# Conspiracy theories: Why the outlandish ones that don't even sound remotely real? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 26, 2020, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conspiracy-theories-why-the-outlandish-ones-that-dont-even-sound-remotely-real/916360 "2020-07-26T03:03:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2020, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conspiracy-theories-why-the-outlandish-ones-that-dont-even-sound-remotely-real/916360/21 "2020-07-27T04:40:32Z")
Seems to me that letting people believe in UFOs passing by on any kind of a regular basis will create more ‘noise’ (a lower signal to noise ratio) which would mean less people paying attention to actual military aircraft testing. I feel like it’s pretty safe to assume the vast majority of ‘UFO sightings’ are military aircraft that the military won’t confirm was them. They might as well let all the crazies believe it and make sure the rest of us don’t go poking around. OTOH, the government has little to gain or lose by identifying UFOs. Why would they care one way or the other if you or I reported a UFO? ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2020, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conspiracy-theories-why-the-outlandish-ones-that-dont-even-sound-remotely-real/916360/22 "2020-07-27T04:41:40Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Why didn’t the people who created such CTs try to go for something more believable and swallow-able by the public? Because conspiracy theories are obviously not meant to convince the public. You seem to be overlooking the whole purpose of conspiracy theories. For one thing, they’re entertainment. The more unlikely they are, the more entertaining they are. To their consumers, conspiracy theories are like suspense series on TV or thriller movies. The more twists and turns and completely unexpected surprises, the more the audience likes it. Secondly–and more importantly–why would they ever want the public to believe them? The primary appeal to the followers of CTs is that they are the ones in the know–they are special, because they’re the only ones who know what’s really going on. It gives them an elevated status. So, they need to talk about the conspiracy theory–to “expose it”–to show that they know about it, but at the same time, in order to feel “superior,” they need to ensure that other people will reject it, and be “fooled.” This is how mediocre minds keep busy. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2020, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conspiracy-theories-why-the-outlandish-ones-that-dont-even-sound-remotely-real/916360/23 "2020-07-27T05:16:16Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > OTOH, the government has little to gain or lose by identifying UFOs. Why would they care one way or the other if you or I reported a UFO? IMHO, fear of liabilities and to keep things secret. > **[Five decades later, the Kecksburg UFO is identified (probably)](https://www.post-gazette.com/news/science/2015/12/06/50-years-later-the-Kecksburg-Westmoreland-County-UFO-is-identified-probably/stories/201512060146)** > > Mystery cloaked the strange object that fell from the sky 50 years ago. Now there's a plausible, but unconfirmed, explanation. > **[Is this a 'de facto' admission of the existence of UFOs?](https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/technology-science/science/british-ufo-encounter-gave-heart-5266589)** > > US Veterans Association pays out for medical treatment of man hit by heart problems he blames on famous Suffolk UFO encounter On that last one, it is more likely a ‘de facto’ admission of a mistake when the military was testing something. It ain’t the aliens paying… ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2020, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conspiracy-theories-why-the-outlandish-ones-that-dont-even-sound-remotely-real/916360/24 "2020-07-27T11:41:59Z")
Here’s the answer to UFOs and similar CTs: [xkcd of course](https://xkcd.com/1235/) > [@jtur88](#): > > The outlandish ones are cost-efffective in the current economic paradigm. That’s a little too cryptic for my feeble mind this morning. What are you actually suggesting? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2020, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conspiracy-theories-why-the-outlandish-ones-that-dont-even-sound-remotely-real/916360/25 "2020-07-27T11:42:27Z")
Remember that conspiracy theory that ended up being proven to be true? Yeah, me neither. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2020, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conspiracy-theories-why-the-outlandish-ones-that-dont-even-sound-remotely-real/916360/26 "2020-07-27T12:09:57Z")
More precisely, there have been no conspiracy theories uncovered by amateur sleuths and flogged endlessly on the Internet that have turned out to be true. A current favorite CT is that the C.I.A. invented the term “conspiracy theory” to mock and obscure the existence of conspiracies. Of course that’s yet another bogus conspiracy theory. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2020, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conspiracy-theories-why-the-outlandish-ones-that-dont-even-sound-remotely-real/916360/27 "2020-07-27T12:32:40Z")
IOW it’s conspiracy theories all the way down? ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2020, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conspiracy-theories-why-the-outlandish-ones-that-dont-even-sound-remotely-real/916360/28 "2020-07-27T15:31:08Z")
I always think of [Project Azorian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Azorian) as an example of a true conspiracy. That was an effort by the CIA to recover a sunken Soviet submarine under the pretext of mining the sea floor for manganese. The effort was discovered, but the New York Times held off on publishing the story while the operation was ongoing. That’s what a real conspiracy looks like. It couldn’t be kept secret. And hardly anybody remembers it, probably because it’s true. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2020, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conspiracy-theories-why-the-outlandish-ones-that-dont-even-sound-remotely-real/916360/29 "2020-07-27T19:58:50Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > There is no coherence or internal logic to any CT other than prejudice. Look at the nonsense spread even today about Jane Fonda, Obama, Omar, Antifa, and BLM, to name just a few recent ones. > > No, the reason the bigots buy into the “clearly outlandish” CTs is, again, because they want them to be true and the only “logic” they care about is their prejudice. Seriously, how many CTers have you met who are not also bigots? For me, that number is zero. You are seriously suggesting that the root of all conspiracy theories is prejudice? Which ethnic group do the moon landing conspiracy theorists hate? There are JFK conspiracy theories that blame the Russians, the Cubans, the mob, the CIA, and a few others. What is the common prejudice between them? There are some obviously racist conspiracy theories. Jewish banking conspiracies, various conspiracies accusing shadowy forces of keeping down minorities, ‘one world government’ plans, etc. But I doubt fhat such motivations make up even half of conspiracy theories. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2020, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conspiracy-theories-why-the-outlandish-ones-that-dont-even-sound-remotely-real/916360/30 "2020-07-27T22:52:16Z")
Yeah there’s a ton of left-wing conspiracy theories, AIDS being a CIA invented disease to kill black people is a pretty major one that has lead to a lot of people dying. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2020, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conspiracy-theories-why-the-outlandish-ones-that-dont-even-sound-remotely-real/916360/31 "2020-07-27T22:54:05Z")
@Sam_Stone 2 above me: I agree that @Monty’s characterization seemed over the top to me when I read it. But … At the core of all CT beliefs is 2 things: 1. There’s a powerful hidden “They” out there pulling the strings. 2. “They” are out to hurt me/Us. IOW, there’s an overactive sense of in-group/out-group awareness and an overactive sense of paranoia. Once can certainly see how there’d be a lot of overlap between folks who’re big on those psychological traits and folks who’re big on racial prejudice. My bottom line: I don’t think racism is causative for CT belief or vice versa. But I think they’re probably well correlated. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2020, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conspiracy-theories-why-the-outlandish-ones-that-dont-even-sound-remotely-real/916360/32 "2020-07-27T22:55:10Z")
The CIA/Pentagon controls Hollywood is another. The conspiracy isn’t that the US government has influence in Hollywood, rather that in order to get an MPAA rating a film MUST be screened by Department of Defense officials who are given final approval. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2020, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conspiracy-theories-why-the-outlandish-ones-that-dont-even-sound-remotely-real/916360/33 "2020-07-27T23:00:02Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > Yeah there’s a ton of left-wing conspiracy theories, AIDS being a CIA invented disease to kill black people is a pretty major one that has lead to a lot of people dying Don’t forget about HIV/AIDS denialism: > **[Death by denial: The campaigners who continue to deny HIV causes Aids | Brian...](https://amp-theguardian-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/amp.theguardian.com/science/blog/2012/feb/21/death-denial-hiv-aids?amp_js_v=a3&_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQIKAGwASDYAQE%3D#aoh=15958903808398&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&_tf=From%20%251%24s&share=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fscience%2Fblog%2F2012%2Ffeb%2F21%2Fdeath-denial-hiv-aids)** > > Brian Deer: As each of their followers dies, those who campaign against HIV treatments simply move on to the next level of denial > **[Mbeki Aids denial 'caused 300,000 deaths'](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/nov/26/aids-south-africa)** > > Aids policies of former South African president Thabo Mbeki directly responsible for deaths of more than a third of a million people – Harvard university ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2020, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conspiracy-theories-why-the-outlandish-ones-that-dont-even-sound-remotely-real/916360/34 "2020-07-27T23:20:24Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I always think of [Project Azorian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Azorian) as an example of a true conspiracy. That was an effort by the CIA to recover a sunken Soviet submarine under the pretext of mining the sea floor for manganese. The effort was discovered, but the New York Times held off on publishing the story while the operation was ongoing. > > That’s what a real conspiracy looks like. It couldn’t be kept secret. And hardly anybody remembers it, probably because it’s true What makes you think that was the real reason? It was s sunken alien craft - and the Russians were in on it. The sub story was just a cover story on the cover story of the manganese mining. Maybe ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2020, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conspiracy-theories-why-the-outlandish-ones-that-dont-even-sound-remotely-real/916360/35 "2020-07-28T00:29:05Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > > [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > > > I always think of [Project Azorian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Azorian) as an example of a true conspiracy. That was an effort by the CIA to recover a sunken Soviet submarine under the pretext of mining the sea floor for manganese. The effort was discovered, but the New York Times held off on publishing the story while the operation was ongoing. > > > > That’s what a real conspiracy looks like. It couldn’t be kept secret. And hardly anybody remembers it, probably because it’s true > > What makes you think that was the real reason? It was s sunken alien craft - and the Russians were in on it. The sub story was just a cover story on the cover story of the manganese mining > > Maybe User name checks out… ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2020, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conspiracy-theories-why-the-outlandish-ones-that-dont-even-sound-remotely-real/916360/36 "2020-07-28T01:40:26Z")
Real conspiracy, probably still going on under a different name: > **[COINTELPRO](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COINTELPRO)** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > > COINTELPRO (syllabic abbreviation derived from Counter Intelligence Program; 1956–1971) was a series of covert and illegal projects actively conducted by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) aimed at surveilling, infiltrating, discrediting, and disrupting domestic American political organizations. FBI records show COINTELPRO resources targeted groups and individuals the FBI deemed subversive, including feminist organizations, th... ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2020, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conspiracy-theories-why-the-outlandish-ones-that-dont-even-sound-remotely-real/916360/37 "2020-07-28T02:15:59Z")
The most “outlandish” claim that turned out to be true was the NSA recording your personal phone calls, which was often used as government conspiracy shorthand back in the 80s/90s. The 2001 video game Grand Theft Auto 3 had a conspiracy theorist character bring it up. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2020, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conspiracy-theories-why-the-outlandish-ones-that-dont-even-sound-remotely-real/916360/38 "2020-07-28T03:11:55Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Except when I prank him with it. He’s outstandingly easy to prank. You beat me to it. I was poised to suggest reading your posts for extra-special CT prancing. You da best! I eagerly await your latest sequel updates. Better than Netflix or Hulu. **Boo** ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2020, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conspiracy-theories-why-the-outlandish-ones-that-dont-even-sound-remotely-real/916360/39 "2020-07-28T03:50:25Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > > [@jtur88](#): > > > > The outlandish ones are cost-efffective in the current economic paradigm. > > That’s a little too cryptic for my feeble mind this morning… > > What are you actually suggesting? To paraphrase Kevin Costner, “If they will come, someone will build it” . Conspiracy theories are a subset of the Entertainment-Industrial Complex. If a prospect for sales appears to be lying down the road, someone will be strip-mining it. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2020, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conspiracy-theories-why-the-outlandish-ones-that-dont-even-sound-remotely-real/916360/40 "2020-07-28T08:14:52Z")
> [@Staggerlee](#): > > I think it’s simply free-market consumerism; you can choose any flavour you like (as long as it’s antisemitic, perhaps). My CTer Facebook friend doesn’t peddle the David Icke lizard stuff (which is rather out of fashion now maybe), but is very brand-loyal to QAnon awfulness. And while the lizard shape-shifter thing is plainly ridiculous, it’s just the Sci-fi theme CT. It’s no less believable than the Horror theme CT, where every Hollywood liberal and high-ranking Democrat is a child-sacrificing vampiric paedophile, with Trump some sort of heroic Buffy character. I wish. This woman in my critique group believes this. And in a flat earth. And is an anti-vaxxer, of course. And is a fundamentalist Christian, in some weird church. She is writing a kids book about the end times. Her character, who is 14, has a dream about the flat earth, and the next day has a dream about the lizards. And then says the second dream confirms the first. I said, not quite, and it is clear that she doesn’t have the slightest idea about critical thinking. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conspiracy-theories-why-the-outlandish-ones-that-dont-even-sound-remotely-real/916360.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conspiracy-theories-why-the-outlandish-ones-that-dont-even-sound-remotely-real/916360.md?page=3)