Editing List of conspiracy theories

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[[File:Dollarnote siegel hq.jpg|thumb|The [[Eye of Providence]], or the all-seeing eye of God, seen here on the US$1 bill, has been taken by some to be evidence of a conspiracy involving the [[Founding Fathers of the United States]] and the [[Illuminati]].<ref name=Barkun2003>[[Michael Barkun|Barkun, Michael]] (2003). ''[[A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic Visions in Contemporary America]]''. Berkeley: University of California Press.</ref>{{rp|58}}<ref>{{cite book|first1=Micah|last1=Issitt|first2=Carlyn|last2=Main|title=Hidden Religion: The Greatest Mysteries and Symbols of the World's Religious Beliefs|publisher=ABC-CLIO|year=2014|isbn=978-1-61069-478-0}}</ref>{{rp|47–49}}]]
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This is a list of notable [[Conspiracy theory|conspiracy theories]]. Many conspiracy theories relate to supposed clandestine government plans and elaborate murder plots.<ref name="Harambam-Aupers 2021">{{cite journal|last1=Harambam|first1=Jaron|last2=Aupers|first2=Stef|date=August 2021|title=From the unbelievable to the undeniable: Epistemological pluralism, or how conspiracy theorists legitimate their extraordinary truth claims|journal=[[European Journal of Cultural Studies]]|publisher=[[SAGE Publications]]|volume=24|issue=4|pages=990–1008|doi=10.1177/1367549419886045|doi-access=free|issn=1460-3551|hdl=11245.1/7716b88d-4e3f-49ee-8093-253ccb344090|hdl-access=free}}</ref> They usually deny consensus opinion and cannot be proven using [[Historical method|historical]] or [[scientific method]]s, and are not to be confused with research concerning verified [[Conspiracy|conspiracies]], such as [[Operation Himmler|Germany's pretense for invading Poland in World War II]].

In principle, conspiracy theories might not always be false, and [[Falsifiability|their validity depends on evidence]] as for any theory. However, they are often implausible ''[[prima facie]]'' due to their [[Occam's razor|convoluted and all-encompassing nature]].<ref name="Harambam-Aupers 2021"/> Conspiracy theories tend to be internally consistent and correlate with each other;<ref>{{cite journal|author1-last=Douglas|author1-first=Karen M.|author2-last=Sutton|author2-first=Robbie M.|date=January 2023|title=What Are Conspiracy Theories? A Definitional Approach to Their Correlates, Consequences, and Communication|editor-last=Fiske|editor-first=Susan T.|editor-link=Susan Fiske|journal=[[Annual Review of Psychology]]|publisher=[[Annual Reviews (publisher)|Annual Reviews]]|volume=74|pages=271–298|doi=10.1146/annurev-psych-032420-031329|doi-access=free|issn=1545-2085|oclc=909903176|pmid=36170672|s2cid=252597317}}</ref> they are generally designed to resist [[Falsifiability|falsification]] either by evidence against them or a lack of evidence for them.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Douglas|first1=Karen M.|last2=Sutton|first2=Robbie M.|date=12 April 2011|title=Does it take one to know one? Endorsement of conspiracy theories is influenced by personal willingness to conspire|url=http://kar.kent.ac.uk/26187/1/Douglas%20%26%20Sutton%202011%20BJSP.pdf|url-status=live|journal=[[British Journal of Social Psychology]]|publisher=[[Wiley-Blackwell]] on behalf of the [[British Psychological Society]]|volume=10|issue=3|pages=544–552|doi=10.1111/j.2044-8309.2010.02018.x|issn=2044-8309|lccn=81642357|oclc=475047529|pmid=21486312|s2cid=7318352|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181103180834/https://kar.kent.ac.uk/26187/1/Douglas%20%26%20Sutton%202011%20BJSP.pdf|archive-date=3 November 2018|access-date=8 May 2024}}</ref>

Psychologists sometimes attribute proclivities toward conspiracy theories to a number of psychopathological conditions such as [[paranoia]], [[schizotypy]], [[narcissism]], and [[insecure attachment]],<ref name="Andrade2020">{{cite journal|last=Andrade|first=Gabriel|date=April 2020|title=Medical conspiracy theories: Cognitive science and implications for ethics|url=https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11019-020-09951-6.pdf|url-status=live|journal=[[Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy]]|publisher=[[Springer Science+Business Media|Springer]] on behalf of the [[European Society for Philosophy of Medicine and Healthcare]]|volume=23|issue=3|pages=505–518|doi=10.1007/s11019-020-09951-6|doi-access=free|issn=1572-8633|pmc=7161434|pmid=32301040|s2cid=215787658|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508193924/https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11019-020-09951-6.pdf|archive-date=8 May 2020|access-date=7 October 2021}}</ref> or to a form of [[cognitive bias]] called "[[illusory pattern perception]]".<ref>{{cite web|title=Conspiracy Theorists Really Do See The World Differently, New Study Shows|url=https://www.sciencealert.com/conspiracy-theory-beliefs-illusory-pattern-perception-cognitive-science|first=Signe|last=Dean|publisher=[[Journal of Biological Sciences|Science Alert]]|date=23 October 2017|access-date=17 June 2020|archive-date=23 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171023105912/https://www.sciencealert.com/conspiracy-theory-beliefs-illusory-pattern-perception-cognitive-science|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Conspiracy Theorists Have a Fundamental Cognitive Problem, Say Scientists|url=https://www.inverse.com/article/37463-conspiracy-beliefs-illusory-pattern-perception|first=Sarah|last=Sloat|publisher=[[Bustle (magazine)|Inverse]]|date=17 October 2017|access-date=17 June 2020|archive-date=22 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171022013602/https://www.inverse.com/article/37463-conspiracy-beliefs-illusory-pattern-perception|url-status=live}}</ref> However, the current [[scientific consensus]] holds that most conspiracy theorists are not pathological, but merely exaggerate certain cognitive tendencies that are universal in the human brain and probably have deep [[Evolutionary psychology|evolutionary origins]], such as natural inclinations towards [[Evolutionary origin of anxiety|anxiety]] and [[agent detection]].<ref name="Andrade2020"/>

== Aviation ==
Numerous conspiracy theories pertain to air travel and aircraft. Incidents such as the 1955 bombing of the [[Kashmir Princess]], the 1985 [[Arrow Air Flight 1285]] crash, the [[1986 Mozambican Tupolev Tu-134 crash]], the 1987 [[Helderberg Disaster]], the 1988 bombing of [[Pan Am Flight 103 conspiracy theories|Pan Am Flight 103]] and the 1994 [[1994 Scotland RAF Chinook crash|Mull of Kintyre helicopter crash]] as well as various aircraft technologies and alleged sightings, have all spawned theories of foul play that deviate from official verdicts.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://listverse.com/2014/07/23/10-controversial-air-crash-conspiracy-theories/|work=Listverse|date=23 July 2014|title=10 Controversial Air Crash Conspiracy Theories|access-date=29 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170615205721/http://listverse.com/2014/07/23/10-controversial-air-crash-conspiracy-theories/|archive-date=15 June 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Black helicopters ===
{{main|Black helicopter}}
This conspiracy theory emerged in the US in the 1960s. The [[John Birch Society]] originally promoted<ref name="Financial Times">{{cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/468c2fb4-8372-11de-a24e-00144feabdc0|work=Financial Times|location=London|date=7 August 2009|title=Bring out the cranks and conspiracy theorists|access-date=18 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171231212650/https://www.ft.com/content/468c2fb4-8372-11de-a24e-00144feabdc0|archive-date=31 December 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> it, asserting that a [[United Nations]] force would soon arrive in black helicopters to bring the US under UN control. A similar theory concerning so-called "phantom helicopters" appeared in the UK in the 1970s.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/03/16/historys-greatest-conspiracy-theories/black-or-unmarked-helicopters/|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=19 November 2008|title=History's greatest conspiracy theories|access-date=5 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180430195723/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/03/16/historys-greatest-conspiracy-theories/black-or-unmarked-helicopters/|archive-date=30 April 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> The theory re-emerged in the 1990s during the presidency of [[Bill Clinton]], and was "energetically" promoted by writer [[Jim Keith]] in his book ''Black Helicopters Over America''. By the 2000s, the term "black helicopters" became a shorthand for anti-government conspiracy theories that "stretch the bounds of credulity",<ref name="Goldwag">{{cite book|last1=Goldwag|first1=Arthur|title=Cults, Conspiracies, and Secret Societies: The Straight Scoop on Freemasons, the Illuminati, Skull and Bones, Black Helicopters, the New World Order, and Many, Many More|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=88ZvDwAAQBAJ&dq=a+few+last+words+about+black+helicopters&pg=PA163|publisher=Vintage Books|year=2009|isbn=9780307390677|access-date=26 November 2021}}</ref> such as those espoused by militia groups and a number of guests of talk show host [[Glenn Beck]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2011-apr-07-la-et-glenn-beck-20110407-story.html|work=Los Angeles Times|date=7 April 2011|title=Fox gives Glenn Beck's show the boot|access-date=18 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160510012227/http://articles.latimes.com/2011/apr/07/entertainment/la-et-glenn-beck-20110407|archive-date=10 May 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://theweek.com/articles/580740/ben-carson-ready-coming-american-apocalypse|work=The Week|date=2 October 2015|title=Ben Carson is ready for the coming American apocalypse|access-date=18 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180101025905/http://theweek.com/articles/580740/ben-carson-ready-coming-american-apocalypse|archive-date=1 January 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Chemtrails ===
{{main|Chemtrail conspiracy theory}}
[[File:Contrail.fourengined.arp.jpg|thumb|A high-flying jet's engines leaving a condensation trail ([[contrail]])]]

Also known as SLAP (Secret Large-scale Atmospheric Program), this theory alleges that water condensation trails ("[[contrails]]") from aircraft consist of chemical or biological agents, or contain a supposedly toxic mix of [[aluminum]], [[strontium]] and [[barium]],<ref>{{cite news|title=My month with chemtrails conspiracy theorists|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/may/22/california-conspiracy-theorist-farmers-chemtrails|date=22 May 2017|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=14 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171215045239/https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/may/22/california-conspiracy-theorist-farmers-chemtrails|archive-date=15 December 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> under secret government policies. An estimated 17% of people globally believe the theory to be true or partly true. In 2016, the [[Carnegie Institution for Science]] published the first-ever peer-reviewed study of the chemtrail theory; 76 out of 77 participating atmospheric chemists and geochemists stated that they had seen no evidence to support the chemtrail theory or stated that chemtrail theorists rely on poor [[Sampling (statistics)|sampling]].<ref>{{Cite journal|title=Quantifying expert consensus against the existence of a secret, large-scale atmospheric spraying program|journal=Environmental Research Letters|volume=11|issue=8|pages=084011|date=10 August 2016|doi=10.1088/1748-9326/11/8/084011|last1=Shearer|first1=Christine|last2=West|first2=Mick|last3=Caldeira|first3=Ken|last4=Davis|first4=Steven J|bibcode=2016ERL....11h4011S|doi-access=free|issn=1748-9326}}</ref><ref name="The Daily Telegraph"/>

=== Korean Air Lines Flight 007 ===
The destruction of [[Korean Air Lines Flight 007]] by Soviet jets in 1983 has long drawn [[Korean Air Lines Flight 007 alternative theories|the interest of conspiracy theorists]]. The theories range from allegations of a planned espionage mission, to a US government cover-up, to the consumption of the passengers' remains by giant crabs.<ref>Izvestia, 8 February 1991, pg. 7</ref>

=== Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 ===

{{See also|Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappearance theories}}

The disappearance of [[Malaysia Airlines Flight 370]] in southeast Asia in March 2014 has prompted many theories. One theory suggests that this plane was hidden away and reintroduced as [[Malaysia Airlines Flight 17|Flight MH17]] later the same year in order to be shot down over Ukraine for political purposes. American conspiracy theorist [[James H. Fetzer]] has placed responsibility for the disappearance with the then Israeli Prime Minister [[Benjamin Netanyahu]].<ref name="The Guardian">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jul/22/mh17-five-bizarre-conspiracy-theories-zionist-plots-illuminati-russian-tv|work=The Guardian|date=22 July 2014|title=MH17: five of the most bizarre conspiracy theories|access-date=23 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170325105142/https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jul/22/mh17-five-bizarre-conspiracy-theories-zionist-plots-illuminati-russian-tv|archive-date=25 March 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Historian [[Norman Davies]] has promoted the conspiracy theory that hackers remotely took over a [[Uninterruptible autopilot|Boeing Uninterruptible Autopilot]], supposedly installed on board, remotely piloting the aircraft to Antarctica.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=12191656|title='This is where MH370 crashed': Fisherman claims he saw Malaysian Airlines plane go down|date=16 January 2019|time=6:43am|newspaper=[[The New Zealand Herald]]|access-date=6 February 2020|archive-date=2 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200802155709/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=12191656|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2017/12/new-theories-claim-mh370-was-remotely-hijacked-buried-in-antarctica.html|title=New theories claim MH370 was 'remotely hijacked', buried in Antarctica|newspaper=Newshub|access-date=6 February 2020|archive-date=16 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171216072821/https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2017/12/new-theories-claim-mh370-was-remotely-hijacked-buried-in-antarctica.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 ===
[[Malaysia Airlines Flight 17]] was shot down over Ukraine in July 2014. This event has spawned numerous alternative theories. These variously include allegations that it was secretly [[Flight MH370]], that the plane was actually shot down by the [[Ukrainian Air Force]] to [[Frameup|frame]] Russia, that it was part of a conspiracy to conceal the "truth" about [[HIV]] (seven disease specialists were on board), or that the [[Illuminati]] or Israel was responsible.<ref name="The Guardian"/><ref name="Sydney Morning Herald">{{cite news|url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/malaysia-airlines-flight-mh17-was-shot-down-from-prorussian-rebel-controlled-territory-investigation-finds-20160928-grqter.html|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=29 September 2016|title=Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down from pro-Russian rebel controlled territory, investigation finds|access-date=3 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306185535/https://www.smh.com.au/world/malaysia-airlines-flight-mh17-was-shot-down-from-prorussian-rebel-controlled-territory-investigation-finds-20160928-grqter.html|archive-date=6 March 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Business and industry ==
[[File:New Coke can.jpg|thumb|70px|[[New Coke]] was manufactured between 1985 and 2002.]]

===''Deepwater Horizon''===
Multiple conspiracy theories pertain to [[Deepwater Horizon explosion|a fatal oil-rig industrial accident]] in 2010 in the [[Gulf of Mexico]], alleging sabotage by those seeking to promote environmentalism, or a strike by North Korean or Russian submarines. Elements of such theories had been suggested or promoted by US radio host [[Rush Limbaugh]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Phillips|first=David|title=Conspiracy Theories Behind BP Oil Spill in Gulf – From Dick Cheney To UFOs|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/conspiracy-theories-behind-bp-oil-spill-in-gulf-from-dick-cheney-to-ufos/|publisher=CBS News|date=1 July 2010|access-date=12 March 2021|archive-date=1 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221001014439/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/conspiracy-theories-behind-bp-oil-spill-in-gulf-from-dick-cheney-to-ufos/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=The conspiracy theories behind the BP oil spill|url=http://www.theweek.co.uk/13253/conspiracy-theories-behind-bp-oil-spill|work=The Week|date=14 July 2010|access-date=4 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170623045142/http://www.theweek.co.uk/13253/conspiracy-theories-behind-bp-oil-spill|archive-date=23 June 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== New Coke ===
{{Main|New Coke#Conspiracy theories}}
A theory claims that [[the Coca-Cola Company]] intentionally changed to an inferior formula with [[New Coke]], with the intent either of driving up demand for the original product or permitting the reintroduction of the original with a new formula using cheaper ingredients.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.snopes.com/cokelore/newcoke.asp|title=New Coke Origins|website=Snopes.com|date=2 May 1999|access-date=3 August 2010|archive-date=23 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190823145040/https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/new-coke-fiasco/|url-status=live}}</ref> Coca-Cola president [[Donald Keough]] rebutted this charge: "The truth is, we're not that dumb, and we're not that smart."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1048370-2,00.html|magazine=Time|first=John|last=Greenwald|title=Coca-Cola's Big Fizzle|date=12 April 2005|access-date=5 May 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111210055428/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1048370-2,00.html|archive-date=10 December 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Deaths and disappearances ==

===Death of Nero===
In ancient times, widespread conspiracy theories were circulated pertaining to the [[Nero Redivivus legend|death of the Roman emperor Nero]], who committed suicide in 68 AD.<ref name="Blount">{{cite book|last=Blount|first=Brian K.|date=2009|title=Revelation: A Commentary|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ate5WYoD_jgC&pg=PA248|location=Louisville, Kentucky|publisher=Westminster Knox Press|isbn=978-0-664-22121-8|pages=248–249}}</ref> Some of these theories claimed that Nero had actually faked his death and was secretly still alive, but in hiding, plotting to reestablish his reign.<ref name="Blount"/> In most of these stories, he was said to have fled to the East, where he was still influential.<ref name="Blount"/> Other theories held that Nero would return from the dead to retake his throne.<ref name="Blount"/> Many [[Early Christianity|early Christians]] feared Nero's return to resume his [[Persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire#49–250|vicious anti-Christian persecutions]].<ref name="Blount"/> The [[Book of Revelation]] may allude to these conspiracy theories in its description of the slaughtered head returned to life.<ref name="Blount"/>

===John F. Kennedy assassination===

{{Main|John F. Kennedy assassination conspiracy theories}}

[[File:JFK Motorcade GettyImages-517330536.jpg|thumb|[[John F. Kennedy]] in the [[Presidential state car (United States)|presidential limousine]] shortly before [[Assassination of John F. Kennedy|his assassination]]]]
In modern times, multiple [[John F. Kennedy assassination conspiracy theories|conspiracy theories concerning the assassination of John F. Kennedy]] in 1963 have emerged.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/2017-bumper-conspiracy-theories-110509496.html|publisher=Yahoo News|date=11 October 2017|title=Is 2017 a Bumper Year for Conspiracy Theories?|access-date=24 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201032421/https://www.yahoo.com/news/2017-bumper-conspiracy-theories-110509496.html|archive-date=1 December 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Vincent Bugliosi]] estimated that over 1,000 books had been written about the Kennedy assassination,<ref name="Bugliosi">{{cite book|last=Bugliosi|first=Vincent|author-link=Vincent Bugliosi|title=Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy|year=2007|publisher=W. W. Norton & Company|location=New York|isbn=978-0-393-04525-3|pages=xiv, 1273|url=https://archive.org/details/reclaiminghistor00bugl}}</ref> at least ninety percent of which are works supporting the view that there was a conspiracy.<ref name="Bugliosi"/> As a result of this, the Kennedy assassination has been described as "the mother of all conspiracies".<ref name="Broderick">{{cite book|last1=Broderick|first1=James F.|last2=Miller|first2=Darren W.|title=Web of Conspiracy: A Guide to Conspiracy Theory Sites on the Internet|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hOLDnJM91bkC|year=2008|publisher=Information Today, Inc./CyberAge Books|location=Medford, New Jersey|isbn=978-0-910965-81-1|page=203|chapter=Chapter 16: The JFK Assassination|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hOLDnJM91bkC&pg=PA203}}</ref><ref name="Perry">{{cite book|last=Perry|first=James D.|title=Conspiracy Theories in American History: An Encyclopedia|editor1-first=Knight|editor1-last=Peter|year=2003|publisher=ABC-CLIO, Inc.|location=Santa Barbara, California|isbn=978-1-57607-812-9|page=383}}</ref> The countless individuals and organizations that have been accused of involvement in the Kennedy assassination include the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]], the [[Italian-American Mafia|Mafia]], sitting [[Vice President of the United States|Vice President]] [[Lyndon B. Johnson]], [[Prime Minister of Cuba|Cuban Prime Minister]] [[Fidel Castro]], the [[KGB]], or even some combination thereof.<ref name="Summers">{{cite book|last=Summers|first=Anthony|title=Not in Your Lifetime|year=2013|publisher=Open Road|location=New York|isbn=978-1-4804-3548-3|chapter=Six Options for History|page=238|chapter-url=http://www.openroadmedia.com/not-in-your-lifetime|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131101151417/http://www.openroadmedia.com/not-in-your-lifetime|archive-date=1 November 2013}}</ref><ref name="Bugliosi"/> It is also frequently asserted that the United States federal government intentionally covered up crucial information in the aftermath of the assassination to prevent the conspiracy from being discovered.<ref name="Summers"/>

===Disappearance of Harold Holt===
[[File:Harold Holt SEATO.jpg|200px|right|thumb|[[Harold Holt]] in 1966.]]
{{Main|Disappearance of Harold Holt}}
At approximately 12:20pm on 17 December 1967, then–[[Prime Minister of Australia]] [[Harold Holt]], disappeared while swimming at [[Cheviot Beach]], near the town of [[Portsea, Victoria|Portsea]] in [[Victoria (state)|Victoria]]. While it is presumed that Holt drowned, the topic is still described as one of the biggest unsolved mysteries in Australian history and has spawned many conspiracy theories.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Harold Holt's disappearance still baffles 50 years on|url=https://www.9news.com.au/national/harold-holt-disappearance-still-baffles-50-years-on/b49d82c1-dbfa-474a-8fc5-3be2235e257b|access-date=8 August 2023|website=amp.9news.com.au|archive-date=3 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230803094314/https://amp.9news.com.au/article/b49d82c1-dbfa-474a-8fc5-3be2235e257b|url-status=live}}</ref> The conspiracy theories have been widely criticised by the public and by members of Holt's own family.

In 2007, television presenter [[Ray Martin (television presenter)|Ray Martin]] hosted the television special ''[[Who Killed Harold Holt?]]'', which first aired on the [[Nine Network]] on 20 November 2007. While the special explored numerous theories about Holt's disappearance, it gave particular credence to the theory that he committed [[suicide]].<ref>http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/depressed-holts-suicide-swim/news-story/14e0ac88e2b61cc00401c790a0ab0cf8 {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}</ref> In the lead-up to the airing of the program, Holt's biographer, [[Tom Frame (bishop)|Tom Frame]], described the allegations made in the special as "unjustified and contrary to all the evidence" in an opinion piece published in ''[[The Australian]]'' newspaper, while Holt's son, Sam, said he was "amazed that people can still keep bringing up [these] fallacious theories".

Another conspiracy theory is that Holt was actually a spy for the [[Chinese government]] (under both the [[Kuomintang|Nationalist]] and [[Chinese Communist Party|Communist]] governments) ever since he began studying at the [[University of Melbourne]] in 1929 and that he "pretended to drown", instead theorising that once below the surface two Chinese [[frogman|frogmen]] transported him to China in a [[submarine]]. This theory also claims that the [[Australian Security Intelligence Organisation]] (ASIO) covered up any evidence. This theory was first promoted in British writer [[Anthony Grey]]'s 1983 novel ''[[The Prime Minister Was a Spy]]'', which attracted controversy in Australia. Other conspiracy theories claim that Holt was assassinated. Targets of these claims include [[North Vietnam]] and the US [[Central Intelligence Agency]] (CIA).<ref>{{Cite web|title=CIA assassination?|url=https://www.nfsa.gov.au/collection/curated/cia-assassination|access-date=8 August 2023|archive-date=3 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230803104741/https://www.nfsa.gov.au/collection/curated/cia-assassination|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Death of other prominent figures===
The deaths of prominent figures of all types attract conspiracy theorists, sometimes elaborating on historically verified conspiracies such as the assassination of US President [[Assassination of Abraham Lincoln|Abraham Lincoln]],<ref>Kauffman, Michael W. (2004). American Brutus: John Wilkes Booth and the Lincoln Conspiracies, p.185 (New York: Random House), {{ISBN|978-0-375-50785-4}}</ref> as well as the deaths of [[Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.#Conspiracy theories|Martin Luther King Jr.]],<ref>{{cite book|first=David|last=Aaronovitch|title=Voodoo Histories: How Conspiracy Theory Has Shaped the Modern World|orig-date=2009|year=2010|publisher=Vintage|pages=7–8}}</ref> [[Mustafa Kemal Atatürk]],<ref name="yenisafak"/> [[Eric V of Denmark]], [[Tsarevich Dmitry Ivanovich of Russia (born 1582)|Dmitry Ivanovich]], [[Assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman|Sheikh Rahman]], [[Yitzhak Rabin assassination conspiracy theories|Yitzhak Rabin]],<ref>{{cite news|last=Burston|first=Bradley|title=Rightist website marks anniversary of Rabin's murder – with a conspiracy theory contest|url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/rightist-website-marks-anniversary-of-rabin-s-murder-with-a-conspiracy-theory-contest-1.318394|newspaper=Haaretz|date=11 October 2010|access-date=15 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120615063048/http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/rightist-website-marks-anniversary-of-rabin-s-murder-with-a-conspiracy-theory-contest-1.318394|archive-date=15 June 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Zachary Taylor#Assassination theories|Zachary Taylor]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/on-leadership/wp/2016/03/28/presidential-conspiracy-theories-from-zachary-taylor-to-jfk/|title=Presidential conspiracy theories, from Zachary Taylor to JFK|date=28 March 2017|access-date=7 April 2017|newspaper=The Washington Post|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170407103744/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/on-leadership/wp/2016/03/28/presidential-conspiracy-theories-from-zachary-taylor-to-jfk/|archive-date=7 April 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> [[George S. Patton]],<ref>{{cite web|last1=Hendrikx|first1=Peter|title=The Death of George S. Patton|url=https://www.osssociety.org/pdfs/Patton.pdf|website=osssociety.org|publisher=OSS Society|access-date=21 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210111001549/https://www.osssociety.org/pdfs/Patton.pdf|archive-date=11 January 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/3869117/General-George-S.-Patton-was-assassinated-to-silence-his-criticism-of-allied-war-leaders-claims-new-book.html|newspaper=The Telegraph|last=Shipman|first=Tim|title=General George S. Patton was assassinated to silence his criticism of allied war leaders, claims new book|date=20 December 2008|access-date=5 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180125115503/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/3869117/General-George-S.-Patton-was-assassinated-to-silence-his-criticism-of-allied-war-leaders-claims-new-book.html|archive-date=25 January 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Conspiracy theories about the death of Diana, Princess of Wales|Diana, Princess of Wales]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/03/16/historys-greatest-conspiracy-theories/diana-princess-of-wales-was-murdered/|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=19 November 2008|title=History's greatest conspiracy theories|access-date=5 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180430195849/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/03/16/historys-greatest-conspiracy-theories/diana-princess-of-wales-was-murdered/|archive-date=30 April 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Dag Hammarskjöld#Death|Dag Hammarskjöld]],<ref>{{cite news|last=Borger|first=Julian|title=Dag Hammarskjöld: evidence suggests UN chief's plane was shot down|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/aug/17/dag-hammarskjold-un-secretary-general-crash|newspaper=The Guardian (UK)|date=17 August 2011|access-date=15 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161204142624/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/aug/17/dag-hammarskjold-un-secretary-general-crash|archive-date=4 December 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Suicide of Kurt Cobain|Kurt Cobain]], [[Death of Michael Jackson|Michael Jackson]], [[Death of Marilyn Monroe|Marilyn Monroe]], [[Murder of Tupac Shakur|Tupac Shakur]],<ref name="vulture.com">{{Cite web|date=23 October 2016|title=The 70 Greatest Conspiracy Theories in Pop-Culture History|url=https://www.vulture.com/2016/10/pop-culture-conspiracy-theories-c-v-r.html|access-date=27 March 2021|website=Vulture|language=en-us|archive-date=25 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161025225133/https://www.vulture.com/2016/10/pop-culture-conspiracy-theories-c-v-r.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Death of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mozartian Conspiracy Theories {{!}} Robert Greenberg {{!}} Speaker, Composer, Author, Professor, Historian|url=https://robertgreenbergmusic.com/mozartian-conspiracy-theories/|access-date=27 March 2021|website=robertgreenbergmusic.com|language=en-US|archive-date=7 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210307113351/https://robertgreenbergmusic.com/mozartian-conspiracy-theories/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Murder of John Lennon|John Lennon]], [[Death of Jimi Hendrix|Jimi Hendrix]], [[Murder of the Notorious B.I.G.|the Notorious B.I.G.]],<ref name="vulture.com"/> [[Pope John Paul I]], [[Jill Dando]], [[Assassination of Olof Palme|Olof Palme]],<ref>{{Cite web|date=16 May 2019|title=Who killed the prime minister? The unsolved murder that still haunts Sweden|url=http://www.theguardian.com/news/2019/may/16/olof-palme-sweden-prime-minister-unsolved-murder-new-evidence|access-date=27 March 2021|website=The Guardian|language=en|archive-date=16 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190516064907/http://www.theguardian.com/news/2019/may/16/olof-palme-sweden-prime-minister-unsolved-murder-new-evidence|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Linkin Park]] member [[Chester Bennington]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bizarre Rumors & Conspiracy Theories That Claim Linkin Park Lead Singer Chester Bennington Was Murdered|url=https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/bizarre-rumors-conspiracy-theories-claim-045340117.html|access-date=27 March 2021|publisher=Yahoo|language=en-US|archive-date=14 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190614112918/https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/bizarre-rumors-conspiracy-theories-claim-045340117.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Paul Walker]], biological warfare authority [[David Kelly (weapons expert)|David Kelly]],<ref>{{cite news|last=Collins|first=Nick|title=David Kelly – what is behind the conspiracy theories?|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/8565727/David-Kelly-what-is-behind-the-conspiracy-theories.html|newspaper=The Telegraph (London)|date=9 June 2011|access-date=5 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180619031206/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/8565727/David-Kelly-what-is-behind-the-conspiracy-theories.html|archive-date=19 June 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Haitian president [[Assassination of Jovenel Moïse|Jovenel Moïse]],<ref>{{cite news|last1=Thalen|first1=Mikael|title=Conspiracy theorists are blaming the Clintons after Haitian president's assassination|url=https://www.dailydot.com/debug/conservatives-blame-clintons-haiti-assassination/|work=[[The Daily Dot]]|date=7 July 2021|language=en}}</ref> Indian [[List of Indian independence activists|freedom fighter]] [[Death of Subhas Chandra Bose|Subhas Chandra Bose]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=Ray|first=Ashis|date=10 February 2018|title=It's time to end the many conspiracy theories over Subhash Chandra Bose's death|url=https://theprint.in/opinion/time-to-end-conspiracy-theories-over-subhash-chandra-boses-death/34592/|url-status=dead|access-date=22 July 2021|website=[[The Print]]|archive-date=5 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210505232444/https://theprint.in/opinion/time-to-end-conspiracy-theories-over-subhash-chandra-boses-death/34592/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Roy Chaudhury|first=Sumeru|date=23 January 2020|title=Solving the Mystery of Netaji's 'Disappearance': Part One|url=https://thewire.in/history/netaji-subhas-chandra-bose-disappearnce-part-one|access-date=22 July 2021|website=[[The Wire (India)|The Wire]]|archive-date=3 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190203220931/https://thewire.in/history/netaji-subhas-chandra-bose-disappearnce-part-one|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Roy|first=Ashis|title=Laid to Rest: The Controversy over Subhas Chandra Bose's Death|publisher=[[Roli Books]]|year=2018|isbn=9788193626030|location=India}}</ref> and [[Bollywood]] star [[Death of Sushant Singh Rajput|Sushant Singh Rajput]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/editorials/undermining-sushant-rajput-s-tragic-death/story-CkxnynGXKITipH4DDeUhoM.html|title=Undermining Sushant Rajput's tragic death|work=[[Hindustan Times]]|date=22 July 2020|access-date=22 August 2020|archive-date=23 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200723022724/https://www.hindustantimes.com/editorials/undermining-sushant-rajput-s-tragic-death/story-CkxnynGXKITipH4DDeUhoM.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

There are also claims that deaths were covered up. Such theories include the "[[Paul is dead]]" claim alleging that [[Paul McCartney]] died in a car accident in 1966 and was replaced by a look-alike Scottish orphan named William Shears Campbell who also went by Billy Shears, and that [[the Beatles]] hinted at this in their songs, most noticeably "[[Revolution 9]]", "[[Strawberry Fields Forever]]", "[[Glass Onion (song)|Glass Onion]]", and "[[I Am the Walrus]]", as well on the covers of ''[[Abbey Road]]'', ''[[Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band]]'', and ''[[Magical Mystery Tour]]''.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1860871_1860876_1860997,00.html|title=Conspiracy Theories – TIME|magazine=Time|date=20 November 2008|via=content.time.com|access-date=25 April 2020|archive-date=5 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005075146/http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1860871_1860876_1860997,00.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/03/16/historys-greatest-conspiracy-theories/paul-is-dead/|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=19 November 2008|title=History's greatest conspiracy theories|access-date=5 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180430195752/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/03/16/historys-greatest-conspiracy-theories/paul-is-dead/|archive-date=30 April 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Another is the conspiracy theory, widely circulated in Nigeria, which alleges that Nigerian president [[Muhammadu Buhari]] died in 2017 and was replaced by a look-alike Sudanese impostor.<ref name="TGUK">{{cite news|title='It's the real me': Nigerian president denies dying and being replaced by clone|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/dec/03/its-real-me-nigerian-president-denies-dying-and-being-replaced-by-clone|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=4 December 2018|date=3 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181203221704/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/dec/03/its-real-me-nigerian-president-denies-dying-and-being-replaced-by-clone|archive-date=3 December 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="BBCBuhari">{{cite news|title=Nigerian President Buhari denies death and body double rumours|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-46424562|access-date=4 December 2018|publisher=BBC News|date=3 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181203225642/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-46424562|archive-date=3 December 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Many fans of punk-pop star [[Avril Lavigne]] claim that she died at the height of her fame and [[Avril Lavigne replacement conspiracy theory|was replaced by a look-alike named Melissa]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Cresci|first=Elena|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/shortcuts/2017/may/15/avril-lavigne-melissa-cloning-conspiracy-theories|title=Why fans think Avril Lavigne died and was replaced by a clone named Melissa|date=16 May 2017|work=The Guardian|access-date=16 March 2020|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=15 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220715020329/https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/shortcuts/2017/may/15/avril-lavigne-melissa-cloning-conspiracy-theories|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Melania Trump replacement theory]] proposes the same of the US First Lady.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/41677174/is-donald-trump-using-a-fake-melania-conspiracy-theories-flood-social-media|title=Is Donald Trump using a fake Melania? Conspiracy theories flood social media|publisher=BBC|date=19 October 2017|access-date=30 December 2019|archive-date=19 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171019183434/http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/41677174/is-donald-trump-using-a-fake-melania-conspiracy-theories-flood-social-media|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a26772325/fake-melania-trump-theory/|title=The 'Fake Melania' Conspiracy Theory is Back|first=Gabrielle|last=Bruney|date=9 March 2019|website=Esquire|access-date=30 December 2019|archive-date=13 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190313100059/https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a26772325/fake-melania-trump-theory/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Inverted theories concerning deaths are also known, prominently claims that [[Elvis sightings|Elvis Presley's death was faked]]<ref name="The Week">{{cite news|url=http://www.theweek.co.uk/conspiracy-theories/62926/elvis-presley-is-alive-and-10-more-conspiracy-theories|work=The Week|date=24 April 2017|title={{hsp}}'Elvis Presley is alive' and 10 more conspiracy theories|access-date=28 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170607165215/http://www.theweek.co.uk/conspiracy-theories/62926/elvis-presley-is-alive-and-10-more-conspiracy-theories|archive-date=7 June 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> and that [[Conspiracy theories about Adolf Hitler's death|Adolf Hitler survived the Second World War]] and fled to the Americas, to Antarctica, or to the Moon.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/6242144/Adolf-Hitler-alive-weird-conspiracy-theories.html|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=29 September 2009|title=Adolf Hitler alive: weird conspiracy theories|access-date=5 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180521201635/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/6242144/Adolf-Hitler-alive-weird-conspiracy-theories.html|archive-date=21 May 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Theories that Hitler had survived are known to have been deliberately promoted by the government of the [[Soviet Union]] under [[Joseph Stalin]] as part of a [[disinformation]] campaign.<ref>{{cite book|editor1-last=Eberle|editor1-first=Henrik|editor2-last=Uhl|editor2-first=Matthias|year=2005|title=The Hitler Book: The Secret Dossier Prepared for Stalin from the Interrogations of Hitler's Personal Aides|publisher=Public Affairs|location=New York|isbn=978-1-58648-366-1|page=[https://archive.org/details/hitlerbooksecret00parp/page/288 288]|url=https://archive.org/details/hitlerbooksecret00parp/page/288}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Kershaw|first=Ian|year=2008|title=Hitler: A Biography|publisher=W. W. Norton & Company|location=New York|isbn=978-0-393-06757-6|page=1037}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Joachimsthaler|first=Anton|date=1999|orig-date=1995|title=The Last Days of Hitler: The Legends, The Evidence, The Truth|publisher=Brockhampton Press|pages=22, 23|isbn=978-1-86019-902-8}}</ref>

The disappearance, and often presumed death, of an individual may also become a cause for conspiracy theorists. Theories of a cover-up surrounding the 1974 [[John Bingham, 7th Earl of Lucan#Ultimate fate and reported sightings|disappearance of Lord Lucan]] following the murder of his family's nanny include, for example, allegations of a suicide plot whereby his body was fed to tigers at [[Howletts Zoo]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theweek.co.uk/69274/lord-lucan-the-strangest-theories-about-his-disappearance|work=The Week|date=4 February 2016|title=Lord Lucan: the strangest theories about his disappearance|access-date=29 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170803100959/http://www.theweek.co.uk/69274/lord-lucan-the-strangest-theories-about-his-disappearance|archive-date=3 August 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.kentonline.co.uk/canterbury/news/missing-man-fed-to-tiger-70103/|work=Kent Online|date=30 January 2016|title=Lord Lucan was fed to tiger at Howletts zoo in Canterbury, it has been claimed|access-date=29 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170803090413/http://www.kentonline.co.uk/canterbury/news/missing-man-fed-to-tiger-70103/|archive-date=3 August 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/southeast/series7/lucan_clues.shtml|publisher=BBC|date=7 March 2005|title=Lord Lucan – The Mystery Unravelled|access-date=21 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170214005334/http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/southeast/series7/lucan_clues.shtml|archive-date=14 February 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Numerous conspiracy theories have also attended the 2007 disappearance of English girl [[Disappearance of Madeleine McCann|Madeleine McCann]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/ten-years-maddies-disappearance-mccanns-still-face-onslaught-conspiracy-theories-1618976|title=Ten years since Maddie's disappearance, the McCanns still face an onslaught of conspiracy theories|date=3 May 2017|work=International Business Times|access-date=26 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170926143433/http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/ten-years-maddies-disappearance-mccanns-still-face-onslaught-conspiracy-theories-1618976|archive-date=26 September 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

The murder of [[Democratic National Committee]] employee [[Seth Rich]] spawned several [[right-wing]] conspiracy theories, including that Rich had been involved with the [[2016 Democratic National Committee email leak|leaked DNC emails in 2016]], which runs contrary to US intelligence's conclusion that the leaked DNC emails were part of [[Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections]].<ref name="eugenekiely">{{Cite news|first=Eugene|last=Kiely|url=http://www.factcheck.org/2017/05/gingrich-spreads-conspiracy-theory/|title=Gingrich Spreads Conspiracy Theory|work=[[FactCheck.org]]|date=22 May 2017|access-date=23 May 2017|publisher=[[Annenberg Public Policy Center]]|quote=At this point in the investigation, it is believed that Seth Rich was the victim of an attempted robbery. The assertions put forward by Mr. Wheeler are unfounded.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170524211735/http://www.factcheck.org/2017/05/gingrich-spreads-conspiracy-theory/|archive-date=24 May 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="politifact">{{cite news|url=http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2017/may/23/newt-gingrich/claim-slain-dnc-staffer-seth-rich-gave-emails-wiki/|work=[[PolitiFact.com]]|title=The baseless claim that slain DNC staffer Seth Rich gave emails to WikiLeaks|date=23 May 2017|first=Lauren|last=Carroll|editor1-first=Katie|editor1-last=Sanders|quote=There is no trustworthy evidence supporting the theory that Rich was WikiLeaks' source for thousands of DNC emails. The police believe his death was the result of a botched robbery, not a political assassination.|access-date=22 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180322155457/http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2017/may/23/newt-gingrich/claim-slain-dnc-staffer-seth-rich-gave-emails-wiki/|archive-date=22 March 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Cyber-spying: Bear on bear|url=https://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21707574-whats-worse-being-attacked-russian-hacker-being-attacked-two-bear-bear|newspaper=[[The Economist]]|date=22 September 2016|access-date=21 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170520234836/http://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21707574-whats-worse-being-attacked-russian-hacker-being-attacked-two-bear-bear|archive-date=20 May 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Law enforcement]]<ref name=eugenekiely/><ref name=politifact/> as well as [[fact-checking websites]] like [[PolitiFact.com]],<ref name=politifact/><ref name="politifactgillin">{{cite web|work=[[PolitiFact.com]]|first=Joshua|last=Gillin|url=http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2017/may/26/patriotcriercom/conspiracy-theory-comey-hid-seth-richs-ties-wikile/|title=Conspiracy theory that Comey hid Seth Rich's ties to WikiLeaks based on retracted story|date=26 May 2017|access-date=25 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180616231320/http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2017/may/26/patriotcriercom/conspiracy-theory-comey-hid-seth-richs-ties-wikile/|archive-date=16 June 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Snopes.com]],<ref name=":4">{{cite web|work=[[Snopes.com]]|url=https://www.snopes.com/news/2017/05/23/fox-story-seth-rich-retraction/|title=Fox News web site retracts debunked reporting on DNC staffer Seth Rich|date=23 May 2017|access-date=30 June 2018|archive-date=23 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190723043648/https://www.snopes.com/news/2017/05/23/fox-story-seth-rich-retraction/|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[FactCheck.org]] stated that these theories were false and unfounded.<ref name=eugenekiely/> ''[[The New York Times]]'',<ref name="fakenewsendures">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/24/business/media/seth-rich-fox-news-sean-hannity.html|title=Sean Hannity, a Murder and Why Fake News Endures|first=Jim|last=Rutenberg|date=24 May 2017|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=22 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180328160625/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/24/business/media/seth-rich-fox-news-sean-hannity.html|archive-date=28 March 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'',<ref name=shalby>{{cite news|work=Los Angeles Times|date=24 May 2017|title=How Seth Rich's death became an Internet conspiracy theory|url=https://www.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-seth-rich-conspiracy-20170523-htmlstory.html|first=Colleen|last=Shalby|quote=Despite police statements and Rich's family concluding that his death was the result of an attempted robbery, the rumor spread within the same circles that churned out the bogus 'PizzaGate' story|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170529184553/http://www.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-seth-rich-conspiracy-20170523-htmlstory.html|archive-date=29 May 2017|access-date=15 April 2018}}</ref> and ''[[The Washington Post]]'' called the fabrications [[fake news]] and falsehoods.<ref name="fakenewsstillworks">{{Cite news|last=Weigel|first=David|author-link=David Weigel|date=20 May 2017|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/05/20/the-seth-rich-conspiracy-shows-how-fake-news-still-works/|title=The Seth Rich conspiracy shows how fake news still works|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=21 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170520234833/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/05/20/the-seth-rich-conspiracy-shows-how-fake-news-still-works/|archive-date=20 May 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Economics and society ==
=== New World Order ===
{{main|New World Order conspiracy theory}}
[[File:Adam Weishaupt01.jpg|thumb|140px|[[Adam Weishaupt]], founder of the [[Bavarian Illuminati]]]]

The New World Order theory states that a group of international elites control governments, industry, and media organizations, with the goal of establishing global hegemony. They are alleged to be implicated in most of the major wars of the last two centuries, to carry out secretly staged events, and to deliberately manipulate economies.

The New World Order has been connected to a wide range of actors including the Illuminati (see {{slink|#Illuminati}}), Jews ({{slink|#Antisemitism}}), colluding world governments or corporations, [[Non-governmental organization|NGO]]s such as the [[World Economic Forum]] ({{slink|Great Reset|Conspiracy theories}}), and secretive organizations such as [[Bohemian Grove]],<ref>{{cite news|first1=Jane|last1=Kay|author2=Chronicle Environment Writer|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2009/07/06/MNUU18ICIV.DTL|title=San Francisco Bay Area|work=San Francisco Chronicle|date=6 July 2009|access-date=3 August 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110427054924/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2009%2F07%2F06%2FMNUU18ICIV.DTL|archive-date=27 April 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Le Cercle]],<ref>{{cite news|last=Roberts|first=Andrew|title=The Green-Ink Brigade|url=http://www.literaryreview.co.uk/roberts_05_09.html|access-date=15 June 2012|newspaper=Literary Review|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110824195542/http://www.literaryreview.co.uk/roberts_05_09.html|archive-date=24 August 2011}}</ref> and [[Skull and Bones#Conspiracy theories|Skull and Bones]]. Theorists believe that a wide range of musicians, including [[Beyoncé]] and [[Whitney Houston]], have been associated with the "group".<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Beyonce and the Illuminati: Music's Most WTF Conspiracy Theories, Explained|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/beyonce-musics-most-wtf-conspiracy-theories-explained-w507641|date=9 October 2017|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=20 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171212053427/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/beyonce-musics-most-wtf-conspiracy-theories-explained-w507641|archive-date=12 December 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Prominent theorists include [[Mark Dice]] and [[David Icke]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Sykes|first=Leslie|title=Angels & Demons Causing Serious Controversy|url=https://abc30.com/archive/6817493/|publisher=[[KFSN-TV]]/[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|access-date=27 January 2011|author-link=Leslie Sykes|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604055553/http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=news/entertainment&id=6817493|archive-date=4 June 2011|date=17 May 2009|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Predictive programming ===
{{distinguish|Predicative programming}}
{{see also|The Simpsons#Purported foreshadowing of actual events}}

Many theorists allege that the contents of fictional media, in a process called "predictive programming", are manipulated to reference planned [[false flag]]s, technological innovations, social changes, and other future events.<ref name=neuwirthpred>{{cite journal|last=Neuwirth|first=Rostam J.|title=The Global Regulation of "Fake News" in the Time of Oxymora: Facts and Fictions about the Covid-19 Pandemic as Coincidences or Predictive Programming?|journal=International Journal for the Semiotics of Law – Revue internationale de Sémiotique juridique|volume=35|pages=831–857|doi=10.1007/s11196-021-09840-y|date=2022|issue=3|pmid=33867694|pmc=8043095}}</ref> These references are understood to be a conditioning and [[brainwashing]] tool, such that the public becomes more accepting of these events than they would be otherwise.<ref name=neuwirthpred/><ref name=andrewpseud>{{cite book|last=May|first=Andrew|series=Science and Fiction|title=Pseudoscience and Science Fiction|section=Conspiracy Theories|pages=155–177|publisher=Springer|date=14 September 2016|doi=10.1007/978-3-319-42605-1_8|access-date=11 November 2022|isbn=978-3-319-42605-1|url=https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-42605-1_8|archive-date=11 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221111214343/https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-42605-1_8|url-status=live}}</ref> Predictive programming has been used to explain events such as the [[September 11 attacks]] and [[COVID-19 pandemic]], and has been connected with media such as ''[[Die Hard]]'', ''[[The Simpsons]]'', and ''[[Contagion (2011 film)|Contagion]]''.<ref name=neuwirthpred/><ref>{{cite book|last=Ramírez|first=Jason|chapter=We Now Interrupt this Program: Pre-Empting the Apocalypse in ABC's Miracles|title=Terror in Global Narrative|pages=175–189|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|editor1=George Fragopoulos|editor2=Liliana M. Naydan|isbn=978-3-319-40654-1|chapter-url=https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-40654-1_10|doi=10.1007/978-3-319-40654-1_10|date=9 December 2016|access-date=11 November 2022|archive-date=11 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221111214342/https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-40654-1_10|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== George Soros ===
{{further|False or misleading statements by Donald Trump|List of conspiracy theories promoted by Donald Trump}}
[[Hungary|Hungarian]]-American investor [[George Soros]] has been the [[George Soros conspiracy theories|subject of conspiracy theories]] since the 1990s. Soros has used his wealth to promote many political, social, educational and scientific causes, disbursing grants totaling an estimated $11 billion up to 2016. However, theories tend to assert that Soros is in control of a large portion of the world's wealth and governments, and that he secretly funds a large range of persons and organizations for nefarious purposes, such as [[Antifa (United States)|antifa]], which some conspiracy theorists claim is a single far-left militant group. Such ideas have been promoted by [[Viktor Orbán]], [[Donald Trump]],<ref>{{multiref2|1={{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-wouldnt-be-surprised-if-democratic-megadonor-george-soros-is-funding-the-migrant-caravan/2018/11/01/9ea196a0-ddcf-11e8-85df-7a6b4d25cfbb_story.html|title=Trump says he 'wouldn't be surprised' if unfounded conspiracy theory about George Soros funding caravan is true|date=1 November 2018|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=15 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181115153850/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-wouldnt-be-surprised-if-democratic-megadonor-george-soros-is-funding-the-migrant-caravan/2018/11/01/9ea196a0-ddcf-11e8-85df-7a6b4d25cfbb_story.html|archive-date=15 November 2018|url-status=live}}|2={{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-45714482|title=Kavanaugh confirmation: What Trump's 'elevator screamers' tweet tells us|date=5 October 2018|publisher=BBC News|access-date=15 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181115202302/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-45714482|archive-date=15 November 2018|url-status=live}}}}</ref> [[Rudy Giuliani]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/JasonSCampbell/status/1197300843286056961|title=Rudy Giuliani claims the US embassy in Ukraine works for George Soros – "They're all Soros people"pic.twitter.com/xpa1TS9PLh|first=Jason|last=Campbell|date=20 November 2019|access-date=21 November 2019|archive-date=21 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191121000609/https://twitter.com/JasonSCampbell/status/1197300843286056961|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Joseph diGenova]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mediamatters.org/lou-dobbs/lou-dobbs-guest-joe-digenova-says-george-soros-controls-large-part-state-department-and|title=Lou Dobbs guest Joe diGenova says George Soros controls a large part of the State Department and activities of FBI agents|website=Media Matters for America|date=13 November 2019|access-date=21 November 2019|archive-date=14 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191114194805/https://www.mediamatters.org/lou-dobbs/lou-dobbs-guest-joe-digenova-says-george-soros-controls-large-part-state-department-and|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Bill O'Reilly (political commentator)|Bill O'Reilly]], [[Roy Moore]], [[Alex Jones]], [[Paul Gosar]], and [[Ben Garrison]]. Soros conspiracy theories are sometimes linked to [[Antisemitism|antisemitic]] conspiracy theories.<ref>{{multiref2
|1={{cite news|author1-last=Bondarenko|author1-first=Veronika|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/how-did-george-soros-become-the-favorite-boogeyman-of-the-right-2017-5|url-access=subscription|title=George Soros is a favorite target of the right – here's how that happened|date=20 May 2017|work=Business Insider|access-date=12 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171212193104/http://uk.businessinsider.com/how-did-george-soros-become-the-favorite-boogeyman-of-the-right-2017-5?r=US&IR=T|archive-date=12 December 2017|url-status=live}}
|2={{cite news|author1-last=Bendery|author1-first=Jennifer|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/roy-moore-george-soros_us_5a26fb54e4b08220bd787c0d|title=Roy Moore is fueling a crazy conspiracy theory about George Soros|date=5 December 2017|work=HuffPost|access-date=12 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171213010231/http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/roy-moore-george-soros_us_5a26fb54e4b08220bd787c0d|archive-date=13 December 2017|url-status=live}}
|3={{cite news|author1-last=Harris|author1-first=Mike|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/george-soros-caused-refugee-crisis-breitbart-muslim-takeover-biggest-threat-alt-right-global-a7419291.html|title=It's no surprise that the far right are mobilising against George Soros – he's the biggest threat to their global domination|date=15 November 2016|work=The Independent|access-date=20 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180101194511/https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/george-soros-caused-refugee-crisis-breitbart-muslim-takeover-biggest-threat-alt-right-global-a7419291.html|archive-date=1 January 2018|url-status=live}}
|4={{cite news|author1-last=Hayden|author1-first=Michael Edison|url=https://www.newsweek.com/congressman-anti-semitic-conspiracy-nazis-charlottesville-george-soros-679737|title=Congressman fuels anti-semitic conspiracy that Nazis in Charlottesville were funded by George Soros|date=6 October 2017|newspaper=Newsweek|access-date=12 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171012101944/https://www.newsweek.com/congressman-anti-semitic-conspiracy-nazis-charlottesville-george-soros-679737|archive-date=12 October 2017|url-status=live}}
|5={{cite news|url=https://www.adl.org/blog/anti-semitism-used-in-attack-against-national-security-adviser-h-r-mcmaster|title=Anti-semitism used in attack against National Security Adviser H. R. McMaster|date=3 August 2017|work=ADL|access-date=12 January 2018|archive-date=31 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180531002643/https://www.adl.org/blog/anti-semitism-used-in-attack-against-national-security-adviser-h-r-mcmaster|url-status=dead}}
|6={{cite news|author1-last=Lanktree|author1-first=Graham|url=https://www.newsweek.com/why-alt-right-attacking-hr-mcmaster-645908|title=Why is the Alt-Right attacking H. R. McMaster?|date=3 August 2017|work=Newsweek|access-date=12 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180112043757/https://www.newsweek.com/why-alt-right-attacking-hr-mcmaster-645908|archive-date=12 January 2018|url-status=live}}}}</ref>

=== Freemasonry ===
[[Masonic conspiracy theories|Conspiracy theories concerning the Freemasons]] have proliferated since the 18th century. Theorists have alleged that Freemasons control large parts of the economies or judiciaries of a number of countries, and have alleged Masonic involvement in the British enquiry regarding the sinking of the ''[[Titanic]]'' and in the crimes of [[Jack the Ripper]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Masonic Conspiracy Theories|newspaper=HuffPost|date=18 July 2012|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/18/masonic-conspiracy-theories_n_1527162.html|access-date=29 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150616083805/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/18/masonic-conspiracy-theories_n_1527162.html|archive-date=16 June 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Was Titanic inquiry scuppered by the Freemasons?|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|date=23 November 2015|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/12010573/Was-Titanic-inquiry-scuppered-by-the-Freemasons.html|access-date=5 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180421082510/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/12010573/Was-Titanic-inquiry-scuppered-by-the-Freemasons.html|archive-date=21 April 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Notable among theorists has been American inventor [[Samuel Morse]], who in 1835 published [[Samuel Morse#Political views|a book of his own conspiracy theories]].<ref>{{cite book|first=David|last=Aaronovitch|title=Voodoo Histories: How Conspiracy Theory Has Shaped the Modern World|orig-date=2009|year=2010|publisher=Vintage|page=82}}</ref> Freemason conspiracy theories have also been [[Judeo-Masonic conspiracy theory|linked to certain antisemitic conspiracy theories]].

=== ''Üst akıl'' ===
[[Conspiracy theories in Turkey]] started to dominate public discourse during the late reign of the [[Justice and Development Party (Turkey)|Justice and Development Party]] and [[Recep Tayyip Erdoğan]].<ref name=tinfoil/> In 2014, Erdoğan coined the term ''üst akıl'' ("mastermind") to denote the alleged command and control institution, somewhat ambiguously placed with the government of the United States, in a comprehensive conspiracy to weaken or even dismember Turkey, by orchestrating every political actor and action perceived hostile by Turkey.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/10/turkey-erdogan-middle-east-mastermind.html|title=The Middle East 'mastermind' who worries Erdogan|date=31 October 2014|publisher=[[Al-Monitor]]|first=Mustafa|last=Akyol|access-date=10 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170107090936/http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/10/turkey-erdogan-middle-east-mastermind.html|archive-date=7 January 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/03/turkey-zion-protocols-akp-version.html|title=Unraveling the AKP's 'Mastermind' conspiracy theory|date=19 March 2015|publisher=[[Al-Monitor]]|first=Mustafa|last=Akyol|access-date=10 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170108213847/http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/03/turkey-zion-protocols-akp-version.html|archive-date=8 January 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=tinfoil>{{cite magazine|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2016/09/12/the-tin-foil-hats-are-out-in-turkey/|title=The Tin-Foil Hats Are Out in Turkey|date=12 September 2016|magazine=[[Foreign Policy]]|first=Mustafa|last=Akyol|access-date=10 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170109063325/http://foreignpolicy.com/2016/09/12/the-tin-foil-hats-are-out-in-turkey/|archive-date=9 January 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Erdoğan as well as the ''[[Daily Sabah]]'' newspaper have on multiple occasions alleged that very different non-state actors—like the Salafi jihadist [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant]] (ISIL), the libertarian socialist [[Kurdistan Workers' Party]] (PKK) and supporters of [[Fethullah Gülen]]—were attacking Turkey at the same time in a well-coordinated campaign.<ref name="globalconspiracy">{{cite web|url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2017/01/turkey-believes-all-terrorists-are-united-against-it.html|title=Why Turkish government pushes 'global conspiracy' narrative|date=9 January 2017|publisher=[[Al-Monitor]]|first=Mustafa|last=Akyol|access-date=10 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170110123306/http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2017/01/turkey-believes-all-terrorists-are-united-against-it.html|archive-date=10 January 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

One instance of promoting the "mastermind" conspiracy theory occurred in February 2017, when then-[[Ankara]] Mayor [[Melih Gökçek]] claimed that earthquakes in the western province of Çanakkale could have been organized by dark external powers aiming to destroy Turkey's economy with an "artificial earthquake" near Istanbul.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/foreign-powers-performing-earthquake-tests-near-istanbul-to-destroy-economy-ankara-mayor.aspx?pageID=238&nID=109436&NewsCatID=341|title=Foreign powers performing 'earthquake tests' near Istanbul to destroy economy: Ankara mayor|date=7 February 2017|publisher=Hurriyet Daily News|access-date=7 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170207111125/http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/foreign-powers-performing-earthquake-tests-near-istanbul-to-destroy-economy-ankara-mayor.aspx?pageID=238&nID=109436&NewsCatID=341|archive-date=7 February 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> In another example, in November 2017, the [[Islamism|Islamist]] newspaper ''[[Yeni Akit]]'' claimed that the fashion trend of "ripped denim" jeans was in fact a means of communication, via specific forms of rips and holes, between agents of foreign states and their collaborators in Turkey.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/verschwoerungstheorie-in-der-tuerkei-geheimbotschaften-in-der-jeanshose/20637406.html|title=Geheimbotschaften in der Jeanshose|date=27 November 2017|publisher=tagesspiegel|access-date=5 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171204171236/http://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/verschwoerungstheorie-in-der-tuerkei-geheimbotschaften-in-der-jeanshose/20637406.html|archive-date=4 December 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Espionage ==
=== Israel animal spying ===
{{main|Israel-related animal conspiracy theories}}
There are conspiracy theories alleging that Israel uses animals to conduct espionage or to attack people. These are often associated with conspiracy theories about [[Zionism]]. Matters of interest to theorists include a series of [[2010 Sharm el-Sheikh shark attacks|shark attacks in Egypt in 2010]], [[Hezbollah|Hezbollah's]] accusations of the use of "spying" eagles,<ref name=Okbi>{{cite news|last=Okbi|first=Yasser|title=Hezbollah: We have captured an Israeli 'spy eagle' in Lebanon|url=http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Hezbollah-We-have-captured-an-Israeli-spy-eagle-in-Lebanon-328880|work=[[The Jerusalem Post]]|date=16 October 2013|access-date=27 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160127161036/http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Hezbollah-We-have-captured-an-Israeli-spy-eagle-in-Lebanon-328880|archive-date=27 January 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> and the 2011 capture of a [[griffon vulture]] carrying an Israeli-labeled [[GPS wildlife tracking|satellite tracking device]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Saudis hold Israel 'spy vulture'|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-12120259|publisher=BBC|access-date=16 August 2019|date=5 January 2011|archive-date=21 August 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150821155433/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-12120259|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Harold Wilson ===
Numerous persons, including former [[MI5]] officer [[Peter Wright (MI5 officer)|Peter Wright]] and Soviet defector [[Anatoliy Golitsyn]], have alleged that British Prime Minister [[Harold Wilson conspiracy theories|Harold Wilson was secretly a KGB spy]]. Historian [[Christopher Andrew (historian)|Christopher Andrew]] has lamented that a number of people have been "seduced by Golitsyn's fantasies".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2016/10/13/the-worlds-greatest-conspiracy-theories/|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=13 October 2016|title=Roswell and the world's other great conspiracy theories|first=Clive|last=Morgan|access-date=5 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180212133031/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2016/10/13/the-worlds-greatest-conspiracy-theories/|archive-date=12 February 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/best-law-firms/profile-legal/article/harold-wilson-resignation-linked-to-mi6-burglary-and-insider-trading-q068hv9pxvn|work=The Times|date=22 August 2008|title=Harold Wilson resignation 'linked to MI6, burglary and insider trading'|access-date=8 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171109023248/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/harold-wilson-resignation-linked-to-mi6-burglary-and-insider-trading-q068hv9pxvn|archive-date=9 November 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2009/oct/06/mi5-union-leaders-surveillance|work=The Guardian|date=6 October 2009|title=MI5 put union leaders and protesters under surveillance during cold war|access-date=8 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171109023505/https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2009/oct/06/mi5-union-leaders-surveillance|archive-date=9 November 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Malala Yousafzai ===
Conspiracy theories concerning [[Malala Yousafzai]] are widespread in [[Pakistan]], elements of which originate from a 2013 satirical piece in ''[[Dawn (newspaper)|Dawn]]''. These theories variously allege that she is a Western spy, or that her attempted murder by the [[Taliban]] in 2012 was a secret operation to further discredit the Taliban, and was organized by her father and the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] and carried out by actor [[Robert de Niro]] disguised as an [[Uzbeks|Uzbek]] [[homeopath]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/pakistan/9655417/Pakistani-Islamist-politician-claims-Malala-was-not-injured.html|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=5 November 2012|title=Pakistani Islamist politician claims Malala was not injured|access-date=5 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171203041923/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/pakistan/9655417/Pakistani-Islamist-politician-claims-Malala-was-not-injured.html|archive-date=3 December 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/d2f274b2-1de4-11e2-8e1d-00144feabdc0|work=Financial Times|location=London|date=24 October 2012|title=Pakistan thrives on conspiracy theory|access-date=24 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042715/https://www.ft.com/content/d2f274b2-1de4-11e2-8e1d-00144feabdc0|archive-date=1 December 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-29568637|publisher=BBC|date=10 October 2014|title=The antagonism towards Malala in Pakistan|access-date=22 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181124055716/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-29568637|archive-date=24 November 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/celebrity/malala-yousafzai-is-a-hero-to-many-but-has-few-fans-in-her-homeland-20170816-gxx8fo.html|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=18 August 2017|title=Malala Yousafzai is a hero to many, but has few fans in her homeland|access-date=24 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201104132/http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/celebrity/malala-yousafzai-is-a-hero-to-many-but-has-few-fans-in-her-homeland-20170816-gxx8fo.html|archive-date=1 December 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Ethnicity, race and religion ==
=== Antisemitism{{anchor|Antisemitic conspiracy theories|Anti-semitic conspiracy theories}} ===
{{main|Antisemitic trope|International Jewish conspiracy}}
[[File:1905 2fnl Velikoe v malom i antikhrist.jpg|thumb|130px|First edition of ''[[The Protocols of the Elders of Zion]]'']]

Since at least the [[Middle Ages]], [[antisemitism]] has featured elements of conspiracy theory. In medieval Europe it was widely believed that [[Jews]] poisoned wells, [[Jewish deicide|had been responsible for the death of Jesus]], and [[Blood libel|ritually consumed the blood of Christians]]. The second half of the 19th century saw the emergence of notions that Jews and/or [[Masonic conspiracy theories|Freemasons]] were plotting to establish control over the world. Forged evidence has been presented to spread the notion that [[Jewish Bolshevism|Jews were responsible for the propagation of communism]], or the hoax ''[[The Protocols of the Elders of Zion]]'' (1903), which outlines a supposed high council of Jews planning to control the world.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/03/16/historys-greatest-conspiracy-theories/the-protocols-of-the-elders-of-zion/|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=19 November 2008|title=History's greatest conspiracy theories|access-date=5 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180430195703/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/03/16/historys-greatest-conspiracy-theories/the-protocols-of-the-elders-of-zion/|archive-date=30 April 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Such antisemitic conspiracy theories became central to the worldview of [[Adolf Hitler]]. Antisemitic theories persist today concerning banking,<ref name="Levy 2005 55">{{cite book|title=Antisemitism: a historical encyclopedia of prejudice|page=55|first=Richard|last=Levy|isbn=978-1-85109-439-4|year=2005}}</ref> Hollywood, the news media and a purported [[Zionist Occupation Government]] of the United States.<ref>{{cite book|last=Baker|first=Lee D.|title=Anthropology and the Racial Politics of Culture|year=2010|publisher=Duke University Press|isbn=978-0822346982|page=158}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Waltman|first1=Michael|title=The Communication of Hate|year=2010|publisher=Peter Lang|isbn=978-1433104473|first2=John|last2=Haas|page=52}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-dec-19-oe-stein19-story.html|title=Who runs Hollywood? C'mon|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=19 December 2008|last1=Stein|first1=Joel|access-date=12 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130810010726/http://articles.latimes.com/2008/dec/19/opinion/oe-stein19|archive-date=10 August 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> These theories all allege plots to establish a world [[tyranny]].<ref>Horn, Dara.  [https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/30/opinion/san-diego-synagogue-shooting.html "Anti-Semites Don't Just Hate Jews. They're Targeting Freedom."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190501211454/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/30/opinion/san-diego-synagogue-shooting.html |date=1 May 2019 }} ''The New York Times''.  30 April 2019.  1 May 2019.</ref>

[[Holocaust denial]] is also considered an antisemitic conspiracy theory, claiming that the Nazi extermination of European Jews is a [[hoax]] designed to win sympathy for Jews and justify the creation of the [[Israel|State of Israel]].<ref>{{cite web|title="Denial": how to deal with a conspiracy theory in the era of 'post-truth'|url=http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/denial-how-to-deal-with-a-conspiracy-theory-in-the-era-of-post-truth|date=16 February 2017|publisher=Cambridge University Press|access-date=17 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170709233650/http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/denial-how-to-deal-with-a-conspiracy-theory-in-the-era-of-post-truth|archive-date=9 July 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Jamie|last=Doward|title=New online generation takes up Holocaust denial|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/22/online-conspiracy-theories-feed-holocaust-denial|date=22 January 2017|work=The Observer|access-date=17 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170621211501/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/22/online-conspiracy-theories-feed-holocaust-denial|archive-date=21 June 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Holocaust deniers include Iranian President [[Mahmoud Ahmedinejad]],<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1860871_1860876_1861026,00.html|title=Holocaust Revisionism|magazine=Time|year=2009|access-date=21 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170622191019/http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1860871_1860876_1861026,00.html|archive-date=22 June 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> the chemist with a conviction for inciting racial hatred [[Germar Rudolf]]<ref>"A German court sentenced Holocaust denier Germar Rudolf to two and a half years in prison for [[incitement to ethnic or racial hatred|inciting racial hatred]] in publications and Web sites that "systematically" called into question the Nazi genocide." [http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,2386563,00.html "German Holocaust Denier Imprisoned for Inciting Racial Hatred"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090202111101/http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,2386563,00.html |date=2 February 2009 }}, ''[[Deutsche Welle]]'', 16 February 2007.</ref> and the discredited author [[Irving v Penguin Books Ltd|David Irving]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F6d08lrIYNQC&pg=PA553|page=553|last1=Hare|first1=Ivan|last2=Weinstein|first2=James|title=Extreme Speech and Democracy|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2010|isbn=978-0199601790}}</ref>

[[Reptilian conspiracy theory|Reptilian conspiracies]], prominent in [[ufology]] theories, have also been linked to anti-semitism,<ref name="The Week"/><ref>{{Cite news|last=Grady|first=Constance|date=20 December 2018|title=The Alice Walker anti-Semitism controversy, explained|work=Vox|url=https://www.vox.com/culture/2018/12/20/18146628/alice-walker-david-icke-anti-semitic-new-york-times|access-date=11 November 2022|archive-date=21 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230621122213/https://www.vox.com/culture/2018/12/20/18146628/alice-walker-david-icke-anti-semitic-new-york-times|url-status=live}}</ref> as "a very old trope with disturbing links to anti-immigrant and antisemitic hostilities dating to the 19th century."<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|last=Parramore|first=Lynn|date=12 January 2021|title=Like QAnon's Capitol rioters, the Nashville bomber's lizard people theory is deadly serious|work=NBC|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/qanon-s-capitol-rioters-nashville-bomber-s-lizard-people-theory-ncna1253819|access-date=11 November 2022|archive-date=12 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210112095817/https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/qanon-s-capitol-rioters-nashville-bomber-s-lizard-people-theory-ncna1253819|url-status=live}}</ref> Conspiracy author [[David Icke]] suggests numerous Jewish political figures are [[Reptilian humanoid|reptilian shapeshifters]] and "the Jewish Rothschild family is part of a bloodline of reptilian humanoids that secretly control the world".<ref>{{Cite web|date=9 September 2021|title=Antisemitic Conspiracies About 9/11 Endure 20 Years Later|url=https://www.adl.org/resources/reports/antisemitic-conspiracies-about-911-endure-20-years-later|website=ADL|access-date=11 November 2022|archive-date=10 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221110121118/https://www.adl.org/resources/reports/antisemitic-conspiracies-about-911-endure-20-years-later|url-status=live}}</ref> Critics contend these theories to be antisemitic, although he denies animosity towards Jewish people.<ref name=":0"/> Other far-right [[ufology|ufologists]] speculate that the [[Jewish Race|Jewish race]] originated from genetic engineering by malevolent extraterrestrials engaged in interstellar conflict with [[Anunnaki]] or [[Pleiadians]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|last=Introvigne|first=Massimo|title=Satanism: A Social History|publisher=[[Brill Publishers]]|year=2016|isbn=978-90-04-28828-7|series=Aries Book Series: Texts and Studies in Western Esotericism|volume=21|location=[[Leiden]]|pages=370–371}}</ref>

=== Anti-Armenianism{{anchor|Armenian International Conspiracy|Anti-Armenian conspiracy theories}} ===
{{see also|Anti-Armenianism|Denial of the Armenian Genocide}}
Conspiracy theories that allege that the Armenians wield secret political power are prevalent in [[Azerbaijan]]<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/weekend/2012/0512/1224315955277.html|title=Baku pins hopes on Eurovision to boost image|last=McLaughlin|first=Daniel|date=12 May 2012|newspaper=[[The Irish Times]]|access-date=21 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120620211737/http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/weekend/2012/0512/1224315955277.html|archive-date=20 June 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> and have been promoted by the government,<ref>{{cite news|title=Aliyev Blames 'Armenian Lobby' For Fresh Corruption Scandal|url=https://www.azatutyun.am/a/28718167.html|work=azatutyun.am|agency=[[RFE/RL]]|date=5 September 2017|access-date=29 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190629111555/https://www.azatutyun.am/a/28718167.html|archive-date=29 June 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> including President [[Ilham Aliyev]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.president.az/articles/4423|title=Closing Speech by Ilham Aliyev at the conference on the results of the third year into the "State Program on the socioeconomic development of districts for 2009–2013"|access-date=6 October 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140611150354/http://en.president.az/articles/4423|archive-date=11 June 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.president.az/articles/4423|title=Closing Speech by Ilham Aliyev|access-date=17 June 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150526090537/http://en.president.az/articles/4423|archive-date=26 May 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-17292360|title=Armenia pulls out of Azerbaijan-hosted Eurovision show|access-date=17 June 2015|publisher=BBC News|date=7 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924164357/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-17292360|archive-date=24 September 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> Turkish Foreign Minister [[Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu]] has claimed that the Russian media is run by Armenians.<ref>{{cite news|title=Turkish minister says Russian media run by Armenians, German media not free|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-minister-says-russian-media-run-by-armenians-german-media-not-free.aspx?pageID=238&nID=100181&NewsCatID=510|work=[[Hürriyet Daily News]]|date=7 June 2016|access-date=13 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610102207/http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-minister-says-russian-media-run-by-armenians-german-media-not-free.aspx?pageID=238&nID=100181&NewsCatID=510|archive-date=10 June 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> American writer and disbarred lawyer [[Samuel Weems]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.law.cornell.edu/ethics/ar/narr/AR_NARR_0.HTM|title=Arkansas Legal Ethics|publisher=Law.cornell.edu|access-date=3 August 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100722015430/http://www.law.cornell.edu/ethics/ar/narr/AR_NARR_0.HTM|archive-date=22 July 2010|url-status=live}}</ref> has claimed that the [[Armenian genocide]] was a hoax designed to defraud Christian nations of billions of dollars, and that the [[Armenian Apostolic Church|Armenian Church]] instigates terrorist attacks.<ref>Weems, Samuel A. 2002. ''Armenia: secrets of a Christian terrorist state''. The Armenian Great deception series, v. 1. Dallas: St. John Press.</ref> Filmmaker Davud Imanov has accused the Armenians of plotting against Azerbaijan and has claimed that the [[Karabakh movement]] was a plot by the [[CIA]] to destroy the [[Soviet Union]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Waal|first=Thomas|title=Black garden Armenia and Azerbaijan through peace and war|publisher=New York University Press|location=New York London|year=2013|isbn=978-0-8147-6032-1}}</ref>

=== Anti-Baháʼísm ===
{{main|Persecution of Baháʼís}}
[[Iran]]'s [[Baháʼí Faith]] minority has been the target of conspiracy theories alleging involvement with hostile powers. Iranian government officials and others have claimed that Baháʼís have been variously agents of the [[Government of Russia|Russian]], [[Government of the United Kingdom|British]], [[Federal government of the United States|American]] or [[Government of Israel|Israeli governments]].<ref name="un294">{{Cite book|title=Human Rights, the UN and the Bahá'ís in Iran|first=Nazila|last=Ghanea|publisher=Martinus Nijhoff|isbn=978-90-411-1953-7|year=2003|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GeHNoviEXw0C|page=294}}</ref> An apocryphal and historically inaccurate book published in Iran, entitled ''The Memoirs of Count Dolgoruki'', details a theory that the Bahá'ís intend to destroy Islam. Such anti-Baháʼí accusations have been dismissed as having no factual foundation.<ref name="cooper">{{Cite book|title=Death Plus 10 years|last=Cooper|first=Roger|publisher=HarperCollins|year=1993|isbn=978-0-00-255045-1|page=200}}</ref><ref name="lifting">{{Cite book|publisher=Hodder & Stoughton Ltd|isbn=978-0-340-62814-0|title=Lifting the Veil|last1=Simpson|first1=John|last2=Shubart|first2=Tira|year=1995|page=223}}</ref><ref name="tavakoli200">{{Cite book|last=Tavakoli-Targhi|first=Mohamad|title=The Baha'is of Iran: Socio-historical studies|publisher=Routledge|year=2008|isbn=978-0-203-00280-3|editor-last=Brookshaw|editor-first=Dominic P.|location=New York, NY|page=200|chapter=Anti-Baha'ism and Islamism in Iran|author-link=Mohamad Tavakoli-Targhi|editor2-last=Fazel|editor2-first=Seena B.}}</ref>

=== Anti-Catholicism{{anchor|Anti-Catholic conspiracy theories}} ===
{{see also|Anti-Catholicism|Vatican conspiracy theories|Jesuit conspiracy theories|Controversies about Opus Dei}}
[[File:Anti-Catholic octopus cartoon.jpg|right|thumb|[[Anti-Catholicism|Anti-Catholic]] cartoon depicting [[Catholicism]] as an octopus, from H. E. Fowler and [[Jeremiah J. Crowley]]'s ''The Pope'' (1913)]]

Since the Protestant [[Reformation]] of the 16th century, theories about Catholic conspiracies have taken many forms, including the 17th-century [[Popish Plot]] allegations,<ref>{{cite book|first=Henrietta|last=Heald|title=Chronicle of Britain: Incorporating a Chronicle of Ireland|publisher=Jacques Legrand|year=1992|page=605|isbn=9781872031354}}</ref> claims by persons such as [[William Blackstone]] that [[Catholic Church|Catholics]] posed a secret threat to Britain, and numerous writings by authors such as [[Samuel Morse#Political views|Samuel Morse]], [[Rebecca Reed]], [[Avro Manhattan]], [[Jack Chick]] and [[Alberto Rivera (activist)|Alberto Rivera]]. Theorists often claim that the [[Pope]] is the [[Antichrist]], accuse Catholics of suppressing evidence incompatible with Church teachings, and describe Catholics as being involved with secret evil rituals, crimes, and other plots.

In 1853, the Scottish minister [[Alexander Hislop]] published his anti-Catholic pamphlet ''[[The Two Babylons]]'',<ref name="Grabbe">{{cite book|last=Grabbe|first=Lester L.|author-link=Lester L. Grabbe|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K2hIY_E_ngYC&pg=PA28|title=Can a 'History of Israel' Be Written?|editor1-last=Mein|editor1-first=Andrew|editor2-last=Camp|editor2-first=Claudia V.|pages=27–28|date=1997|location=London, England|publisher=Continuum International Publishing Group|isbn=978-0567043207}}</ref> in which he claims that the [[Catholic Church]] is secretly a continuation of the [[pagan]] religion of ancient [[Babylon]], the product of a millennia-old conspiracy founded by the Biblical king [[Nimrod]] and the Assyrian queen [[Semiramis]].<ref name="Grabbe"/> It also claims that modern Catholic holidays, including [[Christmas]] and [[Easter]], are actually pagan festivals established by Semiramis and that the customs associated with them are pagan rituals. Modern scholars have unanimously rejected the book's arguments as erroneous and based on a flawed understanding of Babylonian religion,<ref name="Grabbe"/> but variations of them are still accepted among some groups of [[Evangelicalism|evangelical]] [[Protestantism|Protestants]].<ref name="Grabbe"/> The [[Jehovah's Witnesses]] periodical ''[[The Watchtower]]'' frequently published excerpts from it until the 1980s.<ref name="veith">{{cite web|url=http://www.patheos.com/blogs/geneveith/2013/02/lent-and-ash-wednesday-are-not-pagan-relics/|title=Lent and Ash Wednesday are NOT pagan relics|date=13 February 2013|access-date=7 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180217010926/http://www.patheos.com/blogs/geneveith/2013/02/lent-and-ash-wednesday-are-not-pagan-relics/|archive-date=17 February 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> The book's thesis has also featured prominently in the conspiracy theories of [[racist]] groups, such as [[The Covenant, The Sword, and the Arm of the Lord]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Barkun|first=Michael|date=1997|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bdGSbDaCQVsC|title=Religion and the Racist Right|pages=192–193|publisher=UNC Press|isbn=9780807846384}}</ref>

Fears of a Catholic takeover of the US have been especially persistent,<ref>{{cite book|last=Jenkins|first=Philip|author-link=Philip Jenkins|title=The New Anti-Catholicism: The Last Acceptable Prejudice|publisher=Oxford University Press|date=1 April 2003|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p5SW0l7ciokC&pg=PA23|isbn=978-0-19-515480-1|page=23}}</ref><ref>[[John Tracy Ellis]], "American Catholicism", University of Chicago Press 1956.</ref> prompted by large-scale Catholic immigration in the 19th century<ref>{{cite book|last=Bilhartz|first=Terry D.|title=Urban Religion and the Second Great Awakening|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pK_DqHjUfg4C|year=1986|publisher=Fairleigh Dickinson University Press|location=Madison, NJ|isbn=978-0-8386-3227-7|page=115}}</ref> and [[Ku Klux Klan]] [[propaganda]].<ref>Anbinder; Tyler. ''Nativism and Slavery: The Northern Know Nothings and the politics of the 1850s'' (1992). [https://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=52767975 Online version; also online at ACLS History e-Book] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090404191905/http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=52767975 |date=4 April 2009 }}, the standard scholarly study</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Al-Khattar|first=Aref M.|title=Religion and terrorism: an interfaith perspective|year=2003|publisher=Praeger|location=Westport, CT|pages=21, 30, 55, 91}}</ref> Such fears have attached to Catholic political candidates such as [[Al Smith]]<ref>[http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5073/ "Warning Against the Roman Catholic Party"]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151126004212/http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5073/ |date=26 November 2015 }} a 1928 speech by Sen. Thomas J. Heflin (hosted at History Matters)</ref> and [[John F. Kennedy]].<ref>Randall Balmer. [http://www.religiondispatches.org/archive/atheologies/4118/billy_graham_regrets_political_involvement__again/ "Billy Graham Regrets Political Involvement, Again"]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140604045032/http://www.religiondispatches.org/archive/atheologies/4118/billy_graham_regrets_political_involvement__again/ |date=4 June 2014 }}. Religion Dispatches.</ref><ref>Gregory Campbell McDermott. [http://scholar.simmons.edu/bitstream/handle/10090/13026/s10hist2009mcdermott.pdf?sequence=1 "I am not the Catholic candidate": Local Issues and the Catholic Question in John F. Kennedy's 1960 Presidential Campaign]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200227144401/https://beatleyweb.simmons.edu/scholar/ |date=27 February 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16920600|title=Transcript: JFK's Speech on His Religion|date=5 December 2007|publisher=NPR|access-date=6 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160503160856/http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16920600|archive-date=3 May 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Pope John Paul I]] died in September 1978, only a month after his election to the papacy. The timing of his death and the Vatican's alleged difficulties with ceremonial and legal death procedures has fostered [[Pope John Paul I conspiracy theories|several conspiracy theories]]. The elderly [[Pope Benedict XVI]]'s resignation in February 2013, officially due to "lack of strength of mind and body",<ref>{{cite news|title=Pope Renounces Papal Throne|url=http://visnews-en.blogspot.ca/2013/02/pope-renounces-papal-throne.html|newspaper=Vatican Information Service, 2 November 2013 Bulletin – English Edition|access-date=15 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006211840/http://visnews-en.blogspot.ca/2013/02/pope-renounces-papal-throne.html|archive-date=6 October 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> prompted theories in Italian publications such as {{Lang|it|[[La Repubblica]]}} and [[Panorama (magazine)|''Panorama'']] that he resigned to avoid the exposure of an underground gay Catholic network.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/25/world/europe/vatican-archbishop-resigns|title=Scandal threatens to overshadow pope's final days|date=25 February 2013|publisher=CNN|access-date=6 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141007071032/http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/25/world/europe/vatican-archbishop-resigns|archive-date=7 October 2014|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.yahoo.com/did-secret-vatican-report-gay-sex-blackmail-bring-160458902.html|title=Did a Secret Vatican Report on Gay Sex and Blackmail Bring Down the Pope?|date=22 February 2013|publisher=Yahoo News|access-date=6 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141007010933/http://news.yahoo.com/did-secret-vatican-report-gay-sex-blackmail-bring-160458902.html|archive-date=7 October 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Antichrist ===
Apocalyptic prophecies, particularly Christian claims about the [[Eschatology|end times]], have inspired a range of conspiracy theories. Many of these cite the [[Antichrist]], a leader who will supposedly create an oppressive world empire. Countless figures have been called Antichrist, including [[Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II]], Russian emperor [[Peter the Great]], [[Saladin]], Pope [[John XXII]], [[Benito Mussolini]], [[Barack Obama]], French Emperor [[Napoleon]] Bonaparte, and German Führer [[Adolf Hitler]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Antichrist|title=Antichrist|encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia Britannica|access-date=28 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170801184745/https://www.britannica.com/topic/Antichrist|archive-date=1 August 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/apr/02/americans-obama-anti-christ-conspiracy-theories|title=One in four Americans think Obama may be the antichrist, survey says|work=The Guardian|date=2 April 2013|access-date=24 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170919115244/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/apr/02/americans-obama-anti-christ-conspiracy-theories|archive-date=19 September 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/obama-the-antichrist-global-warming-a-myth-lizard-people-controlling-the-world-conspiracy-theory-8558384.html|title=Obama the antichrist? Global warming a myth? Lizard people controlling the world? Conspiracy theory research reveals bizarre beliefs prevalent in US|work=The Independent|date=4 April 2013|access-date=20 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201040551/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/obama-the-antichrist-global-warming-a-myth-lizard-people-controlling-the-world-conspiracy-theory-8558384.html|archive-date=1 December 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/antichrist.asp|title=The Book of Revelation does not describe the anti-Christ as someone with characteristics matching those of Barack Obama|publisher=Snopes|date=25 May 2016|access-date=24 November 2017|archive-date=28 April 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080428173151/https://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/antichrist.asp|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Anti-Paganism ===
{{see also|Witch-cult hypothesis}}

It's speculated that the [[Witch trials in the early modern period|witch trials of the Early Modern period]] were an effort to suppress [[Religion in ancient Rome|pre-Christian]], [[Paganism|pagan religions]] that had endured the [[Christianization|Christianization of Europe]]. Some far right conspiracy theorists suggests that [[Christianity]] was created as a Jewish agenda to undermine the [[Aryan race]], which is thought to have initially led to the [[fall of Rome]].<ref name=":1" />

During the 1930s and 1940s, Neo-Pagan [[Heinrich Himmler]] organized a branch of the [[Schutzstaffel|SS]] to do an extensive survey of witch-hunt trial records across Europe, with the intention to use it as [[Anti-Christian sentiment|anti-Christian]] propaganda by claiming the inquisition had been a repression of an indigenous ''[[Völkisch movement|Völkisch]]'' Norse-Germanic nature religion, and using it as evidence for reconstructing that religion.<ref>{{cite book |last=Sebald |first=Hans |title=New Perspectives on Witchcraft, Magic, and Demonology |year=2001 |editor-last=Levack |pages=113ff |chapter=Nazi ideology redefining deviants: Witches, Himmler's witch-trial survey, and the case of the bishopric of Bamberg}}</ref>

===Anti-Islamic===
Since the [[September 11 Attacks]], many [[Islamophobia|anti-Islamic]] conspiracy theories have emerged. [[Love Jihad]], also called Romeo Jihad, refers to a conspiracy theory that Muslim men try to convert non-Muslim women to Islam by feigning love.<ref>{{cite news |date=4 September 2014 |title='Love Jihad' and religious conversion polarise in Modi's India |url=https://in.reuters.com/article/india-religion-modi/love-jihad-and-religious-conversion-polarise-in-modis-india-idINKBN0GZ2OC20140904 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171109023350/https://in.reuters.com/article/india-religion-modi/love-jihad-and-religious-conversion-polarise-in-modis-india-idINKBN0GZ2OC20140904 |archive-date=9 November 2017 |access-date=8 November 2017 |agency=Reuters}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=12 September 2013 |title=Muzaffarnagar: 'Love jihad', beef bogey sparked riot flames |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/muzaffarnagar-love-jihad-beef-bogey-sparked-riot-flames/article1-1120889.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140405033728/http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/muzaffarnagar-love-jihad-beef-bogey-sparked-riot-flames/article1-1120889.aspx |archive-date=5 April 2014 |access-date=18 April 2014 |work=The Hindustan Times}}</ref><ref name="Common">{{cite news |author=Ananthakrishnan G |date=13 October 2009 |title='Love Jihad' racket: VHP, Christian groups find common cause |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Love-Jihad-racket-VHP-Christian-groups-find-common-cause/articleshow/5117548.cms |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140805051759/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Love-Jihad-racket-VHP-Christian-groups-find-common-cause/articleshow/5117548.cms |archive-date=5 August 2014 |access-date=18 April 2014 |work=The Times of India}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Mahanta |first=Siddhartha |date=5 September 2014 |title=India's Fake 'Love Jihad' |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2014/09/04/indias-fake-love-jihad/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151124213314/http://foreignpolicy.com/2014/09/04/indias-fake-love-jihad/ |archive-date=24 November 2015 |access-date=24 November 2015 |work=[[Foreign Policy]]}}</ref> The "[[Eurabia]]" theory alleges a Muslim plot to [[Islamization|Islamize]] Europe and the West through mass immigration and high birth rates.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Liz Fekete |date=15 December 2011 |title=The Muslim conspiracy theory and the Oslo massacre |journal=Race & Class |volume=53 |issue=3 |pages=30–47 |doi=10.1177/0306396811425984 |s2cid=146443283}}</ref> US President [[Barack Obama]] was accused of being a [[Barack Obama religion conspiracy theories|secret Muslim]].<ref>Demonizing a President: The "Foreignization" of Barack Obama, Martin A. Parlett – 2014, p 126</ref>

=== Bible and Jesus ===
[[Bible conspiracy theory|Bible conspiracy theories]] posit that significant parts of the [[New Testament]] are false, or have been omitted. Various groups both real (such as the [[Holy See|Vatican]]) and fake (such as the [[Priory of Sion]]) are said to suppress relevant information concerning, for example, the dating of the [[Shroud of Turin]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/03/16/historys-greatest-conspiracy-theories/the-jesus-conspiracy/|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=19 November 2008|title=History's greatest conspiracy theories|access-date=5 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180430195857/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/03/16/historys-greatest-conspiracy-theories/the-jesus-conspiracy/|archive-date=30 April 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Much of this line of conspiracy theory has been stimulated by a debunked book titled ''[[The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail]]'' (1982), which claimed that [[Jesus]] and [[Mary Magdalene]] were lovers and that their offspring and descendants were secretly hidden in Europe following the death of Jesus, from whom the then-living French [[Drafter|draughtsman]] [[Pierre Plantard]] claimed descent. Interest in this hoax saw a resurgence following the publication of [[Dan Brown]]'s 2003 novel ''[[The Da Vinci Code]]''.<ref>{{cite book|first=David|last=Aaronovitch|title=Voodoo Histories: How Conspiracy Theory Has Shaped the Modern World|orig-date=2009|year=2010|publisher=Vintage|pages=187–218, Chapter 6: Holy Blood, Holy Grail, Holy Shit|author-link=David Aaronovitch}}</ref> ''[[The Gospel of Afranius]]'', an atheistic Russian work published in 1995 with an English translation published in 2022, proposes politically motivated gaslighting as the origin of the foundational Christian belief in the [[resurrection of Jesus]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Mina|first=Mikhail|date=30 April 1998|title=In retrospect by Mikhail Mina|url=https://www.nature.com/articles/31855|journal=Nature|language=en|volume=392|issue=6679|pages=884|doi=10.1038/31855|bibcode=1998Natur.392..884M|s2cid=35300944|issn=1476-4687|access-date=5 August 2023|archive-date=22 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230722070853/https://www.nature.com/articles/31855|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Islamist ===
"[[War against Islam]]" is a conspiracy theory in [[Islamism|Islamist]] discourse that describes a plot to destroy [[Islam]]ic society. The alleged plotters are [[Kafir|non-Muslims]] and "[[Munafiq|false Muslims]]" in collusion with Western powers whose efforts are a continuation of the Medieval [[Crusades]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wUcSDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA559|title=The Oxford Handbook of Islam and Politics|date=September 2013|publisher=Oxford University Press|author=John L. Esposito, Emad El-Din Shahin|isbn=9780190631932}}</ref>

=== Paul the Apostle ===
[[Paul the Apostle]] makes an appearance in some variants of the medieval Jewish anti-Christian polemic, ''[[Toledot Yeshu]]'', as a spy for the [[rabbi]]s.<ref>{{harvp|Langton|2010|pp=23–56}}</ref> Muslims have long believed that Paul purposefully corrupted the [[Jesus in Islam|original]] revealed teachings of Jesus{{sfn|Hindson|Caner|2008|p=280}}{{sfn|De Young|2004|p=60}}{{sfn|Riddell|2001|p=235}} by introducing elements of [[paganism]],{{sfn|Waardenburg|1999|p=276}} the theology of [[atonement in Christianity|the cross]],{{sfn|Waardenburg|1999|p=255}} and the idea of [[original sin]] producing the need for [[Redemption (theology)#Christianity|redemption]].{{sfn|De Young|2004|p=64}} The [[Baháʼí Faith]] also regards Paul as a false or misguided preacher who corrupted Jesus's original message. In this sense, he is seen as the real "Judas" who betrayed Jesus.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Christianity from a Bahá'í Perspective|url=https://bahai-library.com/stockman_christianity_bahai_perspective%26chapter%3D5|access-date=26 December 2021|website=bahai-library.com|language=en-US|archive-date=18 September 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100918173101/https://bahai-library.com/stockman_christianity_bahai_perspective%26chapter%3D5|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Pre-Māori settlement of New Zealand ===
{{Main|Pre-Māori settlement of New Zealand theories}}

=== Racism ===
[[White genocide conspiracy theory]] is a [[White nationalism|white nationalist]] notion that [[immigration]], [[Racial integration|integration]], low fertility rates and abortion are being promoted in predominantly white countries to dispossess or eliminate [[white people]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Kaplan|first1=Jeffrey|title=Encyclopedia of White Power: A Sourcebook on the Radical Racist Right|date=2000|publisher=AltaMira Press|isbn=9780742503403|page=539|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nNWbbhUYv8oC&pg=PA539}}</ref><ref name=KivistoRundblad>{{cite book|last1=Kivisto|first1=Peter|last2=Rundblad|first2=Georganne|title=Multiculturalism in the United States: Current Issues, Contemporary Voices|date=2000|publisher=SAGE Knowledge|isbn=9780761986485|pages=57–60|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Co-4x6OXLiIC&pg=PA59}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Capehart|first1=Jonathan|title=A petition to 'stop white genocide'?|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2013/01/18/petition-stop-white-genocide/|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=1 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150415064840/http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2013/01/18/petition-stop-white-genocide/|archive-date=15 April 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Sexton|first1=Jared|title=Amalgamation Schemes: Antiblackness and the Critique of Multiracialism|date=2008|publisher=Univ of Minnesota Press|isbn=978-0816651047|pages=[https://archive.org/details/amalgamationsche00jare/page/207 207]–08|url=https://archive.org/details/amalgamationsche00jare|url-access=registration}}</ref><ref>Perry, Barbara. "'White Genocide': White Supremacists and the Politics of Reproduction." Home-grown hate: Gender and organized racism (2001): 75–85.</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Eager|first=Paige Whaley|title=From Freedom Fighters to Terrorists: Women and Political Violence|year=2013|publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.|isbn=9781409498575|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=WQ2UytrgOkIC&pg=PA90 90]}}</ref> A 2017 study in France by [[Institut français d'opinion publique|IFOP]], for example, found that 48% of participants believed that political and media elites are conspiring to replace white people with immigrants.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://uk.news.yahoo.com/8-10-french-people-believe-conspiracy-theory-survey-152745449.html|title=8 in 10 French people believe a conspiracy theory: survey|date=8 January 2018|publisher=Yahoo News|access-date=17 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180118014404/https://uk.news.yahoo.com/8-10-french-people-believe-conspiracy-theory-survey-152745449.html|archive-date=18 January 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

The idea of [[Black genocide in the United States]] holds that [[African Americans]] are the victims of [[genocide]] by [[white Americans]].<ref>[[John Henrik Clarke|Clarke, John Henrik]], ed. (1990) [1969]. "Outline for Petition to the United Nations Charging Genocide Against 22 Million Black Americans". ''Malcolm X: The Man and His Times''. Trenton, N.J.: Africa World Press. pp. 343–351. {{ISBN|978-0-86543-201-7}}.</ref> Arguments for its existence have focused on historical persecution of African Americans through [[Lynching in the United States|lynchings]], [[Racism|racial discrimination]], and [[forced sterilization]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Nier|first=Charles|date=1 September 1997|title=Guilty as Charged: Malcolm X and His Vision of Racial Justice for African Americans Through Utilization of the United Nations International Human Rights Provisions and Institutions|url=https://elibrary.law.psu.edu/psilr/vol16/iss1/3|journal=Penn State International Law Review|volume=16|issue=1|pages=149–190}}</ref> Some accusations of genocide have been described as conspiracy theories, in particular the characterization of [[Birth control in the United States|birth control]] and [[medical abortion]]s as part of a deliberate and ongoing genocide of African Americans.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BbbuOzD8HHUC&pg=PA68|title=Legal Abortions, Ready or Not|last=Scott|first=Laell|magazine=New York Magazine|date=25 May 1970|volume=3|number=21|page=68|issn=0028-7369}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|last=Kumeh|first=Titania|date=12 October 2010|title=Conspiracy Watch: Is Abortion Black Genocide?|url=https://www.motherjones.com/media/2010/09/abortion-black-genocide|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170520212408/http://www.motherjones.com/media/2010/09/abortion-black-genocide|archive-date=20 May 2017|access-date=9 July 2018|magazine=Mother Jones}}</ref><ref>Caron, Simone M. (Spring 1998). "Birth Control and the Black Community in the 1960s: Genocide or Power Politics?". ''Journal of Social History''. '''31''' (3). [[Oxford University Press]]: 545–569. [[Doi (identifier)|doi]]:10.1353/jsh/31.3.545. [[JSTOR (identifier)|JSTOR]] 3789714</ref>

"[[The Plan (Washington, D.C.)|The Plan]]" is an alleged plot by white power brokers in [[Washington, D.C.]], to take control of the city's local government from African Americans, who were a majority of the city's population from the late 1950s to the early 2010s and remain its largest ethnic group.<ref>Harry Jaffe, [https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/harry-jaffe-so-called-plan-for-white-supremacy-lives-on-in-dc So-called "plan" for white supremacy lives on in D.C.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220928162033/https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/harry-jaffe-so-called-plan-for-white-supremacy-lives-on-in-dc |date=28 September 2022 }}, ''Washington Examiner'', 30 August 2010.</ref><ref>Jeffrey R. Henig and Wilbur C. Rich, ''Mayors in the middle: politics, race, and mayoral control of urban schools''. Princeton University Press, 2004, pp. 204–207.</ref> While most residents, of any race, do not believe in an intentional plan to move or displace black people, many still feel that gentrification, urban renewal projects and the demolition of black neighborhoods have contributed (intentionally or otherwise) to Washington's changing demographics.<ref>{{Cite web|date=5 March 2020|title=What's The Plan?|url=http://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/176104/whats-the-plan/|access-date=1 May 2024|website=Washington City Paper|language=en-US}}</ref>

== Fandom, celebrity relationships, and shipping ==
Numerous conspiracy theories surround the desire by followers of a [[fandom]] for two [[celebrities]] to be in a [[Romantic relationship|romantic]] and/or [[sexual relationship]], known as [[Shipping (fandom)|shipping]].<ref name="VoxAug2016">{{cite news|last1=Romano|first1=Aja|title=Social justice, shipping, and ideology: when fandom becomes a crusade, things get ugly|url=https://www.vox.com/2016/8/7/11950648/fandom-shipping-social-justice-ideological-warfare|access-date=23 June 2022|work=Vox|date=7 August 2016|language=en|archive-date=23 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220623193646/https://www.vox.com/2016/8/7/11950648/fandom-shipping-social-justice-ideological-warfare|url-status=live}}</ref> Many real-person shipping conspiracy theories involve claims that the pregnancies and children of partnered or married celebrity couples are fake.<ref name="HOW A FAKE BABY IS BORN">{{cite web|last1=Tiffany|first1=Kaitlyn|title=HOW A FAKE BABY IS BORN|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2020/07/fake-pregnancy-celebrity-theories-benedict-cumberbacth-babygate/614089/|website=The Atlantic|date=13 July 2020|access-date=23 June 2022|archive-date=13 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200713172735/https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2020/07/fake-pregnancy-celebrity-theories-benedict-cumberbacth-babygate/614089/|url-status=live}}</ref> Proponents of celebrity shipping conspiracies that ship two celebrities of the same gender typically argue that they are being pro-LGBT by supporting two people who are forcibly closeted by a homophobic industry.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Romanoff|first1=Zan|title=A Journey into The Dark Heart of Celebrity Relationship Conspiracy Theories|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/zanromanoff/celebrity-conspiracy-theories-harry-styles-louis-tomlinson|website=Buzzfeed News|date=3 July 2018|access-date=23 June 2022|archive-date=22 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181022103851/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/zanromanoff/celebrity-conspiracy-theories-harry-styles-louis-tomlinson|url-status=live}}</ref>
Conspiracy communities about celebrity relationships tend to be created and dominated by women.<ref name="HOW A FAKE BABY IS BORN"/>

=== Larries ===
{{Further|Larries}}
Larries are a group of shipping conspiracy theorist fans, centered around the idea that two members of the boy band [[One Direction]], [[Harry Styles]] and [[Louis Tomlinson]], are secretly a couple.<ref name="Tiffany 2022 173–222">{{Cite book|last=Tiffany|first=Kaitlyn|title=Everything I Need I Get from You: How Fangirls Created the Internet as We Know It|publisher=Farrar, Straus and Giroux|year=2022|isbn=9780374722722|pages=173–222}}</ref> These conspiracy theorists falsely claim that Styles and Tomlinson have been closeted by their management since the inception of the band, despite multiple claims otherwise by Styles, Tomlinson, their friends, and their family.<ref name="Tiffany 2022 173–222"/>

== Government, politics, and conflict ==
{{See also|List of political conspiracies}}
In the modern era, political conspiracy theories are often spread using [[fake news]] on social media. A 2017 study of fake news, which was published by the [[Shorenstein Center]], found that "[[misinformation]] is currently predominantly a pathology of [[Right-wing politics|the right]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://shorensteincenter.org/combating-fake-news-agenda-for-research/|title=Combating Fake News: An Agenda for Research and Action – Shorenstein Center|date=2 May 2017|access-date=11 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180712001640/https://shorensteincenter.org/combating-fake-news-agenda-for-research/|archive-date=12 July 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> Political conspiracy theories may take generalized and wide-ranging forms concerning wars and international bodies, but may also be seen at a localized level, such as the conspiracy theory pertaining to the 118th Battalion, a British regiment stationed in [[Kitchener, Ontario]], during [[World War I]], which was believed by some in Kitchener to still be present years after the war ended and to be controlling local politics.<ref>Lawrence Johnstone Burpee, "The Oxford Encyclopedia of Canadian History," Oxford University Press, 1926, pg 477.</ref>

{{anchor|Global billion}}

===BlueAnon===
[[BlueAnon]] is a set of loosely related left-wing conspiracy theories that suggest Donald Trump is engaged in elaborate plots to capture or maintain control of the United States Government.<ref name="cjr">{{cite news|last1=Ingram|first1=Matthew|title=The Trump assassination attempt, 'BlueAnon,' and the X factor|url=https://www.cjr.org/the_media_today/trump_assassination_attempt_online_conspiracy_theories_musk.php|access-date=10 November 2024|work=[[Columbia Journalism Review]]|date=17 July 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Lorenz|first1=Taylor|title='BlueAnon' conspiracy theories flood social media after Trump rally shooting|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/07/14/blueanon-conspiracy-theories-trump-rally-shooting/|access-date=14 July 2024|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=10 November 2024}}</ref><ref name="wired">{{cite magazine|last1=Gilbert|first1=David|title=Election Denial Conspiracy Theories Are Exploding on X. This Time They're Coming From the Left|url=https://www.wired.com/story/election-denial-conspiracy-theories-x-left-blueanon/|access-date=10 November 2024|magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]|date=6 November 2024}}</ref>

=== Crisis actors ===
{{further|Crisis actor#Conspiracy theories and defamation|l1="Crisis actor" as a conspiracy theory motif}}
[[Crisis actors]] are individuals who portray disaster victims in [[first responder]] training exercises. Conspiracy theories allege that [[mass shootings|mass shooting]] and similar traumatic events are actually staged, with victims and their families being portrayed by covert crisis actors.

=== Illuminati in Europe ===
Conspiracy theories concerning the [[Illuminati]], a short-lived 18th-century [[Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]]-era [[secret society]], appear to have originated in the late 19th century, when some Catholic conservatives in Europe came to believe that the group had been responsible for the [[French Revolution]] of 1789–1799.<ref>{{cite book|first=David|last=Aaronovitch|title=Voodoo Histories: How Conspiracy Theory Has Shaped the Modern World|orig-date=2009|year=2010|publisher=Vintage|page=20}}</ref> Hoaxes about the Illuminati were later spread in the 1960s by a group of American practical jokers known as the [[Discordianism|Discordians]] who wrote a series of fake letters about the Illuminati to ''[[Playboy]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20170809-the-accidental-invention-of-the-illuminati-conspiracy|title=The Accidental Invention of the Illuminati Conspiracy|publisher=BBC|date=9 August 2017|access-date=25 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180125034147/http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20170809-the-accidental-invention-of-the-illuminati-conspiracy|archive-date=25 January 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== False flag operations ===
[[File:World Trade Center, New York City - aerial view (March 2001).jpg|thumb|140px|The [[World Trade Center (1973–2001)|World Trade Center]] towers prior to [[9/11]]]]

[[False flag]] operations are covert operations designed to appear as if they are being carried out by other entities. Some allegations of false flag operations have been verified or are subjects of legitimate historical dispute (such as the 1933 [[Reichstag fire|Reichstag arson attack]]).<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Telegraph|location=UK|date=15 April 2001|title=Historians Find 'Proof' that Nazis Burnt Reichstag|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/1310995/Historians-find-proof-that-Nazis-burnt-Reichstag.html|access-date=5 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180309224029/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/1310995/Historians-find-proof-that-Nazis-burnt-Reichstag.html|archive-date=9 March 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Unsubstantiated allegations of such operations feature strongly in conspiracy theories.

Such allegations have attached to [[Pearl Harbor advance-knowledge conspiracy theory|the bombing of Pearl Harbor]], [[Oklahoma City bombing conspiracy theories|the Oklahoma City bombing]], [[2004 Madrid train bombings conspiracy theories|the 2004 Madrid train bombings]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2004/04/19/enespecial/1082356558.html|title=Agujeros Negros del 11-M|access-date=24 May 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606070646/http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2004/04/19/enespecial/1082356558.html|archive-date=6 June 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> the 1964 [[Gulf of Tonkin incident]],<ref>Conspiracy Theories in American History: An Encyclopedia, edited by Peter Knight, pp 689</ref> and the [[Euromaidan]] massacre.<ref name="Young 2023 f202">{{cite web|last=Young|first=Cathy|title=False Flag Fantasies in Ukraine|website=[[The Bulwark (website)|The Bulwark]]|date=9 November 2023|url=https://plus.thebulwark.com/p/false-flag-fantasies-in-ukraine|access-date=12 February 2024|archive-date=21 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231221230636/https://plus.thebulwark.com/p/false-flag-fantasies-in-ukraine|url-status=live}}</ref> The rise of [[ISIS]] gave rise to conspiracy theories that it had been created by the US, CIA, Mossad, or Hillary Clinton.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://theweek.com/article/index/267310/america-created-the-islamic-state-of-iraq-and-syria-meet-the-isis-truthers|title=America created the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria? Meet the ISIS 'truthers'|newspaper=The Week|date=2 September 2014|first=Peter|last=Weber|access-date=26 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141226110102/http://theweek.com/article/index/267310/america-created-the-islamic-state-of-iraq-and-syria-meet-the-isis-truthers|archive-date=26 December 2014|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2014/09/inside-jobs-and-israeli-stooges-why-muslim-world-thrall-conspiracy-theories|title=Inside jobs and Israeli stooges: why is the Muslim world in thrall to conspiracy theories?|first=Mehdi|last=Hassan|work=New Statesman|access-date=26 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170916065905/http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2014/09/inside-jobs-and-israeli-stooges-why-muslim-world-thrall-conspiracy-theories|archive-date=16 September 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> The same happened after the rise of [[Boko Haram]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&id=295366|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120603062715/http://abna.ir/data.asp?lang=3&id=295366|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 June 2012|title=African Shia Cleric: Boko Haram attrocity is a conspiracy against Islamic resurgence in Nigeria|date=8 February 2012|publisher=ABNA World Service}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://allafrica.com/stories/201202080541.html|title=Nigeria: Boko Haram Conceived to Destroy Islam – Prof. Bunza|date=8 February 2012|publisher=AllAfrica|url-access=subscription|access-date=26 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130903035933/http://allafrica.com/stories/201202080541.html|archive-date=3 September 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== 9/11 2001 attack on United States===
{{main|9/11 conspiracy theories}}
{{See also|9/11 Truth movement|9/11 Commission}}
The [[September 11 attacks|attacks]] on the US by [[Terrorism|terrorists]] using hijacked aircraft on 11 September 2001 have proved [[9/11 conspiracy theories|attractive to conspiracy theorists]]. Theories may include reference to missile or hologram technology. The most common theory is that the [[Twin Towers (New York City)|Twin Towers]] collapsed in controlled demolitions,<ref>{{cite book|last=Summers|first=Anthony|title=The Eleventh Day: The Full Story of 9/11 and Osama bin Laden|url=https://archive.org/details/eleventhdayfulls0000summ|url-access=registration|year=2011|publisher=Ballantine|location=New York|isbn=978-1-4000-6659-9|page=[https://archive.org/details/eleventhdayfulls0000summ/page/104 104]|author2=Swan, Robbyn}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|date=3 February 2005|title=Debunking the 9/11 Myths: Special Report – The World Trade Center|magazine=Popular Mechanics|url=http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/military/news/debunking-911-myths-world-trade-center|access-date=24 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150111003550/http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/military/news/debunking-911-myths-world-trade-center|archive-date=11 January 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> a theory rejected by the engineering profession<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Bažant|first1=Z. K. P.|author-link1=Zdenek Bažant|last2=Verdure|first2=M.|doi=10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9399(2007)133:3(308)|title=Mechanics of Progressive Collapse: Learning from World Trade Center and Building Demolitions|journal=Journal of Engineering Mechanics|volume=133|issue=3|pages=308–19|year=2007|url=http://www.civil.northwestern.edu/people/bazant/PDFs/Papers/466.pdf|citeseerx=10.1.1.121.4166|access-date=24 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070809030224/http://www.civil.northwestern.edu/people/bazant/PDFs/Papers/466.pdf|archive-date=9 August 2007|url-status=live}}</ref> and the [[9/11 Commission]].

=== Sandy Hook school shooting in US 2012===

{{Main|Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting conspiracy theories}}

A [[Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting|2012 fatal mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School]] in Newtown, Connecticut, [[Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting conspiracy theories|prompted numerous conspiracy theories]], among them the claim that it was a staged to promote gun control. Former Ku Klux Klan leader [[David Duke]] blamed Zionist deception.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.adl.org/blog/conspiracy-theorists-blame-jews-for-sandy-hook-massacre|date=18 December 2012|title=Conspiracy Theorists Blame Jews For Sandy Hook Massacre|publisher=Anti-Defamation League|access-date=24 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171204114600/https://www.adl.org/blog/conspiracy-theorists-blame-jews-for-sandy-hook-massacre|archive-date=4 December 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> Theorists such as [[Alex Jones]] have suggested that the event was staged with actors.<ref>Dylan Baddour & W. Gardner Selby, [http://www.politifact.com/texas/statements/2016/sep/01/hillary-clinton/hillary-clinton-correct-austins-alex-jones-said-no/ Hillary Clinton correct that Austin's Alex Jones said no one died at Sandy Hook Elementary] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170303201414/http://www.politifact.com/texas/statements/2016/sep/01/hillary-clinton/hillary-clinton-correct-austins-alex-jones-said-no/ |date=3 March 2017 }}, ''PolitiFact'' (1 September 2016).</ref><ref name="SnopesDebunk">David Mikkelson, [http://www.snopes.com/info/news/sandyhoax.asp FBI Admits Sandy Hook Hoax?: Rumor: The FBI revealed that no murders occurred in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012, proving the Sandy Hook massacre was an elaborate hoax], Snopes (7 February 2015).</ref> Harassment of the bereaved families by conspiracy theorists [[Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting conspiracy theories#Harassment by conspiracy theorists|has resulted in actions for defamation]]. [[Rush Limbaugh]] stated that the [[2012 phenomenon|Mayan Calendar]] phenomenon drove the shooter [[Adam Lanza]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Limbaugh: Maybe the Mayan apocalypse made Adam Lanza do it|url=https://www.salon.com/2012/12/20/limbaugh_maybe_the_mayan_apocalypse_made_adam_lanza_do_it/|date=20 December 2012|access-date=15 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180416134617/https://www.salon.com/2012/12/20/limbaugh_maybe_the_mayan_apocalypse_made_adam_lanza_do_it/|archive-date=16 April 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Clintons{{anchor|Clinton body count conspiracy theory}} ===
[[File:Bill and Hillary (01).jpg|thumb|[[Bill Clinton|Bill]] and [[Hillary Clinton]], main people supposedly involved in this conspiracy]]
The [[Clinton body count conspiracy theory]], notably advanced by [[Newsmax]] publisher [[Christopher Ruddy]], asserts that US President [[Bill Clinton]] and his wife [[Hillary Clinton]] have assassinated fifty or more of their associates and enemies.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Nelson|first1=Lars-Erik|title=Conspiracy Nuts Hit New Low with the Body Count|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/opinions/conspiracy-nuts-hit-new-body-count-article-1.822876|access-date=20 January 2015|work=Daily News|location=New York|date=4 January 1999|archive-date=21 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150121015158/http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/opinions/conspiracy-nuts-hit-new-body-count-article-1.822876|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=The Clinton BS Files: "Lock her up" isn't really about emails – the right's been accusing the Clintons of murder for decades|url=http://www.salon.com/2016/08/29/the-clinton-bs-files-lock-her-up-isnt-really-about-emails-the-rights-been-accusing-the-clintons-of-murder-for-decades/|work=Salon|date=29 August 2016|access-date=7 August 2017|archive-date=8 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808033019/http://www.salon.com/2016/08/29/the-clinton-bs-files-lock-her-up-isnt-really-about-emails-the-rights-been-accusing-the-clintons-of-murder-for-decades/|url-status=live}}</ref> Such accusations have been around at least since the 1990s, when a pseudo-documentary film called ''[[The Clinton Chronicles]]'', produced by [[Larry Nichols]] and promoted by [[Jerry Falwell|Rev. Jerry Falwell]], accused Bill Clinton of multiple crimes including murder.<ref name="NYT">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/02/23/magazine/clinton-crazy.html|title=Clinton Crazy|first=Philip|last=Weiss|date=23 February 1997|work=The New York Times|access-date=7 July 2020|archive-date=15 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140515041409/https://www.nytimes.com/1997/02/23/magazine/clinton-crazy.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.truthorfiction.com/clintonfriends/|publisher=[[TruthOrFiction.com]]|title=The People President Clinton Didn't Have to Pardon…Because They're All Dead|date=17 March 2015|access-date=17 May 2018|archive-date=14 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150414025317/https://www.truthorfiction.com/clintonfriends/|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Jeffrey Epstein death conspiracy theories ===
{{See also|Jeffrey Epstein death conspiracy theories}}
The 2019 [[death of Jeffrey Epstein]], an American financier billionaire and convicted sex offender with ties to Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, and other members of the elite, has become the subject of conspiracy theories.<ref>{{cite news|title=MSNBC News Host Joe Scarborough Criticized For Tweeting Conspiracy Theories Following Jeffrey Epstein's Apparent Suicide|url=https://www.newsweek.com/msnbc-news-host-joe-scarborough-criticized-tweeting-conspiracy-theories-following-jeffery-1453639|work=Newsweek|date=10 August 2019|access-date=14 August 2019|archive-date=29 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129054123/https://www.newsweek.com/msnbc-news-host-joe-scarborough-criticized-tweeting-conspiracy-theories-following-jeffery-1453639|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Jeffrey Epstein: How conspiracy theories spread after financier's death|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-49312746|publisher=BBC News|date=12 August 2019|access-date=14 August 2019|archive-date=7 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107090356/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-49312746|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== 2017 Las Vegas shooting conspiracy theories ===
{{Main|2017 Las Vegas shooting conspiracy theories}}
The [[2017 Las Vegas shooting]], the deadliest [[Mass shootings in the United States|mass shooting]] in modern U.S. history, has sparked numerous conspiracy theories. Some theorists suggest the use of a [[machine gun]] rather than [[Semi-automatic firearm|semi-automatic weapons]], claiming the rapid fire heard in videos indicates automatic gunfire. Others allege [[Federal government of the United States|government involvement]], speculating that the incident was orchestrated to justify banning [[bump stock]]s, devices that enable semi-automatic rifles to fire more rapidly. Additionally, there are theories about multiple shooters, fueled by eyewitness accounts and video evidence that purportedly show gunfire from different locations. Despite extensive investigations debunking these claims, they continue to circulate in various conspiracy theory communities.

=== FEMA ===
{{Further|FEMA camps conspiracy theory}}
The United States's [[Federal Emergency Management Agency]] is the subject of many theories, including that the organization has been building concentration camps in the US to prepare for imposing martial law and genocide.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/03/16/historys-greatest-conspiracy-theories/plastic-coffins-and-concentration-camps/|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=19 November 2008|title=History's greatest conspiracy theories|access-date=5 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180430195609/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/03/16/historys-greatest-conspiracy-theories/plastic-coffins-and-concentration-camps/|archive-date=30 April 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== African National Congress ===
Members of South Africa's [[African National Congress]] party have long propagated conspiracy theories, frequently concerning the CIA and alleged white supremacists. In 2014, Deputy Minister of Defence [[Kebby Maphatsoe]] joined others in accusing without evidence Public Protector [[Thuli Madonsela]] of being a US agent working to create a puppet government in South Africa.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/opinion/columnists/2016-05-25-the-top-10-bogus-anc-conspiracy-theories/|publisher=Business Live|date=25 May 2016|title=The top 10 bogus ANC conspiracy theories|first=Gareth|last=Van Onselen|access-date=24 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171204171132/https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/opinion/columnists/2016-05-25-the-top-10-bogus-anc-conspiracy-theories/|archive-date=4 December 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/thuli-a-cia-spy-says-deputy-minister-1747300|publisher=IOL|date=8 September 2014|title=Thuli a CIA spy, says deputy minister|first=Baldwin|last=Ndaba|access-date=24 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170529100856/http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/thuli-a-cia-spy-says-deputy-minister-1747300|archive-date=29 May 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sabc.co.za/news/a/b05583004cf16478beb0fea1cd5c70fe/Malema-thrives-on-political-conspiracy-theories-20121003|publisher=South African Broadcasting Corporation|date=3 October 2012|title=Malema thrives on political conspiracy theories|first=Elvis|last=Masoga}}{{Dead link|date=March 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

=== Barack Obama ===
{{See also|Spygate (conspiracy theory)|False or misleading statements by Donald Trump|List of conspiracy theories promoted by Donald Trump|Barack Obama citizenship conspiracy theories}}
[[File:Donald Trump (5440995138).jpg|thumb|[[Donald Trump]] has been a proponent of the conspiracy theory that [[Barack Obama]] was not born in the United States.]]

[[Barack Obama]] has been the subject of numerous conspiracy theories. His presidency was the subject of a 2009 film, ''The Obama Deception'', by Alex Jones, which alleged that Obama's administration was a [[puppet government]] for a wealthy elite. The [[Barack Obama citizenship conspiracy theories|"birther"]] theory, which came to prominence in 2009, denies the legitimacy of Obama's presidency by claiming that he was not born in the US.<ref>{{cite book|author=David Aaronovitch|title=Voodoo Histories: How Conspiracy Theory Has Shaped the Modern World|orig-date=2009|year=2010|publisher=Vintage|pages=287–91|author-link=David Aaronovitch}}</ref> This theory has persisted despite his [[Hawaii]]an birth certificate and birth announcements in two Hawaiian newspapers in 1961.<ref>{{cite book|author=David Aaronovitch|title=Voodoo Histories: How Conspiracy Theory Has Shaped the Modern World|orig-date=2009|year=2010|publisher=Vintage|pages=285–90|author-link=David Aaronovitch}}</ref> Notable promoters of the theory are dentist-lawyer [[Orly Taitz]]<ref name="Financial Times"/> and President Donald Trump, who has since publicly acknowledged its falsity but is said to continue to advocate for it privately.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-still-touting-obama-apos-093042315.html|title=Trump Is Still Touting the Obama 'Birther' Conspiracy Theory Behind Closed Doors|publisher=Yahoo News|date=29 November 2017|access-date=29 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171129164320/https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-still-touting-obama-apos-093042315.html|archive-date=29 November 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-still-believes-birther-obama-conspiracy/ar-BBFTYaN|title=Trump Still Believes 'Birther' Obama Conspiracy|date=29 November 2017|publisher=Newsweek on MSN|access-date=29 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201041624/https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-still-believes-birther-obama-conspiracy/ar-BBFTYaN|archive-date=1 December 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/19/opinion/trump-grand-wizard-of-birtherism.html|title=Trump, Grand Wizard of Birtherism|date=17 September 2016|work=The New York Times|access-date=29 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201044019/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/19/opinion/trump-grand-wizard-of-birtherism.html|archive-date=1 December 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Other theories claim that Obama, a Protestant Christian, [[Barack Obama religion conspiracy theories|is secretly a Muslim]].

[[2012 Benghazi attack|A pair of fatal attacks on US government facilities]] in [[Benghazi]], [[Libya]], by [[Islamic terrorism|Islamist terrorists]] in 2012 has spawned numerous conspiracy theories, including allegations that Obama's administration arranged the attack for political reasons, and [[Rand Paul|Senator Rand Paul's]] claimed that the government's response to the incident was designed to distract from a secret CIA operation.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.ibtimes.com/inside-top-benghazi-conspiracy-theories-refuse-go-away-1252671|title=Inside The Top Benghazi Conspiracy Theories That Refuse To Go Away|work=International Business Times|date=11 May 2013|access-date=15 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170906092421/http://www.ibtimes.com/inside-top-benghazi-conspiracy-theories-refuse-go-away-1252671|archive-date=6 September 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-weigant/benghazi-conspiracy-theor_b_6215662.html|title=Benghazi Conspiracy Theories Definitively Debunked. Again.|work=HuffPost|date=24 January 2015|access-date=15 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170816075100/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-weigant/benghazi-conspiracy-theor_b_6215662.html|archive-date=16 August 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.salon.com/2014/12/03/rand_paul_is_a_conspiracy_theorist_time_for_the_world_to_call_him_what_he_is/|title=Rand Paul is a conspiracy theorist: Time for the world to call him what he is|work=Salon|date=3 December 2014|access-date=15 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170614062535/http://www.salon.com/2014/12/03/rand_paul_is_a_conspiracy_theorist_time_for_the_world_to_call_him_what_he_is/|archive-date=14 June 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Cultural Marxism ===
{{further|Cultural Marxism conspiracy theory}}
The intellectual group known as the [[Frankfurt School]], which emerged in the 1930s, has increasingly been [[Cultural Marxism conspiracy theory|accused]] of promoting [[communism]] in capitalist societies. The term "Cultural Marxism" has been notably employed by conservative American movements such as the [[Tea Party movement|Tea Party]],<ref>{{cite journal|title=Collectivists, Communists, Labor Bosses, and Treason: The Tea Parties as Right-Wing Populist Counter-Subversion Panic|author=Berlet, Chip|journal=Critical Sociology|date=July 2012|volume=38|pages=565–87|doi=10.1177/0896920511434750|issue=4|s2cid=144238367}}</ref><ref name=Berkowitz>Berkowitz, Bill (2003), "Reframing the Enemy: 'Cultural Marxism', a Conspiracy Theory with an Anti-Semitic Twist, Is Being Pushed by Much of the American Right." Intelligence Report. [[Southern Poverty Law Center]], Summer. {{cite web|url=http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/article.jsp?aid%3D53%26printable%3D1|title=SPLCenter.org: Reframing the Enemy|access-date=7 February 2004|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040207095318/http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/article.jsp?aid=53&printable=1|archive-date=7 February 2004}}</ref> and by Norwegian mass murderer [[Anders Behring Breivik]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14267007|publisher=BBC|date=24 July 2011|title='Breivik manifesto' details chilling attack preparation|access-date=22 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180826222931/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14267007|archive-date=26 August 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Deep state {{anchor|deep state}} ===
{{further|Deep state in the United States|List of conspiracy theories promoted by Donald Trump|QAnon}}
While the term is occasionally used as a neutral term to denote a nation's bureaucracy,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2017/03/economist-explains-6|title=What is the "deep state"?|date=9 March 2017|newspaper=The Economist|access-date=20 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222051752/https://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2017/03/economist-explains-6|archive-date=22 December 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> the conspiratorial notion of a "[[deep state]]" originated principally in Middle Eastern and North African politics with some basis in truth, and has [[Deep state in the United States|been known in the US]] since the 1960s. It was revived under the Trump presidency.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/deep-state-what-donald-trump-influence-us-president-control-public-intelligence-military-a7614311.html|title=What is the 'Deep State' and how does it influence Donald Trump?|date=6 March 2017|newspaper=The Independent|access-date=20 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222104910/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/deep-state-what-donald-trump-influence-us-president-control-public-intelligence-military-a7614311.html|archive-date=22 December 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.thenation.com/article/what-is-the-deep-state/|title=What Is the Deep State?|date=17 February 2017|magazine=The Nation|access-date=20 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222054731/https://www.thenation.com/article/what-is-the-deep-state/|archive-date=22 December 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> "Deep state" in the latter sense refers to an unidentified insider "power elite" who manipulate a nation's politics and government. Proponents have included Canadian author [[Peter Dale Scott]], who has promoted the idea in the US since the 1990s, as well as ''[[Breitbart News]]'', ''[[Infowars]]'' and [[Donald Trump]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-fight-deep-state-secret-140626347.html|publisher=Yahoo News|date=6 December 2017|title=Trump to Fight 'Deep State' With Secret, Private Spy Network Around the World?|access-date=6 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206215123/https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-fight-deep-state-secret-140626347.html|archive-date=6 December 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> A 2017 poll by [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] and ''The Washington Post'' indicated that 48% of Americans believe in the existence of a conspiratorial "deep state" in the US.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.newsweek.com/deep-state-conspiracy-theory-trump-645376|work=Newsweek|date=2 August 2017|title=Deep State: How a Conspiracy Theory Went From Political Fringe to Mainstream|access-date=25 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170929180753/http://www.newsweek.com/deep-state-conspiracy-theory-trump-645376|archive-date=29 September 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/deep-state-inside-donald-trumps-paranoid-conspiracy-theory-w471375|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=9 March 2017|title=Deep State: Inside Donald Trump's Paranoid Conspiracy Theory|access-date=20 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171120190749/http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/deep-state-inside-donald-trumps-paranoid-conspiracy-theory-w471375|archive-date=20 November 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Sutherland Springs ===
{{see also|Sutherland Springs church shooting#Hoaxes and conspiracy theories}}
The 2017 [[Sutherland Springs church shooting]] has also been the subject of multiple conspiracy theories. The shooter has been linked to multiple conspiracies, such as identifying him as a Democrat, Hillary Clinton supporter, [[Bernie Sanders]] supporter, "[[alt-left]]" supporter, [[Antifa (United States)|antifa]] member, or [[Islamism|radical Muslim]];<ref>{{Cite web|title=Google shared conspiracy theories that sought to tie Texas shooter to antifa movement|website=[[USA Today]]|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2017/11/06/google-shared-conspiracy-theories-sought-tie-texas-shooter-antifa-movement/836624001/|access-date=6 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171108063152/https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2017/11/06/google-shared-conspiracy-theories-sought-tie-texas-shooter-antifa-movement/836624001/|archive-date=8 November 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=ansari>{{cite news|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/talalansari/fake-news-about-the-texas-church-shooting|title=Here Is The Misinformation Going Around About The Texas Church Shooting|work=[[BuzzFeed News]]|first=Talal|last=Ansari|date=5 November 2017|access-date=6 November 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171105235520/https://www.buzzfeed.com/talalansari/fake-news-about-the-texas-church-shooting|archive-date=5 November 2017}}</ref> or claiming that he carried an antifa flag and told churchgoers: "This is a communist revolution".<ref name="Snopes.com">{{cite web|last1=Mikkelson|first1=David|url=https://www.snopes.com/texas-church-shooter-antifa|title=Was the Texas Church Shooter an Antifa Member Who Vowed to Start Civil War?|website=Snopes.com|date=5 November 2017|access-date=6 November 2017|archive-date=6 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171106040910/https://www.snopes.com/texas-church-shooter-antifa|url-status=live}}</ref> Some reports also falsely claimed that he targeted the church because they were white conservatives.<ref name="griffin">{{Cite book|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0-415-21464-3|last=Griffin|first=Miriam T|title=Nero: the end of a dynasty|location=London|date=2013}}</ref>

=== Trump, Biden, and Ukraine ===
{{main|Conspiracy theories related to the Trump–Ukraine scandal}}
Beginning in 2017, a sprawling conspiracy theory emerged from [[4chan]] and was spread via right-wing message boards and websites, then via Breitbart and [[Fox News]] to then-President Donald Trump and his allies. The conspiracy theory holds both that Ukraine (rather than Russia) had interfered in the 2016 United States elections, and that then-Vice President [[Joe Biden]] had intervened to protect a company in which his son Hunter was involved. ''[[The New Yorker]]'' found that reporting of the conspiracy in the right wing media was initiated by [[Peter Schweizer]], a former ''[[Breitbart News]]'' contributor and president of The [[Government Accountability Institute]], "a self-styled corruption watchdog group chaired and funded by conservative mega-donor [[Rebekah Mercer]]"<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-10-03/trump-s-story-of-hunter-biden-s-chinese-venture-is-full-of-holes|title=Trump's Story of Hunter Biden's Chinese Venture Is Full of Holes|last1=Korte|first1=Gregory|date=4 October 2019|access-date=14 October 2019|last2=Mider|first2=Zachary|archive-date=12 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191112234935/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-10-03/trump-s-story-of-hunter-biden-s-chinese-venture-is-full-of-holes|url-status=live}}</ref> and founded by [[Steve Bannon]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-invention-of-the-conspiracy-theory-on-biden-and-ukraine|title=The Invention of the Conspiracy Theory on Biden and Ukraine|last=Mayer|first=Jane|magazine=The New Yorker|date=4 October 2019|access-date=14 October 2019|language=en|issn=0028-792X|archive-date=18 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200118095430/https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-invention-of-the-conspiracy-theory-on-biden-and-ukraine|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-invention-of-the-conspiracy-theory-on-biden-and-ukraine|title=The Invention of the Conspiracy Theory on Biden and Ukraine|last=Mayer|first=Jane|magazine=The New Yorker|date=4 October 2019|access-date=14 October 2019|language=en|issn=0028-792X|archive-date=18 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200118095430/https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-invention-of-the-conspiracy-theory-on-biden-and-ukraine|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Biden-Ukraine conspiracy theory ===
{{main|Biden–Ukraine conspiracy theory}}
A series of allegations have been made that [[Joe Biden]] and his son [[Hunter Biden]] coordinated efforts against anti-corruption investigations in [[Ukraine]] into the Ukrainian gas company [[Burisma]], on whose Board Hunter Biden sat.<ref>{{cite web|title=Rudy Found Hunter Biden Emails That Totally Weren't Stolen by Russia|url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/10/biden-emails-burisma-rudy-giulliani-russian-hackers-ukraine-new-york-post.html|website=NY Mag|date=14 October 2020|access-date=15 October 2020|archive-date=14 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201014181719/https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/10/biden-emails-burisma-rudy-giulliani-russian-hackers-ukraine-new-york-post.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Investigations are currently ongoing.

=== Michelle Obama ===
Some conservatives have supported a conspiracy theory falsely claiming that former [[First Lady of the United States|FLOTUS]], [[Michelle Obama]], is secretly [[transgender]], and that her [[Deadnaming|name was originally]] "Michael".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Smith|first=Reiss|date=17 May 2020|title=Right-wingers are spreading rumours that Michelle Obama is transgender – again|url=https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2020/05/18/michelle-obama-transgender-man-video-trans-woman/|access-date=4 September 2022|website=PinkNews|archive-date=21 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200521164005/https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2020/05/18/michelle-obama-transgender-man-video-trans-woman/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=PolitiFact – No, Michelle Obama is not a transgender woman|url=https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/oct/31/facebook-posts/no-michelle-obama-not-transgender-woman/|access-date=4 September 2022|website=PolitiFact|archive-date=1 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101001514/https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/oct/31/facebook-posts/no-michelle-obama-not-transgender-woman/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Michelle Obama Isn't a Trans Woman. Here's Why Some People Believe Otherwise|url=https://www.snopes.com/news/2023/10/17/michelle-obama-is-trans/|website=[[Snopes]]|date=17 October 2023|last=LaMagdeleine|first=Izz Scott|access-date=15 February 2024|archive-date=11 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240111134022/https://www.snopes.com/news/2023/10/17/michelle-obama-is-trans/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Alex Jones]] has been a vocal supporter of the theory,<ref>{{Cite web|date=24 August 2020|title=Michelle Obama is secretly a man, claims Trump's favourite conspiracy theorist|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/alex-jones-michelle-obama-man-proof-infowars-conspiracy-theorist-sandy-hook-a7911996.html|access-date=4 September 2022|website=The Independent|language=en|archive-date=8 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171008113242/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/alex-jones-michelle-obama-man-proof-infowars-conspiracy-theorist-sandy-hook-a7911996.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Infowars Host, Alex Jones, calls Michelle Obama a man|url=https://www.usatoday.com/videos/news/nation/2017/08/25/infowars-host-alex-jones-calls-michelle-obama-man/104947870/|access-date=4 September 2022|website=USA Today|language=en-US|archive-date=26 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170826073406/https://www.usatoday.com/videos/news/nation/2017/08/25/infowars-host-alex-jones-calls-michelle-obama-man/104947870/|url-status=live}}</ref> initially promoting it in 2014 after [[Joan Rivers]] made a joke referring to Obama as transgender.<ref>{{Cite web|last=France|first=Lisa Respers|date=4 July 2014|title=Joan Rivers jokes Obama is gay, first lady is transgender|url=https://www.cnn.com/2014/07/04/showbiz/celebrity-news-gossip/joan-rivers-michelle-obama-gay-transgender/index.html|access-date=4 September 2022|publisher=CNN|language=en|archive-date=5 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140705080439/https://www.cnn.com/2014/07/04/showbiz/celebrity-news-gossip/joan-rivers-michelle-obama-gay-transgender/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Duffy|first=Nick|date=11 July 2014|title=US: Conspiracy theorists actually think Michelle Obama is transgender after Joan Rivers joke|url=https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2014/07/11/us-conspiracy-theorists-actually-think-michelle-obama-is-transgender-after-joan-rivers-joke/|access-date=4 September 2022|website=PinkNews|archive-date=13 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140713012001/https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2014/07/11/us-conspiracy-theorists-actually-think-michelle-obama-is-transgender-after-joan-rivers-joke/|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Ottoman and Turkish reforms, secularism, and statesmen ===
{{Further|Tanzimat|Ottoman Reform Edict of 1856|Young Ottomans|Young Turks|Atatürk's reforms}}
{{See also|War against Islam conspiracy theory}}
[[File:Turks War on Patriarchs, following the Abolition of the Caliphate as reported in The New York Times, 16 March 1924.png|thumb|His [[Abolition of the Caliphate|abolition of the caliphate]] and many other reforms that secularized Turkey made [[Mustafa Kemal Atatürk|Atatürk]] the target of [[Islamism|Islamist]] conspiracy theories.]]

The belief that the [[modernity|modernist]] and [[Secularism|secularist]] movements and reforms in the [[Ottoman Empire]] and the [[Turkey|Turkish Republic]] were [[Judeo-Masonic conspiracy theory|Judeo-Masonic conspiracies]] is dominant among [[Islamism|Islamists]]. Because of their adherence to [[Traditionalist conservatism|traditionalist]] elements and their creation of [[Cult of personality|cults of personality]] for the Ottoman [[List of sultans of the Ottoman Empire|sultans]], Islamists portray anything contrary to Islamic tradition as evil. According to them, the [[Constitutionalism|constitutionalist]] movement ended absolute monarchy, the end of traditional religious institutions, and the introduction of a [[secular state]] were the work of Jews, Freemasons, or ''[[Dönmeh|Dönme]]''s. For example, according to their conspiracy theory, Turkish President [[Mustafa Kemal Atatürk]] was a ''Dönme''.{{sfn|Baer|2013|p=523–555}}

Various conspiracy theories against Atatürk have been put forward by [[Islamism|Islamist]] circles who did not support his [[Secularism|secularist]] [[Atatürk's reforms|reforms]]. [[Kadir Mısıroğlu]], known for his hatred of Atatürk, is behind many conspiracy theories about Atatürk.<ref name="Yalansavar">{{Cite web |title=Lozan Antlaşması'nın 100. Yılında Komplo Teorileri ve Gizli Maddelerin İzinde |url=https://yalansavar.org/2023/07/25/lozan-antlasmasinin-100-yilinda-komplo-teorileri-ve-gizli-maddelerin-izinde/ |website=Yalansavar |access-date=17 May 2024 |language=Turkish|date=25 July 2023 |archive-date=6 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230806150445/https://yalansavar.org/2023/07/25/lozan-antlasmasinin-100-yilinda-komplo-teorileri-ve-gizli-maddelerin-izinde/ }}</ref><ref>[https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Nuh-Akcakaya/publication/371072539_Turkiye%27de_Komplo_Zihniyeti_Soylemler_Aktorler_ve_Egilimler_Uzerine_Bir_Arastirma/links/647115ab6a3c4c6efbe208d8/Tuerkiyede-Komplo-Zihniyeti-Soeylemler-Aktoerler-ve-Egilimler-Uezerine-Bir-Arastirma.pdf Türkiye'de Komplo Zihniyeti: Söylemler, Aktörler ve Eğilimler Üzerine Bir Araştırma], Nuh Akçakaya. Selçuk Üniversitesi, Edebiyat Fakültesi, Sosyoloji Bölümü</ref> One of these conspiracy theories is that [[Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922)|Anatolia was invaded by the Greeks]] as a result of Atatürk's agreement with the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]] to overthrow the [[Ottoman Caliphate|caliphate]].<ref name="Yalansavar"/><ref>{{Cite web|title=İngiltere Büyükelçisi Moore'dan Kadir Mısıroğlu'nun 'Atatürk' iddiasına yanıt: Sahte tarih!|url=https://t24.com.tr/haber/ingiltere-buyukelcisi-mooredan-kadir-misiroglunun-ataturk-iddiasina-yanit-sahte-tarih,431994|access-date=8 January 2023|website=T24|language=Turkish}}</ref> Another conspiracy theory about Atatürk is that he was poisoned to death by the [[Freemasonry|Freemasons]] due to the closure of [[Masonic lodge]]s<ref>"[https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/maltribune19351014-1.2.24 TURKISH BAN ON FREEMASONS. All Lodges To Be Abolished]". ''Malaya Tribune'', 14 October 1935, p. 5. ''The Government has decided to abolish all Masonic lodges in Turkey on the ground that Masonic principles are incompatible with nationalistic policy.''</ref> in Turkey in 1935. In 2015, ''[[Yeni Şafak]]'' claimed that [[İsmet İnönü]] was in charge of planning the murder.<ref name="yenisafak">{{Cite web|publisher=yenisafak.com|date=6 April 2015|title=Atatürk'ü böyle zehirlediler|url=https://www.yenisafak.com/gundem/ataturku-boyle-zehirlediler-2113739|access-date=8 January 2023|website=Yeni Şafak|language=tr-TR}}</ref>

In 2007, the bestselling book in Turkey was ''[[The Children of Moses|Musa'nın Çocukları: Tayyip ve Emine]]'' (The Children of Moses: Tayyip and Emine) by [[Ergün Poyraz]]. Poyraz claims that there is an [[international Jewish conspiracy]] pulling the strings behind the world, including installing [[Recep Tayyip Erdoğan]] as prime minister of Turkey.{{sfn|Baer|2013|p=523}}

===Golden billion threatens Russia===
The [[golden billion]] is an idea there is an anti-Russian Western population of approximately one billion seeking to appropriate Russia's natural resources. It is a justification for Russian leader [[Vladimir Putin]]'s imperial aggression, claiming to be a defense against a far-reaching covert attack.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/2022-11-21/golden-billion-putins-favorite-conspiracy-explains-his-worldview-and-strategy|title='Golden billion,' Putin's favorite conspiracy, explains his worldview and strategy|publisher=[[NPR]]|author=Charles Maynes|date=21 November 2022|access-date=21 November 2022|archive-date=21 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121174926/https://wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/2022-11-21/golden-billion-putins-favorite-conspiracy-explains-his-worldview-and-strategy|url-status=live}}</ref> The theory was first advanced under the name A. Kuzmich.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/everyday-explainers/explained-what-is-golden-billion-conspiracy-theory-russian-president-vladimir-putin-8051037/|title=Explained: What is the 30-year-old 'golden billion' conspiracy theory invoked by Russian President Vladimir Putin?|author=Raghu Malhotra|date=25 July 2022|access-date=21 November 2022|archive-date=25 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220725163708/https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/everyday-explainers/explained-what-is-golden-billion-conspiracy-theory-russian-president-vladimir-putin-8051037/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Voting pencils===
{{Main|Voting pencil conspiracy theory}}
The [[voting pencil conspiracy theory]] concerns pencils at [[polling place]]s enabling [[electoral fraud]] through erasing legitimate votes. It has been nicknamed "Pencilgate" and promoted on [[Twitter]] as "#Pencilgate" and "#UsePens". The conspiracy theory originated in the United Kingdom and was originally promoted by "Yes" voters in the unsuccessful [[2014 Scottish independence referendum]], with supporters of [[Scottish independence]] (who usually lean to the [[left-wing politics|left]] of the [[political spectrum]]) claiming that electoral fraud was the reason the referendum failed. However, the theory was later adopted by supporters of the "Leave" vote in the successful [[2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum|2016 Brexit referendum]] (who usually lean to the [[right-wing politics|right]] of the political spectrum).<ref>{{Cite news|title=Pencil or pen? An unusual conspiracy theory grips Brexit vote.|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/06/23/pencil-or-pen-an-unusual-conspiracy-theory-grips-brexit-vote/|access-date=8 August 2023|newspaper=The Washington Post|archive-date=8 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108094820/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/06/23/pencil-or-pen-an-unusual-conspiracy-theory-grips-brexit-vote/|url-status=live}}</ref> The conspiracy theory has since spread to Australia, with right-wing politician [[Pauline Hanson]], a [[Queensland]] [[List of Senators from Queensland|Senator]] who is the founder and leader of the [[Pauline Hanson's One Nation|One Nation]] party, promoted the conspiracy theory in the lead-up to the [[2022 Australian federal election]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Pauline Hanson addresses pencil conspiracy for the 2022 federal election|url=https://www.news.com.au/national/federal-election/pauline-hanson-addresses-pencil-conspiracy-for-the-2022-federal-election/news-story/dc527585c40a3233a5c2bcd576259686|access-date=8 August 2023|archive-date=20 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220420040330/https://www.news.com.au/national/federal-election/pauline-hanson-addresses-pencil-conspiracy-for-the-2022-federal-election/news-story/dc527585c40a3233a5c2bcd576259686|url-status=live}}</ref>

While pencils are provided at polling places in the United Kingdom and Australia, in neither country is it required that they be used.<ref>{{Cite web|date=22 May 2019|title=Officials respond to conspiracy theories over pencils in polling stations|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/european-elections-pen-pencil-polling-stations-vote-a8925836.html|access-date=8 August 2023|website=The Independent|language=en|archive-date=3 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230803114043/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/european-elections-pen-pencil-polling-stations-vote-a8925836.html|url-status=live}}</ref> On their website, the [[Australian Electoral Commission]] states:
{{Blockquote|
"While the provision of pencils used to be a legal requirement, since 2020 under Section 206 of the ''[[Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918]]'', the AEC is required to provide an "implement or method for voters to mark their ballot papers".

The AEC has found from experience that pencils are the most reliable implements for marking ballot papers. Pencils are practical because they don't run out and the polling staff check and sharpen pencils as necessary throughout election day. Pencils can be stored between elections and they work better in tropical areas.

There is, however, nothing to prevent an elector from marking their ballot paper with a pen if they so wish."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aec.gov.au/faqs/polling-place.htm|title=At the polling place – frequently asked questions|access-date=3 August 2023|archive-date=3 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230803111734/https://www.aec.gov.au/faqs/polling-place.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>}}

While the AEC only conducts federal elections, voters can use either pencil or pen in state, territory and local elections. Pencils are supplied at polling places for federal elections and for state elections in [[Tasmania]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Indelible pencils, my a…|url=https://tasmaniantimes.com/2009/08/indelible-pencils-my-a/|access-date=8 August 2023|archive-date=3 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230803121531/https://tasmaniantimes.com/2009/08/indelible-pencils-my-a/amp/|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Victoria (state)|Victoria]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=VEC|title=Sorting fact from fiction|url=https://www.vec.vic.gov.au/voting/learn-to-vote/sorting-fact-from-fiction|access-date=8 August 2023|publisher=Victorian Electoral Commission|language=en|archive-date=3 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230803114044/https://www.vec.vic.gov.au/voting/learn-to-vote/sorting-fact-from-fiction|url-status=live}}</ref> while pens are supplied at polling places for state elections in [[New South Wales]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Disinformation register|url=https://elections.nsw.gov.au/integrity/disinformation-register|access-date=8 August 2023|website=elections.nsw.gov.au|archive-date=3 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230803115547/https://elections.nsw.gov.au/integrity/disinformation-register|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Western Australia]]. In 2015, the [[New South Wales Electoral Commission]] made the decision to replace pencils with pens at polling places due to controversies regarding their usage and at the [[2015 New South Wales state election|2015 state election]], pens began being supplied at polling places across the state.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Pens to replace pencils at NSW election|url=https://www.9news.com.au/national/pens-to-replace-pencils-at-nsw-election/7272f43c-8736-4acd-a99f-0c524bebb30e|access-date=8 August 2023|website=amp.9news.com.au|archive-date=3 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230803114045/https://amp.9news.com.au/article/7272f43c-8736-4acd-a99f-0c524bebb30e|url-status=live}}</ref> Similarly, the [[Western Australian Electoral Commission]] has provided pens instead of pencils at polling places since the [[2017 Western Australian state election|2017]].<ref>{{Cite news|date=14 September 2016|title=Pen licence for West Australian voters|language=en-AU|publisher=ABC News|location=United States|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-09-14/wa-voters-to-mark-ballots-with-pen-in-historic-change/7845154|access-date=8 August 2023|archive-date=3 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230803123032/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-09-14/wa-voters-to-mark-ballots-with-pen-in-historic-change/7845154|url-status=live}}</ref>

===QAnon===
{{main|QAnon}}
QAnon is a [[far-right]] [[American political conspiracy theory]] and [[political movement]] that originated in 2017.<ref name="nymag">{{Cite news|last=Martineau|first=Paris|date=19 December 2017|title=The Storm Is the New Pizzagate – Only Worse|work=[[New York (magazine)|New York]]|url=https://nymag.com/selectall/2017/12/qanon-4chan-the-storm-conspiracy-explained.html|access-date=26 March 2018|issn=0028-7369|archive-date=25 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180325154926/http://nymag.com/selectall/2017/12/qanon-4chan-the-storm-conspiracy-explained.html|url-status=live}}</ref> QAnon centers on fabricated claims made by an anonymous individual or individuals known as "Q". Those claims have been relayed and developed by [[Virtual community|online communities]] and [[influencers]]. Their core belief is that a [[cabal]] of [[Theistic Satanism|Satanic]],<ref name="Bracewell">{{cite journal|last=Bracewell|first=Lorna|date=21 January 2021|title=Gender, Populism, and the QAnon Conspiracy Movement|journal=[[Frontiers in Sociology]]|publisher=[[Frontiers Media]]|location=Cardiff, England|volume=5|pages=615727|doi=10.3389/fsoc.2020.615727|doi-access=free|issn=2297-7775|pmc=8022489|pmid=33869533|s2cid=231654586}}</ref><ref name="Crossley">{{cite journal|last=Crossley|first=James|date=September 2021|title=The Apocalypse and Political Discourse in an Age of COVID|journal=[[Journal for the Study of the New Testament]]|publisher=[[SAGE Publications]]|location=Thousand Oaks, California|volume=44|issue=1|pages=93–111|doi=10.1177/0142064X211025464|doi-access=free|issn=1745-5294|s2cid=237329082}}</ref> [[Human cannibalism|cannibalistic]] [[child molesters]] are operating a global child [[sex trafficking]] ring that conspired against [[Donald Trump]].{{refn|Multiple sources:<ref name="Bracewell"/><ref name="Crossley"/><ref>{{cite news|last1=Kunzelman|first1=Michael|last2=Slevin|first2=Colleen|date=9 February 2020|title='QAnon' conspiracy theory creeps into mainstream politics|agency=Associated Press|url=https://apnews.com/article/e230131513bf3df60c76bb1151bc6b7c|access-date=19 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210819200201/https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-us-news-ap-top-news-wisconsin-racine-e230131513bf3df60c76bb1151bc6b7c|archive-date=19 August 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=9 October 2020|title=QAnon: The conspiracy theory embraced by Trump, several politicians, and some American moms.|work=[[Vox (website)|Vox]]|url=https://www.vox.com/2020/10/9/21504910/qanon-conspiracy-theory-facebook-ban-trump|access-date=16 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201014120005/https://www.vox.com/2020/10/9/21504910/qanon-conspiracy-theory-facebook-ban-trump|archive-date=14 October 2020}}</ref><ref name="Zuckerman">{{cite journal|last1=Zuckerman|first1=Ethan|title=QAnon and the Emergence of the Unreal|journal=Journal of Design and Science|publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]]|location=London, England|date=July 2019|issue=6|pages=1–5|url=https://innovation.disi.unitn.it/ibict/2019/readings/mandatory/08%20Zuckerman%20%E2%80%94%20QAnon%20and%20the%20Unreal.pdf|access-date=14 February 2022|archive-date=9 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201209163334/https://innovation.disi.unitn.it/ibict/2019/readings/mandatory/08%20Zuckerman%20%E2%80%94%20QAnon%20and%20the%20Unreal.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>}} QAnon has direct roots in [[Pizzagate conspiracy theory|Pizzagate]], an Internet conspiracy theory that appeared one year earlier, but also incorporates elements of many other theories.<ref name="Bigtent">{{cite news|last1=Roose|first1=Kevin|title=What Is QAnon, the Viral Pro-Trump Conspiracy Theory?|url=https://www.nytimes.com/article/what-is-qanon.html|access-date=15 February 2022|work=The New York Times|date=3 September 2021|archive-date=22 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200922192821/https://www.nytimes.com/article/what-is-qanon.html|url-status=live}}</ref> QAnon has been described as a [[cult]].<ref name="Bigtent"/><ref name="cult">Description of QAnon as a cult:
* {{cite news|last1=Stanton|first1=Gregory|title=QAnon is a Nazi Cult, Rebranded|url=https://www.justsecurity.org/72339/qanon-is-a-nazi-cult-rebranded/|website=Just Security|date=9 September 2020|access-date=15 September 2020|archive-date=17 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200917001901/https://www.justsecurity.org/72339/qanon-is-a-nazi-cult-rebranded/|url-status=live}}
* {{cite news|last1=Polantz|first1=Katelyn|title=US takes back its assertion that Capitol rioters wanted to 'capture and assassinate' officials|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/15/politics/capitol-capture-assassinate-elected-officials/index.html|access-date=16 January 2021|publisher=CNN|date=15 January 2021|quote=Prosecutors accuse Chansley of being a flight risk who can quickly raise money through non-traditional means as 'one of the leaders and mascots of QAnon, a group commonly referred to as a cult (which preaches debunked and fictitious anti-government conspiracy theory)'.|archive-date=15 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210115165032/https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/15/politics/capitol-capture-assassinate-elected-officials/index.html|url-status=live}}
* {{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2021/01/28/961507953/without-their-messiah-qanon-believers-confront-a-post-trump-world|first=Dave|last=Davies|work=[[Fresh Air]]|publisher=[[NPR]]|access-date=19 April 2021|date=28 January 2021|title=Without Their 'Messiah,' QAnon Believers Confront A Post-Trump World|quote=Washington Post national technology reporter Craig Timberg{{spaces}}... tells Fresh Air[,] 'Some researchers think it's a cult{{spaces}}...'|archive-date=6 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220106234217/https://www.npr.org/2021/01/28/961507953/without-their-messiah-qanon-believers-confront-a-post-trump-world|url-status=live}}
* {{Cite news|last=Mulkerrins|first=Jane|date=15 January 2021|title=Life inside QAnon, the cult that stormed the Capitol|work=[[The Times]]|url=https://www.thetimes.com/world/us-world/article/life-inside-qanon-the-cult-that-stormed-the-capitol-v5q3hmbmb|access-date=13 February 2022|issn=0140-0460|quote=To hear Rein Lively describe her experiences with QAnon, it sounds, I say, very much like a cult... "It is a decentralised online conspiracy theory cult," agrees [[Joseph Uscinski]], professor of political science at the University of Miami and author of ''Conspiracy Theories and the People Who Believe Them''.|archive-date=13 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220213071314/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/life-inside-qanon-the-cult-that-stormed-the-capitol-v5q3hmbmb|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== State-sponsored kidnappings of Muslims in Sweden ===
{{main|Alleged state-sponsored kidnappings of Muslims in Sweden}}
Since December 2021, disinformation has been spread concerning [[Welfare in Sweden|Swedish social services]] taking [[Muslims|Muslim]] children into care without a legal basis.<ref>{{Cite news|date=21 November 2022|title=Detta har hänt: Kampanj om att myndigheter kidnappar barn|url=https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/detta-har-hant-kampanj-om-att-myndigheter-kidnappar-barn|access-date=6 February 2024|work=SVT Nyheter|language=sv|archive-date=21 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231221050730/https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/detta-har-hant-kampanj-om-att-myndigheter-kidnappar-barn|url-status=live}}</ref> As a result of the conspiracy theory, two Swedish people were killed in [[Brussels]] in 2023.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Terrorforskare: "Svenskar var måltavla för attacken"|url=https://www.dagensarena.se/innehall/terrorforskare-svenskar-var-maltavla-for-attacken/|access-date=6 February 2024|website=Dagens Arena|language=sv-SE|archive-date=6 February 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240206002159/https://www.dagensarena.se/innehall/terrorforskare-svenskar-var-maltavla-for-attacken/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Radio|first=Sveriges|date=17 October 2023|title=Så blev svenskar terroristernas måltavla – Gräns|url=https://sverigesradio.se/avsnitt/sa-blev-svenskar-terroristernas-maltavla-grans|access-date=6 February 2024|website=sverigesradio.se|language=sv|archive-date=6 February 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240206002159/https://sverigesradio.se/avsnitt/sa-blev-svenskar-terroristernas-maltavla-grans|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Sustainable development ===
Various theories have emerged in response to concepts or international agreements relating to [[sustainable development]]. These include theories that [[Agenda 21]], a non-binding action plan of the United Nations, is a plot, disguised as an environmental movement, to end individual freedom and establish a one-world government<ref name="SPLC_20120401">{{Cite web|title=Agenda 21: The UN, Sustainability and Right-Wing Conspiracy Theory|publisher=Southern Poverty Law Center|access-date=9 March 2022|date=1 April 2014|url=https://www.splcenter.org/20140331/agenda-21-un-sustainability-and-right-wing-conspiracy-theory}}</ref><ref name="Hinkes-Jones_20120829">{{cite web|last=Hinkes-Jones|first=Llewellyn|title=The Anti-Environmentalist Roots of the Agenda 21 Conspiracy Theory|url=http://www.theatlanticcities.com/politics/2012/08/anti-environmentalist-roots-agenda-21-conspiracy-theory/3091/|access-date=16 October 2012|date=29 August 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121001172642/http://www.theatlanticcities.com/politics/2012/08/anti-environmentalist-roots-agenda-21-conspiracy-theory/3091/|archive-date=1 October 2012}}</ref> to cut the world population by 85%,<ref name="SPLC_20120401"/> and/or to introduce surveillance by the 5G network.<ref name="APT: Conspiracy Theories: A Guide"/>

Similarly, the [[Great Reset]] Initiative is an economic recovery plan drawn up by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that prioritizes [[sustainable development]].<ref name="guardian060320">{{cite news|last1=Inman|first1=Phillip|date=3 June 2020|title=Pandemic is chance to reset global economy, says Prince Charles|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/jun/03/pandemic-is-chance-to-reset-global-economy-says-prince-charles|url-status=live|access-date=18 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117152600/https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/jun/03/pandemic-is-chance-to-reset-global-economy-says-prince-charles|archive-date=17 November 2020}}</ref> It has been the basis for theories that the COVID-19 pandemic will be used, or was even created by a secret group in order to seize control of the global economy.<ref name="BBC20201122">{{cite news|last1=Goodman|first1=Jack|last2=Carmichael|first2=Flora|date=22 November 2020|title=The coronavirus pandemic "great reset" theory and a false vaccine claim debunked|publisher=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/55017002|url-status=live|access-date=22 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201122005829/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/55017002|archive-date=22 November 2020}}</ref>

The [[urban planning]] concept of [[15-minute cities]] envisages that all of life's necessities (e.g. work, shops, schools, medical centres) should be within a short walk or bike ride from people's homes.<ref name="APT: Conspiracy Theories: A Guide">{{cite report|author=((The Antisemitism Policy Trust))|title=Conspiracy Theories: A Guide for Members of Parliament and Candidates|url=https://antisemitism.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Conspiracy-Theory-Guide.pdf|access-date=11 June 2024}}</ref> This would thereby encourage people to use their cars less and reduce emissions and pollution in neighbourhoods. However, it has been interpreted as a plan to restrict freedom of movement outside of the 15-minute neighbourhood.<ref name="APT: Conspiracy Theories: A Guide"/> These theories occasionally overlap with [[anti-vaccine misinformation]], and fears of a [[world government]].<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Guest|first=Peter|title=Conspiracy Theorists Are Coming for the 15-Minute City|url=https://www.wired.com/story/15-minute-cities-conspiracy-climate-denier/|access-date=24 February 2024|magazine=Wired|language=en-US|issn=1059-1028|archive-date=18 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240118112412/https://www.wired.com/story/15-minute-cities-conspiracy-climate-denier/|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Medicine ==
{{See also|Alternative medicine}}{{Alternative medicine sidebar|conspiracy}}

=== Alternative therapy suppression{{anchor|Traditional.2C_natural_and_alternative_medicines}} ===
A 2013 study approved by the [[University of Chicago]] suggested that almost half of Americans believe at least one medical conspiracy theory, with 37% believing that the [[Food and Drug Administration]] deliberately suppresses 'natural' cures due to influence from the pharmaceutical industry.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2014/03/19/291405689/half-of-americans-believe-in-medical-conspiracy-theories|title=Half of Americans Believe in Medical Conspiracy Theories|date=19 March 2014|publisher=NPR|access-date=5 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180107041515/https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2014/03/19/291405689/half-of-americans-believe-in-medical-conspiracy-theories|archive-date=7 January 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> A prominent proponent of comparable conspiracy theories has been convicted fraudster [[Kevin Trudeau]].<ref name="Scientific American 2006">{{cite web|title=Cures and Cons|website=Scientific American|date=1 March 2006|url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/cures-and-cons/|access-date=7 June 2019|archive-date=26 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140126044257/https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/cures-and-cons/|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Artificial diseases ===
{{see also|HIV/AIDS denialism|Misinformation related to the COVID-19 pandemic}}

Scientists have found evidence that [[HIV]] was transferred from monkeys to humans in the 1930s. Evidence exists, however, that the KGB deliberately disseminated a notion in the 1980s that [[Discredited HIV/AIDS origins theories|it was invented by the CIA]].<ref name="theweek.co.uk">{{cite news|url=http://www.theweek.co.uk/conspiracy-theories/62926/paul-mccartney-is-dead-and-10-more-conspiracy-theories|title='Paul McCartney is dead' and 10 more conspiracy theories|date=21 August 2017|work=The Week|access-date=24 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201035257/http://www.theweek.co.uk/conspiracy-theories/62926/paul-mccartney-is-dead-and-10-more-conspiracy-theories|archive-date=1 December 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> This idea, and similar ideas concerning [[Ebola]], have since been promoted by persons such as actor [[Steven Seagal]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-02-14-ca-42829-story.html|title=Steven Seagal Gets a Shot at Stardom|date=14 February 1988|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=27 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171204003156/http://articles.latimes.com/1988-02-14/entertainment/ca-42829_1_steven-seagal/4|archive-date=4 December 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=time1>{{cite news|url=https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1860871_1860876_1861031,00.html|title=Separating Fact from Fiction, The CIA and AIDS|year=2016|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|access-date=27 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160422120859/http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1860871_1860876_1861031,00.html|archive-date=22 April 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=abc1>{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2007/03/15/1871533.htm|title=Dr Karl's Great Moments in Science. CIA did (not) make AIDS?|author=Kruszelnicki, Karl S|date=15 March 2007|publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]|access-date=27 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160504054711/http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2007/03/15/1871533.htm|archive-date=4 May 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Nation of Islam]] leader [[Louis Farrakhan]] and former South Africa President [[Thabo Mbeki]].<ref name="theweek.co.uk"/><ref name=horowitz>{{cite book|title=Emerging Viruses : AIDS and Ebola – Nature, Accident or Intentional?|author=Horowitz, Leonard G.|isbn=9780923550127|year=1996|publisher=Medical Veritas International|url=https://archive.org/details/emergingvirusesa00horo|access-date=2 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170731184414/https://archive.org/details/emergingvirusesa00horo|archive-date=31 July 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=fox1>{{cite news|url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/farrakhan-claims-ebola-invented-to-kill-off-blacks|title=Farrakhan claims Ebola invented to kill off blacks|date=2 October 2014|publisher=[[Fox News]]|access-date=2 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160504145911/http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/10/02/farrakhan-claims-ebola-invented-to-kill-off-blacks.html|archive-date=4 May 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> Similar conspiracy theories allege that pharmaceutical companies assist in the creation of conditions and diseases including [[ADHD]], [[Herpes simplex virus|HSV]] and [[HPV]].

=== COVID-19 pandemic ===
{{main|Misinformation related to the COVID-19 pandemic}}

A number of conspiracy theories have been promoted about the origin and purported motive behind the [[SARS-CoV-2]] virus and [[COVID-19 pandemic|its spread]].<ref name="Andrade2020"/> Some claimed that the virus was engineered,<ref>{{cite journal|display-authors=5|vauthors=Thakur N, Das S, Kumar S, Maurya VK, Dhama K, Paweska JT, Abdel-Moneim AS, Jain A, Tripathi AK, Puri B, Saxena SK|title=Tracing the origin of Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2): A systematic review and narrative synthesis|journal=J Med Virol|volume=94|issue=12|pages=5766–5779|date=December 2022|pmid=35945190|pmc=9538017|doi=10.1002/jmv.28060|quote=... this accomplished hardly anything to halt the proliferation of often paradoxical and, at times, completely absurd conspiracy theories that propagated more rapidly than the disease outbreak itself. For example, it has been claimed that SARS‐CoV‐2 was either the consequence of a laboratory error or was purposefully manufactured or it was produced for GoF investigations ...}}</ref> that it may have been a Chinese or United States bioweapon,<ref name="Andrade2020"/><ref name="20200129washingtonpost">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/01/29/experts-debunk-fringe-theory-linking-chinas-coronavirus-weapons-research/|title=Experts debunk fringe theory linking China's coronavirus to weapons research|date=29 January 2020|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url-status=live|url-access=registration|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200202045702/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/01/29/experts-debunk-fringe-theory-linking-chinas-coronavirus-weapons-research/|archive-date=2 February 2020|access-date=2 February 2020}}</ref><ref name=20200208economist>{{Cite news|url=https://www.economist.com/china/2020/02/08/chinas-rulers-see-the-coronavirus-as-a-chance-to-tighten-their-grip|title=China's rulers see the coronavirus as a chance to tighten their grip|date=8 February 2020|newspaper=[[The Economist]]|url-access=registration|access-date=29 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200229013504/https://www.economist.com/china/2020/02/08/chinas-rulers-see-the-coronavirus-as-a-chance-to-tighten-their-grip|archive-date=29 February 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=20200326propublica>{{Cite news|last1=Kao|first1=Jeff|name-list-style=vanc|url=https://www.propublica.org/article/how-china-built-a-twitter-propaganda-machine-then-let-it-loose-on-coronavirus|title=How China Built a Twitter Propaganda Machine Then Let It Loose on Coronavirus|date=26 March 2020|work=[[ProPublica]]|access-date=31 March 2020|last2=Li|first2=Mia Shuang|archive-date=30 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200330195834/https://www.propublica.org/article/how-china-built-a-twitter-propaganda-machine-then-let-it-loose-on-coronavirus|url-status=live}}</ref> a Jewish plot, part of which is to force mass vaccinations or sterilizations,<ref name=jpost621393>{{cite news|last=Edmunds|first=Donna Rachel|name-list-style=vanc|title=Coronavirus is a Zionist plot, say Turkish politicians, media, public|work=[[The Jerusalem Post]]|url=https://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Antisemitism/Coronavirus-is-a-Zionist-plot-say-Turkish-politicians-media-public-621393|date=18 March 2020|access-date=11 June 2020|archive-date=1 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210201232451/https://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Antisemitism/Coronavirus-is-a-Zionist-plot-say-Turkish-politicians-media-public-621393|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Coronavirus: Antisemitism|url=https://www.adl.org/blog/coronavirus-antisemitism|date=22 April 2020|website=ADL|access-date=25 May 2020|archive-date=11 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200511032802/https://www.adl.org/blog/coronavirus-antisemitism|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/rodney-howard-browne-coronavirus-pandemic-is-a-globalist-plot-to-kill-people-with-vaccines/|title=Rodney Howard-Browne: Coronavirus Pandemic Is a Globalist Plot to Kill People With Vaccines|date=16 March 2020|first=Kyle|last=Mantyla|website=Right Wing Watch|access-date=4 December 2020|archive-date=16 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200316184943/https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/rodney-howard-browne-coronavirus-pandemic-is-a-globalist-plot-to-kill-people-with-vaccines/|url-status=live}}</ref> spread as part of a Muslim conspiracy,<ref name=20200405theguardian>{{cite journal|first=Nazia|last=Parveen|name-list-style=vanc|title=Police investigate UK far-right groups over anti-Muslim coronavirus claims|journal=The Guardian|date=5 April 2020|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/05/police-investigate-uk-far-right-groups-over-anti-muslim-coronavirus-claims/|access-date=11 June 2020|archive-date=25 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125001439/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/05/police-investigate-uk-far-right-groups-over-anti-muslim-coronavirus-claims|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Islamophobes React to Coronavirus Pandemic with Anti-Muslim Bigotry|url=https://www.adl.org/blog/islamophobes-react-to-coronavirus-pandemic-with-anti-muslim-bigotry|date=30 April 2020|access-date=25 May 2020|archive-date=12 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200512034630/https://www.adl.org/blog/islamophobes-react-to-coronavirus-pandemic-with-anti-muslim-bigotry|url-status=live}}</ref> a population control scheme,<ref name="bbc_misinfo">{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-51271037|title=China coronavirus: Misinformation spreads online about origin and scale|date=30 January 2020|publisher=BBC News|access-date=10 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200204163412/https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-51271037|archive-date=4 February 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="20200123buzzfeednews">{{cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ryanhatesthis/qanon-supporters-and-anti-vaxxers-are-spreading-a-hoax-that|title=QAnon Supporters And Anti-Vaxxers Are Spreading A Hoax That Bill Gates Created The Coronavirus|last=Broderick|first=Ryan|name-list-style=vanc|date=23 January 2020|website=BuzzFeed News|access-date=8 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200130075624/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ryanhatesthis/qanon-supporters-and-anti-vaxxers-are-spreading-a-hoax-that|archive-date=30 January 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> or related to 5G mobile phone networks.<ref name="bbc-5g">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-51646309|title=Coronavirus: Fake news is spreading fast|publisher=BBC|date=26 February 2020|access-date=20 March 2020|first=Rory|last=Cellan-Jones|name-list-style=vanc|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200317062547/https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-51646309|archive-date=17 March 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=guardian-vodafone-exec-5g-coronavirus-conspiracy-theory-video-revealed-pastor-luton-jonathon-james>{{Cite news|title=Revealed: former Vodafone executive in 5G conspiracy video is UK pastor|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/24/vodafone-exec-5g-coronavirus-conspiracy-theory-video-revealed-pastor-luton-jonathon-james|last=Waterson|first=Jim|date=24 April 2020|access-date=24 April 2020|work=The Guardian|archive-date=24 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424143257/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/24/vodafone-exec-5g-coronavirus-conspiracy-theory-video-revealed-pastor-luton-jonathon-james|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Fluoridation ===
[[File:Dr. Strangelove - Ripper and Mandrake.png|thumb|right|upright=1.2|Ripper explains to Mandrake that he discovered the Communist plot to pollute Americans' "precious bodily fluids", a reference to the John Birch Society's anti-fluoridation conspiracy theories (''[[Dr. Strangelove]]'', 1964).]]

[[Water fluoridation]] is the controlled addition of [[fluoride]] to a public water supply to reduce tooth decay.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Recommendations for using fluoride to prevent and control dental caries in the United States|author=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|journal=[[Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report|MMWR Recomm Rep]]|volume=50|issue=RR–14|pages=1–42|year=2001|pmid=11521913|url=http://cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5014a1.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070208171020/http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5014a1.htm|archive-date=8 February 2007|author-link=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention}}
*{{cite press release|date=9 August 2007|title=CDC Releases New Guidelines on Fluoride Use to Prevent Tooth Decay|website=CDC|url=http://cdc.gov/fluoridation/guidelines/tooth_decay.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080308203450/https://cdc.gov/fluoridation/guidelines/tooth_decay.htm|archive-date=8 March 2008}}</ref> Although many dental-health organizations support it, some conspiracy theorists<ref name=Armfield>{{cite journal|author=Armfield JM|title=When public action undermines public health: a critical examination of antifluoridationist literature|journal=Australia and New Zealand Health Policy|volume=4|page=25|year=2007|pmid=18067684|pmc=2222595|doi=10.1186/1743-8462-4-25|issue=1|doi-access=free}}</ref> claim that it was a way to dispose of industrial waste,<ref name=Fluoraphobia>{{cite book|author=Freeze RA, Lehr JH|title=The Fluoride Wars: How a Modest Public Health Measure Became America's Longest-Running Political Melodrama|publisher=[[John Wiley & Sons]]|year=2009|isbn=978-0-470-44833-5|chapter=Fluorophobia|pages=127–69}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|author=Murray N. Rothbard|date=January 1993|title=Fluoridation Revisited|url=http://archive.lewrockwell.com/rothbard/rothbard85.html|magazine=The Rothbard-Rockwell Report|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140313192649/http://archive.lewrockwell.com/rothbard/rothbard85.html|archive-date=13 March 2014}}</ref> or that it exists to obscure a failure to provide dental care to the poor.<ref name=Armfield/> A further theory promoted by the [[John Birch Society]] in the 1960s described fluoridation as a [[communist]] plot to weaken the American population.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/08/trump-erases-the-line-between-conservatism-and-conspiracy.html|title=Donald Trump Has Finally Erased the Line Between Conservatism and Conspiracy Theories|date=1 August 2017|work=New York|access-date=6 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170804102527/http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/08/trump-erases-the-line-between-conservatism-and-conspiracy.html|archive-date=4 August 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Vaccination ===
{{further|False or misleading statements by Donald Trump|List of conspiracy theories promoted by Donald Trump|Vaccine misinformation}}

It is claimed that the pharmaceutical industry has mounted a cover-up of [[MMR vaccine controversy|a causal link between vaccines and autism]]. The conspiracy theory developed after the publication in Britain in 1998 of a fraudulent paper by discredited former doctor [[Andrew Wakefield]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8695267.stm|title=MMR doctor struck off register|author=Triggle, Nick|date=24 May 2010|publisher=BBC News|access-date=24 May 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100526020901/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8695267.stm|archive-date=26 May 2010}}</ref> The resulting anti-vaccine movement has been promoted by a number of prominent persons including [[Rob Schneider]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/01/rob-schneider-links-autism-vaccines_n_1641922.html|title=Rob Schneider Links Autism To Vaccines, Rails Against Big Government|date=2 July 2012|work=HuffPost|access-date=26 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170726165254/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/01/rob-schneider-links-autism-vaccines_n_1641922.html|archive-date=26 July 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Jim Carrey]],<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://time.com/3944067/jim-carrey-vaccines/|title=Jim Carrey, Please Shut Up About Vaccines|date=1 July 2015|magazine=Time|access-date=26 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170707195748/http://time.com/3944067/jim-carrey-vaccines/|archive-date=7 July 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> [[US President]] [[Donald Trump]]<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2017/06/26/john-oliver-dubs-trump-a-human-megaphone-for-the-anti-vaccine-movement/|title=John Oliver blasts Trump as a 'human megaphone' for the anti-vaccine movement|date=26 June 2017|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=26 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170626173031/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2017/06/26/john-oliver-dubs-trump-a-human-megaphone-for-the-anti-vaccine-movement/|archive-date=26 June 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-says-vaccinations-are-causing-an-autism-epidemic-10505087.html|title=Donald Trump says vaccinations are causing an autism 'epidemic'|date=17 September 2015|work=The Independent|access-date=3 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170809225857/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-says-vaccinations-are-causing-an-autism-epidemic-10505087.html|archive-date=9 August 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Robert F. Kennedy Jr.]], Trump's pick to lead the US [[Department of Health and Human Services]].<ref name="mnookin-2017">{{Cite magazine |last=Mnookin |first=Seth |date=January 11, 2017 |title=How Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Distorted Vaccine Science |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-robert-f-kennedy-jr-distorted-vaccine-science1/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170112025044/https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-robert-f-kennedy-jr-distorted-vaccine-science1/ |archive-date=January 12, 2017 |magazine=[[Scientific American]] |quote=For more than a decade, Kennedy has promoted anti-vaccine propaganda completely unconnected to reality.}}</ref><ref name="NBC_2021-03-11">{{cite news |last1=Zadrozny |first1=Brandy |author-link1=Brandy Zadrozny |last2=Adams |first2=Char |date=March 11, 2021 |title=Covid's devastation of Black community used as 'marketing' in new anti-vaccine film |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/covid-s-devastation-black-community-used-marketing-new-anti-vaxxer-n1260724 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210318224620/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/covid-s-devastation-black-community-used-marketing-new-anti-vaxxer-n1260724 |archive-date=March 18, 2021 |access-date=March 15, 2021 |work=[[NBC News]] |quote=The video{{snd}}the newest in a series of anti-vaccine propaganda films produced or promoted by Kennedy{{snd}}was distributed through Kennedy's organization, Children's Health Defense,}}</ref><ref name="Time20230614">{{Cite magazine |first=Vera |last=Bergengruen |date=June 14, 2023 |title=Inside the Very Online Campaign of RFK Jr. |url=https://time.com/6287001/rfk-jr-interview-2024-campaign/ |access-date=June 14, 2023 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]}}</ref> It has led to increased rates of infection and death from diseases such as measles and COVID-19<ref>{{cite web|date=27 November 2021|title=COVID-19 Cases and Deaths by Vaccination Status in Virginia|url=https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus/see-the-numbers/covid-19-in-virginia/covid-19-cases-by-vaccination-status/|website=Virginia Department of Health|access-date=7 December 2021|archive-date=21 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211021160755/https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus/see-the-numbers/covid-19-in-virginia/covid-19-cases-by-vaccination-status/|url-status=dead}}</ref> in many countries, including the US, Italy, Germany, Romania and the UK.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-40056680|title=Germany vaccination: Fines plan as measles cases rise|date=26 May 2017|publisher=BBC|access-date=22 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180404194315/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-40056680|archive-date=4 April 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/news/watch-john-oliver-explore-how-trump-memes-fueled-anti-vaccine-movement-w489715|title=Watch John Oliver Explore How Trump, Memes Fueled Anti-Vaccine Movement|date=26 June 2017|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=3 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829200018/http://www.rollingstone.com/tv/news/watch-john-oliver-explore-how-trump-memes-fueled-anti-vaccine-movement-w489715|archive-date=29 August 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newsweek.com/vaccines-italy-parents-fined-627319|title=Should Vaccines Be Required? In Italy, Parents Can Now Be Fined for Skipping Kids' Shots|date=19 June 2017|work=Newsweek|access-date=26 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170626205516/http://www.newsweek.com/vaccines-italy-parents-fined-627319|archive-date=26 June 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-22277186|title=Measles outbreak in maps and graphics|date=2 May 2013|publisher=BBC|access-date=22 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180727222410/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-22277186|archive-date=27 July 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Vaccine conspiracy theories have been widespread in [[Nigeria]] since at least 2003, as well as in [[Pakistan]]. Such theories may feature claims that vaccines are part of a secret anti-Islam plot, and have been linked to fatal mass shootings and bombings at vaccine clinics in both countries.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2013/02/26/268358.html|title=Nigeria's polio campaign undermined by conspiracy theories|date=26 February 2013|publisher=Al Arabiya News Channel|access-date=2 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170802175105/http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2013/02/26/268358.html|archive-date=2 August 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/the-lay-scientist/2011/jul/15/1|title=Vaccines, the CIA, and how the War on Terror helped spread polio in Nigeria|date=15 July 2011|work=The Guardian|access-date=2 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170802172602/https://www.theguardian.com/science/the-lay-scientist/2011/jul/15/1|archive-date=2 August 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/World/2013/1007/Pakistan-bomb-blast-why-health-workers-keep-getting-attacked|title=Pakistan bomb blast: why health workers keep getting attacked|date=7 October 2013|work=The Christian Science Monitor|access-date=24 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201041129/https://www.csmonitor.com/World/2013/1007/Pakistan-bomb-blast-why-health-workers-keep-getting-attacked|archive-date=1 December 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Outer space ==
Scientific space programs are of particular interest to conspiracy theorists. The most prolific theories allege that [[Moon landing conspiracy theories|the US moon landings were staged by NASA in a film studio]], with some alleging the involvement of director [[Stanley Kubrick]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/dec/02/pop-culture-myths-friends-melania-nicki-minaj|title=Stunts! Bumps! Fake Trumps! 25 pop-culture myths too weird to be true|date=2 December 2017|work=The Guardian|access-date=2 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171202074206/https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/dec/02/pop-culture-myths-friends-melania-nicki-minaj|archive-date=2 December 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Soviet space program]] has also attracted theories that [[Lost Cosmonauts|the government concealed evidence of failed flights]]. A more recent theory, emergent following the activities of [[computer hacker|hacker]] [[Gary McKinnon]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19946902|title=Profile: Gary McKinnon|date=14 December 2012|publisher=BBC|access-date=22 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180410082031/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19946902|archive-date=10 April 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> suggests that a secret program of crewed space fleets exists, supposedly acting under the United Nations.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/hilarywardle/in-space-only-italian-radio-operators-can-hear-you-scream|title=16 Batshit Space Conspiracy Theories That Will Freak You The Fuck Out|date=1 March 2017|publisher=Buzzfeed News|access-date=20 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170714224713/https://www.buzzfeed.com/hilarywardle/in-space-only-italian-radio-operators-can-hear-you-scream|archive-date=14 July 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

Conspiracy theorists have long posited a plot by organizations such as NASA to conceal the existence of a large planet in the [[Solar System]] known as [[Nibiru cataclysm|Nibiru]] or Planet X, which is alleged to pass close enough to the Earth to destroy it. Predictions for the date of destruction have included 2003, 2012 and 2017. The theory began to develop following the publication of ''The 12th Planet'' (1976), by Russian-American author Zecharia Sitchin, was given its full form by [[Nancy Lieder]], and has since been promoted by American conspiracy theorist and [[Eschatology|end times]] theorist [[David Meade (author)|David Meade]].<ref>{{cite news|title=The man whose biblical doomsday claim has some nervously eyeing 23 Sept.|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2017/09/20/the-christian-numerologist-whose-biblical-doomsday-claim-has-some-nervously-eyeing-sept-23/|date=20 September 2017|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=18 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170923081540/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2017/09/20/the-christian-numerologist-whose-biblical-doomsday-claim-has-some-nervously-eyeing-sept-23/|archive-date=23 September 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> The notion received renewed attention during the period prior to the [[Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017|solar eclipse of 21 August 2017]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Will 2017 solar eclipse cause secret planet 'Nibiru' to destroy Earth next month? (No, but conspiracy theorists think so)|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/0/will-2017-solar-eclipse-cause-secret-planet-called-nibiru-destroy/|date=20 August 2017|work=The Daily Telegraph|access-date=5 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170815171355/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/0/will-2017-solar-eclipse-cause-secret-planet-called-nibiru-destroy/|archive-date=15 August 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Please stop annoying this NASA scientist with your ridiculous Planet X doomsday theories|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2017/11/18/please-stop-annoying-this-nasa-scientist-with-your-ridiculous-planet-x-doomsday-theories/|date=18 November 2017|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=18 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171228170417/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2017/11/18/please-stop-annoying-this-nasa-scientist-with-your-ridiculous-planet-x-doomsday-theories/|archive-date=28 December 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Other conspiracy theorists in 2017 also predicted Nibiru would appear, including Terral Croft and [[YouTube]] pastor Paul Begley.<ref>{{cite news|title=Conspiracy theorists use the Bible to claim the eclipse is a sign of the apocalypse|first=MAX|last=LONDBERG|url=http://www.kansascity.com/news/nation-world/article166475397.html|quote=Paul Begley says there is "overwhelming evidence that Planet X will destroy the Earth in 2017".|year=2017|newspaper=[[The Kansas City Star]]|access-date=21 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813133715/http://www.kansascity.com/news/nation-world/article166475397.html|archive-date=13 August 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Armageddon via imaginary planet has been pushed back – yet again – to November|first=Avi|last=Selk|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2017/10/28/armageddon-via-imaginary-planet-has-been-pushed-back-yet-again-to-november/|year=2017|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=29 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171028194302/https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2017/10/28/armageddon-via-imaginary-planet-has-been-pushed-back-yet-again-to-november/|archive-date=28 October 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Extraterrestrials and UFOs ===
{{see also|UFO conspiracy theory}}
Among the foremost concerns of conspiracy theorists are questions of alien life; for example, allegations of government cover-ups of the supposed [[Roswell incident]] or activity at [[Area 51]].<ref>{{cite web|title=US base leads poll's top conspiracy theories|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2008/jul/31/1|date=31 July 2008|work=The Guardian|access-date=4 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170924135649/https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2008/jul/31/1|archive-date=24 September 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Cattle mutilation|Multiple reports of dead cattle]] found with absent body parts and seemingly drained of blood have emerged worldwide since at least the 1960s. This phenomenon has spawned theories variously concerning aliens and secret government or military experiments.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.denverpost.com/2009/12/08/colorado-cow-mutilations-baffle-ranchers-cops-ufo-believer/|work=The Denver Post|date=8 December 2009|title=Colorado cow mutilations baffle ranchers, cops, UFO believer|access-date=4 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170702183107/http://www.denverpost.com/2009/12/08/colorado-cow-mutilations-baffle-ranchers-cops-ufo-believer/|archive-date=2 July 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Prominent among such theorists is [[Linda Moulton Howe]], author of ''Alien Harvest'' (1989).<ref>{{cite book|first=Peter|last=Knight|title=Conspiracy Theories in American History: An Encyclopedia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qMIDrggs8TsC&pg=PA125|year=2003|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-57607-812-9|page=125}}</ref><ref name="Barkun2006">{{cite book|first=Michael|last=Barkun|title=A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic Visions in Contemporary America|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LiwjVsNBw-cC&pg=PA86|date=4 May 2006|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-24812-0|page=86}}</ref>

[[File:David Icke, 7 June 2013 (1), cropped.jpg|thumb|140px|English conspiracy theorist [[David Icke]]]]

Many conspiracy theories have drawn inspiration from the writings of [[ancient astronaut]] proponent [[Zecharia Sitchin]],<ref name="Robertson">{{cite book|last=Robertson|first=David G.|date=2016|title=UFOs, Conspiracy Theories and the New Age: Millennial Conspiracism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4ngwCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT94|series=Bloomsbury Advances in Religious Studies|editor1-last=Cox|editor1-first=James|editor2-last=Sutcliffe|editor2-first=Steven|editor3-last=Sweetman|editor3-first=William|location=London, England|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|isbn=978-1474253208|page=94}}</ref> who declared that the [[Anunnaki]] from [[Sumerian religion|Sumerian mythology]] were actually a race of extraterrestrial beings who came to Earth around 500,000 years ago in order to mine gold.<ref name="Robertson"/><ref>{{cite book|last=Fritze|first=Ronald H.|author-link=Ronald H. Fritze|date=2009|title=Invented Knowledge: False History, Fake Science and Pseudo-Religions|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l2BrqdFg5AkC|location=London, England|publisher=Reaktion Books|isbn=978-1-86189-430-4|page=212}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Fritze|first=Ronald H.|date=2016|title=Egyptomania: A History of Fascination, Obsession and Fantasy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vkSkDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA292|location=London, England|publisher=Reaktion Books|isbn=978-1-78023-639-1|page=292}}</ref> In his 1994 book ''Humanity's Extraterrestrial Origins: ET Influences on Humankind's Biological and Cultural Evolution'', Arthur Horn proposed that the Anunnaki were a race of [[Reptilian humanoid|blood-drinking, shape-shifting alien reptiles]].<ref name="Robertson"/> This theory was adapted and elaborated on by British conspiracy theorist [[David Icke]],<ref name="Robertson"/> who maintains that the [[Bush family]], [[Margaret Thatcher]], [[Bob Hope]], and the [[British Royal Family]], among others, are or were such creatures, or have been under their control.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1860871_1860876_1861029,00.html|title=The Reptilian Elite|magazine=Time|year=2009|access-date=21 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170623132151/http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1860871_1860876_1861029,00.html|archive-date=23 June 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Icke's critics have suggested that 'reptilians' may be seen as an antisemitic code word, a charge he has denied.<ref name="The Week"/>

== Science and technology ==
=== Climate change ===
{{further|Climate change conspiracy theory}}
[[File:High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program site.jpg|thumb|Aerial view of the HAARP site, [[Alaska]]]]
A [[climate change conspiracy theory]] typically alleges that the science behind [[climate change]] has been invented or distorted for ideological or financial reasons—higher taxation, controls on lifestyle, and more authoritarian government.<ref name="The Daily Telegraph">{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/03/16/historys-greatest-conspiracy-theories/|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=19 November 2008|title=History's greatest conspiracy theories|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180312171616/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/03/16/historys-greatest-conspiracy-theories/|archive-date=12 March 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> [[US President]] [[Donald Trump]],<ref>{{cite news|title=After chilly forecast, Trump tweets U.S. 'could use a little bit of that good old Global Warming'|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/12/28/after-chilly-forecast-trump-tweets-u-s-could-use-a-little-bit-of-that-good-old-global-warming/|date=28 December 2017|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=29 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171229035203/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/12/28/after-chilly-forecast-trump-tweets-u-s-could-use-a-little-bit-of-that-good-old-global-warming/|archive-date=29 December 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/jun/03/hillary-clinton/yes-donald-trump-did-call-climate-change-chinese-h/|title=Yes, Donald Trump did call climate change a Chinese hoax|date=3 June 2016|access-date=2 December 2016|publisher=[[PolitiFact.com]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161205214741/http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/jun/03/hillary-clinton/yes-donald-trump-did-call-climate-change-chinese-h/|archive-date=5 December 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> US Senator [[James Inhofe]],<ref name="theguardian.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2015/feb/11/fiddling-with-global-warming-conspiracies-while-rome-burns|title=Fiddling with global warming conspiracy theories while Rome burns|date=11 February 2011|work=The Guardian|access-date=28 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170618015905/https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2015/feb/11/fiddling-with-global-warming-conspiracies-while-rome-burns|archive-date=18 June 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> British journalist [[Christopher Booker]],<ref name="theguardian.com"/> and Viscount [[Christopher Monckton]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.salon.com/2017/03/28/the-5-most-deranged-conspiracy-theories-from-gop-mega-donors-bizarro-climate-conference_partner/|title=The 5 most deranged conspiracy theories from GOP mega-donors' bizarro climate conference|date=29 March 2017|work=Salon|access-date=28 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170617215642/http://www.salon.com/2017/03/28/the-5-most-deranged-conspiracy-theories-from-gop-mega-donors-bizarro-climate-conference_partner/|archive-date=17 June 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> have promoted such theories. Popular author [[Michael Crichton]] wrote a [[State of Fear|novel]] based on this premise.

=== Weather and earthquake control projects ===
Numerous theories pertain to real or alleged weather-controlling projects. Theories include the debunked assertion that [[HAARP]], a radio-technology research program funded by the US government, is a secret weather-controlling system. Some theorists have blamed 2005's [[Hurricane Katrina]] and 2024's [[Conspiracy theories about the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season|Helene and Milton]] on HAARP.<ref name="HAARP Katrina Helene Milton">{{multiref2|1='''For Katrina:''' {{cite news|url=http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/illuminati-mind-control-hurricanes-conspiracy-theories-follow-haarp-1448711|work=International Business Times|date=30 July 2015|title=Illuminati, Mind Control and Hurricanes: Conspiracy Theories Follow HAARP|access-date=27 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170803091535/http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/illuminati-mind-control-hurricanes-conspiracy-theories-follow-haarp-1448711|archive-date=3 August 2017|url-status=live|quote="Described as a 'bionic forest' by Noah Schactman of Wired, HAARP has been blamed for a series of devastating hurricanes. In 2005, Katrina, Rita and Wilma all tore through the US, as three of the six most intense Atlantic hurricanes ever recorded. During this year, HAARP saw its funding peak at $49.3 million. Of course, this has led theorists to suggest there was a link between the two."}}|2='''For Helene:''' {{cite news|author1-first=Marina|author1-last=Dunbar|date=7 October 2024|title=Marjorie Taylor Greene condemned over Helene weather conspiracy theory|language=en|newspaper=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/07/marjorie-taylor-greene-hurricane-helene|access-date=9 October 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241007190422/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/07/marjorie-taylor-greene-hurricane-helene|archive-date=7 October 2024|url-status=live|quote="She appeared to double down on these comments with a post on Saturday, sharing a clip from a 2013 CBS News broadcast about experimental efforts to induce rain and lightning using lasers. 'CBS, nine years ago, talked about lasers controlling the weather,' Greene wrote, apparently mistaking the year of the broadcast."}}|3='''For Milton:''' {{cite magazine|author1-first=Charlie|author1-last=Warzel|date=10 October 2024|title=I'm running out of ways to explain how bad this is|language=en|magazine=The Atlantic|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2024/10/hurricane-milton-conspiracies-misinformation/680221/|url-access=subscription|access-date=12 October 2024|quote="The posts would be laughable if they weren't taken by many people as gospel. Among them: Infowars' Alex Jones, who claimed that Hurricanes Milton and Helene were 'weather weapons' unleashed on the East Coast by the U.S. government"}}}}</ref> HAARP has also been suggested to have somehow caused earthquakes, such as the [[2010 Haiti earthquake]], the [[2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami]] or the [[2013 Saravan earthquake]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Pappas|first1=Stephanie|title=Conspiracy Theories Abound as U.S. Military Closes HAARP|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/science/weird-science/conspiracy-theories-abound-u-s-military-closes-haarp-n112576|access-date=29 November 2017|publisher=NBC News|date=22 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171128132159/https://www.nbcnews.com/science/weird-science/conspiracy-theories-abound-u-s-military-closes-haarp-n112576|archive-date=28 November 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Some HAARP-related claims refer to mind-control technology.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/03/16/historys-greatest-conspiracy-theories/haarp/|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=19 November 2008|title=History's greatest conspiracy theories|access-date=5 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180430195600/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/03/16/historys-greatest-conspiracy-theories/haarp/|archive-date=30 April 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Also, of interest to conspiracy theorists are [[cloud seeding|cloud-seeding technologies]]. These include a debunked allegation<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weatheronline.co.uk/reports/philip-eden/Lynmouth-Flood-man-made.htm|title=The day they made it rain|first=Philip|last=Eden|publisher=WeatherOnline|access-date=20 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170719163634/http://www.weatheronline.co.uk/reports/philip-eden/Lynmouth-Flood-man-made.htm|archive-date=19 July 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> that the British military's [[Project Cumulus]] caused the fatal 1952 [[Lynmouth Flood]] in Devon, England,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2001/aug/30/sillyseason.physicalsciences|title=RAF rainmakers 'caused 1952 flood'|work=The Guardian|date=30 August 2001|access-date=20 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150520150540/http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2001/aug/30/sillyseason.physicalsciences|archive-date=20 May 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> 
[[California drought manipulation conspiracy theory]], and claims concerning a secret project said to have caused the [[2010 Pakistan floods]].<ref>{{cite news|first=Aleem|last=Maqbool|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/9110766.stm|title=Is Pakistan in denial about tackling its problems?|publisher=BBC News|date=21 October 2010|access-date=15 November 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101115180353/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/9110766.stm|archive-date=15 November 2010|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== MKUltra ===
[[MKUltra|Genuine American research in the 1950s and 1960s]] into chemical interrogation and mind-control techniques were followed by many conspiracy theories (like [[Project Monarch]]), especially following CIA Director Richard Helm's 1973 order to destroy all files related to the project. These theories include the allegation that the mass fatality at [[Jonestown]] in 1978 was connected to an MKUltra experiment.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/03/16/historys-greatest-conspiracy-theories/project-mk-ultra/|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=19 November 2008|title=History's greatest conspiracy theories|access-date=5 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180430195825/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/03/16/historys-greatest-conspiracy-theories/project-mk-ultra/|archive-date=30 April 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Flat Earth ===
[[File:Flat Earth Society Logo.png|thumb|120px|Logo of the Flat Earth Society, 2013]]

[[Flat Earth theory]] first emerged in 19th-century England, despite the Earth's spherical nature having been known since at least the time of [[Pythagoras]]. It has in recent years been promoted by American software consultant [[Mark Sargent (flat Earth proponent)|Mark Sargent]] through the use of [[YouTube]] videos.<ref>{{cite news|title=Why bad ideas refuse to die|url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/jun/28/why-bad-ideas-refuse-die|date=28 June 2016|work=The Guardian|access-date=24 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171123120305/https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/jun/28/why-bad-ideas-refuse-die|archive-date=23 November 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Flat-earther conspiracy theorists hold that planet Earth is not a sphere, and that evidence has been faked or suppressed to hide the fact that it is instead a disc, or a single infinite [[plane (geometry)|plane]]. The conspiracy often implicates NASA. Other claims include that [[GPS]] devices are rigged to make aircraft pilots wrongly believe they are flying around a globe.<ref>{{cite news|title=Do they really think the earth is flat?|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7540427.stm|date=4 August 2008|publisher=BBC|access-date=4 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729172557/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7540427.stm|archive-date=29 July 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Flat Earth Society Says Evidence of Round Planet Part of Vast Conspiracy Theory|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/29/flat-earth-society-psychology_n_2038198.html|date=29 October 2012|work=HuffPost|access-date=4 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170707094809/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/29/flat-earth-society-psychology_n_2038198.html|archive-date=7 July 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== RFID chips ===
[[File:Oyster card partially destroyed.jpg|thumb|left|An RFID tag, exposed by the damage to this [[Oyster card]]]]
[[RFID|Radio frequency identification chips]] (RFID), such as those implanted into pets as a means of tracking, have drawn the interest of conspiracy theorists who posit that this technology is secretly widely [[Radio-frequency identification#Human implantation|implanted in humans]]. Former [[Whitby|Whitby, England]] town councilor Simon Parkes has promoted this theory, which may be related to conspiracy theories concerning vaccination, electronic banking and the Antichrist.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.express.co.uk/news/weird/703856/MARK-OF-THE-BEAST-Secret-plan-to-implant-us-all-with-ID-chips-by-2017|title=MARK OF THE BEAST: Secret plan to 'implant us all with ID chips by 2017'|work=Daily Express|date=25 August 2016|access-date=27 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170703111750/http://www.express.co.uk/news/weird/703856/MARK-OF-THE-BEAST-Secret-plan-to-implant-us-all-with-ID-chips-by-2017|archive-date=3 July 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/559949/Vladimir-Putin-Simon-Parkes-alien-Ukraine-Russia-Labour-councillor|title='Vladimir Putin is advised by ALIENS' Councillor blames space reptiles for Ukraine crisis|work=Daily Express|date=23 February 2015|access-date=27 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170802204001/http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/559949/Vladimir-Putin-Simon-Parkes-alien-Ukraine-Russia-Labour-councillor|archive-date=2 August 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Technology suppression ===
Numerous theories pertain to the alleged suppression of certain technologies and energies. Such theories may focus on the [[Vril|Vril Society Conspiracy]], allegations of the suppression of the [[electric car]] by fossil-fuel companies (as detailed in the 2006 documentary ''[[Who Killed the Electric Car?]]''), and the [[Phoebus cartel]], set up in 1924, which has been accused of suppressing longer-lasting light bulbs.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Gaughen|first1=Patrick|title=Structural Inefficiency in the Early Twentieth Century: Studies in the Aluminum and Incadescent Lamp Markets|url=http://www.andover.edu/aep/papers/610/pgaughen98.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050224031701/http://www.andover.edu/aep/papers/610/pgaughen98.pdf|archive-date=24 February 2005|access-date=27 January 2015}}</ref> Other long-standing allegations include the suppression of [[perpetual motion]] and [[cold fusion]] technology by government agencies, special interest groups, or fraudulent inventors.<ref name=autogenerated6>{{cite book|last=Tutt|first=Keith|title=The Scientist, The Madman, The Thief and Their Lightbulb: The Search for Free Energy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DMwSmB6_94QC|year=2003|publisher=Simon & Schuster UK|location=UK|isbn=978-0684020907}}</ref> Promoters of alternative energy theories have included Thomas Henry Moray,<ref>
{{cite book|last=B. King|first=Moray|title=The Energy Machine of T. Henry Moray: Zero-Point Energy & Pulsed Plasma Physics|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eD1GeJ1UZ-UC&pg=PA13|year=2005|publisher=Adventures Unlimited Press|isbn=978-1931882422|page=13}}</ref> [[Eugene Mallove]], and convicted American fraudster [[Stanley Meyer]].<ref>{{cite news|first=Tony|last=Edwards|title=End of road for car that ran on Water|work=[[The Sunday Times]]|date=1 December 1996|url=http://groups.google.com/group/sci.energy.hydrogen/msg/8ee0acb80e943e21?hl=endc310437cd1cee1e7&|via=Google Groups|access-date=23 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022022854/http://groups.google.com/group/sci.energy.hydrogen/msg/8ee0acb80e943e21?hl=endc310437cd1cee1e7&|archive-date=22 October 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Weaponry ===
Conspiracy theorists often attend to new military technologies, both real and imagined. Subjects of theories include: the alleged [[Philadelphia Experiment]], a supposed attempt to turn a US Navy warship invisible;<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Vallée|first1=Jacques F|year=1994|title=Anatomy of a Hoax: The Philadelphia Experiment Fifty Years Later|url=http://www.scientificexploration.org/journal/jse_08_1_vallee.pdf|journal=Journal of Scientific Exploration|volume=8|issue=1|pages=47–71|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091222023540/http://www.scientificexploration.org/journal/jse_08_1_vallee.pdf|archive-date=22 December 2009}}</ref> the alleged [[Montauk Project]], a supposed government program to learn about mind control and time travel; and the so-called "[[tsunami bomb]]", which is alleged to have caused the [[2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami|2004 Indian Ocean tsunami]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/howaboutthat/3477148/The-greatest-conspiracy-theories-in-history.html?image=5|title=History's greatest conspiracy theories|website=The Telegraph|access-date=29 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130121104948/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/howaboutthat/3477148/The-greatest-conspiracy-theories-in-history.html?image=5|archive-date=21 January 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>

A theory promoted by the Venezuelan state-run TV station [[ViVe]] proposed that the [[2010 Haiti earthquake]] was caused by a secret US "earthquake weapon".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,583588,00.html|title=Hugo Chavez Says U.S. Hit Haiti With 'Earthquake Weapon'|publisher=Fox News|date=7 April 2010|access-date=3 August 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100127200732/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,583588,00.html|archive-date=27 January 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Targeted Individuals ===
{{Further|Gang stalking|Electronic harassment}}
Conspiracy theorists claim that government agents are utilizing [[directed-energy weapon]]s and [[Surveillance|electronic surveillance]] to harass members of the population. Theorists often cite research into psychotronic weapons, the [[Havana syndrome|Cuban Health Attacks]], and the [[Microwave auditory effect|Microwave Auditory Effect]] as proof of their theory. There are over 10,000 people who identify as Targeted Individuals.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wired.com/story/mind-games-the-tortured-lives-of-targeted-individuals/|title=Mind Games: The Tortured Lives of 'Targeted Individuals'|last=Yan|first=Laura|date=4 March 2018|magazine=Wired|access-date=19 December 2018|issn=1059-1028|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181102204240/https://www.wired.com/story/mind-games-the-tortured-lives-of-targeted-individuals/|archive-date=2 November 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> The "Targeted Individual" phenomenon has been featured on episodes of ''[[Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura]]''<ref>{{Citation|title=Brain Invaders|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2556422/|access-date=31 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211220512/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2556422/|archive-date=11 February 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[History (U.S. TV network)|History Channel]]'s [[In Search of... (TV series)|''In Search of...'']].<ref>{{Citation|title=Mind Control|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8943646/|access-date=31 December 2018}}</ref>

=== False history ===
[[File:Silvester II (Saint Paul Outside the Walls).png|thumb|[[Pope Sylvester II]] (from 999 to 1003)]]

Some theories claim that the dates of historical events have been deliberately distorted. These include the [[phantom time hypothesis]] of German conspiracy theorist<ref>{{Cite web|date=13 September 2023|title=The Bizarre (and Blatantly False) Conspiracy Theory That Says the Middle Ages Never Happened|url=https://www.mentalfloss.com/posts/phantom-time-hypothesis-conspiracy-theory|access-date=6 March 2024|website=Mental Floss|language=en-US}}</ref> Heribert Illig, who in 1991 published an allegation that 297 years had been added to the calendar by establishment figures such as [[Pope Sylvester II]] in order to position themselves at the [[Millennialism|millennium]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2992/did-the-middle-ages-not-really-happen/|title=Did the middle ages not really happen?|date=22 April 2011|website=The Straight Dope|language=en-US|access-date=8 January 2020}}</ref>

A comparable theory, [[New chronology (Fomenko)|new chronology]], is associated with Russian theorist [[Anatoly Fomenko]], who holds that history is many centuries shorter than widely believed, numerous historical documents have been fabricated, and legitimate documents destroyed, all for political ends. Adherents of have included chess grandmaster [[Garry Kasparov]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1316610/King-Arthur-was-really-a-Russian-say-Slavs.html|title=King Arthur was really a Russian, say Slavs|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=19 April 2001|access-date=5 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180813110002/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1316610/King-Arthur-was-really-a-Russian-say-Slavs.html|archive-date=13 August 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

Another claim is that world governments have hidden evidence for an advanced worldwide civilization with access to [[perpetual motion|free energy]] and partially populated by [[giant]]s called [[Tartarian Empire|Tartaria]], which was destroyed in the 1800s by a great "mud flood" cataclysm, causing its remains to be buried.<ref>{{cite web|author=Brian Dunning|author-link=Brian Dunning (author)|title=Tartaria and the Mud Flood|url=https://skeptoid.com/episodes/4765|date=2 February 2021|access-date=16 March 2022|publisher=Skeptoid}}</ref>

=== Dead Internet theory ===
{{main|Dead Internet theory}}
The Dead Internet theory is the belief that the modern [[Internet]] is almost entirely populated by [[Internet bot|bot]]s and [[procedurally generated content]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Tiffany|first=Kaitlyn|date=31 August 2021|title=Maybe You Missed It, but the Internet 'Died' Five Years Ago|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2021/08/dead-internet-theory-wrong-but-feels-true/619937/|access-date=6 March 2023|website=The Atlantic|language=en}}</ref>

=== Smartphones listening in on private conversations ===
{{See also|Active Listening}}
According to the theory, smartphones with microphones listen to private off-line conversations and use the data for targeted ads.<ref name="Guardian 2021">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/oct/29/is-my-phone-listening-to-me-we-ask-the-expert|title=Is my phone listening to me? We ask the expert|last=Khan|first=Coco|date=29 October 2021|website=The Guardian|access-date=5 September 2024|quote=I think my phone is somehow listening in. How else can I explain the ads that appear for a product just as I’m talking about it?}}</ref><ref name="BBC 2019">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-49585682|title=Why phones that secretly listen to us are a myth|last=Tidy|first=Joe|date=5 September 2019|publisher=BBC News|access-date=5 September 2024|quote=The internet is awash with posts and videos on social media where people claim to have proof that the likes of Facebook and Google are spying on users in order to serve hyper-targeted adverts.}}</ref><ref name="Variety 2018">{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/apple-iphone-listen-conspiracy-theory-1202899402/|title=Apple Denies Conspiracy Theory That iPhones 'Listen' to Conversations|last=Spangler|first=Todd|date=8 August 2018|website=Variety|access-date=5 September 2024|quote=Apple says that no, iPhones do not secretly record users' conversations – nor do the smartphones "listen" in on their conversations.}}</ref>

=== 5G misinformation ===
{{main|5G misinformation}}
Conspiracy theories about [[Mobile technology|mobile phone technology]] have circulated since the 1990s, having historical parallels with 1903-era [[radiophobia]].<ref name= conv>{{cite web |last1=Downing |first1=Joseph |last2=Tuters |first2=Marc |last3=Knight |first3=Peter |last4=Ahmed |first4=Wasim |title=Four experts investigate how the 5G coronavirus conspiracy theory began |url=https://theconversation.com/four-experts-investigate-how-the-5g-coronavirus-conspiracy-theory-began-139137 |website=The Conversation |date=11 June 2020 |access-date=6 January 2025 |language=en}}</ref>  With [[5G|5G technology]] deploying in 2019, the same year that  [[SARS-CoV-2]] ([[COVID-19 pandemic|the COVID-19 virus]]) was discovered, multiple conspiracy theories arose linking the two.<ref name= conv />

== Sports ==
=== Boxing ===
[[Boxing]] has featured in conspiracy theories, such as the claims that the second [[Muhammad Ali vs. Sonny Liston|Ali-Liston]] fight<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1622877-10-sports-conspiracy-theories-that-are-totally-true/page/2|title=10 Sports Conspiracy Theories That Are Totally True|first=Dan|last=Carson|work=Bleacher Report|access-date=6 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150509074937/http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1622877-10-sports-conspiracy-theories-that-are-totally-true/page/2|archive-date=9 May 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> and the [[Manny Pacquiao vs. Timothy Bradley|first]] [[Timothy Bradley|Bradley]]-[[Manny Pacquiao|Pacquiao]] fight were [[Match fixing|fixed]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1622877-10-sports-conspiracy-theories-that-are-totally-true/page/10|title=10 Sports Conspiracy Theories That Are Totally True|first=Dan|last=Carson|work=Bleacher Report|access-date=6 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150509092525/http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1622877-10-sports-conspiracy-theories-that-are-totally-true/page/10|archive-date=9 May 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Shergar ===
The theft and disappearance of the Irish-bred racehorse [[Shergar]] in 1983 has prompted many conspiracy theorists to speculate about involvement by [[Sicilian Mafia|the Mafia]], the [[Provisional Irish Republican Army|IRA]] and [[Muammar Gaddafi|Colonel Gaddafi]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/03/16/historys-greatest-conspiracy-theories/the-disappearance-of-shergar/|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=19 November 2008|title=History's greatest conspiracy theories|access-date=5 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180430195801/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/03/16/historys-greatest-conspiracy-theories/the-disappearance-of-shergar/|archive-date=30 April 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Rigged selection processes ===
The "frozen envelope theory" suggests that the [[National Basketball Association]] rigged its 1985 draft lottery so that [[Patrick Ewing]] would join the [[New York Knicks]]. Theorists claim that a lottery envelope was chilled so that it could be identified by touch.<ref>{{cite book|last=Roeper|first=Richard|title=Debunked!: Conspiracy Theories, Urban Legends, and Evil Plots of the 21st Century|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rEJp00sYu7AC&pg=PA80|year=2008|publisher=Chicago Review Press|isbn=978-1-55652-970-2|page=80}}</ref> A similar "hot balls theory", promoted by Scottish football manager [[David Moyes]], suggests that certain balls used in draws for [[UEFA]] and [[Asian Football Confederation|AFC]] competitions have been warmed to achieve specific outcomes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11671/7590220/moyes-uefa-hot-balls-cost-us|title=Moyes – UEFA hot balls cost us|publisher=Sky Sports|access-date=6 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140314191251/http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11671/7590220/moyes-uefa-hot-balls-cost-us|archive-date=14 March 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== 1984 Firecracker 400 ===
The [[1984 Firecracker 400]] at [[Daytona International Speedway]] in [[Daytona International Speedway|Daytona]], Florida, was the first [[NASCAR]] race to be attended by a sitting US president, [[Ronald Reagan]], and was driver [[Richard Petty]]'s 200th and final career victory. Rival driver [[Cale Yarborough|Cale Yarborough's]] premature retirement to the [[pit stop|pit road]] has prompted conspiracy theorists to allege that organizers fixed the race in order to receive good publicity for the event.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/13-most-stunning-sports-conspiracy-140957968.html|title=The 13 most stunning sports conspiracy theories, ranked|publisher=Yahoo Sporting News|date=12 May 2016|access-date=27 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170927202859/https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/13-most-stunning-sports-conspiracy-140957968.html|archive-date=27 September 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Ronaldo and the 1998 FIFA World Cup final ===
On the day of the [[1998 FIFA World Cup final]], Brazilian striker [[Ronaldo (Brazilian footballer)|Ronaldo]] suffered a [[Epileptic seizure|convulsive fit]].<ref>{{cite web|title=The great World Cup Final mystery|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport3/worldcup2002/hi/history/newsid_1749000/1749324.stm|publisher=BBC Sport|date=2 April 2002|access-date=15 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110217052606/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport3/worldcup2002/hi/history/newsid_1749000/1749324.stm|archive-date=17 February 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> Ronaldo was initially removed from the starting lineup 72 minutes before the match, with the teamsheet released to a stunned world media, before he was reinstated by Brazil coach [[Mário Zagallo]] shortly before kick off.<ref>{{cite news|title=World Cup moments: Mystery surrounds Ronaldo in 1998|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/international/world-cup-moments-mystery-surrounds-ronaldo-in-1998-1.3494639|access-date=4 September 2018|work=The Irish Times|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190410060225/https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/international/world-cup-moments-mystery-surrounds-ronaldo-in-1998-1.3494639|archive-date=10 April 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="France">[https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/may/08/world-cup-stunning-moments-25-ronaldo-france "World Cup: 25 stunning moments &#91;...&#93; No15: Ronaldo falters as France win"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180929021532/https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/may/08/world-cup-stunning-moments-25-ronaldo-france |date=29 September 2018 }}. ''The Guardian''. Retrieved 10 June 2014</ref> Ronaldo "sleepwalked" through the final, with France winning the game.<ref name="France"/> The nature of the incident set off a trail of questions and allegations that persisted for years, with [[Alex Bellos]] writing in ''[[The Guardian]]'', "When Ronaldo's health scare was revealed after the match, the situation's unique circumstances lent itself to fabulous conspiracy theories. Here was the world's most famous sportsman, about to take part in the most important match of his career, when he suddenly, inexplicably, fell ill. Was it stress, epilepsy, or had he been drugged?"<ref name="Paris">{{cite news|title=The mystery of Paris that refuses to go away|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2002/jun/29/worldcupfootball2002.sport3|access-date=1 October 2018|newspaper=The Guardian|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181002064524/https://www.theguardian.com/football/2002/jun/29/worldcupfootball2002.sport3|archive-date=2 October 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Questions also circulated into who made Ronaldo play the game. Zagallo insisted he had the final say, but much speculation focused on sportswear company [[Nike, Inc.|Nike]], Brazil's multimillion-dollar sponsor—whom many Brazilians thought had too much control—putting pressure on the striker to play against medical advice.<ref name="Paris"/>

=== New England Patriots ===
{{see also|New England Patriots#Controversies}}
[[File:NRG Stadium before Super Bowl LI.jpg|thumb|[[NRG Stadium]] before [[Super Bowl LI]]]]
The [[New England Patriots]] have also been involved in numerous conspiracy theories.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mike Freeman's 10-Point Stance: Pats Conspiracy Theories Are the NFL's UFOs|website=[[Bleacher Report]]|url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2755593-mike-freemans-10-point-stance-pats-conspiracy-theories-are-the-nfls-ufos|access-date=24 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180124124306/http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2755593-mike-freemans-10-point-stance-pats-conspiracy-theories-are-the-nfls-ufos|archive-date=24 January 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> During their 2018 [[AFC Championship Game|AFC Championship]] [[2017–18 NFL playoffs#AFC Championship Game: New England Patriots 24, Jacksonville Jaguars 20|24–20 victory]] over the [[Jacksonville Jaguars]], several conspiracy theories spread stating that the referees helped the Patriots advance to [[Super Bowl LII]] where they were eventually defeated by the champion [[Philadelphia Eagles]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Patriots had a few calls go their way vs. the Jaguars, and everyone is in conspiracy mode again|date=22 January 2018|url=https://www.sbnation.com/2018/1/22/16917848/jaguars-patriots-refs-afc-championship-nfl-playoffs-2018|access-date=22 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180130093940/https://www.sbnation.com/2018/1/22/16917848/jaguars-patriots-refs-afc-championship-nfl-playoffs-2018|archive-date=30 January 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> However, sports analyst [[Stephen A. Smith]] stated the Jaguars were not robbed, but that they had no one to blame but themselves for the loss.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Super Bowl LII: Save your Patriots conspiracy theories|url=https://www.patspulpit.com/2018/1/24/16926738/super-bowl-lii-save-your-patriots-conspiracy-theories|access-date=24 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180208123511/https://www.patspulpit.com/2018/1/24/16926738/super-bowl-lii-save-your-patriots-conspiracy-theories|archive-date=8 February 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> There were also conspiracy theories regarding the [[Super Bowl LI]] matchup between the Patriots and the [[Atlanta Falcons]] stating that the game was rigged<ref>{{Cite web|title=3 reasons why the internet thinks the Super Bowl was totally rigged|date=6 February 2017|url=https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2017/2/6/14523088/super-bowl-rigged-patriots-falcons-james-white-donald-trump|access-date=6 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170208070408/http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2017/2/6/14523088/super-bowl-rigged-patriots-falcons-james-white-donald-trump|archive-date=8 February 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> while others said the Falcons made questionable play-calls at the end of the game that resulted in them blowing a 28–3 lead.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Falcons' Quinn defends questionable play-calling late in Super Bowl loss|url=https://www.thescore.com/nfl/news/1223937-falcons-quinn-defends-questionable-play-calling-late-in-super-bowl-loss|access-date=5 February 2017}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Conspiracy theories in United States politics]]
* [[Conspiracy theories in the Arab world]]
* [[Conspiracy theories in Turkey]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
* {{cite book|first=David|last=Aaronovitch|title=Voodoo Histories: How Conspiracy Theory Has Shaped the Modern World|orig-date=2009|year=2010|publisher=Vintage|isbn=978-0099478966|author-link=David Aaronovitch}}
* {{cite journal|last1=Baer|first1=Marc David|author-link=Marc David Baer|title=An Enemy Old and New: The Dönme, Anti-Semitism, and Conspiracy Theories in the Ottoman Empire and Turkish Republic|journal=Jewish Quarterly Review|date=2013|volume=103|issue=4|pages=523–555|doi=10.1353/jqr.2013.0033|s2cid=159483845}}
* {{cite book|last=De Young|first=James|title=Terrorism, Islam, and Christian Hope: Reflections on 9-11 and Resurging Islam|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=60JLAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA64|year=2004|publisher=Wipf and Stock|isbn=978-1-59752-005-8}}
* {{cite book|first=Brian|last=Dunning|title=Conspiracies Declassified|year=2018|publisher=Adams Media|isbn=978-1-5072-0699-7|author-link=Brian Dunning (author)}}
* {{cite book|last=Gray|first=John|orig-date=1998|year=2000|title=False Dawn: The Delusions of Global Capitalism|publisher=New Press|isbn=978-1-56584-592-3|title-link=False Dawn: The Delusions of Global Capitalism}}
* {{cite book|last1=Hindson|first1=Ed|last2=Caner|first2=Ergun|title=The Popular Encyclopedia of Apologetics: Surveying the Evidence for the Truth of Christianity|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yipXIHcteRsC&pg=PA280|year=2008|publisher=Harvest House|isbn=978-0-7369-3635-4}}
* {{cite book|last=Hodapp|first=Christopher|author2=Alice Von Kannon|title=Conspiracy Theories & Secret Societies For Dummies|publisher=Wiley|location=Hoboken, NJ|year=2008|isbn=978-0-470-18408-0|author-link=Christopher Hodapp|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780470184080}}
* {{cite book|last=Langton|first=Daniel R.|author-link=Daniel Langton|year=2010|title=The Apostle Paul in the Jewish Imagination|location=Cambridge|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-51740-9}}
* Newton, Michael. ''The Encyclopedia of Conspiracies and Conspiracy Theories'' (Facts on File, 2006), worldwide coverage, 520 entries
* {{cite book|last=Riddell|first=Peter G.|title=Islam and the Malay-Indonesian World: Transmission and Responses|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a3x-JdCGn1UC|year=2001|publisher=University of Hawaii Press|isbn=978-0-8248-2473-0}}
* Roniger, Luis, Senkman, Leonardo. ''Conspiracy Theories and Latin American History: Lurking in the Shadows'' (Routledge, 2023) {{ISBN|978-1-032-05237-3}}
* {{cite book|last=Tudge McConnachie|first=Robin James|orig-date=2005|year=2008|title=The Rough Guide to Conspiracy Theories|publisher=Rough Guide|isbn=978-1-85828-281-7|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/roughguidetocons0000mcco}}
* {{cite book|last=Waardenburg|first=Jacques|title=Muslim Perceptions of Other Religions: A Historical Survey|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eLDPuc4SL_cC|date=1999|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-535576-5}}

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