The trap of conspiracy theories
JVL Introduction
This is a thoughtful article on the attractions and risks of conspiracy theories in general but with a particular focus on the Israel – Palestine “conflict”, especially from about half way through the piece. Starting with what conspiracy theories are and why they are attractive, the writer argues that conspiracy theories are becoming more prevalent and carry more weight in part because of distrust in governments and mainstream.legacy media but also because some may be strangely comforted by feeling that there is something or someone “in control”.
Of course powerful groups, especially corporations have inordinate power compared to ordinary people and the ruling class still uses its power to push governments to operates in their interests. But almost by definition conspiracy theories cannot be fully tested and their adherents are likely to argue that countering them proves that they are real.
On the subject of Zionist power over, eg UK and US governments and media, the writer highlights the dangers of this all too common Zionist puppet master theory; that a secret group of powerful Jews or Zionists control key parts of our society. As he says “(t)his is highly dangerous because it shifts focus away from actual geopolitics, diplomacy, and military action, replacing them with a fantasy of omnipotent Jewish malice. It leads to real-world violent attacks on synagogues, Jewish businesses, and individuals globally who are falsely held accountable for world events.”
This article was originally published by Beyond the Tribal Corner on Sun 9 Aug 2026. Read the original here.
Conspiracy Theories: The Rabbit Hole Trap
What conspiracy theories actually are, why they’re dangerous, and how to resist them.
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You need to read some proper investigations especially on princess diana, jfk and the islamophobic belief that planes can fly through steel and passports survive. Chris Bollyn wrote a fantastic book Solving 911. As did Professor Judy wood. Maybe research AIPAC and the israeli lobby. Some amazing reporting right now on how pervasive they are within Reform. This is a ridiculous article.
Landau fails to distinguish between conspiracy theories and conspiracies. What else is CIA/MI6 there for?
There is good reason to doubt the official version of JFK’s murder. That doesn’t make it a conspiracy theory. There is likewise good reason to believe that Princess Diana’ death was not all it seems.
Holocaust and Nakba Denial aren’t conspiracy theories. They are simply a denial of the truth.
Where Ronnie goes totally wrong is when he says that ‘Modern Blood Libels’ ‘adapt(ing) medieval myths that accused Jews of murdering non-Jewish children for rituals, modern versions accuse Israel or Jews of deliberate organ harvesting, poisoning water supplies, or engineering diseases to target Arabs.’
The Israeli state is not a Jew. Accusing it of crimes is not anti-Semitic. There is abundant evidence that the Zionists DID poison Palestinian water sources in 1948 by introducing dysentery bacteria into it.
It was called Operation Cast Thy Bread. There is ample documentation to support this see Ha’aretz 14.10.22. ‘‘Place the Material in the Wells’: Docs Point to Israeli Army’s 1948 Biological Warfare’
Likewise there is convincing evidence that the bodies Israel is refusing to hand over have had their organs stolen.
Ronnie Landau has demonstrated his ignorance of the nature of Zionism and the fact that ‘blood libel’ has been weaponised by the Israeli state to discredit all the many horrific allegations of sadism and murder.
The allegations of rape against Palestinians, which are well documented, were described by Netanyahu as a ‘blood libel’. Virtually every accusation is met with the same retort.
Ronnie Landau has thus spoilt the whole article. Whereas the medieval allegations against Jews were without foundation, the Israeli state is determined retrospectively to make them true.
The suggestion that accusing Israel of these crimes incites revenge attacks against Jewish communities is way off beam.
In support of Tony Greenstein’s comments:
Landau is clearly a ‘liberal’ Zionist for whom criticism of the Israeli government and its conduct is acceptable, whereas objection to “the notion and reality of a Jewish State” is nothing but “prejudicial hostility” (i.e. antisemitism). It either escapes him, or he is comfortable with the fact that the only way one can create and sustain a Jewish-majority state in an already populated land is by ethnically cleansing and/or massacring the majority of the indigenous population.
And just to add an item to Tony’s list of facts which Landau views as conspiracies: “dropping phosphorus bombs on Palestinians”. There is ample photographic and medical evidence to the fact that Israel did just that, repeatedly, in Gaza, even before the current genocide. More recently it did it again in southern Lebanon.
Landau’s conflation of anti-Zionism with antisemitism is in itself a conspiracy theory.
“October 7th ‘Inside Job’ theories: claims that the Israeli government or military knowingly allowed – or even directly executed – the October 7th attacks to justify the total destruction of Gaza and the displacement of its population. ”
My understanding is that the Israeli government was warned about the 7th October attack first by Egypt and then by Israeli observers. We know that the 7th October attack (as well as the Holocaust) is being used as a justification by Israel for their actions in Gaza, West Bank and beyond.
The article and the comments are interesting. Note though, the drive by capital to maximise profit causing global warming and potential international wars are not conspiracy theories. Neither is the the drive by the Zionist state to ethically cleanse occupied Palestine including the use of genocide.
I disagree with this article to some extent.
‘The only time I commit to conspiracy theories is when something way retarded happens. Like Lee Harvey Oswald acting’
I’m bothered by the difficulty we ordinary mortals have in deciding in a timely fashion between what’s a “real” conspiracy as opposed to some mad fantasy. If “real” conspiracies carry on unchecked they sometimes do enormous harm before they’re stopped.
What casual bystander would have believed at the time it happened that there was an unrelenting, well-financed campaign within and outside the Labour party to unseat Corbyn and put their man into his place? What casual bystander would have believed the US President could be manipulated into a war of choice against America’s interests by a foreign leader he didn’t like that much?
We live in a world where some privileged networks now have the power to determine what happens internationally without the peoples of the world (or their governments) even being aware of what’s going on. Epstein’s inner circle included AI and IT billionaires with global businesses, a royal, Mandelson, Trump …
The UK and global defences against the harms such networks may do are pathetic. We haven’t got the laws, organisations or people on the ground necessary to identify looming risks and counter it. Will we ever?
I also feel that the Kennedy assassination involved more people than Oswald, and that he wasn’t the main operative.
When the news of the Hamas attack in October 2023 came through, my first instinct was to say, ‘Bibi has allowed this to happen.’ This is because I felt that the world’s Number One Security State would not allow a rag-tag army to gather and launch an attack from Gaza as it would be kept under strict surveillance; and also because such an attack would permit Likud and its pals to put their plans into action to finish off 1948, knowing that the bulk of the Israeli population would support them in such circumstances.
However, I soon realised that such a nefarious plan would have involved quite a few members of the military and intelligence forces, and it was amongst these people where vocal opposition to Likud had only recently been expressed. Any such plan would have been revealed, and Bibi would have been exposed. So I concluded that — amazingly — the Israel military and security forces were actually taken by surprise, they just hadn’t noticed what was being prepared on the other side of the wire.
A ridiculous article in many respects.
It is important to bear in mind that many conspiracy theories do stand up to scrutiny and become accepted as fact. Some are rubbish that clearly fail that test.
The JFK assassination:
Would a lone gunman really wait until his target has gone past before he starts shooting and knowing that a large tree is in the way?
Lee Harvey Oswald is an innocent man which is why he was shot by Jack Ruby who had worked for Lyndon Johnson.
The Altgens photograph clearly shows that Johnson ducked before the first shot was fired.
Is it not a little strange that the person who clearly benefits from a crime is allowed to set up his own investigation into that crime? That is a very clear conflict of interest.
Incidentally, one of the Warren Commissioners was Congressman Gerald Ford, the future president.
In 1997, it was revealed that he falsified the autopsy on President Kennedy:
“The former US president, Gerald Ford, altered a key sentence in the Warren Commission Report to strengthen its conclusion that John F. Kennedy was killed by a single bullet, it emerged yesterday.”
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/ford-tampered-with-report-on-jfk-shooting-1248681.html
Was JVL paid to run this rubbish? It’s pure propaganda. CIA Hasbara.
Go back to sleep, peasants. Critical thinking and deviant opinion is forbidden!
(Personally, I’ve lost count of the number of “conspiracy theories” that have gained credibility with the passing of time…)
“PPS Of course, this article could itself be part of a wider conspiracy to discredit and delegitimise all conspiracy theories!!”
You said it, Ronnie. Many a true word spoken in jest…
I’m increasingly intrigued cults achieving for similar ends. Apparently there is training available – pitched at the super rich “how to start a cult”. Doubtless to protect their status. I think there are similarities with conspiracy theories- there is usually a “truth bomb” in the middle of it where the audience is presented with something revelatory – and quite possibly true – that appears to be a genius explanation of events. The cultists then elevate whoever has delivered this to prophet status and then adherence to any other ideas from the same source becomes mandatory. Many people are lazy and find this convenient. So many political movements and political figures end up like this and some are like this from the start by design. I’m no expert – this is just my observation – I’d like to hear more from people who understand these things better than I do as I think it has become quite relevant.