Australia is real... or is it?

Flag of "Australia" 

Wikimedia Commons 

Australia is the land that gave us the Hemsworth brothers, AC/DC, Steve Irwin and so much more. But according to some, all that is impossible because Australia doesn't even exist. How can that be? Who would just make up a continent, and why? And who are all these people who claim to be Australians anyway? All this and more, coming right up.

It seems that flat-earth believers were the first to claim that Australia is just a figment of the world's collective imagination. Of course, if the earth is flat, we can't expect people to live on the underside of it. But the theory really gained notoriety with a 2017 Facebook post by a Swedish woman named Shelley Floryd. She blames the Brits, who she claims made Australia up as a fake place for them to send their prisoners. A part of Australia was established as a British penal colony in the late 18th century, but Floryd says that instead of shipping the prisoners to another continent, the Brits just dumped them into the ocean as an execution.¹ Of course, the British weren't having much luck with some of their other colonies in the late 1700s, so who knows what they were thinking. 

A plane (allegedly) flying over Wangaratta, Victoria, Australia 

Wikimedia Commons 

According to Floryd, we still believe in Australia because everyone who knows the truth works tirelessly to cover it up. Anyone who says they are from Australia are either hired actors playing as pawns of the government, or they are essentially robots: "computer generated personas" as she calls them.¹

Not only that, but pilots are in on it too. She theorized that any flight bound for Australia just flies somewhere else and lands either on an island or in places in South America.¹ Then the actors jump into action and play their parts. Maybe that's why so many great Hollywood actors are "Australian." 

Also, the governments of the world are all in on the ploy, apparently because average citizens are not to be trusted with the truth. Not sure why every world government would be willing to help cover up Britain's dirty deeds, but who knows…

"Australia" - Allegedly

Wikimedia Commons

Objectively speaking, this theory is far-fetched simply because of the millions of people who would have to be in on it. From the officials in governments around the world, to all the pilots who say they fly there, to the millions of actors who are playing the part of Australia's populace, there are a lot of variables. It would take some serious bribe money and/or fear tactics to keep them all quiet.

Sydney Opera House - Sydney "Australia" 

Wikimedia Commons 

Floryd later deleted the post and claimed it was a joke from the beginning. However, over 20,000 people had already shared it.¹ While some of those shares were certainly from level-headed individuals who wanted to show their friends another great internet conspiracy, some people probably believed it. Even after her original denial, Floryd still posts from time to time about the non-existence of the world's sixth largest country.¹ Maybe she's just having fun, or maybe she really is on to something. If all these people really are in on the conspiracy, then it would be hard to prove it wrong. Just going there won't prove anything, since you will just be taken somewhere else and told it's Australia. Apparently, one would have to become a pilot or a high-up in the government to know the truth. Or, you could just trust Shelley Floryd and the flat-earthers.

There is some concrete proof that Australia is real, or at least its inhabitants are. According to the findings of a 2016 genetic study, Aboriginal Australians are the oldest living civilization on earth at about 75,000 years and counting.² In addition to their own stories and culture that document the past, archaeological sites across the continent showcase and preserve the Aboriginal peoples' rich history.²

It seems pretty evident that Australia exists, but considering that most everything that lives there can kill you, maybe we should hope that it doesn't. I just wouldn't bet on it. 

¹The Culture Trip - Some People Think Australia Doesn't Exist - Here's Why - Tom Smith 

https://theculturetrip.com/pacific/australia/articles/some-people-think-australia-doesnt-exist-heres-why/

²The Culture Trip - Australia is Home to the World's Oldest Surviving Civilization - Tom Smith https://theculturetrip.com/pacific/australia/articles/australia-is-home-to-the-worlds-oldest-surviving-civilisation/

Paul McCartney is alive... Or is he?

The earth is flat. The moon landing was faked. Elvis is alive. All of these conspiracy theories have been preached by some and mocked by others for decades. Most rational people don’t believe in conspiracy theories, but they are still fun to think about, right? There are even a few that may have the most logical person questioning everything they know, at least for a while. 

This blog series will examine several different theories, some more obscure, and some more outlandish than others. I will present a summary of the theory’s argument, and examine if it has any merit at all. I will do my best to wade through the puddles of conspiracy sites, online Q & A forums, and Buzzfeed lists, but I don't have room to examine every "personal account" and factoid out there. You as a reader may have to do a little leg work on your own to make a fully informed decision for yourself, and become a believer if you wish. With that housekeeping item taken care of, let’s have a look, shall we? We’ll get to the lizard people and Melania Trump’s doppelganger later, but first we will dive into a theory that may cause a different kind of "mania." I'll just rip this bandage off and tell you, Paul McCartney is dead. At least, that's what the conspiracy theorists say.

According to the theory, McCartney died in a car accident in 1966, and with the help of the British

Paul McCartney in 1964

Wikimedia commons 

government, the other Beatles hired a look-alike to take his place. Why did the government help in the cover-up, you ask? According to conspirators, they just knew the public would not be able to handle the premature death of a Beatle, and they were allegedly afraid of mass suicides. So, what people don't know won't hurt them, right?

Fortunately for conspiracy-minded fans, the other Beatles soon started feeling guilty, so they allegedly left several clues in songs and album art, perhaps in the hopes that listeners would start playing detective. The clues begin in 1967's Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album.

Cover art of the

Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album

upload.wikimedia.org

There are a few lyrics in different songs that specifically mention McCartney and death, but most of the arguments begin with, "Well, you have to listen to the song backwards..." I listened to the songs in question, and while sometimes I heard what I was supposed to hear, I would not have made the connection without the words on the screen telling me what the guilty Beatles were supposedly saying.

So here's the big question, if that isn't Paul McCartney, then who is it? The main theory here is that McCartney was replaced by a guy named Billy Shears, who supposedly won a Paul look-alike contest. Shears is mentioned in Sgt. Peppers, but there is controversy over whether or not he is a real person. There is a lot of unpacking that could be done here, but to keep it short, the Beatles said Billy Shears was what could be described as Ringo Starr's character for the album, since the whole album is supposed to be the Beatles singing as if they were another band.

Aside from Sgt. Pepper, another big clue that McCartney is dead is the Abbey Road cover. Notice anything strange? Theorists claim that John Lennon, dressed in white and leading the way, symbolizes a clergyman at a funeral. Ringo Starr is dressed in the black suit of a mourner. Coming in third is McCartney, and here's where it gets really interesting.

Cover art for Abbey Road album

upload.wikimedia.org

Not only is he the only one striding with his right leg instead of his left, while holding his cigarette in his non-dominant right hand; he is barefoot, alleged by some to represent a corpse. To top it all off, George Harrison, who brings up the rear, is dressed completely in denim, supposedly symbolizing a grave digger. Seems legit.

So, is there anything to this theory? Here's my countertheory: the Beatles are weird. February of 1967 was apparently the first mention of McCartney's death, after his car (sans Paul) was in an accident. Sgt. Pepper's was released in the U.K. in May of 1967. As a songwriter, John Lennon was known for his strange, yet creative lyrics, and he, along with McCartney, co-wrote almost the entire Sgt. Pepper's album. Also, we know the Beatles did drugs, just saying. Could the Beatles have heard the rumors and decided to play along? That seems more likely to me than a fifty-year-long cover-up. It would explain the weird symbolism and lyrics, and I would not put it past the Beatles to want to mess with their fans.

Paul McCartney in 2018 

Wikimedia Commons 

Where does this theory stand today? The rumors have been vehemently denied by the band members, and even joked about by McCartney himself. However, in 2009, Time magazine named "Paul is Dead" as one of the top ten most enduring conspiracy theories in the world. But, for most every "clue," a logical rebuttal can be made to explain it away. We may never know the truth, unless we find out when whoever is posing as Paul McCartney really dies. Until then, you will have to rely on blogs like these for investigative reporting.
TIME- Conspiracy Theories- Paul is Dead
YouTube.com- Vinyl Rewind - Did Paul McCartney really die in 1966?