Conspiracy Theories
Padraig Reidy writing in The Guardian highlights some of the crazy conspiracy theories being peddled by Russian TV over the shooting down of Flight MH17.
Seems to me that these stories are just about as credible as the views of the newspaper's comment editor, Seumas 'Shameless' Milne.
MH17: five of the most bizarre conspiracy theories
From Zionist plots to the Illuminati, some wildly imaginative alternatives are being promoted by the likes of Russian TV
Padraig Reidy - The Guardian
Was the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 a cock-up or conspiracy? Photograph: Robert Ghement/EPA
There are several versions of the phrase: “Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.” While the sentiment is not entirely applicable to the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines’ flight MH17 over Ukraine – it seems impossible that there was no malice involved in bringing down a passenger plane carrying close to 300 people who had nothing to do with anyone’s conflict – it’s still worth holding in our thoughts as we try to get to grips with exactly what happened. Was this a cock-up or a conspiracy?
First, the cock-up. Russian-backed Ukrainian separatists gained access to a sophisticated Buk ground-to-air missile system, most likely via Russian channels. They were keen to shoot down Ukrainian planes. Unfortunately, they did not have the equipment or expertise to differentiate between civilian and military aircraft, and the result was the horrific death of MH17’s 298 innocent passengers.
This is still a crime, no doubt. But for some this is not enough. For various reasons, ranging from fear, to vanity, to hatred, people need an overarching theory. There must always be more to matters than meets the eye.
Here are five of the “alternative” explanations for the downing of MH17, in order of diminishing plausibility (not to suggest that any one of them is really plausible – but some are weirder than others).
1. The Ukrainians did it
Straightforward argument: The Ukrainian army should be the best-equipped force in Ukraine. It definitely has Buks, which Russia says it deployed near the separatist militia areas in advance of the attack. It shot down MH17 because…? That’s where this theory falls down. There is no reason why Ukraine, which already has significant sympathy from the international community, would jeopardise its position by senselessly attacking a civilian flight and hoping the blame would stick to Russia. But this is what the Russian military is hinting at with its series of questions to Kiev and Washington released this week.
2. It was the Ukrainians, attempting to shoot down Vladimir Putin
Russia’s Interfax agency reported excitedly after the attack that MH17 and Vladimir Putin’s presidential jet had been flying roughly the same trajectory. What’s more, the planes bore strikingly similar markings, with red and blue horizontal stripes on a white fuselage. Could it be the missile was intended for the Russian president?
Seems unlikely. Putin’s plane, flying home from a conference in Rio, was not scheduled to fly over Ukraine. Though the paths of the planes did briefly cross, that was apparently near Warsaw. Also, see 1. Unless Ukraine was hellbent on all-out war with Russia, there would be no reason to do this.
3. MH17 was shot down to conceal the truth about HIV/Aids
There are several versions of the phrase: “Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.” While the sentiment is not entirely applicable to the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines’ flight MH17 over Ukraine – it seems impossible that there was no malice involved in bringing down a passenger plane carrying close to 300 people who had nothing to do with anyone’s conflict – it’s still worth holding in our thoughts as we try to get to grips with exactly what happened. Was this a cock-up or a conspiracy?
First, the cock-up. Russian-backed Ukrainian separatists gained access to a sophisticated Buk ground-to-air missile system, most likely via Russian channels. They were keen to shoot down Ukrainian planes. Unfortunately, they did not have the equipment or expertise to differentiate between civilian and military aircraft, and the result was the horrific death of MH17’s 298 innocent passengers.
This is still a crime, no doubt. But for some this is not enough. For various reasons, ranging from fear, to vanity, to hatred, people need an overarching theory. There must always be more to matters than meets the eye.
Here are five of the “alternative” explanations for the downing of MH17, in order of diminishing plausibility (not to suggest that any one of them is really plausible – but some are weirder than others).
1. The Ukrainians did it
Straightforward argument: The Ukrainian army should be the best-equipped force in Ukraine. It definitely has Buks, which Russia says it deployed near the separatist militia areas in advance of the attack. It shot down MH17 because…? That’s where this theory falls down. There is no reason why Ukraine, which already has significant sympathy from the international community, would jeopardise its position by senselessly attacking a civilian flight and hoping the blame would stick to Russia. But this is what the Russian military is hinting at with its series of questions to Kiev and Washington released this week.
2. It was the Ukrainians, attempting to shoot down Vladimir Putin
Russia’s Interfax agency reported excitedly after the attack that MH17 and Vladimir Putin’s presidential jet had been flying roughly the same trajectory. What’s more, the planes bore strikingly similar markings, with red and blue horizontal stripes on a white fuselage. Could it be the missile was intended for the Russian president?
Seems unlikely. Putin’s plane, flying home from a conference in Rio, was not scheduled to fly over Ukraine. Though the paths of the planes did briefly cross, that was apparently near Warsaw. Also, see 1. Unless Ukraine was hellbent on all-out war with Russia, there would be no reason to do this.
3. MH17 was shot down to conceal the truth about HIV/Aids
Flowers are laid as tributes to the Aids researchers killed in the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, at the base of a large sign for the 20th International AIDS Conference in Melbourne. Photograph: Stringer/Reuters
This is the point where the theories go from “interesting but unlikely” into “Oh. Right.”
Early reports of the disaster suggested over 100 people working in the field of HIV/Aids research, en route to a major international conference in Melbourne, had perished. When a clearer picture emerged, this was revised down to seven. No less horrific for those who perished or their friends and family, but perhaps less grist to the mill of those who speculated that the plane had been shot down to prevent a cure for Aids being revealed. Apparently, the “global elite” is keen to stop us learning about the cure for Aids, as it wants to depopulate the Earth. It seems fair to say that the global elite is not doing a very good job at this.
4. It was Israel
Speaking of “global elites”, if one delves far enough (ie not very far at all) into the conspiracy pool, one will quickly find talk of “globalists”, “internationalists”, “banksters” and “Zionists”.
The coincidence of the MH17 shooting with the latest outbreak of conflict in Israel/Palestine has provided perfect explanations for many who see the puppetmaster Zionist running everything. Curiously, they never say “Jews run the world” anymore. It is always couched in euphemism. Perhaps this is progress of a sort. But it still means you get to blame Israel for any event anywhere ever.
One theory, put forward by James Henry Fetzer of Veterans Today in an interview on Iran’s Press TV, is that Benjamin Netanyahu was behind the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in March. That plane was then hidden, possibly in Diego Garcia. When the Israeli bombardment of Gaza began, the plane was given new identification numbers and then flown over Ukraine, to be shot down by Ukrainian forces, backed by Nato, which backs Israel, which controls the world and is attempting to undermine Russia, the “last bastion” of the white race against the neocons and Zionists, as former BNP leader Nick Griffin called it in his recent resignation statement.
This is the point where the theories go from “interesting but unlikely” into “Oh. Right.”
Early reports of the disaster suggested over 100 people working in the field of HIV/Aids research, en route to a major international conference in Melbourne, had perished. When a clearer picture emerged, this was revised down to seven. No less horrific for those who perished or their friends and family, but perhaps less grist to the mill of those who speculated that the plane had been shot down to prevent a cure for Aids being revealed. Apparently, the “global elite” is keen to stop us learning about the cure for Aids, as it wants to depopulate the Earth. It seems fair to say that the global elite is not doing a very good job at this.
4. It was Israel
Speaking of “global elites”, if one delves far enough (ie not very far at all) into the conspiracy pool, one will quickly find talk of “globalists”, “internationalists”, “banksters” and “Zionists”.
The coincidence of the MH17 shooting with the latest outbreak of conflict in Israel/Palestine has provided perfect explanations for many who see the puppetmaster Zionist running everything. Curiously, they never say “Jews run the world” anymore. It is always couched in euphemism. Perhaps this is progress of a sort. But it still means you get to blame Israel for any event anywhere ever.
One theory, put forward by James Henry Fetzer of Veterans Today in an interview on Iran’s Press TV, is that Benjamin Netanyahu was behind the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in March. That plane was then hidden, possibly in Diego Garcia. When the Israeli bombardment of Gaza began, the plane was given new identification numbers and then flown over Ukraine, to be shot down by Ukrainian forces, backed by Nato, which backs Israel, which controls the world and is attempting to undermine Russia, the “last bastion” of the white race against the neocons and Zionists, as former BNP leader Nick Griffin called it in his recent resignation statement.
5. The “Illuminati” did it
Symbol of the The Bavarian Illuminati secret society. Photograph: Apic/Getty Images
The Illuminati, who have apparently been secretly running the world since the 18th century, usually in association with the globalists, the neocons, the Rothschild-Zionists etc shot down the plane. For all sorts of reasons. The useful thing about the Illuminati is that, despite being supposedly highly secretive, they leave clues absolutely everywhere all the time, from the symbolism on US bank notes to Rihanna (apparently Illuminati herself) throwing Illuminati hand gestures in videos. That is the other great thing about the Illuminati. Almost everyone you’ve ever heard of is in on it.
The Illuminati apparently have a thing for the number seven. So is it any coincidence that MH17, a Boeing 777 was shot down in the seventh month of 2014? Look at all the sevens and multiples thereof! It’s obvious!
We may laugh at these theories, but it’s worth remembering that they are being pushed by the likes of Press TV and Russia’s RT, both government-run channels for serious international players. It is easy at first glance to see why Russia has an interest in obscuring the truth about the horror of MH17 with a barrage of nonsense: Moscow has lost control of the situation in east Ukraine, and the last thing an autocrat such as Putin can admit to is that the monster of his making is not at his command.
But the formulation of conspiracy theories about MH17 is not isolated. Some of us like to believe these theories because the alternative is the terrifying idea that no one really knows what they’re doing; some because it lets us feel superior to others who have never even thought to gaze behind the curtain; some believe conspiracy theories give them a revolutionary edge, in spite of the fact that the vast majority of them come from profoundly reactionary places. And some theories on “Zionists”, “globalists” et al, come from a place of hatred and violence.
It is no good to say they are merely “alternative” ways of looking at the world, as some of their defenders will counter. There is reality and there is fantasy. We cannot engage with the world, or hope to improve it, without first knowing the true state of things. Conspiracy theories destroy any hope of that.
The Illuminati, who have apparently been secretly running the world since the 18th century, usually in association with the globalists, the neocons, the Rothschild-Zionists etc shot down the plane. For all sorts of reasons. The useful thing about the Illuminati is that, despite being supposedly highly secretive, they leave clues absolutely everywhere all the time, from the symbolism on US bank notes to Rihanna (apparently Illuminati herself) throwing Illuminati hand gestures in videos. That is the other great thing about the Illuminati. Almost everyone you’ve ever heard of is in on it.
The Illuminati apparently have a thing for the number seven. So is it any coincidence that MH17, a Boeing 777 was shot down in the seventh month of 2014? Look at all the sevens and multiples thereof! It’s obvious!
We may laugh at these theories, but it’s worth remembering that they are being pushed by the likes of Press TV and Russia’s RT, both government-run channels for serious international players. It is easy at first glance to see why Russia has an interest in obscuring the truth about the horror of MH17 with a barrage of nonsense: Moscow has lost control of the situation in east Ukraine, and the last thing an autocrat such as Putin can admit to is that the monster of his making is not at his command.
But the formulation of conspiracy theories about MH17 is not isolated. Some of us like to believe these theories because the alternative is the terrifying idea that no one really knows what they’re doing; some because it lets us feel superior to others who have never even thought to gaze behind the curtain; some believe conspiracy theories give them a revolutionary edge, in spite of the fact that the vast majority of them come from profoundly reactionary places. And some theories on “Zionists”, “globalists” et al, come from a place of hatred and violence.
It is no good to say they are merely “alternative” ways of looking at the world, as some of their defenders will counter. There is reality and there is fantasy. We cannot engage with the world, or hope to improve it, without first knowing the true state of things. Conspiracy theories destroy any hope of that.
