How often do conspiracy theories get debunked?

I just thought of one, there was a conspiracy theory that John Venables had been sent to Australia , and now it has been totally disproved.

Just goes to show. Anyone know any more disproved theories?

Not often. Conspiracy theorists operate on the erroneous assumption that human beings are capable of protracted conspiracies. That requires a consistency, determination, loyalty, even a sort of ethics not likely to be found in conspirators [nor anyone else for the most part].

On the other hand, debunkers operate from the default position that conspiracies don’t exist and that they can be debunked with logic, ad hominen attacks, and empty conjectural assumption.

That’s also not true. Conspiracies happen. They’ve happened throughout history and there’s a major conspiracy trial going on right now in the US. Conspiracies happen.

They usually just don’t succeed, or they don’t get caught at it, or when they do the water’s so muddied by all the debunking the truth never makes it to the public consciousness.