# Any conspiracy theories actually turned out to be true?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-conspiracy-theories-actually-turned-out-to-be-true/108255
**Category:** Great Debates
**Created:** [May 10, 2002, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-conspiracy-theories-actually-turned-out-to-be-true/108255 "2002-05-10T10:07:28Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2002, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-conspiracy-theories-actually-turned-out-to-be-true/108255/1 "2002-05-10T10:07:28Z")
Have there been any ‘conspiracy theories’ that were widely considered so for a time, but then turned out actually to be true(I’m thinking along the lines of the fake Cuban terrorism plot, thought of course that never came to fruition)?
Could the [Iran/Contra](http://www.fas.org/irp/offdocs/walsh/) affair have been considered thus?
If so, is there a possibility that any current conspiracy theories could actually be true?
[sub]Didn’t know what forum to post this in - GQ, IMHO? Stuck in GD in case people start shouting at each other.[/sub]
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2002, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-conspiracy-theories-actually-turned-out-to-be-true/108255/2 "2002-05-10T10:56:09Z")
Depends who you ask.
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### Author:  [@Sparc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparc)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2002, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-conspiracy-theories-actually-turned-out-to-be-true/108255/3 "2002-05-10T11:30:33Z")
Microsoft’s attempt at world domination? :rolleyes:
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### Author:  [@december](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/december)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2002, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-conspiracy-theories-actually-turned-out-to-be-true/108255/4 "2002-05-10T11:56:40Z")
Watergate
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### Author:  [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2002, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-conspiracy-theories-actually-turned-out-to-be-true/108255/5 "2002-05-10T12:04:38Z")
Hmm, was Watergate being whispered about by paranoiacs before it was exposed though?
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### Author:  [@december](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/december)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2002, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-conspiracy-theories-actually-turned-out-to-be-true/108255/6 "2002-05-10T12:09:44Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by jjimm \*
> \*\*Hmm, was Watergate being whispered about by paranoiacs before it was exposed though? \*\*
If a conspiracy theory turns out to be true, then the believers weren’t paranoid.
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### Author:  [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2002, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-conspiracy-theories-actually-turned-out-to-be-true/108255/7 "2002-05-10T12:12:46Z")
Well, if we’re narrowing it down to “conspiracy theory espoused primarily by loonies” it’s gonna be a little tougher.
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### Author:  [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2002, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-conspiracy-theories-actually-turned-out-to-be-true/108255/8 "2002-05-10T12:24:54Z")
The Lincoln assassination.
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### Author:  [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2002, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-conspiracy-theories-actually-turned-out-to-be-true/108255/9 "2002-05-10T12:24:54Z")
OK, how about “conspiracy theories espoused by people who were dismissed as loonies, but turn out to have been vindicated”.
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### Author:  [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2002, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-conspiracy-theories-actually-turned-out-to-be-true/108255/10 "2002-05-10T15:27:26Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by jjimm \*
> \*\*OK, how about “conspiracy theories espoused by people who were dismissed as loonies, but turn out to have been vindicated”. \*\*
Some African-Americans fervently believed that the CIA was flooding the inner city with drugs. I think most people found that theory to be rather kooky at best. Since then I do believe they’ve discovered that the CIA did in fact have a hand in bringing drugs to the United States to fund some of their activities.
Marc
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### Author:  [@december](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/december)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2002, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-conspiracy-theories-actually-turned-out-to-be-true/108255/11 "2002-05-10T15:36:06Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by jjimm \*
> \*\*OK, how about “conspiracy theories espoused by people who were dismissed as loonies, but turn out to have been vindicated”. \*\*
Several years ago, an article in the loony, right wing _American Spectator_ claimed that there was some sort of a sex scandal back in Arkansas involving Bill clinton and a woman named, “Paula.” This isn’t really a “conspiracy,” although presumbly there was an alleged conspiracy to cover up the scandal.
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### Author:  [@El\_Zagna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Zagna)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2002, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-conspiracy-theories-actually-turned-out-to-be-true/108255/12 "2002-05-10T15:55:31Z")
Perhaps we can restate the OP as “Are there any stories that broke in the tabloid press and were dismissed by the mainstream media only to be reported on later?” I can only think of one - the marraige of Lisa Presley and Michael Jackson.
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### Author:  [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2002, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-conspiracy-theories-actually-turned-out-to-be-true/108255/13 "2002-05-10T15:56:11Z")
I don’t think the coverup worked… 🙂
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### Author:  [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2002, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-conspiracy-theories-actually-turned-out-to-be-true/108255/14 "2002-05-10T16:57:04Z")
_ahem_ The Lincoln assassination.
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### Author:  [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2002, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-conspiracy-theories-actually-turned-out-to-be-true/108255/15 "2002-05-10T18:21:43Z")
If I remember correctly, and I’m not sure I do, revolutionary groups in Tsarist Russia often blamed their woes on penetration by Tsarist operatives.
Turns out, many of those revolutionary groups were _run_ by Tsarist operatives. With a little bit of work this weekend I think I can offer some examples.
Here’s a possible example, from [this site](http://www.ballparkguys.com/features/1919_replay/1919_World_Series_Preview.htm):
> [@](#):
>
> \*" … Any man who knows anything about base ball and base ball players knows that both the game and its exemplars are absolutely honest so far as its public presentation is concerned, and any man who insinuates that the 1919 World’s Series was not honorably played by every participant therein not only does not know what he is talking about, but is a menace to the game quite as much as the gamblers would be if they had a ghost of a chance of getting in their nefarious work."
>
> -Francis C. Richter, Editor, 1920 Reach Base Ball Guide\*
It would appear as if Mr. Richter was incorrect.
There was a lot of resistance to the idea that Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were part of the “Atomic Spy Ring.” As Soviet documents continue to be released, it is [increasingly apparent](http://intellit.muskingum.edu/intellsite/spycases_folder/spycasesusr_bergs.html) that their conspiracy was all to true.
Soviet allegations of [reconaissance overflights](http://aerostories.free.fr/powers/page2.html) in the late 50’s/early 60’s were largely dismissed as propaganda–until Gary Powers’ U2 was shot down.
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### Author:  [@Max\_Harvey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Harvey)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2002, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-conspiracy-theories-actually-turned-out-to-be-true/108255/16 "2002-05-10T18:54:05Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by december \*
> \*\*Several years ago, an article in the loony, right wing _American Spectator_ claimed that there was some sort of a sex scandal back in Arkansas involving Bill clinton and a woman named, “Paula.” This isn’t really a “conspiracy,” although presumbly there was an alleged conspiracy to cover up the scandal. \*\*
Paula Jones’ accusations have not been proven true. And “presumably” and “alleged” won’t cut it for a conspiracy that:
> [@](#):
>
> actually turned out to be true
One conspiracy involving Paula Jones that fits the OP is the fact that at least two of the Arkansas police troopers who had claimed to know of many such “encounters” involving Clinton, were in fact paid for their stories by a member of Richard Mellon Scaife’s “Arkansas Project”, as several loony, left-wing publications had claimed. The star trooper witness, Danny Ferguson, later recanted. [Cite 1](http://www.robertscheer.com/1_natcolumn/98_columns/032498.htm), [Cite 2](http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1998/04/06/time/hale.html)
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### Author:  [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2002, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-conspiracy-theories-actually-turned-out-to-be-true/108255/17 "2002-05-10T19:08:48Z")
I think the [“vast right-wing conspiracy”](http://www.korpios.org/resurgent/L-clintonrightwingconspiracy.html) against the Clintons certainly qualifies.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [May 11, 2002, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-conspiracy-theories-actually-turned-out-to-be-true/108255/18 "2002-05-11T02:09:59Z")
I think a lot of J. Edgar Hoover’s activities as FBI director would qualify. When he was still in power, he was able to dismiss stories that he manipulated crime statistics and local law enforcement, bungled WWII counter-intelligence and organized crime cases, targeted political enemies, harassed people whose social agendas he opposed, and used illegal means to carry out his programs. Since his death, it’s been proven that most of these accusations were true.
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### Author:  [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [May 11, 2002, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-conspiracy-theories-actually-turned-out-to-be-true/108255/19 "2002-05-11T02:14:12Z")
Well, people laughed at me when I said lesbianism was on the rise, but every woman I ask out seems to be one, so it _must_ be true!
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### Author:  [@jimmmy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimmmy)
#### Post date: [May 11, 2002, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-conspiracy-theories-actually-turned-out-to-be-true/108255/20 "2002-05-11T02:30:22Z")
'50’s radio and payola
The quiz shows WERE fixed
Gus Hall and the American Communist Party WERE receiving $$ and orders from Moscow
Eastern Europeans WERE doping thier athletes (esp. the gals) regularly.
Various college basketball games WERE fixed
There have been millions of $$$ levied against Companies that fixed Prices (Vitamins & Southby’s are 2 famous ones from the last 8 months)
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