Advertisement
| what conspiracy theories turned out to be true: A Lot of People Are Saying Nancy L. Rosenblum, Russell Muirhead, 2020-02-18 How the new conspiracists are undermining democracy—and what can be done about it Conspiracy theories are as old as politics. But conspiracists today have introduced something new—conspiracy without theory. And the new conspiracism has moved from the fringes to the heart of government with the election of Donald Trump. In A Lot of People Are Saying, Russell Muirhead and Nancy Rosenblum show how the new conspiracism differs from classic conspiracy theory, how it undermines democracy, and what needs to be done to resist it. |
| what conspiracy theories turned out to be true: Conspiracy Theory in America Lance deHaven-Smith, 2013-04-15 Asserts that the Founders' hard-nosed realism about the likelihood of elite political misconduct—articulated in the Declaration of Independence—has been replaced by today's blanket condemnation of conspiracy beliefs as ludicrous by definition. |
| what conspiracy theories turned out to be true: Secrets and Conspiracies Olli Loukola, Leonidas Donskis, 2022 This collection purports to provide a sober analysis of the much debated issues and tries to develop and outline conceptual and theoretical tools to make sense of what secrets and conspiracies truly are-- |
| what conspiracy theories turned out to be true: 63 Documents the Government Doesn't Want You to Read Jesse Ventura, Dick Russell, 2011-05-02 The official spin on numerous government programs is flat-out bullshit, according to Jesse Ventura. In this incredible collection of actual government documents, Ventura, the ultimate non- partisan truth-seeker, proves it beyond any doubt. He and Dick Russell walk readers through 63 of the most incriminating programs to reveal what really happens behind the closed doors. In addition to providing original government data, Ventura discusses what it really means and how regular Americans can stop criminal behavior at the top levels of government and in the media. Among the cases discussed: • The CIA’s top-secret program to control human behavior • Operation Northwoods—the military plan to hijack airplanes and blame it on Cuban terrorists • The discovery of a secret Afghan archive—information that never left the boardroom • Potentially deadly healthcare cover-ups, including a dengue fever outbreak • What the Department of Defense knows about our food supply—but is keeping mum Although these documents are now in the public domain, the powers that be would just as soon they stay under wraps. Ventura’s research and commentary sheds new light on what they’re not telling you—and why it matters. |
| what conspiracy theories turned out to be true: The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories Jan-Willem van Prooijen, 2018 Cover -- Title -- Copyright -- CONTENTS -- Preface -- 1 Psychology of conspiracy theories -- 2 When do people believe conspiracy theories? -- 3 The architecture of belief -- 4 The social roots of conspiracy theories -- 5 Conspiracy theories and ideology -- 6 Explaining and reducing conspiracy theories -- Further reading -- Notes -- References |
| what conspiracy theories turned out to be true: Conspiracies Declassified Brian Dunning, 2018-06-05 A collection of the wildest conspiracies to ever exist, from mind control experiments to lizard people, this book explores, debunks—and sometimes proves—the secret stories that don’t quite make it into the history books. What’s fact and what’s fiction? With conspiracy theories, sometimes it’s hard to get to the truth! In Conspiracies Declassified, author and expert skeptic Brian Dunning explains fifty true stories of famous conspiracies throughout history. From the moon landing hoax, to chemtrails, to the mind control dangers of fluoride, Dunning is here to sort the truth from the lies to tell you what really happened. |
| what conspiracy theories turned out to be true: Real Enemies Kathryn S. Olmsted, 2009-01-02 Many Americans believe that their own government is guilty of shocking crimes. Government agents shot the president. They faked the moon landing. They stood by and allowed the murders of 2,400 servicemen in Hawaii. Although paranoia has been a feature of the American scene since the birth of the Republic, in Real Enemies Kathryn Olmsted shows that it was only in the twentieth century that strange and unlikely conspiracy theories became central to American politics. In particular, she posits World War I as a critical turning point and shows that as the federal bureaucracy expanded, Americans grew more fearful of the government itself--the military, the intelligence community, and even the President. Analyzing the wide-spread suspicions surrounding such events as Pearl Harbor, the JFK assassination, Watergate, and 9/11, Olmsted sheds light on why so many Americans believe that their government conspires against them, why more people believe these theories over time, and how real conspiracies--such as the infamous Northwoods plan--have fueled our paranoia about the governments we ourselves elect. |
| what conspiracy theories turned out to be true: American Conspiracies Jesse Ventura, 2015-10-06 A New York Times Best Seller! New York Times bestselling author Jesse Ventura is back with more conspiracies that our government wishes you didn’t know about! In this explosive account of wrongful acts and ensuing cover-ups, Jesse Ventura offers a different side to the stories we’ve all heard and read about in the history books. He takes a look at the wide gap between what the government knows and what is revealed to the American people. The media is complicit in these acts of deception, often refusing to consider alternate possibilities and dismissing voices that diverge from public opinion. He will look closely at the theories that have been presented over the years and examine the truth as well as the lies. Ventura does not shy away from the tough questions. As he states, “When I get denied something, I do the opposite of getting intimidated—I get angry.” Now with new conspiracies added including information on the CIA torture scandal and the financial meltdown of 2008, you will see how the United States government continues to abuse our civil liberties and why we need to continue to stand up for what we know is right. You may not believe everything in American Conspiracies, but it is guaranteed to make you think harder about everything you do believe. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home. |
| what conspiracy theories turned out to be true: Them Jon Ronson, 2011-06-28 A wide variety of extremist groups -- Islamic fundamentalists, neo-Nazis -- share the oddly similar belief that a tiny shadowy elite rule the world from a secret room. In Them, journalist Jon Ronson has joined the extremists to track down the fabled secret room. As a journalist and a Jew, Ronson was often considered one of Them but he had no idea if their meetings actually took place. Was he just not invited? Them takes us across three continents and into the secret room. Along the way he meets Omar Bakri Mohammed, considered one of the most dangerous men in Great Britain, PR-savvy Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard Thom Robb, and the survivors of Ruby Ridge. He is chased by men in dark glasses and unmasked as a Jew in the middle of a Jihad training camp. In the forests of northern California he even witnesses CEOs and leading politicians -- like Dick Cheney and George Bush -- undertake a bizarre owl ritual. Ronson's investigations, by turns creepy and comical, reveal some alarming things about the looking-glass world of us and them. Them is a deep and fascinating look at the lives and minds of extremists. Are the extremists onto something? Or is Jon Ronson becoming one of them? |
| what conspiracy theories turned out to be true: American Conspiracy Theories Joseph E. Uscinski, Joseph M. Parent, 2014 Conspiracies theories are some of the most striking features in the American political landscape: the Kennedy assassination, aliens at Roswell, subversion by Masons, Jews, Catholics, or communists, and modern movements like Birtherism and Trutherism. But what do we really know about conspiracy theories? Do they share general causes? Are they becoming more common? More dangerous? Who is targeted and why? Who are the conspiracy theorists? How has technology affected conspiracy theorising? This book offers the first century-long view of these issues. |
| what conspiracy theories turned out to be true: Eurabia-paperback Bat Yeʼor, 2005 This book is about the transformation of Europe into Eurabia, a cultural and political appendage of the Arab/Muslim world. Eurabia is fundamentally anti-Christian, anti-Western, anti-American, and antisemitic. The institution responsible for this transformation, and that continues to propagate its ideological message, is the Euro-Arab Dialogue, developed by European and Arab politicians and intellectuals over the past thirty years.--From publisher description. |
| what conspiracy theories turned out to be true: Conspiracy Theories and Other Dangerous Ideas Cass R. Sunstein, 2014 A collection of controversial essays touches upon an array of issues, from marriage equality and conspiracy theories to animal rights. |
| what conspiracy theories turned out to be true: Conspiracy Theories in the Arab World Matthew Gray, 2010-07-12 Conspiracism, while not unique to the Middle East, is a salient feature of the political discourses of the region. This book discounts the common pathological explanation for conspiricism and instead investigates the political structures and dynamics that have created and shaped the phenomenon of conspiricism in the contemporary Middle East. |
| what conspiracy theories turned out to be true: A Conspiracy of Tall Men Noah Hawley, 2018-06-05 The debut literary thriller that launched the career of the bestselling author of Before the Fall and the creator of the show Fargo. Linus Owen is a young professor of conspiracy theory at a small college just outside San Francisco. His marriage is foundering and his wife, Claudia, has gone to Chicago to visit her mother. But if Claudia is in Chicago, how is it that two FBI agents show up at Linus' office and inform him that Claudia has been killed in a plane crash on her way from New York to Brazil? And why did a man named Jeffrey Holden, the vice president of a major pharmaceutical company, buy her ticket and die beside her? Enlisting the aid of two fellow conspiracy theorists, Linus heads across the country in search of answers. But as their journey progresses, it becomes frighteningly clear they've left the realm of the academic and are tangled up in a dangerous, multilayered cover-up. Finally, deep in the heart of the American desert, stunned by an ominous revelation, Linus sees he has a new mission: to try to stay alive. Part Don DeLillo, part Kurt Vonnegut, with writing that is electric, whip-smart and suspenseful at each turn, Noah Hawley draws us into a deliciously labyrinthine world of paranoia and plots. Energetic and funny...an engrossing debut. -- The New York Times |
| what conspiracy theories turned out to be true: The Hitler Conspiracies Richard J. Evans, 2020 The Hitler Conspiracies focuses on five of the most enduring conspiracy theories involving the Nazi period, including those that accompanied and even buttressed Hitler's rise. A distinguished work of history, this book offers equally a hard look at our own troubled times, a post-truth era in which alternative facts have gained new standing. |
| what conspiracy theories turned out to be true: Stuff They Don't Want You to Know Ben Bowlin, Matt Frederick, Noel Brown, 2022-10-11 “Interesting...Bowlin's calmly rational approach to the subject of conspiracy theories shows the importance of logic and evidence.”—Booklist A page-turning book to give to someone who believes in pizza pedophilia or that the Illuminati rule the world.—Kirkus Reviews The co-hosts of the hit podcast Stuff They Don’t Want You to Know, Ben Bowlin, Matthew Frederick, & Noel Brown, discern conspiracy fact from fiction in this sharp, humorous, compulsively readable, and gorgeously illustrated book. In times of chaos and uncertainty, when trust is low and economic disparity is high, when political institutions are crumbling and cultural animosities are building, conspiracy theories find fertile ground. Many are wild, most are untrue, a few are hard to ignore, but all of them share one vital trait: there’s a seed of truth at their center. That seed carries the sordid, conspiracy-riddled history of our institutions and corporations woven into its DNA. Ben Bowlin, Matt Frederick, and Noel Brown host the popular iHeart Media podcast, Stuff They Don’t Want You To Know. They are experts at exploring, explaining, and interrogating today’s emergent conspiracies—from chem trails and biological testing to the secrets of lobbying and the indisputable evidence of UFOs. Written in a smart, witty, and conversational style, elevated with amazing illustrations, Stuff They Don’t Want You to Know is a vital book in understanding the nature of conspiracy and using truth as a powerful weapon against ignorance, misinformation, and lies. |
| what conspiracy theories turned out to be true: Behold a Pale Horse William Cooper, 2012-04-11 Bill Cooper, former United States Naval Intelligence Briefing Team member, reveals information that remains hidden from the public eye. This information has been kept in Top Secret government files since the 1940s. His audiences hear the truth unfold as he writes about the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the war on drugs, the Secret Government and UFOs. Bill is a lucid, rational and powerful speaker who intent is to inform and to empower his audience. Standing room only is normal. His presentation and information transcend partisan affiliations as he clearly addresses issues in a way that has a striking impact on listeners of all backgrounds and interests. He has spoken to many groups throughout the United States and has appeared regularly on many radio talk shows and on television. In 1988 Bill decided to talk due to events then taking place worldwide, events which he had seen plans for back in the early '70s. Since Bill has been talking, he has correctly predicted the lowering of the Iron Curtain, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the invasion of Panama. All Bill's predictions were on record well before the events occurred. Bill is not a psychic. His information comes from Top Secret documents that he read while with the Intelligence Briefing Team and from over 17 years of thorough research. Bill Cooper is the world's leading expert on UFOs. -- Billy Goodman, KVEG, Las Vegas. The onlt man in America who has all the pieces to the puzzle that has troubled so many for so long. -- Anthony Hilder, Radio Free America William Cooper may be one of America's greatest heros, and this story may be the biggest story in the history of the world. -- Mills Crenshaw, KTALK, Salt Lake City. Like it or not, everything is changing. The result will be the most wonderful experience in the history of man or the most horrible enslavement that you can imagine. Be active or abdicate, the future is in your hands. -- William Cooper, October 24, 1989. |
| what conspiracy theories turned out to be true: Power, Politics, and Paranoia Jan-Willem van Prooijen, Paul A. M. van Lange, 2014-05-29 Powerful societal leaders - such as politicians and Chief Executives - are frequently met with substantial distrust by the public. But why are people so suspicious of their leaders? One possibility is that 'power corrupts', and therefore people are right in their reservations. Indeed, there are numerous examples of unethical leadership, even at the highest level, as the Watergate and Enron scandals clearly illustrate. Another possibility is that people are unjustifiably paranoid, as underscored by some of the rather far-fetched conspiracy theories that are endorsed by a surprisingly large portion of citizens. Are societal power holders more likely than the average citizen to display unethical behaviour? How do people generally think and feel about politicians? How do paranoia and conspiracy beliefs about societal power holders originate? In this book, prominent scholars address these intriguing questions and illuminate the many facets of the relations between power, politics and paranoia. |
| what conspiracy theories turned out to be true: Conspiracy Theories and Secret Societies For Dummies Christopher Hodapp, Alice Von Kannon, 2011-02-04 Entering the world of conspiracy theories and secret societies is like stepping into a distant, parallel universe where the laws of physics have completely changed: black means white, up is down, and if you want to understand what’s really going on, you need a good reference book. That’s where Conspiracy Theories & Secret Societies For Dummies comes in. Whether you’re a skeptic or a true believer, this fascinating guide, packed with the latest information, walks you through some of the most infamous conspiracy theories — such as Area 51 and the assassination of JFK — and introduces you to such mysterious organizations as the Freemasons, the Ninjas, the Mafia, and Rosicrucians. This behind-the-curtain guide helps you separate fact from fiction and helps you the global impact of these mysterious events and groups on our modern world. Discover how to: Test a conspiracy theory Spot a sinister secret society Assess the Internet’s role in fueling conspiracy theories Explore world domination schemes Evaluate 9/11 conspiracy theories Figure out who “they” are Grasp the model on which conspiracy theories are built Figure out whether what “everybody knows” is true Distinguish on assassination brotherhood from another Understand why there’s no such thing as a “lone assassin” Why do hot dogs come in packages of ten, while buns come in eight-packs? Everybody knows its a conspiracy, right? Find out in Conspiracy Theories & Secret Societies For Dummies. |
| what conspiracy theories turned out to be true: The Storm Is Upon Us Mike Rothschild, 2021-06-22 I hope everyone reads this book. It has become such a crucial thing for all of us to understand. —Erin Burnett, CNN An ideal tour guide for your journey into the depths of the rabbit hole that is QAnon. It even shows you a glimmer of light at the exit. —Cullen Hoback, director of HBO's Q: Into the Storm Its messaging can seem cryptic, even nonsensical, yet for tens of thousands of people, it explains everything: What is QAnon, where did it come from, and is the Capitol insurgency a sign of where it’s going next? On October 5th, 2017, President Trump made a cryptic remark in the State Dining Room at a gathering of military officials. He said it felt like “the calm before the storm”—then refused to elaborate as puzzled journalists asked him to explain. But on the infamous message boards of 4chan, a mysterious poster going by “Q Clearance Patriot,” who claimed to be in “military intelligence,” began the elaboration on their own. In the days that followed, Q’s wild yarn explaining Trump's remarks began to rival the sinister intricacies of a Tom Clancy novel, while satisfying the deepest desires of MAGA-America. But did any of what Q predicted come to pass? No. Did that stop people from clinging to every word they were reading, expanding its mythology, and promoting it wider and wider? No. Why not? Who were these rapt listeners? How do they reconcile their worldview with the America they see around them? Why do their numbers keep growing? Mike Rothschild, a journalist specializing in conspiracy theories, has been collecting their stories for years, and through interviews with QAnon converts, apostates, and victims, as well as psychologists, sociologists, and academics, he is uniquely equipped to explain the movement and its followers. In The Storm Is Upon Us, he takes readers from the background conspiracies and cults that fed the Q phenomenon, to its embrace by right-wing media and Donald Trump, through the rending of families as loved ones became addicted to Q’s increasingly violent rhetoric, to the storming of the Capitol, and on. And as the phenomenon shows no sign of calming despite Trump’s loss of the presidency—with everyone from Baby Boomers to Millennial moms proving susceptible to its messaging—and politicians starting to openly espouse its ideology, Rothschild makes a compelling case that mocking the seeming madness of QAnon will get us nowhere. Rather, his impassioned reportage makes clear it's time to figure out what QAnon really is — because QAnon and its relentlessly dark theory of everything isn’t done yet. |
| what conspiracy theories turned out to be true: Creating Conspiracy Beliefs Dolores Albarracin, Julia Albarracin, Man-pui Sally Chan, Kathleen Hall Jamieson, 2021-11-25 Conspiracy theories spread more widely and faster than ever before. Fear and uncertainty prompt people to believe false narratives of danger and hidden plots, but are not sufficient without considering the role and ideological bias of the media. This timely book focuses on making sense of how and why some people respond to their fear of a threat by creating or believing conspiracy stories. It integrates insights from psychology, political science, communication, and information sciences to provide a complete overview and theory of how conspiracy beliefs manifest. Through this multi-disciplinary perspective, rigoros research develops and tests a practical, simple way to frame and understand conspiracy theories. The book supplies unprecedented amounts of new data from six empirical studies and unpicks the complexity of the process that leads to the empowerment of conspiracy beliefs. |
| what conspiracy theories turned out to be true: Suspicious Minds Rob Brotherton, 2017-01-03 Suspicious Minds decodes the psychology of why we all believe in conspiracy theories--some of us just hide it better than others. |
| what conspiracy theories turned out to be true: Conspiracy Theories Quassim Cassam, 2019-11-01 9/11 was an inside job. The Holocaust is a myth promoted to serve Jewish interests. The shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School were a false flag operation. Climate change is a hoax perpetrated by the Chinese government. These are all conspiracy theories. A glance online or at bestseller lists reveals how popular some of them are. Even if there is plenty of evidence to disprove them, people persist in propagating them. Why? Philosopher Quassim Cassam explains how conspiracy theories are different from ordinary theories about conspiracies. He argues that conspiracy theories are forms of propaganda and their function is to promote a political agenda. Although conspiracy theories are sometimes defended on the grounds that they uncover evidence of bad behaviour by political leaders, they do much more harm than good, with some resulting in the deaths of large numbers of people. There can be no clearer indication that something has gone wrong with our intellectual and political culture than the fact that conspiracy theories have become mainstream. When they are dangerous, we cannot afford to ignore them. At the same time, refuting them by rational argument is difficult because conspiracy theorists discount or reject evidence that disproves their theories. As conspiracy theories are so often smokescreens for political ends, we need to come up with political as well as intellectual responses if we are to have any hope of defeating them. |
| what conspiracy theories turned out to be true: The Psychology of Conspiracy Michal Bilewicz, Aleksandra Cichocka, Wiktor Soral, 2015-05-15 Why did the third World Trade Center building (WTC7) collapse on September 11th , even though it was not struck by any aircraft? Why did Princess Diana’s drunk driver look sober as he climbed into the car minutes before their deadly accident? Could a slender birch tree really have caused the plane crash which killed the President of Poland in 2010? ‘Conspiracy thinking’ – the search for explanations of significant global events in clandestine plots, suppressed knowledge and the secret actions of elite groups – provides simple and logical answers to the social doubts and uncertainties that occur at times of major national and international crises. Contemporary social psychology seeks to explain the human motivation to create, share and receive conspiracy theories, and to shed light on the consequences of these theories for people’s social and political functioning. This important collection, written by leading researchers in the field, is the first to apply quantitative empirical findings to the subject of conspiracy theorizing. The first section of the book explores conspiracy theories in the context of group perception and intergroup relations, paying particular attention to anti-Semitic conspiracy stereotypes. It then goes on to examine the relationship between an individual’s political ideology and the degree to which they engage in ‘conspiracy thinking’. The concluding part of the book considers the explanatory power of conspiracy, focusing on the link between social paranoia and digital media, and highlighting the social, political, and environmental consequences of conspiracy theories. The Psychology of Conspiracy will be of great interest to academics and researchers in social and political psychology, and a valuable resource to those in the fields of social policy, anthropology, political science, and cultural studies. |
| what conspiracy theories turned out to be true: Handbook of Conspiracy Theory and Contemporary Religion Asbjørn Dyrendal, David G. Robertson, Egil Asprem, 2018-10-02 Conspiracy theories are a ubiquitous feature of our times. The Handbook of Conspiracy Theories and Contemporary Religion is the first reference work to offer a comprehensive, transnational overview of this phenomenon along with in-depth discussions of how conspiracy theories relate to religion(s). Bringing together experts from a wide range of disciplines, from psychology and philosophy to political science and the history of religions, the book sets the standard for the interdisciplinary study of religion and conspiracy theories. |
| what conspiracy theories turned out to be true: Conspiracy Theory Richard Donner, 2005 |
| what conspiracy theories turned out to be true: Escaping the Rabbit Hole Mick West, 2023-06-20 Revised and updated for the first time in 2023—Now includes strategies for debunking conspiracies regarding the coronavirus pandemic, election fraud, QAnon, UFOs, and more. The Earth is flat, the World Trade Center collapse was a controlled demolition, planes are spraying poison to control the weather, and actors faked the Sandy Hook massacre. All these claims are bunk: falsehoods, mistakes, and in some cases, outright lies. But many people passionately believe one or more of these conspiracy theories. They consume countless books and videos, join like-minded online communities, try to convert those around them, and even, on occasion, alienate their own friends and family. Why is this, and how can you help people, especially those closest to you, break free from the downward spiral of conspiracy thinking? In Escaping the Rabbit Hole, author Mick West shares over a decade’s worth of knowledge and experience investigating and debunking false conspiracy theories through his forum, MetaBunk.org, and sets forth a practical guide to helping friends and loved ones recognize these theories for what they really are. Perhaps counter-intuitively, the most successful approaches to helping individuals escape a rabbit hole aren’t comprised of simply explaining why they are wrong; rather, West’s tried-and-tested approach emphasizes clear communication based on mutual respect, honesty, openness, and patience. West puts his debunking techniques and best practices to the test with the most popular false conspiracy theories today (Chemtrails, The Coronavirus Pandemic, 9/11 Controlled Demolition, Election Fraud, False Flags, Flat Earth, The Rising of QAnon, and UFOs)—providing road maps to help you to understand your friend and help them escape the rabbit hole. These are accompanied by real-life case studies of individuals who, with help, were able to break free from conspiracism. With sections on: the wide spectrum of conspiracy theories avoiding the “shill” label psychological factors and other complications (and concluding with) a look at the future of debunking Mick West has put forth a conclusive, well-researched, practical reference on why people fall down the conspiracy theory rabbit hole and how you can help them escape. |
| what conspiracy theories turned out to be true: The Paranoid Style in American Politics Richard Hofstadter, 2008-06-10 This timely reissue of Richard Hofstadter's classic work on the fringe groups that influence American electoral politics offers an invaluable perspective on contemporary domestic affairs.In The Paranoid Style in American Politics, acclaimed historian Richard Hofstadter examines the competing forces in American political discourse and how fringe groups can influence — and derail — the larger agendas of a political party. He investigates the politics of the irrational, shedding light on how the behavior of individuals can seem out of proportion with actual political issues, and how such behavior impacts larger groups. With such other classic essays as “Free Silver and the Mind of 'Coin' Harvey” and “What Happened to the Antitrust Movement?, ” The Paranoid Style in American Politics remains both a seminal text of political history and a vital analysis of the ways in which political groups function in the United States. |
| what conspiracy theories turned out to be true: Vices of the Mind Quassim Cassam, 2019 Quassim Cassam introduces the idea of epistemic vices, character traits that get in the way of knowledge, such as closed-mindedness, intellectual arrogance, wishful thinking, and prejudice. Using examples from politics to illustrate the vices at work, he considers whether we are responsible for such failings, and what we can do about them. |
| what conspiracy theories turned out to be true: The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion Sergei Nilus, Victor Emile Marsden, 2019-02-26 The Protocols of the Elders of Zion is almost certainly fiction, but its impact was not. Originating in Russia, it landed in the English-speaking world where it caused great consternation. Much is made of German anti-semitism, but there was fertile soil for The Protocols across Europe and even in America, thanks to Henry Ford and others. |
| what conspiracy theories turned out to be true: Enemies Within Robert Alan Goldberg, 2001 From the Roswell UFO incident to the Communist threat to the rise of the Antichrist, there has been a hunger for conspiracy in America since World War II. In this enthralling book, Goldberg focuses on five major conspiracy theories of the past half century and examines why they became so popular. Illustrations. |
| what conspiracy theories turned out to be true: The Montauk Project - Experiments in Time Preston B. Nichols, Peter Moon, 2018-11-14 Personal story of Preston Nichols and how radar was used to manipulate matter and time itself beginning with the Philadelphia Experiment and was further developed at Montauk. This edition includes the original text plus details over two decades worth of investigation leading to the scientific proof of actual time travel capabilities plus patent. |
| what conspiracy theories turned out to be true: A Culture of Conspiracy Michael Barkun, 2003 Unravelling the genealogies and permutations of conspiracist worldviews, this work shows how this web of urban legends has spread among sub-cultures on the Internet and through mass media, and how this phenomenon relates to larger changes in American culture. |
| what conspiracy theories turned out to be true: Conspiracy Theories and the Failure of Intellectual Critique Kurtis Hagen, 2022-07-20 Conspiracy Theories and the Failure of Intellectual Critique argues that conspiracy theories, including those that conflict with official accounts and suggest that prominent people in Western democracies have engaged in appalling behavior, should be taken seriously and judged on their merits and problems on a case-by-case basis. It builds on the philosophical work on this topic that has developed over the past quarter century, challenging some of it, but affirming the emerging consensus: each conspiracy theory ought to be judged on its particular merits and faults. The philosophical consensus contrasts starkly with what one finds in the social science literature. Kurtis Hagen argues that significant aspects of that literature, especially the psychological study of conspiracy theorists, has turned out to be flawed and misleading. Those flaws are not randomly directed; rather, they consistently serve to disparage conspiracy theorists unfairly. This suggests that there may be a bias against conspiracy theorists in the academy, skewing “scientific” results. Conspiracy Theories and the Failure of Intellectual Critique argues that social scientists who study conspiracy theories and/or conspiracy theorists would do well to better absorb the implications of the philosophical literature. |
| what conspiracy theories turned out to be true: Harlot's Ghost Norman Mailer, 2007-01-23 With unprecedented scope and consummate skill, Norman Mailer unfolds a rich and riveting epic of an American spy. Harry Hubbard is the son and godson of CIA legends. His journey to learn the secrets of his society—and his own past—takes him through the Bay of Pigs, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the “momentous catastrophe” of the Kennedy assassination. All the while, Hubbard is haunted by women who were loved by both his godfather and President Kennedy. Featuring a tapestry of unforgettable characters both real and imagined, Harlot’s Ghost is a panoramic achievement in the tradition of Tolstoy, Melville, and Balzac, a triumph of Mailer’s literary prowess. Praise for Harlot’s Ghost “[Norman Mailer is] the right man to exalt the history of the CIA into something better than history.”—Anthony Burgess, The Washington Post Book World “Elegantly written and filled with almost electric tension . . . When I returned from the world of Harlot’s Ghost to the present I wished to be enveloped again by Mailer’s imagination.”—Robert Wilson, USA Today “Immense, fascinating, and in large part brilliant.”—Salman Rushdie, The Independent on Sunday “A towering creation . . . a fiction as real and as possible as actual history.”—The New York Times Praise for Norman Mailer “[Norman Mailer] loomed over American letters longer and larger than any other writer of his generation.”—The New York Times “A writer of the greatest and most reckless talent.”—The New Yorker “Mailer is indispensable, an American treasure.”—The Washington Post “A devastatingly alive and original creative mind.”—Life “Mailer is fierce, courageous, and reckless and nearly everything he writes has sections of headlong brilliance.”—The New York Review of Books “The largest mind and imagination [in modern] American literature . . . Unlike just about every American writer since Henry James, Mailer has managed to grow and become richer in wisdom with each new book.”—Chicago Tribune “Mailer is a master of his craft. His language carries you through the story like a leaf on a stream.”—The Cincinnati Post |
| what conspiracy theories turned out to be true: Conspiracy Theories and the People who Believe Them Joseph E. Uscinski, 2019 Conspiracy theories are inevitable in complex human societies. And while they have always been with us, their ubiquity in our political discourse is nearly unprecedented. Their salience has increased for a variety of reasons including the increasing access to information among ordinary people, a pervasive sense of powerlessness among those same people, and a widespread distrust of elites. Working in combination, these factors and many other factors are now propelling conspiracy theories into our public sphere on a vast scale. In recent years, scholars have begun to study this genuinely important phenomenon in a concerted way. In Conspiracy Theories and the People Who Believe Them, Joseph E. Uscinski has gathered forty top researchers on the topic to provide both the foundational tools and the evidence to better understand conspiracy theories in the United States and around the world. Each chapter is informed by three core questions: Why do so many people believe in conspiracy theories? What are the effects of such theories when they take hold in the public? What can or should be done about the phenomenon? Combining systematic analysis and cutting-edge empirical research, this volume will help us better understand an extremely important, yet relatively neglected, phenomenon. |
| what conspiracy theories turned out to be true: Conspiracy Theories Richard Greene, Rachel Robison-Greene, 2020-01-07 Conspiracy theories have become a major element in modern opinion formation. From the theory that the killing of President Kennedy was masterminded by a powerful conspiracy to the theory that 9/11 was an inside job, from the story that Barack Obama wasn’t born in America to the story that Donald Trump was a Russian asset, conspiracy theories have become a major element in opinion formation and an ever-present influence, sometimes open, sometimes hidden, on the daily headline news. In Conspiracy Theories, philosophers of diverse backgrounds and persuasions focus their lenses on the phenomenon of the conspiracy theory, its psychological causes, its typical shape, and its political consequences. Among the questions addressed: ● What’s the formula for designing a contagious conspiracy theory? ● Where does conspiracy theorizing end and investigative reporting begin? ● What can we learn about conspiracy theories from the three movie treatments of the Kennedy assassination (The Parallax View, JFK, and Interview with the Assassin)? ● Does political powerlessness generate conspiracy theories? ● Is conspiracy theorizing essentially an instinct that lies behind all belief in religion and all striving for a meaningful life? ● Can we find conspiracy theories in all political movements for centuries past? ● What are the most common types of fallacious reasoning that tend to support conspiracy theories? ● Is there a psychological disorder at the root of conspiracy theories? ● Why is the number of flat-earthers growing? |
| what conspiracy theories turned out to be true: The Madness of Crowds Douglas Murray, 2021-02-23 THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER Updated with a new afterword 'Douglas Murray fights the good fight for freedom of speech ... A truthful look at today's most divisive issues' – Jordan B. Peterson 'An excellent take on the lunacy affecting much of the world today. Douglas is one of the bright lights that could lead us out of the darkness.' – Joe Rogan Are we living through the great derangement of our times? In The Madness of Crowds Douglas Murray investigates the dangers of 'woke' culture and the rise of identity politics. In lively, razor-sharp prose he examines the most controversial issues of our moment: sexuality, gender, technology and race, with interludes on the Marxist foundations of 'wokeness', the impact of tech and how, in an increasingly online culture, we must relearn the ability to forgive. One of the few writers who dares to counter the prevailing view and question the dramatic changes in our society – from gender reassignment for children to the impact of transgender rights on women – Murray's penetrating book, now published with a new afterword taking account of the book's reception and responding to the worldwide Black Lives Matter protests, clears a path of sanity through the fog of our modern predicament. |
| what conspiracy theories turned out to be true: Trick Or Treason Robert Parry, 1993 It is the most controversial mystery of the Reagan-Bush era: Did the Republican Party, desperate in 1980 to reclaim the White House, interfere with President Carter's frantic efforts to free the 52 American hostages held in Tehran and thwart an October Surprise? Was there a Republican-Iranian deal that bordered on treason? Or was this stunning allegation a bizarre trick played by a loose-knit band of arms brokers and intelligence operatives? For much of the 1980s, suspicions of Republican wrongdoing bubbled beneath the surface, only bursting into public view after the Iran-contra scandal exposed the secret policies and subterranean levels of Reagan-Bush operations. Almost ten years after the events, the Public Broadcasting System's Frontline documentary program asked award-winning investigative reporter Robert Parry to examine the accusations. Parry had been the first reporter to expose Oliver North's Iran-contra operations and had broken many of that scandal's chief stories. Over the next two and a half years, Parry pursued leads in a world-wide odyssey for an elusive - and sometimes dangerous - truth. From Washington to Tehran, from Paris to Jerusalem, from London to Tunis, it was a journey into a wilderness of mirrors where few could be trusted and nothing was as it seemed. The investigation was hampered, too, by a relentless assault from the White House and its powerful allies, who feared the story could destroy the legitimacy of 12 years of Republican rule. In the end, Parry the pursuer became Parry the pursued. But beyond the political mystery, this book lays bare an era during which deception evolved into a high art form and the nation's traditional constitutional safeguardswere no match for the lies. And finally, it is up to you to judge: Was the October Surprise story a trick played on the media and the American public? Or was it treason committed at the highest levels of the U.S. political system, a historic perversion of American democracy? |
| what conspiracy theories turned out to be true: Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury, 1993 A book burner in a future fascist state finds out books are a vital part of a culture he never knew. He clandestinely pursues reading, until he is betrayed. |
CONSPIRACY Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
The meaning of CONSPIRACY is the act of conspiring together. How to use conspiracy in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Conspiracy.
Conspiracy - Wikipedia
A conspiracy, also known as a plot, ploy, or scheme, is a secret plan or agreement between people (called conspirers or conspirators) for an unlawful or harmful purpose, such as murder, …
CONSPIRACY | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
CONSPIRACY definition: 1. the activity of secretly planning with other people to do something bad or illegal: 2. a…. Learn more.
Conspiracy - Definition, Examples, Cases, Processes
May 31, 2017 · A conspiracy is an agreement or plan, made between two or more people, to engage in an illegal act, to obtain an unlawful objective, or to deprive another person of his …
CONSPIRACY definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary
A conspiracy is an agreement between a group of people which other people think is wrong or is likely to be harmful. It's all part of a conspiracy to move everything out of the town centre. He …
Conspiracy theory | Definition, Examples, & Facts | Britannica
Jun 4, 2025 · Conspiracy theory, an attempt to explain harmful or tragic events as the result of the actions of a small powerful group. Such explanations reject the accepted narrative surrounding …
conspiracy | Wex | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute
Conspiracy is an agreement between two or more people to commit an illegal act, along with an intent to achieve the agreement's goal. Most U.S. jurisdictions also require an overt act toward …
CONSPIRACY Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
The meaning of CONSPIRACY is the act of conspiring together. How to use conspiracy in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Conspiracy.
Conspiracy - Wikipedia
A conspiracy, also known as a plot, ploy, or scheme, is a secret plan or agreement between people (called conspirers or conspirators) for an unlawful or harmful purpose, such as murder, …
CONSPIRACY | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
CONSPIRACY definition: 1. the activity of secretly planning with other people to do something bad or illegal: 2. a…. Learn more.
Conspiracy - Definition, Examples, Cases, Processes
May 31, 2017 · A conspiracy is an agreement or plan, made between two or more people, to engage in an illegal act, to obtain an unlawful objective, or to deprive another person of his …
CONSPIRACY definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary
A conspiracy is an agreement between a group of people which other people think is wrong or is likely to be harmful. It's all part of a conspiracy to move everything out of the town centre. He …
Conspiracy theory | Definition, Examples, & Facts | Britannica
Jun 4, 2025 · Conspiracy theory, an attempt to explain harmful or tragic events as the result of the actions of a small powerful group. Such explanations reject the accepted narrative surrounding …
conspiracy | Wex | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute
Conspiracy is an agreement between two or more people to commit an illegal act, along with an intent to achieve the agreement's goal. Most U.S. jurisdictions also require an overt act toward …
