Have you ever found yourself seizing upon the generally inchoate logic associated with purported “conspiracy” theories percolating across the cultural landscape? Conspiracy theories are generally defined as “explanatory beliefs about a group of actors that collude in secret to reach malevolent goals.” More precisely, people seem inclined to believe that extravagant events that beggar belief, are rooted in the nefarious intentions of groups of powerful individuals seeking unseemly ends. As a consequence, conspiracists are generally derived from disenfranchised populations, desperately seeking a means of quantifying or identifying the forces seemingly shaping their lives in capricious and generally ill ways.
Regardless of the psychology surrounding the embrace of fatuous beliefs, conspiracy theories are nonetheless inherently fun to mine and explore. Their absurdity equals the fantastical phenomena they are attempting to explain. Moreover, they are perennial, as old as time, they seem peculiarly fundamental to the human experience. Below, we’ll into 5 of the most durable contemporary conspiracy theories, ones which still continue to shape public discourse.
Denver Airport
The Gist: There are a multitude of fringe conspiracies revolving around the mercurial Denver airport. Some it can be attributed to the airport’s size and extravagant cost: The airport itself spans 33,531 acres and reportedly cost upwards of 4.8 billion dollars. This has always appeared dubious to observers, who argue that such figures to do not equate to the actual utility of the airport. As a result, the airport has been rumored to be a house of sinister purpose.
The Conspiracy: The most captivating conspiracy associated with the airport is that is actually serves as the locus to the progeny of the ancient Freemasons, who possess to the New World Order, a group of global elites wielding substantial influence over international affairs. A dedication plaque near the south entrance of the airport features a symbol of the masonic order and other obscure markings within the interior of structure have also facilitated further rumormongering. Moreover, since the underground of the Denver airport took an extensive time to complete, many insist there are actual bunkers concealed within the infrastructure intended to preserve the world’s elite in the event of a world apocalypse.
My question is: Why Denver? Aren’t there more obscure places to hide? Like an island or somewhere in the Himalayas?
The Malevolent End: In this instance, the malevolent end would manifest as a conservation of the “elite” at the expense of the underclass. Should the world burn, at least the most elite among us will be able to preserve their shattered fortunes in a concrete bunker beneath Denver. Unfortunately, they will not be able to enjoy the nearby ski resorts.
Moon Landing
The Gist: The moon-landing conspiracy is one that has piqued the curiosity of Americans for decades. Historically, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped onto the lunar surface of the moon on July 20, 1969; marking a seminal moment in space exploration. Over the years, many have asserted that the landing was staged, believing it was beyond the technical capacity of American during that time.
The Conspiracy: The moon landing was set against the backdrop of a post-WWII climate consisting of two adversarial nuclear superpowers: the U.S. and the Soviet Union. While the U.S. invoked aspirations of democracy, personal liberty and economic freedom; the Soviet Union stridently marched to the drumbeat of communism. Conspiracy theorists have alleged that the US government concocted the space landing as a façade to craft the illusion that it was winning the “space race.” Many people were intrigued by the possibility.
Malevolent End: If the US was winning the space race, that would imply the superiority of its governing principles and systems – At least relative to the Soviet Union. For some, Ivan becoming subordinate to the US seemed blasphemous.
Paul McCartney
The Gist: Unbeknownst to Paul McCartney, he apparently perished on November 9, 1966. On the drive home from Abbey Road one night, Paul apparently blasted his brains out. Surprised, the other Beatles decided to identify a McCarney look-alike, while simultaneously dropping scandalous hints about the cover-up in future years. The stand-in for Paul was apparently very talented, hardly skipping a beat; and producing such rock classics as “Hey Jude” and “Blackbird.” It turned out to be a bountiful exchange. I suppose Paul McCartney’s just do grow on trees.
The Conspiracy: Fans began to notice something awry about the Beatles sometime during the production of the Abbey Road album. On the cover of the album, Paul’s feet were out of sync with his bandmates, his cigarette peculiarly perched in his right hand when he was a southpaw. Paul’s license plate was “28 IF,” which seemed a subtle nod to his actual age had he lived.
When Paul, or the person masquerading as Paul, heard about the news of his death, he responded: “Leave it, just let them say it. It’ll probably be the best publicity we’ve ever had, and I won’t have to do a thing except stay alive. So I managed to stay alive through it.”
Trust the Beatles to turn any publicity, even morbid publicity, into gold.
Maleveolent End: It’s difficult to discern what this conspiracy shrouded, or for what reason it continued to propagate. Perhaps John’s most ardent fans were in a particularly vindictive mood?
Reptilian Overlords
The Gist: The idea that shapeshifting reptilians live among us, and are actively dictating world order or disorder, has been present since the 1930s. Initially used as an allusion to Nazi’s and fascists, it is still a prevalent notion today. Its most prominent proponent was David Icke, a British radio host who transformed what was once merely rudimentary fragments into a comprehensive narrative. His musings have been heavily critiqued, as they lack any substantive evidence.
The Conspiracy: “Lizard people” live among us and have ascended to authoritative positions of influence in this country. In conjunction with others of a similar disposition, they are moving root and stem to determine the orientation of society moving forward.
The Malevolent End: People are susceptible to the absurd, especially when extant evidence for the dispassionate transaction of tragic events isn’t persuasive. For some people, it may be psychologically comforting to direct blame toward a nihilistic substrata of hybrid reptiles for all their woe and melancholy.
Roswell
The Gist: Roswell, in common parlance, as almost become synonymous with the intentional cover-up of the existence of extra-terrestrials. Though the site itself is relatively anodyne, the name “Roswell” still evokes images of space and aliens.
The Conspiracy: In 1947, the US Army Air Forces issued a press release announcing they had discovered a “flying disc” on a ranch near Roswell, New Mexico. Several days later, the US army reversed their initial claim, stating the discovered object was not a “flying disc,” but debris from a nearby weather balloon. For years, the sudden shift in the government’s mien has fostered controversy and speculation. In 1994, this reached a crescendo, when the US Air Force released a report which conceded the narrative about the weather balloon was patently false; and that the identified debris had actually been issued from a spy device associated with classified project called Project Mogul. The device was said to have been used to monitor stealth activity in the Soviet Union.
Some eyewitness accounts invalidate the government’s explanation, as several bystanders have claimed that alien bodies were taken from the site of the crash. Responses to such assertions have been limited, though a follow-up of the 1994 report explained that fallen parachute test-dummies were actively collected at the location in question.
The Malevolent End: People have always wondered whether we’re alone in the universe. Confirmation of that we are not, could cause undue panic and hysteria. The government may have felt compelled to cover up the details of Roswell. Or, it may genuinely be as innocuous as officials have intimated: The fog of the Cold War.
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