Conspiracy Theory final

Church Committee

A U.S. Senate committee in the mid-1970s, chaired by Senator Frank Church, that investigated intelligence abuses by the CIA, FBI, NSA, and IRS. It revealed illegal activities such as MKUltra mind control experiments, surveillance of civil rights leaders (including Martin Luther King Jr.), and covert foreign interventions.

Pathologizing Paradigm

Frames conspiracy belief as illness or irrationality. Only “normal” people are legitimate; conspiracy believers are “sick” or deviant. No specific traits can be consistently found. 

Agency Panic

We are radically out of control of our own lives. Us ahving control is limited due to the systems we live in

Deviant Heroism

The opposite of obedience. Individuals who resist authority despite risks. Examples include whistleblowers, civil rights activists, or soldiers refusing immoral orders

forteana

anomalous experiences in comics like Pulp Fiction. unexplained phenomenon. conspiracists treat them as a hidden realitycon

Condensed symbols

symbols carrying multipule meanings at one (U.S. flag, cross). mobilize emotions and identities

blood libel

aimed at Jewish community. claim that Jewish community periodically reenacted murder of Christ. kidnapped Christian children, tortured, and killed them. when children go missing in Jewish communities, blood libel spreads

covert sphere

we have a broad sense of what CIA is doing, but no details. we fill our understanding with fiction

MK-Ultra

CIA program using drugs and torture to test mind control. series of operations related to trying to create mind-control device; tried to put them into a state of mind where they were very suggestable (electroshock, drugs, LSD)

two way device

objects serving both open and hidden purposes (umbrella concealing a weapon)

diabolism

pact or worship of the devil

moon landing hoax

conspiracy theory that Apollo missions (‘69-’72) were staged to win the Cold War without actually going to the moon. claims focus on photo anomalies, shadows, flags, radiation, and alleged NASA cover ups

Alek Hiddell

false name (alias) used by Lee Harvey Oswald. he used this alias to order the Mannlicher-Carcano rifle and a revolver through the mail - both weapons later linked to the assassinations

Sharpshooter rating

oswald’s rifle marksmanship score from his time in the U.S. Marine Corps. on one qualification test, he received a mid-level score, on another he scored lower

Marina Oswald

Lee Harvy Oswald’s wife, whose testimony became crucial to the Warren Commission. she provided info about Oswald’s political views, behavior, and possession of the rifle, and she identified him in the backyard photos holding the weapon later linked to the assassinationb

ackyard photos

a series of photographs of Oswald standing in his backyard, holding the Mannlicher-carcano rifle and Marxist newspapers

Edwin Walker

former U.S. Army general and outspoken far-right activist who became a target of Oswald months before the JFK assassination. April ‘63, Oswald allegedly attempted to kill Walker by firing a shot into his home after becoming angered by Walker’s segregationist and Communism activities.

Fair Play for Cuba Committee (FPCC)

pro-Castro org in the early ‘60s and Oswald publicly associated himself with it. he handed out FPCC leaflets in NOLA and claimed to be a local chapter prez (even though he was the only member). his involvement supported the view that he held strong pro-Castro political beliefs, which became central to debates over his motives in killing Kennedy and where Cuba played any role in the event.

Mexico city

refers to Oswald’s trip there in Sept ‘63, where he visited the Cuban and Soviet embassies attempting to obtain visas to travel to Cuba or the USSR

Warren commission/report

clearly bi-partisan, chose people with credibliity, produced quickly - less than a year, based on FBI and own investigation, impact on public opinion try to convince people the story is true

What’s the problem with the warren commission?

it tried to prevent an answer that would disrupt American life, if Castro killed the head of state then we would go to war, want it to be solved but not have it be communists, FBI embarrassed they didnt acknowledge Oswald

Lyndon Johnson

VP of JFK, sworn in as president after the assassination. some people were skeptical that Johnson had a role in the assassination

James Hosty

ordered to keep watch of Oswald’s FBI file, soon learned he was subscribed to an American Communist party newspaper. he learned Oswald was in NOLA and visited his wife at their home. When Oswald learned of this, he confronted the FBI to speak to him. interviewed Oswald’s wife, had Oswald file before assassination. FBI knew he was a commie sympthatizer and had involvement with Cuba

James Tague

part of the crowd watching the presidential motorcade. gets scratched on the face by debris which was later concluded to be concrete from the curb that was propelled up by a bullet. leads to the idea that the first shot fired by Oswald missed and was embedded in the concrete, causing the debris to hit James Tague

6.5mm mannlicher carcano

the weapon used to assassinate JFK. the rifle was ordered from a magazine catalog by Oswald under the alias Alek Hidell for a cheap price. the way the g*n is designed means it would require some shooting experience to accurately make the shot at JFK from the distance it was at. the minimum time between shots to be fired from the rifle concluded that there were either only 3 shots or 2 shooters, leading to the single bullet theory

Zapruder film

home movie recorded by Dallas resident Abraham Zapruder that caught JFK assassination in real time as his motorcade passed through Dealey Plaza. because it provides a frame-by-frame visual record of the shots and the reactions of the people in the limousine, it became the most important piece of evidence in reconstructing the sequence of events. investigators used it to determine the timing and spacing of the shots attributed to Oswald

single bullet theory

3 casings and 3 shots heard, suggest 3 shots. 3^rd bullet never found. Gun needs to be manually cycled. believe that 1 bullet caused multiple wounds in JFK and Connally

Dealey Plaza irregulars

self-trained amateurs who were early skeptics of the JFK assassination. mostly communication with mail and most members have backgrounds of loosing jobs due to McCarthy, leading them to suspect it was related to a communist plot

Jim Garrison

big NOLA DA for sex & drugs. guy who led the only criminal prosecution ever connected to the Kennedy assassination. believed the assassination was the result of a larger conspiracy involving anti-Castro activists, intelligence operatives, and right-wing interests opposed to Kennedy’s policies

David Ferrie

active in far-right politics, gay, sex offender. a private investigator told police david knew Oswald in the civil air patrol. Oswald frequented his apt, DA thought they were dating. called Dallas to say he was Oswald’s lawyer, but he was in the hospital at the time. former pilot and anti-Castro activist who became a key figure in Jim Garrison’s investigation of the JFK assassination. Garrison believed Ferrie had links to intelligence groups and possibly to Lee Harvey Oswald, making him a potential connection to a wider conspiracy. 

Dean Andrews

Calls claiming to be Oswald’s lawyer, visited by multiple gay men which convinced Garrison that the JFK assassination was a homosexual plot 

Perry Russo

Key witness in Garrison’s trial against Clay Shaw. Russo claimed that he witnessed Clay Shaw meeting with Lee Harvey Oswald and David Ferrie in September of 1963 to discuss the assassination of JFK. Later confessed that his story was not true and that Garrison attempted to hypnotize him. 

Clay Shaw

New Orleans businessman and decorated vet that was a primary suspect of Garrison’s investigation. Shaw was blamed to be part of a “homosexual thrill kill” that assassinated the president. Shaw was continuously targeted by Garrison for the rest of his life due to being gay. 

Mafia Theory

mafia did it. “Organized crime.” nationwide mafia infiltrate all crime, crackdown on organized crime. 

Anti-communist international theory

Theory that the assassination was carried out by the far right and intelligence agencies acting out of defense. Based on the fact that threats to the president came from the far right. JFK was seen as too soft on Castro and communism and acted as a civil rights icon, angering intelligence agencies and the far right, anti-Castro crowd 

military industrial complex theory

JFK was assassinated due to economic interest. JFK made a commencement at American University to shift towards disarming, peace, and stop nuclear testing. There was an economic interest in keeping Vietnam and the Cold War escalated and JFK’s desire to deescalate would mean no economic benefit. 

castro theory

Theory that the JFK assassination was planned/related to Fidel Castro. Based on threats that Castro made to American political figures after they made multiple attempts to assassinate him and the Bay of Pigs. Oswald went to the Cuban embassy in Mexico City. 

audacity/capacity

Assassination plots need a person or group who is both audacious and daring enough to take the risk and also capable enough of planning, executing, and getting away with the plot. Leads to the argument that it would be difficult for any major group or corporation to carry out a plot with so many moving parts as even though they are the most capable, many groups and corporations are not willing to take the risk of even planning an assassination plot.

John and Nellie Connally

Governor of Texas and his wife that were in the car when JFK was assassinated. John Connally suffered many wounds from the “Single Bullet Theory” and provided a key eyewitness account of JFK’s assassination 

Dealey Plaza

Part of the motorcade route which JFK was assassinated.

Texas school book depository

Where eyewitnesses claim shots were fired from during the assassination. This building oversaw the Dealey Plaza and was not checked prior to the assassination. Oswald worked in this building. 

Abraham Zapruder

Clothing manufacturer who captured the clearest usable film of JFK’s assassination 

JD Tippitt

About 45 minutes after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, Dallas police officer J.D. Tippit was patrolling the Oak Cliff area as officers searched for a suspect. Tippit spotted a man who matched the broadcast description—Lee Harvey Oswald—and stopped to question him. After a brief exchange through Tippit’s patrol car window, Oswald suddenly drew a revolver and shot Tippit four times, killing him instantly. Oswald fled the scene, but Tippit’s murder led police to focus their search in Oak Cliff, resulting in Oswald’s arrest in the Texas Theatre about 30 minutes later.

Lee Harvey Oswald

man who shot JFK and Connolly

early life of Oswald

Born in NOLA 1939, dad dies after he’s born, difficult and pathological mom, moves family from place to place, leaves and picks kids up, known for violent behavior, high school interests in communism, desperate to get into the marines at 17. Comes from a working class background 

Oswald in the Marines (‘56-’59)

reputation of oppositional relation with other, communist guy, insubordinate, argue with international politics, express Marxist beliefs, court martialed, shoots himself, insults superior officer, 2^nd highest shooting ranking, then falls off. Dishonorably discharged. Tries to defect to Soviet Union and become SU citizen, told him to get lost, slashed his writs, SU let him stay 

Oswald in USSR

Had expectations of what his life would be. Saw himself as a intellectual then becomes a factory worker. Married Marina Prusakova, Russian woman. Has disillusionment, no where to spend money on for fun, says he’s done, disillusioned on bureaucracy, leave in June ‘62 to Dallas Oswald is controlling and abusive 

Oswald’s return to the US

marriage with Marina, ex soviets try to help Marina get out. Goes by Alek Hindell to order weapons and pose with them in the backyard with commie newspapers. Tries to kill Edwin Walker. Oswald sees himself as a global revolutionist

Jack Ruby

nightclub owner who was especially upset over JFK assassination. had ties with both organized crime and the police dept. posed as a newspaper reporter in the police dept while Oswald was there and show and killed Oswald on live TV

The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion

FALSE pamphlet of Jewish elders telling the protocols for the end of the world, no part of world events where they are not involved. Cited by Hitler and Henry Ford. Was found to be fake but Hitler and Heimler cited as true and seen as true. it’s taken to court

Herman Goedsche

German writer and journalist who used the pen name Sir John Retcliffe. his novel Biarritz was plagiarized in the antisemitic forgery The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Goedsche plagiarized a book by the French satirist Maurice Joly, The Dialogue in Hell Between Machiavelli and Montesquieu, and made an addition: the chapter "At the Jewish Cemetery in Prague" described a secret rabbinical cabal, Council of Representatives of The Twelve Tribes of Israel, which meets in the cemetery at midnight for one of their centennial meetings. They report on the progress of their long-term conspiracy to establish world domination.  

Maurice Joly

French satirist and lawyer known for his work titled The Dialogue in Hell Between Machiavelli and Montesquieu, later used as a basis for The Protocols of the Elders of Zion  

Sergei Nilus

A Russian mystic and religious writer who first published the Protocols in his 1905 book 

Henry Ford

American automobile manufacturer who financed and mass-distributed The Protocols in the US during the ‘20s through his newspaper

Bern Trial

a Swiss court case in Bern, Switzerland, in which Jewish orgs sued local Nazi for distributing The Protocols. the court ruled that the document was a forgery and plagiarism, officially exposing it as fraudulent. this trial was a major step in publicly debunking the authenticity of the protocols

Okhrana Theory

the theory suggests that The Protocols came from a forgery lab in Paris. It also claims that it was made by the Okhrana (secret police of the Russian Czar)

Georgy Butmi

a russian publisher and journalist who edited and circulated early russian editions of The Protocols. he added his own antisemitic commentary and helped spread the forgery among conservative and nationalist circles in Russia before the 1917 revolution