Conspiracy Theorists Unite!!!

[nitenurse]

On the AIDS thing. I remember reading years ago (and I'm to lazy to google for links) that a British Sailor died in 1958 or '59 or a "mysterious disease". It was in or near Manchester. The doctors involved saved samples and slide of body tissue. Fast forward a few decades and it turned out that the specimens involved showed HIV/AIDS was the cause of death.

Figure that one out guys.

[Sunnyhorse]

I think it's pretty widely accepted now that AIDS has been around for quite a while -- Randy Shilts discussed the case of a Danish physician, Grethe Rask (later than the case you mention, NiteNurse, but scary and touching nonetheless), in his incredible book And the Band Played On. (Have you read it? I have a feeling you'd enjoy it.)

[Sukie]

nitenurse said:

On the AIDS thing. I remember reading years ago (and I'm to lazy to google for links) that a British Sailor died in 1958 or '59 or a "mysterious disease". It was in or near Manchester. The doctors involved saved samples and slide of body tissue. Fast forward a few decades and it turned out that the specimens involved showed HIV/AIDS was the cause of death.

Figure that one out guys.

I haven't heard that one, but the one AIDS conspiracy that I did hear about ( and watched a documentary on) was that it was transmitted to humans through vaccines (can't remember if it was smallpox or polio). According to the theory, scientists who were researching the vaccines, unknowingly transferred SIV ( the ape version of HIV) in them. The SIV mutated to form HIV. Or something along those lines. It was an interesting theory and documentary, but I never heard any follow up. I think there was a book also.

On the JFK Jr. front, it is interesting that there were never any conspiracy theories born from it.

[Metizia]

No John John conspiracy theories? Really?

[Sukie]

donarulli said:

No John John conspiracy theories? Really?

***places tinfoil hat squarely on head and wanders off to read***

Thanks for the link! I knew there had to be something good out there. ;D

[celerydunk]

I suspect there are no major JFK Jr conspiracies because he wasnt involved in anything. He wasnt involved in politics and his biggest venture was a magazine. His wife and her sister are also unlikely targets.

As far as Diana didnt it take an incredibly long time to get her to the hospital? I do agree that the driver wasnt as drunk as they (ohh, the mystery 'they') want us to believe. Im not sure why though. I do lean towards the Muslim connection to the throne. Considering that even Diana and Charles can be traced back to each other as distant cousins, its clear the royals are not that open to outsiders.

[kateln]

spider said:

I'm fascinated by conspiracy theories and the that way people are often attracted to really complicated explanations of simple stuff. I think we can't accept that a simple action has a huge consequence and so we make it out to be part of a conspiracy.

Personally, I have no problem believing in random acts of senseless violence and a hard time believing in cover ups. Maybe I've worked for the govt for too long to think they are capable of anything that complicated

I don't think a plane hit the Pentagon

Go to Snopes, there are multiple pictures of bits of plane embedded in the building.

About 6 of my friends saw it hit and they get pretty irate when they hear that particular theory!

Several of my friends were on 395 Southbound when the Pentagon was hit, and saw the plane coming towards the Pentagon (which was just behind them). Felt it/heard it hit. They get pretty snarky about that theory. Though, I'm willing to buy into the Flight 93 being shot down theory.

As for the other theories mentioned. I can't decide what I think of them...though I did think that UFOs, JFK, and Elvis: Conspiracies You Don't Have To Be Crazy To Believe by Richard Belzar (yes Detective Munch) was an interesting and funny read.

[Sunnyhorse]

celerydunk said:

I suspect there are no major JFK Jr conspiracies because he wasnt involved in anything. He wasnt involved in politics and his biggest venture was a magazine. His wife and her sister are also unlikely targets.

As far as Diana didnt it take an incredibly long time to get her to the hospital? I do agree that the driver wasnt as drunk as they (ohh, the mystery 'they') want us to believe. Im not sure why though. I do lean towards the Muslim connection to the throne. Considering that even Diana and Charles can be traced back to each other as distant cousins, its clear the royals are not that open to outsiders.

Until about a week before Diana's death, I was editing an emergency-medicine journal, and one of the sections was "Emergency Medicine Around the World." Whereas we in the States (and the UK and Canada) have "scoop and run" emergency services (the patient is immediately bundled into the ambulance and taken to the hospital for treatment, with paramedics administering what care they can along the way), in many other countries treatment is attempted in the field before the patient is actually taken to the hospital ("stay and play"). I read at least one article blaming the French system for Diana's death, although I would think that a patient with a ruptured aorta, the injury Diana sustained, would bleed out pretty quickly.

ETA: Whoops, I got the blood vessel wrong -- it was one of her pulmonary veins that was torn loose from its moorings by the violence of the crash.

[shriekingeel]

I was convinced for a long time that Saddam had his WMD stockpiles moved to Syria with Russian assistance in early 2003. There are lots of people who still believe this, but really, the administration has gotten so hammered on this issue that they would definitely have publicized the story if it there were any evidence supporting it.

[ennui]

donarulli said:

No John John conspiracy theories? Really?

That linked story seemed plausible until "Examination revealed that Carolyn Bessette Kennedy was in third trimester pregnant, the fetus a boy." With the way the media followed her every move and counted every cigarette, I think we would have noticed if Carolyn were six+ months pregnant.