What a poor analogy - loch ness and princess Diana's death. The author's giving us an impression we live in a perfect world
where intelligence agencies only give guided tours of of their headquarters to tourists and have colourful websites for office workers to entertain themselves when they're bored!
I sincereley suggest that the author of this article consider doing a little research into what working in the intelligence world entails, but on a lighter note I admire the author's romanticised perception of world events...

Mijan, Newcastle Upon Tyne,

Re Nic Harrison's comment: Oswald was an excellent shot - he achieved sharpshooter status during his time in the USMC. To counter these conspiracy theorists who question if all shots could have been fired in the time that Kennedy's motorcade was within range, it is demonstrable that even a poor shot could do it. For Oswald, it was no problem at all There was no crossfire, no 'magic bullet' - Lee Harvey Oswald's guilt as a lone assassin has been conclusively proven See Dale Myers work on computer reconstruction of Dealey Plaza based on the Zapruder film. http://www.jfkfiles.com/jfk/html/concl.htm

Chris Maitland, Birmingham,

I don't entirely agree with Mr. Linklater... it's not so much an "addiction to mythology" that we suffer from---every indication we have is that human beings *need* some form of mythology---but rather, the problem is a gross deterioration in our critical thinking skills. We're losing the ability to properly examine and judge what is true or plausible, and we're forgetting how to use empirical skills to discard nonsensical ideas. We could debate about the causes of this--and no doubt they're numerous---but surely one cause is the perfectly-justified cynicism we've engendered in ourselves, since many of our cherished institutions have failed us in recent decades. But there *is* a danger--Kenneth Clark pointed to it almost 40 years ago, when he spoke of the threats to civilization, and one of these threats is when we give in to despair and lose confidence. Surely the situation Linklater refers to is indicative of just such a loss of confidence---in ourselves.

Randall Hess, Ithaca, NY, USA

Reference Charmane and Peter. Exactly, when I was young, my parents told me that thunder and lightning was God's way of expressing anger, they were the 'authority' so I blindly believed them.
It is a sign of growing up when you don't take everything at point-blank, face value and you start asking questions for yourself...

Elliott, Cheltenham,

Yeah. That's right. Everything there is to know is already known. Every explanation given by an official is truthful.

The world is exactly how we are told it is. Questioning is a sign of immaturity.

C'mon man, who is it that needs to grow up?

Charmane, Bkk,

There a many stupid irrational people in the world, and always will be. But I like to think I'm not one of them. So, I found the phrase "we've got to grow up" rather irritating.

Peter, Chelmsford,

What's going on here.? Next thing you'll be telling me there's no Santa Claus. I can smell a conspiracy when I see one. You can't fool me!

Jamsie, Carndonagh, Co. Donegal

"A fatal addiction to mythology". Golly. How sad when all we have left to sustain us are reason and mature dissection of known facts. I much prefer these to be tempered by magic, irrationality and the excitement of secrets. I can't prove that Marilyn was murdered by paparazzi acting on orders from the Vatican in league with Joe Kennedy to deflect attention from the Dead Sea Scrolls but that don't mean it ain't true ...

Chris, London, England

Money makes the rumours go round. When James Lewthwaite retired in Manchester the Daily Express staff gave him a framed article - his "scoop" on the existence of a Loch Ness Monster, which he had heard from a drunken old Jock who claimed he had seen a "beastie". But end the myth? Not as long as everyone can make money out of it, and keep the tourists and American professors funded for their "searches" bringing in the dollars. The "beastie" was a golden goose.
Pete, London.

www.peterkinsley.com, london, england

Surprisingly, you barely mention the biggest conspiracy theory of our age: Human caused climate change. This conspiracy will do more than destroy a few peoples lives and reputations.

David Ashton, Warrington, England

Qutie right! We do all prefer some fiction over facts. And this CAN lead to disasterous consequences. Just ask George Bush. He prefered the fiction of WMD over the facts. He prefered to sell Saddam Hussain as a terrorist than a leader of a sovereign country. That Saddam was a monsterous villian straight out of a James Bond film was always going to be believed over the facts. Why? Because we love fiction and Bush and the rest of our leaders know we'll buy that over the facts, because the facts are boring and harmless and won't lead to wars.

Andrew Duncan, Godalming, UK

In order to believe in the wilder such conspiracy theories, you must have a profound disregard for the inability of the human species to collaborate on any but the simplest objectives. We're just not capable of carrying such things off .

Pat ODonnell, Ascot,

Is it not said that 'where there is smoke, there is fire'?
Why have the 'conspiracy theories' grown up around these incidents and not others? There must have been something unusual in the circumstances to bring up suspicion in the first place!
How many Premiers have been assassinated? Why choose JFK for conspiracy theory?
How many UFO sightings/crashes have been reported? Why choose Roswell for conspiracy theory?
How many lakes/lochs have people seen something strange in at one time or another? Why choose Loch Ness for conspiracy theory?
There must have been some particularily unusual circumstances about each incident, it is pure, naive, narrow-minded ignorance to believe the government every time.
Oh, by the way, I once heard something about Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq, can't remember where, must have been a very disreputable source...!? ;-)

Elliott, Cheltenham,

And then there's the one about the majority of people in the UK being against going into Iraq, when, in fact, polls taken before the invasion showed that about 60% were for it, UN vote or not.
Check it out on Yougov, and hands up all those who quietly changed their minds in hindsight.

al, weybridge, UK

Now, would Mr. Linklater please come to this side of the pond and debate our televangelists.

Jeffrey, Reading Ma, USA

Agree with the comment on Dealey Plaza in Dallas. I was very surprised how close range a shot it was, the building is not setback at all from the street, With a telescopic sight, the only "skill" involved was working the bolt twice as the car went by. The media went on and on about how Oswald was a qualified marksman, anyone could have hit that shot.

Jim Connors, Durham,

Jeremy Buxton has put it perfectly.
Read his words, all you who whisper malevolent suspicions about the McCann parents, and then crawl off to your holes and die of shame.

Jonathan Wilton, Singapore,

I agree, stick to the facts. However, the crash happened the damage on every photo ever released demonstrates that the driver was well above the safe speed limit in a built up area. A responsible driver with a VIP on board doesn't do that. Cause of death was result of a high-speed collision and that is the driver's responsibility, fair and square.
Of course, Prince Phillip could have leapt out of the glove compartment, pressed the accelerator down before driving into the wall and then leapt out of the car after the crash and flown back to England on a broomstick ... in company with some flying pigs. Why let the facts get in the way of a good story.

KR, Stockport,

Re Lee Harvery Oswald - it is always claimed he was not a good enough shot to have pulled off the killing, a few years ago I was working in Dallas and went to Dealey Plaza.......from the book depository to the Kennedy motorcade was such a short distance he could have practically poked Kennedy with the rifle......................not such a difficult task after all!

Nic Harrison, London, UK

i can't help thinking how neatly religion fits into this article.Another area where we need to grow up.

ron, toronto,

It's something in all of us. From Astrology to Biorhythms we believe in things simply because they are more satisfying than the truth. Science has a long row to hoe.

Alan, Greenwich, NY/USA

Surely to blindly believe everything the government tells you, is worse than investigating things?

If the government tells us that the sky is pink, should we just believe it, or should we actually question what they say?

Sometimes the facts are ignored, simply because we we're told they don't count any more.

Arthur, Newcastle,

I agree - enormously dangerous myths have grown up over the past decades, fed by governments, self-interest groups and a frenzied media. 'Margaret Thatcher is a very clever woman' was one, a few years ago. 'Nuclear power stations are safe' is another. And there's something going round at the moment about David Cameron being an effective leader. Well.... I ask you?

eric campbell, harrogate, uk

Unfortunately, Jeremy Buxton, the simplest explanation is always the most BORING. A bit of conspiracy theory is hard to resist and anything sinister appeals to many of us.

Asta, Hamburg, Germany

Thanks for the common sense. Conspiracy theorists, rumour spreaders, and supporters of moral panics are all of them the enemies of decency and wisdom. God rot these hateful fools!Grubby little imbeciles can't bring themselves to understand the truth that the simplest explanation is always the best.

Jeremy Buxton, Perth, Australia