Sorry, there are no UFOs, just a vast US deep state conspiracy
So, The X-Files, the hit American science fiction TV series from the 1990s, turned out to be a docudrama. Going by a new investigative report by The Wall Street Journal, there really was a vast government conspiracy over the existence of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) and their associated myths such as alien sightings.
However, it wasn't so much that the US government suppressed – as per the show – the truth about little green men in flying saucers visiting the Earth with superior alien technology. Rather, the Pentagon helped seed and spread stories and myths to distract public attention from its advanced weapons development, such as spy planes and stealth fighters during the Cold War and even after.
'[The] US military fabricated evidence of alien technology and allowed rumours to fester to cover up real secret weapons programmes,' the report said.
'Now, evidence is emerging that government efforts to propagate UFO mythology date back all the way to the 1950s.'
The whole exercise was a ruse to protect what was really going on in Area 51.
'The air force was using the site to develop top-secret stealth fighters viewed as a critical edge against the Soviet Union,' the report said. 'Military leaders were worried that the programmes might get exposed if locals somehow glimpsed a test flight of, say, the F-117 stealth fighter, an aircraft that truly did look out of this world. Better that they believe it came from Andromeda.'
Area 51 in the Nevada Desert is ground zero for many UFO fans – the mecca of true believers – but is actually a highly restricted military zone, which no doubt added to the place's mystique.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
4 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Should you sleep with your dog or cat? Experts weigh up the pros and cons
It turns out that our furry best friend might also be our sleep enemy. Advertisement Lots of pet owners let their animals sleep on the bed with them, which usually disrupts rest. But many would say it is worth it. Researchers do not necessarily agree. Melissa Milanak, an associate professor at the Medical University of South Carolina in the United States who specialises in sleep health, says most people at her clinic say their pets often disturb them at night. 'You can't say that, hands down, it's bad for every single person, but there is a lot out there saying it negatively impacts your sleep,' she says. Pet owners may be less inclined to report problems when surveyed because they do not believe their beloved pets cause problems. Photo: Shutterstock
South China Morning Post
5 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Meet Sports Illustrated model Molly Sims' husband, former Netflix chairman Scott Stuber: he's behind some of the biggest film franchises, including Fast and the Furious and the Bourne series
American model and actress Molly Sims has been married to her husband, Scott Stuber, for over a decade. The pair have welcomed three children into their family since tying the knot in 2011. Molly Sims with husband Scott Stuber. Photo: @mollybsims/Instagram The pair, who dated for a year and a half before marrying, exchanged their vows during an intimate ceremony in Napa Valley, California. Advertisement Scott Stuber speaks onstage during the Variety Business Managers Elite Breakfast in November 2023, in Los Angeles, California. Sims is known for being a Sports Illustrated model , appearing in campaigns for brands like Jimmy Choo and Chanel, as well as appearing in NBC's comedy series Las Vegas. While Sims may be more recognisable than her husband, Stuber, an American producer and a former chairman at Netflix, is a heavyweight in the industry. Here's everything you need to know about Scott Stuber. He started his career in Universal Pictures Scott Stuber at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival Outstanding Performer of the Year Award in February 2024, in Santa Barbara, US. Before he started at Netflix, Stuber, 56, worked at Universal Pictures as a producer. Rising through the ranks, Stuber became the vice-chairman and co-president of production at Universal. During his tenure at the film production company, Stuber was responsible for many of its successful films, including the Fast and the Furious franchise, A Beautiful Mind, the Bourne franchise and more. He joined Netflix in 2017 Scott Stuber, then chairman of film at Netflix, attends the Netflix premiere of Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire at TCL Chinese Theatre, in December 2023, in Hollywood, California. Stuber left his position at Universal to join Netflix in 2017. He oversaw the production of some of Netflix's most popular and promising titles such as Okja, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, and Red Notice.
South China Morning Post
5 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
What's next for Mark Hamill? Star Wars legend on movies, Maga and Malibu melancholy
Mark Hamill was at a point in his life where he felt ready to trade the Force for a pool float and quiet crosswords in the shade. After five decades as the face of one of pop culture's most enduring myths – Luke Skywalker, the wide-eyed Tatooine farm boy turned Jedi Knight in Star Wars – Hamill had found a comfortable corner of the galaxy to call his own. He had a home he cherished, a family that kept him grounded and no pressing need to be in front of a camera again. 'I said, 'This is perfect – they killed me off,'' says the 73-year-old with a shrug – referring to Skywalker's death in 2017's The Last Jedi – on a warm May afternoon in Los Angeles. 'I didn't have the drive or the motivation any more. If you lose the fire in your belly, it's easy to just hang around the pool all day, playing Yahtzee or whatever. 'I don't want to be on camera at my age any more. The only ones who complain are my agent and my wife. He wants the commission and she wants me out of the house.' That was the plan, anyway – until the world caught fire.
