some rational. I have contributed to the conspiracy pot myself because of my fascination with aliens and UFOs that I have mentioned before.

But why are conspiracy theories automatically associated with deluded dim-wits?

What is a conspiracy theory anyway?

A conspiracy theory is usually a belief that events are the result of secret, often harmful, plots by groups or individuals. These theories are usually not supported by mainstream sources and often rely on those in power deliberately hiding the truth from the public.

Some common characteristics of conspiracy theories include:

1. Evil Cabal: Conspiracy theories often claim that a secret but influential group is manipulating events for their own gain or to advance a hidden agenda.

2. A rejection of mainstream: Conspiracy theories often reject the explanations offered by experts, governments, or other authoritative sources. Instead, they offer alternative explanations that, they argue, the mainstream is deliberately suppressing.

3. Circumstantial evidence and hearsay: Many conspiracy theories are based on ambiguous or circumstantial evidence. This can also include a tendency to dismiss evidence that contradicts the theory as "fake news", all part of the cover-up.

You might recognize these attributes in forwarded emails and Facebook posts from relatives and friends. Sometimes they are fun, like myths about Coke, other times they are dangerous, such as recommending you take livestock medication or drink bleach.

Despite all that, just because something is labeled a conspiracy theory doesn't automatically mean it's NOT TRUE!

7 of the craziest conspiracy theories that are obviously not real

For the love of a good story, here are a few examples of conspiracy theories I do not give any credence to:

1. Flat Earth Theory: Despite overwhelming scientific evidence to the contrary, some people still believe that the Earth is flat. Flat Earthers often claim that images of the planet from space are photoshopped and that the entire global scientific community is involved in a massive cover-up.

2. The Moon Landing was Faked: Some people believe that the United States' Apollo moon landing in 1969 was a hoax, staged by NASA with the aid of other organizations. Yes, even though CGI wasn't invented and until Star Wars pioneered new SFX techniques in the 1970s, the state of the science fiction art was Saturday morning pulp serials like Flash Gordon.

3. Reptilians: This theory suggests that world leaders, celebrities, and others are shape-shifting reptilian aliens who secretly control the Earth from their underground bases. Just like the TV series V., I love this one.

4. Chemtrails: Some people believe that the vapor trails left by planes are actually "chemtrails" – chemicals sprayed by governments or other organizations for mind control, weather manipulation, to turn us gay/trans/whatever, or even mass sterilization.

5. Paul McCartney Died in 1966: This theory suggests that Beatles member Paul McCartney died in a car accident in 1966 and was replaced by a look-alike who happened to be able to perform and write just as well as the original, or even better.

6. The Philadelphia Experiment: Back in the 1940s the U.S. Navy conducted a secret experiment to turn a naval destroyer invisible to radar and teleport it from Philadelphia to Virginia. Horrific results meant the whole thing had to be whitewashed from history ... but a movie was made about it.

7. Bermuda Triangle: The Bermuda Triangle is infamous for its alleged ability to make aircraft and ships disappear. Lately, this got resurrected on 4chan and Reddit by "whistle-blower" posters claiming that the losses are caused by an alien mothership zapping anything that gets too close.

Conspiracy theories that turned out to be true

While most conspiracy theories are unfounded, some conspiracy theories turned out to be based in truth. Here are a few notable examples:

1. Operation Northwoods: This was a proposed false-flag terror operation to blame the Cuban government for killing U.S. citizens as a pretext for war.

2. The Tuskegee Syphilis Study: From 1932 to 1972, the U.S. conducted clinical studies on African American men who were not told they had syphilis and were not treated for it.

3. Operation Paperclip: After World War II, the U.S. government secretly transferred members of the Nazi Party to the United States for government employment. Including high-ups and rocket scientists in what became NASA.

4. Operation Mockingbird: The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) manipulated the media for propaganda purposes including recruiting journalists.

5. The Iran-Contra Affair: Senior U.S. officials secretly sold arms to Iran, which was then under an arms embargo, to secure the release of several hostages and to use the money to fund the Contras in Nicaragua.

6. MK-Ultra: The CIA conducted mind-control experiments on U.S. citizens.

Bottom Line

Often when someone calls you a conspiracy theorist it is to shut down conversation. It's crucial to evaluate any and all claims critically and skeptically, and where possible seek out credible sources of information.