# Least stupid major conspiracy theory ? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 18, 2017, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-stupid-major-conspiracy-theory/799230 "2017-10-18T14:14:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Grim\_Render](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@Grim\_Render](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grim_Render)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-stupid-major-conspiracy-theory/799230/1 "2017-10-18T14:14:05Z")
To contrast with the most stupid conspiracy thread, what do you feel is the least stupid of the well-known conspiracy theories? My pick is the “Moon landing was faked” theory. There was motive and it was not physically impossible. It might be said that it was physically easier than filming on location as it were. It would have saved a lot of money, so there was an economic incentive. It was also less complex than what they actually did. Most conspiracy theories involve decision-makers doing vastly complex stuff for little discernible reason. Still a conspiracy theory with plenty of evidence against it, but I feel it is head and shoulders above its peers. ---
**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:** [October 18, 2017, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-stupid-major-conspiracy-theory/799230/2 "2017-10-18T15:56:05Z")
> [@Grim\_Render](#): > > To contrast with the most stupid conspiracy thread, what do you feel is the least stupid of the well-known conspiracy theories? All major conspiracy theories, depending as they do on massive cooperation between hundreds if not thousands of people (participants, investigators etc., any of whom could spill the beans but somehow never do, maintaining an incredibly non-human capacity for strict secrecy), nonsensical arguments and wilful ignorance of contrary evidence, are arguably equally stupid. Although I suppose one could argue that some Kennedy assassination stuff is marginally less dumb, given that fewer people would be involved in the Coverup than in (for instance) the typical 9/11 conspiracy theories. The “faked moon landing” theories depend on the involvement and zipped lips of lots and lots of people, and so are full of Duh. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-stupid-major-conspiracy-theory/799230/3 "2017-10-18T16:06:25Z")
The Iraq was a war for oil theory, same for Libya in 2011. ---
**Author:** ![Tzigone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Tzigone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tzigone)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-stupid-major-conspiracy-theory/799230/4 "2017-10-18T16:08:28Z")
> [@Grim\_Render](#): > > To contrast with the most stupid conspiracy thread, what do you feel is the least stupid of the well-known conspiracy theories? > > My pick is the “Moon landing was faked” theory. There was motive and it was not physically impossible. It might be said that it was physically easier than filming on location as it were. It would have saved a lot of money, so there was an economic incentive. It was also less complex than what they actually did. Most conspiracy theories involve decision-makers doing vastly complex stuff for little discernible reason. > > Still a conspiracy theory with plenty of evidence against it, but I feel it is head and shoulders above its peers. I think one of the most easily understandable barriers to faked Moon landing is the USSR - even if all the other countries monitoring decided to lie and say it happened, why would they? ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-stupid-major-conspiracy-theory/799230/5 "2017-10-18T16:12:27Z")
Here are two that I think are plausible to the point where I believe they happened: 1. Flight 93 on 9/11 didn’t crash and wasn’t overrun by the passengers taking it back. I believe they tried but were probably unsuccessful. It was shot down in order to protect whatever building was its intended target. Ironically this was probably the right call but it was a politically awful call so it was covered up. 1. TWA Flight 800 was accidentally shot down with a missile during a Navy training exercise. It was near an election so no one wanted the distraction so a story was concocted with he idea the truth would be revealed later but the fake story stuck and there was no need to dredge up the truth. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-stupid-major-conspiracy-theory/799230/6 "2017-10-18T16:18:42Z")
The Black Helicopters CT turned out to be half true. There really did exist helicopters designed and operated to maximize stealth as was seen in the Bin Laden raid. They likely existed far before 2011 and would have been used by special forces/CIA to conduct covert military/intel operations. The paranoid remainder of the CT about a military takeover of the US was like the rest of the CTs. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-stupid-major-conspiracy-theory/799230/7 "2017-10-18T16:19:23Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > Here are two that I think are plausible to the point where I believe they happened: > > 1. Flight 93 on 9/11 didn’t crash and wasn’t overrun by the passengers taking it back. I believe they tried but were probably unsuccessful. It was shot down in order to protect whatever building was its intended target. > > Ironically this was probably the right call but it was a politically awful call so it was covered up. > > 1. TWA Flight 800 was accidentally shot down with a missile during a Navy training exercise. It was near an election so no one wanted the distraction so a story was concocted with he idea the truth would be revealed later but the fake story stuck and there was no need to dredge up the truth. Other than all evidence to the contrary and the fact that hundreds if not thousands of people would have to be in on it and not say a word? ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-stupid-major-conspiracy-theory/799230/8 "2017-10-18T16:25:59Z")
The idea that the Russian government colluded with Donald Trump’s campaign and intervened in the American Presidential election of 2016. ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-stupid-major-conspiracy-theory/799230/9 "2017-10-18T17:06:29Z")
The mafia had JFK killed. It involves a small group that is good at killing people and good at keeping quiet. It has obvious gaping holes but not as dumb as most. ---
**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:** [October 18, 2017, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-stupid-major-conspiracy-theory/799230/10 "2017-10-18T17:12:33Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > The idea that the Russian government colluded with Donald Trump’s campaign and intervened in the American Presidential election of 2016. Actually that doesn’t fit the parameters of Conspiracy Theory, as in triumphant deductions by amateurs on the Internet to expose brilliant plotting by geniuses that fails in laughably inept ways.\* Or, as a one-time Doper once put it, the Genius Fool theory of conspiracies. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-stupid-major-conspiracy-theory/799230/11 "2017-10-18T17:18:07Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > Other than all evidence to the contrary and the fact that hundreds if not thousands of people would have to be in on it and not say a word? Well, you have to realize that “least stupid” is still stupid. With that caveat, I’d probably agree that Flight 93 being shot down was the “least stupid”. [ol] [li]There was a sensible reason to shoot it down - to prevent greater loss of life[/li][li]There was a sensible reason to cover it up - no need to add to the terror of that day[/li][li]There is a sensible motive to keep the secret - those in the know would know why it was covered up, and would more likely agree with the reasoning[/li][/ol] Most CTs fail the “sensible reason test” even before you begin to look at the facts of the case. Of course, it’s still stupid, because this ignores the fact that the crash site is consistent with a fully-intact plane crashing in one spot, and inconsistent with a mid-air breakup as would be expected if an airliner was shot down. But I’m comfortable with calling this the “least stupid” CT. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-stupid-major-conspiracy-theory/799230/12 "2017-10-18T17:19:53Z")
Hillary Clinton was the subject of a vast, decades-long smear campaign orchestrated the right. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-stupid-major-conspiracy-theory/799230/13 "2017-10-18T17:22:33Z")
> [@puddleglum](#): > > The mafia had JFK killed. It involves a small group that is good at killing people and good at keeping quiet. It has obvious gaping holes but not as dumb as most. Well, the final secret documents on the JFK assassination are scheduled to be released this month. The secrecy order expires Oct 26th, 2017 and the National Archives are legally obligated to release thousands of related documents, unless the current president blocks it. And the CIA is reportedly urging Trump to block the release of at least some documents for another 25 years. Expect a revival of all JFK conspiracy theories. Coming soon to a theater near you. [http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/10/16/the-next-jfk-document-dump-could-be-a-fiasco-215716](http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/10/16/the-next-jfk-document-dump-could-be-a-fiasco-215716) ---
**Author:** ![Tzigone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Tzigone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tzigone)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-stupid-major-conspiracy-theory/799230/14 "2017-10-18T17:25:28Z")
“[FDR knew about Pearl Harbor attack before it happened](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_Harbor_advance-knowledge_conspiracy_theory)” at least on the surface sounds a bit credible - in the sense that FDR did want to get involved in that war, and the attack did make that happen. The motive is easily understood, and of course various US officials, including Roosevelt, though some sort of attack in the Pacific was likely. Then the aircraft carriers weren’t there (though even if that had been, it wouldn’t have changed the outcome of the war). So yeah, that one sounds at least feasible. Of course, there’s a world of difference between “this is one of the likely targets in the Pacific if/when the Japanese attack” and FDR knowing they were definitely attacking that place within a narrow timeframe. There are some still classified/unreleased documents, though… > [@](#): > > Expect a revival of all JFK conspiracy theories. Coming soon to a theater near you. Is it bad I’ll be entertained by some of them? It’s just something so far removed from my life for me. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-stupid-major-conspiracy-theory/799230/15 "2017-10-18T18:02:22Z")
Arguably the least far-fetched is the coverup of the flight of Gustave Whitehead/Weisskopf. He claimed to have flown his “number 21” flyer in 1901 and 1902, beating the Wright Brothers by two years. His flight was witnessed and recorded in the Bridgeport _Herald_ and written up in _Scientific American_, but not photographed. Replicas of the craft were built, and successfully flown, in 1968 and 1998. Although the sponsors of the latter acknowledge that the replica was built with modern materials (and therefore isn’t proof that Weisskopf flew), it was built to the same design and didn’t require any changes or tinkering, as Langley’s Aerodrome did. For many years the Smithsonian (which Langley had headed) displayed his Aerodrome as the “first craft capable of heavier-than-air flight”, which rankled Orville Wright. as a result, the original Wright Flyer was put on exhibition at the London Science Museum. It wasn’t until the 1940s that the Smithsonian recanted, and the Wright plane was brought back to the US. There were rumors of a secret contract that forbade the Smithsonian to recognize any other aircraft as preceding the Wright Flyer, evidently because of the earlier muchup regarding Langley’s Aerodrome. If they ever said otherwise, it was claimed the contract said, the Wright heirs could take back the Flyer. That all sounds shadowy and secret. The Aircraft curator at the Smithsonian, Paul E. Garber, reportedly said in 1969 that no such contract existed, and that they wouldn’t agree to such a thing. Perfectly believable and reasonable. Until in 1975 an application of the Freedom of Information act released exactly such a contract, saying just that. A Weisskopf proponent, William J. O’Dwyer, promptly wrote a book, _History by Contract_, in which he argued that the Smithsonian, by signing the contract, had forfeited its objectivity, and its denunciation of Weisskopf’s claims were themselves suspect. The situation continues today. David McCullouch’s book _the Wright Brothers_, dismisses weisskopf’s claims pretty abruptly. He was advised by people at the Smithsonian. O’Dwyer’s daughter, Susan O’Dwyer Brinchman, published \* First in Flight\*. It was as abruptly dismissed by reviewers from the Smithsonian. > **[Gustave Whitehead](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustave_Whitehead)** > > Gustave Albin Whitehead (born Gustav Albin Weisskopf; 1 January 1874 – 10 October 1927) was an aviation pioneer who emigrated from Germany to the United States where he designed and built gliders, flying machines, and engines between 1897 and 1915. Controversy surrounds published accounts and Whitehead's own claims that he flew a powered machine successfully several times in 1901 and 1902, predating the first flights by the Wright Brothers in 1903. > Much of Whitehead's reputation rests on a new... ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-stupid-major-conspiracy-theory/799230/16 "2017-10-18T20:17:24Z")
A conspiracy theory argues that the [1999 Russian apartment building bombings](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_apartment_bombings) were false-flag attacks orchestrated by then President Yeltsin and/or then Prime Minister Putin and/or some high-ranking official in the FSB, the successor agency of the KGB. The official story is that Chechen terrorists were responsible. I’m not convinced by the conspiracy theory but it wouldn’t surprise me much. The Ryazan incident in which three FSB agents were caught planting a bomb in what was officially described as a “training exercise” is strong evidence in my mind that something very very fishy was going on. My best guess is that the lethal bombings were more than likely done by Chechen terrorists, but some of the bombs that didn’t go off were planted by the FSB so that officials could take credit for preventing some bombings. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-stupid-major-conspiracy-theory/799230/17 "2017-10-18T20:51:57Z")
Shakespeare, the playwright, wasn’t the same guy as Shakespeare, the guy from Stratford-upon-Avon. The playwright was Edward de Vere. I’m not saying it’s proven but I think there’s enough evidence to make it an open question. ---
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-stupid-major-conspiracy-theory/799230/18 "2017-10-18T20:55:50Z")
Some conspiracies I do believe: [ul] [li]FDR knew the Japanese would attack the US in 1941. However, he felt Pearl Harbor was beyond the capabilities of the Japanese.[/li] [li]The terrorists did not attack on 9/11 because “they hate our freedoms”. It due to our foreign policy, bases in Saudi, and support of Israel. (maybe not so much a conspiracy as unwillingness to accept the government answer)[/li][/ul] Nothing too controversial, I know. So, I’ll spice it up with some sports ones: [ul] [li]The Patriots did steal signals, which helped them win the first 3 Super Bowls, and the now-destroyed tapes would’ve revealed this. [/li] [li]Pete Rose influenced the outcomes of Reds game for gambling purposes, even betting _against_ the Reds. Rose and MLB know this is the reason he’s not in the Hall of Fame.[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-stupid-major-conspiracy-theory/799230/19 "2017-10-18T21:06:14Z")
I think it’s plausible that there was a government cover-up involving President Kennedy’s assassination - but it occurred after the assassination. I don’t think anyone in the government planned Kennedy’s assassination or knew it was going to happen. But I think it’s possible that after Kennedy was killed, government agencies went back and looked through their files and realized they had overlooked a lot of information about Oswald. In retrospect they could now see that they could have put the facts they had together and stopped Oswald. Having missed this before the assassination, they now focused on protecting their reputation. So they destroyed the evidence that they had had before the assassination. Which was another big screw-up. They destroyed evidence to conceal their incompetence. But they didn’t realize that destroying evidence would create suspicions that what they were concealing was their involvement. ---
**Author:** ![somepumpkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@somepumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/somepumpkin)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-stupid-major-conspiracy-theory/799230/20 "2017-10-18T21:08:38Z")
> [@puddleglum](#): > > The mafia had JFK killed. It involves a small group that is good at killing people and good at keeping quiet. It has obvious gaping holes but not as dumb as most. I tend to agree. I’m not sure we have the whole story with this one. I wouldn’t go so far as to finger the orchestrator(s), though. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-stupid-major-conspiracy-theory/799230.md?page=2)