Do you buy into any conspiracy theories?

[TNF]

Well?

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

New Coke was probably a scheme to boost the sales of Coke Classic/a solid cover to replace cane sugar with HFCS.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

All of them

[Grumpier Than Thou]

I believe Kennedy was killed by someone other than (or not just by) Lee Harvey Oswald, but that's about it.

[Deus Naturae]

It's very likely that FDR deliberately stationed a large portion of the US fleet at Pearl Harbor because he wanted a Japanese attack to provide an excuse for war.

Recent events also make it seem more than likely that the New York Fed has stolen the foreign gold reserves that are supposed to be stored there. I don't think that's a conspiracy theory but some may view it as such.

[#CriminalizeSobriety]

New Coke was probably a scheme to boost the sales of Coke Classic/a solid cover to replace cane sugar with HFCS.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Coke#Backlash

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[TNF]

I don't believe the official story as far as the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. goes.

[free my dawg]

I believe that David Stern used the referees to rig the NBA Playoffs (see: 2002 WCF, 2012 ECF) for more money, and I believe he vetoed the Chris Paul trade specifically because it would make an easier road for the Miami Heat (and LeBron) to win an NBA Championship. Basically anything to do with the Miami Heat (including how they formed but it's fairly obvious LBJ+Wade+Bosh colluded) in the Stern years was a massive amount of f**kery.

Other than the NBA I really don't delve into conspiracy stuff.

[Bacon King]

JFK and Bobby Kennedy were killed by something more than lone gunmen

Barely a conspiracy at this point, but the CIA was responsible for the US crack epidemic.

The modern successor to the SR-71 Blackbird is capable of some crazy stuff, and is responsible for most "real" UFO sightings

[Beet]

I can't think of any explanation for the MH 370 disappearance that is any more plausible than any number of conspiracy theories, if that counts. That is, I don't buy into any particular conspiracy theories per se, but nor do I think there are any "mainstream" theories that are strong enough to create bright dividing line between themselves and alternative theories which would be tagged with the "conspiracy" adjective. It's basically a wide open question.

[TNF]

I can't think of any explanation for the MH 370 disappearance that is any more plausible than any number of conspiracy theories, if that counts. That is, I don't buy into any particular conspiracy theories per se, but nor do I think there are any "mainstream" theories that are strong enough to create bright dividing line between themselves and alternative theories which would be tagged with the "conspiracy" adjective. It's basically a wide open question.

Everyone knows MH370 was aliens, Beet.

Last recorded transmission from the pilots was reportedly "ayy lmao"

[Joe Republic]

Recent events also make it seem more than likely that the New York Fed has stolen the foreign gold reserves that are supposed to be stored there. I don't think that's a conspiracy theory but some may view it as such.

Die Hard With A Vengeance wasn't that recent.

[Middle-aged Europe]

I believe that conspiracy theories were invented by the military-industrial-entertainment complex to distract us from the real issues society is facing.

[traininthedistance]

Zachary Taylor was poisoned by traitorous Southrons who were angry that he was taking a hard line against expansion of slavery into the territories.

Other than that... nah, not really.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I think the Oklahoma City bombing was an FBI sting that took on a life of its own and actually happened. Not a nefarious action of state terrorism, but I feel incompetence on the part of the FBI was totally covered up.

I don't believe the official story as far as the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. goes.

Eh, I don't buy the full official story, but I don't think it was too far off either.

I believe Kennedy was killed by someone other than (or not just by) Lee Harvey Oswald, but that's about it.

The shot was possible. I do think it is quite clear that Oswald killed JFK. If he was put up to it, we will never know, but as for the act itself, he did it.

[H. Ross Peron]

Not really.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

There are enough questions about all the 60s assassinations (JFK, RFK and MLK), but again it's about the scale and scope. Remember two people agreeing to do something is a conspiracy.

The problem with 'conspiracy theories' is that evidence generally doesn't exist for any of them. Which, of course, becomes part of the conspiracy, or whatever 'evidence' that does, is "re-imagined" to suit the arguments.

JFK is a big example of this.

1. They said the route was changed to enable the car to be in the perfect position for the shooting... when in reality, it was changed, only when the city people told the Secret Service that the route they had planned with the Governor's office would have meant the giant car would have needed to mount a lane divider to get onto the Freeway.

2. They said the telephone system went down in Washington for an hour. Which is true. But the reality was the system was still largely archaic and considering what had just happened... it kind of makes sense the phone system would go into melt down. But when you apply a perceived motive behind an otherwise explicable action... of course it looks questionable.

and there's more. If, after 50 years, the best evidence people can find is hearsay and crack-pot death-bed confessions ... then it says a lot.

The Pearl Harbour one is something I used to give a little credence to... but the more I read, the more I realised that it was a situation of compounding effect with catalyst (and probably some personal animus towards FDR).

- The Japanese codes were not fully broken (the argument from the theorists being "the codes were broken") and the evidence available shows that the Japanese codes that were broken were not the ones used for advanced planning. Also the Japanese instituted strict radio silence, because they knew the Americans were expecting some form of attack. They actually expected it be in the Philippines.

- There was nothing unusual about ship movements around Pearl Habour, it was the Pacific Fleet base at a time of heightened military alert. It makes no sense, to trigger a war, by allowing the work-horses of your fleet to be massacred ... as the war starts. The other element is to assume approaches used today are the same as then. The other allegation is that the new carriers were deliberately moved to prevent their damage. When the reality was that carriers were not the powerhouses of the navy they became.

... a motive does not a conspiracy make. 

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

I think radio host Alex Jones is a CIA plant to make all conspiracy theorists look nuts.

Seriously, I do believe leading members of the establishment (including the intelligence services) have covered up widespread child abuse; but that's hardly just a "theory" at the moment.

[traininthedistance]

I think radio host Alex Jones is a CIA plant to make all conspiracy theorists look nuts.

Seriously, I do believe leading members of the establishment (including the intelligence services) have covered up widespread child abuse; but that's hardly just a "theory" at the moment.

You left out the part where Alex Jones is not only a CIA plant, but is also the "late" comedian Bill Hicks.

[All Along The Watchtower]

Not really, no.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

No, although I sometimes wonder whether Jesse Jackson may have had something to do with MLK's assassination.

[SWE]

Putin was behind 9/11

[politicus]

No, although I sometimes wonder whether Jesse Jackson may have had something to do with ML K's assassination.

[Cory]

I think radio host Alex Jones is a CIA plant to make all conspiracy theorists look nuts.

Seriously, I do believe leading members of the establishment (including the intelligence services) have covered up widespread child abuse; but that's hardly just a "theory" at the moment.

Say what?

[HagridOfTheDeep]

Probably unpopular, but I think it's possible Osama bin Laden is being kept alive in some hole somewhere by the American government.