Way OT - Your favorite conspiracy theories

Submitted by The Mad Hatter on

WD's mushroom induced alien life thread has me thinking about conspiracy theories.

Do you think the government is hiding the existance of aliens from us?  Maybe that Oswald didn't act alone?  What's your favorite conspiracy theory?

I typically don't believe in them, since most people are stupid and it's hard for them to keep secrets, even at the point of a gun.

However, part of me thinks that Roosevelt knew Pearl Harbor was going to be attacked (the British knew for sure as they had already cracked the Japanese naval codes).  Although, if he knew an attack was going to happen, why leave the battleships there?  Surely the country would have been just as outraged if some destroyers, cruisers, and other smaller ships were sunk instead.

Dawggoblue

June 23rd, 2016 at 8:45 AM ^

I agree with the thought that most people are stupid and can't keep secrets.  So unless everyone who knows is dead, I put 0 stock in conspiracy theories.

ToledoGoBlue

June 23rd, 2016 at 11:29 AM ^

Or the fact the government is bad/ineffecient at so many other things they do but magically they are nearly perfect at huge government coverups. Unlikely.

BayWolves

June 23rd, 2016 at 10:08 AM ^

Private companies have been engaged in climate modification programs for years and spraying seeding the skies has been acknowledged on several occasions.  Tests for solar reflecting particulates is a fact and several patents exist. testing has been widespread for a number of years and this is at the foundation of the chemtrail phenomenon. Check it out!

http://www.google.com/patents/US20100127224

 

unWavering

June 23rd, 2016 at 1:12 PM ^

The fact that there are patents for aerosols to help mitigate the effects of global warming does not mean that the government or private companies are constantly spraying us with "chem trails."

Most of the chem trail conspiracy nuts look at completely normal contrails produced by commercial airliners and claim that they are evidence that the government is spraying mind control substances or interfering with the weather. It's insane.

Now, don't take that as me saying that there has never been anything sprayed into the atmosphere by an aircraft. But it's not happening on a wide scale and it's certainly not happening on commercial aircraft.

Everyone Murders

June 23rd, 2016 at 9:27 AM ^

New Coke was a ploy to occupy retail space.  Once "Classic Coke" returned New Coke also persisted on the shelves for a while - Coke's cola products now had nearly twice the retail space frontage that they had before introducing New Coke.  That space came at the expense of Coke's competitors.

People love to deride that as a terrible marketing decision by Coke, but net-net it seemed to work for them in the short term and long run.  Including, as you note, generating a lot of buzz about a product that was previously just part of the fabric of consumer society. 

Hail-Storm

June 23rd, 2016 at 9:37 AM ^

I think what the other poster said is the more interesting consipracy theory. Coke wanted to switch from sugar to corn syrup, which would change the taste of Coke.  To cover up the taste change, they came out with new Coke. Everyone hated it, and months later they brought back the Original Coke with the change from Sugar.  The timing allowed people to forget what the original coke tasted like, and allowing them to make the switch. 

superstringer

June 23rd, 2016 at 8:50 AM ^

I do believe David Stern was intentionally trying to pick the NY Knicks envelope for the first NBA lottery, with Patrick Ewing as the prize to the winner.  Maybe I just want to believe it, but if you look at Stern's eyes as he is flipping envelopes, and he pulls the one out with the obviously bent corner... cmon man.

And, as a lifelong Cubs fan... the billygoat curse is real.

ScruffyTheJanitor

June 23rd, 2016 at 8:50 AM ^

The idea that Oswald acted alone is the real "conspiracy" theory.

My favorite is either Chemtrails or the idea that we have made contact with aliens but world Governments are keeping it a secret because society would collapse for... reasons.

I am a firm believer in Hanlon's law, so I don't know if there are any I firmly believe... wait, no, NBA draft has been regularly fixed. That's the one I believe.