The first images that come to mind in response to the term “conspiracy theory”: a middle-aged man in his mother’s basement with a tin foil hat. But it’s not as simple as that. Conspiracy theories emerge from every possible niche of our society, and have a following as diverse as the theories themselves. Some are hilarious, some are bizarre, and some are surprisingly sensible. Below is a list of some of the most famous conspiracy theories:
AIDS is a laboratory-made disease
The 1980s saw the rise of the devastating HIV/AIDS virus, and even this isn’t safe from conspiracy theories. Some theorists that believe AIDS was man-made as a form of biological warfare, with the motive of wiping out groups such as African-Americans and homosexuals. It is believed to have been a government-funded project, likely with CIA aid, and that it was spread among homosexual men through Hepatitis B vaccine trials. Another conspiracy theory posits that the US government didn’t necessarily create it, but that they are withholding the cure, which they have allegedly had for a number of years. These theories have, however, been widely discredited, with the most recent scientific evidence agreeing on the origin being an evolution from a similar virus from 1930s Africa.
Elvis faked his own death (and Tupac is still alive. And Kurt Cobain was murdered.)
It seems that when any public figure dies, there’s bound to be conspiracy theories surrounding their deaths. It’s no different for these three music greats. Elvis is alleged to have faked his own death, evidenced by reported sightings of the King, and the fact that, on his tombstone, his middle name Aron is spelled as “Aaron.” Tupac, too, is supposed to have faked his death. A number of his lyrics hint at faking his own death, many of his songs that were released after his death. Furthermore, there were supposedly no pictures of Tupac at the hospital, and the funeral was unexpectedly cancelled. There is little doubt that Kurt Cobain is dead, but conspiracy theories nonetheless surround his death. Many believe that it was not a suicide (both a heroin overdose, then a shot to the head), as assumed, but a murder. The argument is that Cobain had three times the lethal dose of heroin in his bloodstream, along with Valium, which would apparently make it impossible for him to go through the actions of putting the needle away and then shooting himself. Furthermore, there were no legible fingerprints — Cobain’s or otherwise — anywhere on the gun, needle, or surrounding area, which has lead some to believe that someone else’s fingerprints were cleaned up.
John F. Kennedy’s assassination
This event may have the most conspiracy theories around it. After the President’s 1963 assassination, Harvey Lee Oswald was arrested for the shooting. However, many people did not believe that Oswald had acted alone or, in some cases, that he had acted at all. The most common theory is that there were two shooters: based on an analysis of the bullet wounds, it seemed unbelievable that one shooter could have managed all of the shots with such precision. Others blamed specific groups, all of which allegedly had political motives, for conspiracy plots that led to the assassination: the CIA, the Soviet Union, Fidel Castro and Cuba, and the Mafia, among others. The Warren Commission, which was ordered to look into the assassination, found that there had been no conspiracy and Oswald had, indeed, acted alone. Not surprisingly, the Commission has become another factor that conspiracy theorists look to when trying to find an answer.
9/11 was a hoax
According to some conspiracy theorists, the US government were aware of the planned attacks on the Twin Towers, and did nothing to stop them. However, most theories revolving around the September 11, 2001 attacks are more extreme than this. One theory states that it wasn’t the planes that made the Towers collapse, but rather bombs that had been placed inside the buildings beforehand. Some theories state that various aspects of the attack were faked, including the phone calls from the plane, and that all passengers on Flight 93 were alive and have been relocated.
So is global warming
Republican Senator James Inhofe was the main advocate for the idea that the global warming craze is a hoax, used by certain people and groups to gain control and profit. Proponents for this theory claim that there hasn’t been a statistically significant increase in temperature in the past 14 to 17 years, even going so far as to state the contrary: there has been a global cooling in the last 9 to 13 years. There are various theories discussing which groups are behind this, but climate scientists, the United Nations, and socialists are all possible suspects.
“Paul is Dead”
In 1969, a shocking article was published that claimed that Paul McCartney had died in a car crash, and had been replaced by a look-alike — one who is alive, well, and impersonating Sir McCartney to this day. Most of the clues that believers of this theory use for their case are various Beatles lyrics played backwards, or subversive interpretations of their album covers. In “Strawberry Fields Forever”, for example, John Lennon spoke what was construed as “I buried Paul.” Lennon later addressed this rumour, insisting that he had been saying “cranberry sauce.” The most famous example is the cover of the Abbey Road album, showing The Beatles crossing a street in single file. McCartney is the only barefoot Beatle, and he is walking out of synch with the rest of the group. Lennon is in white (supposedly representing a preacher or religious figure), Ringo is seen as the mourner in all-black, and George Harrison is in a tattered jacket and jeans (interpreted as being the grave-digger). Of course, McCartney and the other Beatles have all spoken out over the years, denying that there is any truth in the allegations.
Most figures in politics and entertainment are actually shape-shifting reptiles
For obvious reasons, this conspiracy theory doesn’t have as large of a following as some of the more feasible ones listed. It all started in 1998, with the publishing of David Icke’s book, The Biggest Secret. What was this huge secret? Why, that there are shape-shifting reptiles in our midst, of course. Not only that, but they are those that hold the most power in our society, and have changed into human form in order to infiltrate and then destroy the human race. Among those that are supposedly in on this: the Royal Family, Bill and Hilary Clinton, Henry Kissinger, George W. Bush, and Bob Hope. Seems unrealistic, but then again, Icke’s website promises to expose “the dreamworld we believe to be real,” and it sells t-shirts, so it must be legitimate.
The Moon Landing was staged (and filmed by Stanley Kubrick)
The Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969 was a historic moment in human history. However, many conspiracy theorists have since questioned whether Neil Armstrong really walked on the moon, or if it was all a hoax, a government-funded film directed by Stanley Kubrick in a Nevada studio. According to these theories, the US government had numerous motives, including getting ahead of the USSR in the Space Race, and distracting the country from the failing mission in Vietnam. The only images and footage of the event are in the hands of NASA, leading many believers to question the authenticity of the evidence. At the center of the conspiracy is the American flag, proudly fluttering on the moon: many people question how the flag could be waving when there is no atmosphere — and thus no wind — on the moon. Furthermore, the lighting of the photographs is questioned: the only known light would be from the sun, which doesn’t seem to match the photograph. Another common debate is brought up surrounding the photographs of Neil Armstrong’s first steps: if he was the first man to walk the moon, who was taking the photographs? Many of these points have been addressed and discredited, but the debates continue to this day.
Area 51: They have aliens
Area 51 is a top-secret air force base located almost 250 km outside of Las Vegas. According to United States government, the purpose and happenings of Area 51 are classified for reasons of national security — of course, that’s code for “extraterrestrial activity.” Theories surrounding the base include the idea that a UFO had crashed into the US at some point, that the remains of the UFO are located in Area 51, and that they are undergoing government-funded studies to obtain the aliens’ technology secrets. Others believe that Area 51 is harbouring actual aliens, or that government scientists are studying time travel.
