Have you seen Elvis in the supermarket buying peanut butter?

It seems that every day there is a new conspiracy theory to brighten our lives! After the announcement of the hopefully successful vaccine against Covid-19, the anti-vaxxers were at it singing ‘we don’t need no vaccination’ to the tune of Pink Floyd’s Another Brick in the Wall and talking about it being a conspiracy.
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Well, it gives people something to do!

Conspiracy theories are certainly nothing new. They have been around forever!

The recent controversy about the Diana interview reminds us that after her death it was not simply recognised as a tragic car accident.

Singer Buddy Holly, whose death alongside other musicians in a plane crash in 1959 led to conspiracy theoriesSinger Buddy Holly, whose death alongside other musicians in a plane crash in 1959 led to conspiracy theories
Singer Buddy Holly, whose death alongside other musicians in a plane crash in 1959 led to conspiracy theories
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Mohamed Al-Fayed, who lost his son Dodi in the crash, believed that they had been murdered by the British Establishment on the instigation of the Royal Family and in particular Prince Phillip, due to rumours that Diana may have been pregnant and that it would not have been acceptable to have the child of a prominent Egyptian Muslim within the Royal Family.

Another conspiracy theory was put forward by former SAS soldier Alan Power who claimed to have served in an assassination team called The Increment who possibly helped MI6 with the killing of Diana.

Mr Power claimed to have tapes to hand over to Scotland Yard but these never surfaced.

The weirdest theory was that Diana was so desperate to break free from her life that she arranged for the deaths to be faked and is actually living very happily with Dodi on a tropical island in the Middle East.

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Our musical and cinema heroes have provided countless conspiracy theories.

Marilyn Monroe was never able to rest easily in her grave with decades of speculation about her relationship with the Kennedy brothers.

It was said that she had been murdered by either the CIA or Mafia to cover up those relationships, even though she had a lifetime battle with depression and had attempted suicide four times before.

An Internet site reported that Michael Jackson’s death was a conspiracy in which he was involved to avoid the commitment of a major tour he was embarking on.

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He has reputedly been seen in Disneyland, Switzerland and Israel and apparently lives in an underground bunker with Elvis Presley.

Of course, Elvis has been seen in many supermarkets across America, no doubt buying his favourite peanut butter, and I can vouch for seeing him in a bar near Graceland some years ago.

There were actually quite a few looking like him, but there you go!

A website is devoted to uncovering the truth behind his demise which many fans refuse to believe ever happened.

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They prefer to believe that he is living in the bunker where, with Michael Jackson, Buddy Holly is also an occupant!

Buddy Holly died in a plane crash in 1959, ‘The Day the Music Died’, which also killed Ritchie Valens and JP ‘Big Bopper’ Richardson.

There were conspiracy theories when it was reported that the body of Big Bopper was found some way from the wreckage and had sustained a gunshot wound.

This caused a great deal of anguish to his family for many years and was only put to rest in 2007 when, at the request of his son, his body was exhumed and found to have no gunshot wound.

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Other famous people who have been subject to theories surrounding their death include John Lennon, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr, Bob Marley, Jimi Hendrix and Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones.

The theories about the murder of President Kennedy never go away.

They range from murder plots by the CIA, KGB, and George Bush Sr.

Jackie Kennedy is said to have believed the theory that Lyndon B Johnson was behind it in order that he might become president, with some people firmly believing that Kennedy had an interest in UFO activity which may have not been welcomed by inhabitants of other worlds!

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Despite evidence to the contrary, Covid-19 has been claimed as a giant conspiracy theory in some quarters, having been spread by the wealthy elitist to win power and profit.

An organisation called Q Anon participating in the Covid-19 Truth Tour of major UK cities was spreading the belief that Donald Trump had been sent to rid the world of a satanic cult whose members include Hollywood stars, paedophiles and cannibals, plus leading philanthropists, Jewish financiers and Democratic politicians.

The conspiracy theorists who are anti-lockdown, anti-mask and anti-vaccine believing that all these are measures to control us, and part of a smoke screen to cover up the real truth, include former football pundit and Holocaust denier David Icke, self-acclaimed ‘Son of God’.

His belief that the world is being run by reptiles is shared by media personality Gemma Collins who has expressed the belief that these reptiles are living in underground tunnels.

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You may be of the opinion that these people are, to put it politely, a sandwich short of a picnic but disturbingly, the beliefs spread like wild fires and, just like the theories being perpetuated about conspiracies and vote rigging in the American election, there are those who choose to believe them.

The rest of us just carry on, eat cake, do as we are told and hope we can book a holiday next year!

In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a digital subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Nancy Fielder, editor.

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