Daily writing prompt

What’s a conspiracy theory you actually find believable?

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I asked AI and this isn’t believable to me. However, it is so unbelievable that I could not keep from posting it.

This one started as pure satire in 2017 but somehow gained actual believers (or at least very committed performers). The core claim: every bird you see is a government surveillance drone.

According to the theory, the U.S. government systematically eliminated all real birds between the 1950s and 2000s and replaced them with robotic look-alikes. These “birds” are packed with cameras, microphones, and tracking tech. They perch on power lines to recharge, “poop” chemicals or tracking devices, and fly in formation to map everything below. Pigeons are supposedly the most advanced models. The whole operation is framed as a massive cover-up for mass surveillance, with the CIA (or similar agencies) running the show.

There’s even lore about the “Bird Holocaust,” secret factories converting dead birds into drones, and public protests demanding the truth. The movement has marches, merchandise, and a very deadpan presentation that makes it hard to tell where the joke ends and the genuine belief begins for some people.

It’s peak internet absurdity—equal parts social commentary and full commitment to the bit.