You can spend almost as much time reading about conspiracy theories as you can browsing internet dating sites! Here are my favorites;
10. Marilyn Monroe was murdered.
We all know about the theories that Marilyn Monroe and then-President John F. Kennedy were intimately involved. Well, some conspiracy theorists believe that others in the government knew about it, too. And that they had Marilyn killed --feeding her massive amounts of barbiturates-- to prevent her from spilling any top secret government information.
9. The world will end --or come pretty close-- in 2012.
Looking for somebody to settle down with and marry on an internet dating site? Then you'd better hurry! Some people truly believe that an Earth-shattering natural disaster will take place in December of 2012... and that the government knows about it and is trying to suppress the truth. Why do they believe this? Because scholars who studied the Mayan calendar have noted that it's surprisingly accurate as to astronomical and natural events... and that the calendar ends in the year 2012.
8. The 2004 Tsunami was caused by the military.
This particular conspiracy theory is one that was circulated for awhile in the Arab world. The idea is that the technology to create a Tsunami has existed for quite some time, and that either the U.S. or Indian military (or both) were the ones that caused the 2004 Tsunami in the Indian Ocean.
7. AIDS was created by government scientists.
The most common scientific belief about the HIV virus is that it originated from African monkeys. But large groups of people actually believe that AIDS was created by the government, not by nature. The reasons why the government would do this are, according to conspiracy theorists, varied. Some say it was for simple population control. Others say it was due to bigotry against minorities and homosexuals. Complicating this conspiracy is the theory that the government has long had a cure for AIDS, but has been keeping it away from the public.
6. Princess Diana's death was a planned murder by the royal family.
Almost the entire world suffered in mourning the day that Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed were killed in a car accident. But because Dodi was Muslim and Diana was, well, Diana, there was a lot of controversy surrounding their relationship. Some believe that the royal family planned Diana and Dodi's death in order to prevent any more embarrassment to the royals.
This conspiracy theory may sound a little far-fetched, but up to a quarter of the population of the United Kingdom believes it's true.
5. Global warming was made up to control the masses.
When a subject like global warming is politicized, it's no surprise that conspiracy theories pop up around it like mushrooms. Many who disbelieve in global warming claim that Al Gore, the United Nations, or others actually made up the concept of global warming in order to keep the world population panicked and under firm control.
4. Elvis is still alive and kickin'.
If you've ever been to the American south, chances are you've come across somebody who believes that Elvis never died. These people believe that The King is alive and well... and still eating peanut butter and banana sandwiches, of course.
3. John F. Kennedy's assassination was a government conspiracy.
There have been a lot of Hollywood movies made about this particular theory. The Kennedy theory revolves around that idea that, contrary to reports, Lee Harvey Oswald wasn't acting alone when he shot and killed President Kennedy. Supporters of this theory believe that JFK was killed by the US Government, the Russians, his own administration, you name it.
2. The 1969 moon landing was staged.
This is one of those conspiracy theories that will probably never go away... and which doesn't seem able to be disproved. There are a number of reasons why conspiracy theorists believe that the 1969 Apollo 11 mission to the moon was staged. For one, it happened during a difficult time in American history, when morale was low and some event was needed to get Americans cheerful and working hard again. It also took place during a time where relations with Russia were, well, a bit uncomfortable, and so the moon landing worked in part to thumb the collective American nose at its Russian rivals.
Conspiracy theorists who believe man never really landed on the moon refer to the quality of the photos from the moon (which they claim are too high), the apparent existence of wind (a flapping flag) on the moon, a lack of stars, etc., to support their theory.
1. The 9/11 attacks were allowed by the US Government.
Since 2001, a lot of conspiracy theories have arisen about 9/11. But the most widely believed ones claim that ex-President George W. Bush (and others in his administration) not only knew that the attacks were about to take place, but intentionally allowed them to happen to create support for the war they wanted to wield in Iraq.
