Google defines a conspiracy theory as “a belief that some covert but influential organization is responsible for an unexplained event.” But it’s much more than that, isn’t it? It’s this weird amalgamation of irrationality, fear, murky facts, story-telling and lack of closure that makes it so interesting. As ridiculous some of these sound, somewhere deep inside our hearts and brains remains a cloud of doubt, questioning, “what if this is true?”. The human mind can’t resist a good mystery, so here are a few to get you started.
JFK Assassination:
One of the most famous conspiracy theories to date is the assassination of the 35th President of the United States of America, whose tragic death was caught on film. Arrests were made, but there was no solid and conclusive evidence indicting the suspected Harvey Lee Oswald. Multiple films, books and blogs are dedicated to uncovering the truth behind this mystery. Accusations were made that he was killed by someone within the government. Suspiciously, JFK’s brother and Harvey Lee Oswald, both were assassinated not long after JFK’s death. In fact, Lee Oswald was killed on his way to court 2 days after JFK’s assassination. This remains as one of the most interesting conspiracies of history.
The Titanic never really sank:
One of the lesser-known conspiracies about the infamous Titanic is that the Titanic was probably the most elaborate insurance fraud pulled off in the history of frauds. It is rumoured that the Titanic was replaced by her sister, the Olympic, which set sail from Southampton on what was to be her last journey and hit the cursed iceberg off the coast of Newfoundland. Another theory states that J.P Morgan, a millionaire, had orchestrated the whole ordeal to get rid of his rivals, all of whom perished aboard the Titanic. These are just a few of the many conspiracies surrounding the Titanic. To read more such claims, visit: https://www.bustle.com/p/6-titanic-conspiracy-theories-that-are-still-fascinating-today-28519
Paul McCartney is dead:
Of all the celebrity conspiracy theories, this seems to be the most beloved one. Beatles fans claim that Beatles frontman Paul Mccartney died in a car crash. His death was supposedly covered up the record label to keep album sales up by replacing him with a look-alike. Fans claim that there have been songs released by the Beatles in their later years, which when played backwards, hint to the cover-up. The infamous Abbey Road cover is considered controversial, as the four seem to be a part of a funeral procession, with only Paul wearing no shoes, as he is presumed to be dead. To read more, visit: https://allthatsinteresting.com/paul-is-dead
9/11:
Many theories surround the planning and execution of the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Planes hijacked by the Al-Qaeda crashed into the World Trade Center resulting in the collapse of the twin towers and the death of 2,997 people. The primary detail that fuels this conspiracy is the fact that the collapse of the towers seemed like controlled demolitions rather than a result of fire and impact. Allegedly, the government had prior knowledge of the imminent attacks and no course of action was taken due to miscommunication.
Flat Earth:
As bizarre as this sounds, the population of these so-called “flat-earthers” continues to increase every day. These theorists claim that the earth is flat, and the public is being lied to by authorities and government agencies. Theories that debunk the physics of the earth being spherical is brought to light that might even make the most rational of all question himself.
Illuminati establishes the New World Order:
Who doesn’t know what the Illuminati is? All A-list celebrities have been accused to be a part of this secret organization whose ultimate goal is to establish a New World Order. From Beyoncé and Jay Z to Queen Elizabeth II being the alleged members of the Illuminati, this notorious secret society is seen to be involved in every single conspiracy out there. All the conspiracies on this list, in one way or another, can be traced back to the Illuminati. What remains to be seen, is if the existence of this organization will ever come to light with hard facts.
Fluoride in water is used for mind control:
No, this is not a Parks and Recreation episode, but real life. Individuals believe the easiest route to control minds is through the fluoride in the water, a “tranquillizer in disguise”. It is said that Hitler used fluoride in large quantities to make the prisoners in the concentration camps docile. Are we all drinking the kool-aid? (reference : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drinking_the_Kool-Aid)
Irrespective of the validity behind these bizarre claims, it is always fun to see what new theories people come up with. While following conspiracy theories is now a hobby for a lot of people out there, it also serves itself up on a platter as entertainment for we get to watch the battle of the wits, the propagators of these beliefs versus the anti-believers, hash it out on online forums debating the veracity of these ideologies.
My only advice for those who wish to pursue these threads into detail : pull yourself out before you go down the rabbit hole that is conspiracy theories. Happy Reading!
Cover image by : New Yorker (https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/04/22/whats-new-about-conspiracy-theories)
All Images Courtesy of Google Images