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The Strangest Conspiracy Theories 71

The strangest conspiracy

theories: from Diana and

Elvis to Meghan Markle

Continued from Page 70

The Holocaust did not happen

One of the most contentious conspiracy theories
concerns the systematic extermination of six
million Jews by the Nazis during the Second
World War.
Evidence for the Holocaust is
overwhelming - consisting of thousands of
photos, films and first-hand accounts. Yet that
has not stopped a number of people questioning
its validity.
Most Holocaust deniers claim, either
explicitly or implicitly, that the Holocaust is a
hoax – or at best an exaggeration – arising from
a deliberate Jewish conspiracy designed to
advance the interest of Jews. While most deniers
the footage after his experience on 2001: A He died at the age of 87 on 18 March
agree that some killings were orchestrated by the
Space Odyssey. 2015 (or, as his own Wikipedia page suggests,
Nazis, they claim the figures have been greatly
could be interpreted as any dates from 16 to 20
inflated.
JFK March inclusively). But his theory - and website
One of the most famous cases is the 2000
- have remained a source of fascination for
trial, later dramatised in the film Denial, in
which historian David Irving sued author In November 1963, John F Kennedy was many.
Deborah Lipstadt for her description of him as a assassinated in Dallas, Texas. Lee Harvey
denier. Oswald, a former US Marine who defected to 5 Things The Chinese
The landmark case effectively put the the Soviet Union before returning to the US, was Won’t Find On The Far
Holocaust itself on trial, with the judge accused of the crime but was shot dead before he
eventually ruling that Irving was “an active could stand trial. But was he just a scapegoat? Side Of The Moon
Holocaust denier; that he was anti-Semitic and Did the real killers get away with murder?
racist and that he associated with right-wing No official investigation was able to
extremists who promoted neo-Nazism”. definitively confirm a conspiracy, but theories The Chinese just put themselves on the map
Irving was later sentenced to three years implicating everyone from the KGB to Jackie regarding the “space race,” landing a probe
in prison in Vienna after admitting to denying Kennedy continue to circulate. Read more about on the dark side of the moon this past week.
the Holocaust. Some countries, including the JFK conspiracy theories here. Named “Chang’e 4,” it’s the first time
Austria and Germany, have made Holocaust humans have ever successfully put a rover
denial a criminal offence. Grand Unified Conspiracy Theory on the opposite side of the moon. The move
However, this has not stopped the theory isn’t just impressive to Pink Floyd fans but
from entering the mainstream, garnering support To the most dedicated conspiracy theorists, none to anyone who’s bought into the many
across the world. of these plots on their own is sufficient to conspiracy theories regarding our natural
According to a large 100-country survey explain the sustained malevolence of the world satellite.
by the Anti-Defamation League, only 54% of in which we live. Instead, each one is a
the world’s population has heard of the manifestation of what RationalWiki describes as As hard as it may be to believe, we still don’t
Holocaust, and of these just a third believe it is “an interlocking hierarchy of conspiracies”, in
portrayed correctly. which all the world’s events are controlled by a know that much about the far side of the
The highest levels of awareness and trust single evil entity. moon because of “tidal locking.” Although
in the historical accounts of the Holocaust exist It is a complex and self-reflexive the moon rotates on its axis once every 27
in Western Europe (77% believe it has been premise: if it is correct, then it must be the case days, that’s the same amount of time it takes
accurately described in history) while just 23% that awareness of the Grand Unified Conspiracy to orbit the Earth, meaning that we always
of people in Asia and 12% of sub-Saharan Africa Theory is itself a part of the conspirators plan – see the same face of the moon as it rotates
believe the historical accounts are accurate. and so, of course, is this list. around us.

Time Cube
Here are 5 things we won’t see on the
Moon landings
The Time Cube is a pseudo-scientific theory of dark side of the moon.
Neil Armstrong’s giant leap kicked off one of time and space developed by Gene Ray, a former
the most persistent conspiracy theories of the electrician. He insisted that academics around 1. Aliens
20th century - that the 1969 landings, and all the world were purposefully concealing the fact
those that followed, were faked by Nasa and that that four simultaneous days occur during a 2. Castles
no human being has ever set foot on the surface single rotation of the Earth, rather than just one.
of the moon. Ray even gave lectures at the
Even though there is substantial Massachusetts and Georgia Institutes of 3. A Tunnel of Cities
evidence to the contrary (including moon rocks Technology on the matter. On his self-designed
brought back to Earth and manmade objects left website - a stream of consciousness with 4. A Secret Moon Base
on the moon) some remain adamant that film intermittent capitalised words - he offered a
director Stanley Kubrick was hired to produce $1,000 reward to anyone who could successfully
disprove his theory. 5. Adolf Hitler