The Other Side of Conspiracy Theories

 

In the last few days, I have received numerous shares and tags on Facebook showing me all sorts of conspiracy theories related to the MH370 mystery. One common line of sorry among the conspiracy theories I read is the notion that the plane was hijacked / taken by some clandestine bodies even governments.

Reflecting on the theories, it seems to me that the central idea is that if the plane and passengers are abducted, they are alive and there is hope that they will return alive and well someday. I’d admit that this notion gives me a glimmer of hope if it were true. I have no doubt that there are many people hoping that these theories are true. Deep inside, I too wish that they are true… at first.

Upon thinking about the theories a little more, I came to realize that if they are true, then thing just went from hopeless to hopeful to terrifying.

Think about it for a moment. Assume that one such theory if actually true: for some obscure and yet unfathomable reason the plane, the passenger and the crew were kidnapped by some people working for a certain government with or without the government’s consent. This means that these poor souls are being held somewhere. Diego Garcia, for example. The condition under which they are being held is one problem but at the very least they would still be alive. For now.

Sooner or later, the captors will come to a point where they need to consider what to do with them next. When that comes, they have several things to consider. Remember that there are twenty six nations spending thousands of man hours and, God knows how much resources trying to locate the plane and the people. Simply letting them go would at the very least inspire unimaginable ire from the nations involved, not to mention the people of the nations involved. If the abductors are a nation, an international incident of unimaginable proportions will be the result. Then there is the legal ramifications. I doubt there are any single lawyer involve can today imagine the full extent of the legal ramifications of the world finding out that this is a case of false imprisonment, at the very least. They may even need to consider the impact the release would have in the international arena: the United Nations will probably light up like a Christmas tree, or the testing room of a light bulb factory. The question that arises, how do they bring the abduction to an end without having to face the international consequences?

In short, the only way to avoid the fall out all together, is for the mystery to remain a mystery. If they are capable of the abduction, they are capable of maintaining the secrecy. The safest way to end this mystery may mean that the only way possible is if the hostages were to disappear. More precisely, be made to disappear.

So, I hope they are not abducted.