just out of interest...
Does anyone know of any significant conspiracy theories from recent history that turned out to be true?

For example if Watergate had been successfully suppressed, but enough had been leaked to start rumours - surely they would have been dismissed as the words of the tin foil hat brigade

But they would have been right
( spimf ™ is whoever you want him to be, Sun 30 Aug 2009, 23:56, 5 replies)

Yep
www.cracked.com/article_15974_7-insane-conspiracies-that-actually-happened.html
( chart cat has an itch, Mon 31 Aug 2009, 3:08, closed)

Add to that
the seemingly endless list of covert state-sponsored violence from virtually every 'civilized' democratic government during the second half of the 20th century and it's not too hard to see where the CTers get their inspiration.
( chart cat has an itch, Mon 31 Aug 2009, 5:17, closed)

Yep.
Iran-Contra affair springs to mind. Also the CIA sponsered bombing of Nicuraguran harbours.
(Fredz A graveyard of hopes, a dump of ambition, Mon 31 Aug 2009, 8:02, closed)

Oooh Ooh I just though of another one!
The recent fuel surcharge fare-fixing scandal that involved BA and Virgin. Not exactly world-domination, but stuff like that is endemic in large corporations. For example, it's no coincidence that electronics competitors release new gadgets with similar features all the time.

It's simply because they collaborate (to a point) in regular industry get-togethers to discuss the best direction their industries should take so that everyone gets some of the pie. A great example of this is Nikon and Canon, the market leaders who play Digital SLR leapfrog every six months or so. New features are alternately pioneered by one, then the other to the point where it's frankly embarassing. On the surface, they are competitors but they almost certainly discuss the broad strategic direction they will take with their industry peers because it makes life simpler for consumers, ultimately meaning greater revenues all round.
( chart cat has an itch, Mon 31 Aug 2009, 5:32, closed)

Here's a few:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MKULTRA
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1954_Guatemalan_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disfranchisement_after_Reconstruction_era
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Mockingbird
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nurse_Nayirah
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Northwoods
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian-American_Mafia - unknown until c. 1963
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinochet
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ECHELON
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COINTELPRO

And, of course, CIA involvement in drug trafficking has been alleged by some quite senior people.
(razakel, Tue 1 Sep 2009, 2:44, closed)