10 Paranoid People Who Were Proven RIGHT

10 Paranoid People Who Were Proven Right

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Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at those incredibly suspicious of other people or institutions and were mistreated— only to be proven to be right.

Rachel Carson

Since ancient times, farmers have utilized various forms of pesticides. This made it easy for mid-20th century America to accept the rollout of DDT, a sprayable chemical that could eradicate most insects. Some, like Rachel Carson, were against it from the beginning. In her book, “Silent Spring”, published in 1962, she laid out the dangers it presented to the environment and human health. Her concerns were met with jeers from the chemical industry, who threw baseless and misogynistic attacks at her. Carson passed away just two years later, meaning she wouldn’t live to see just how right she was. It was banned for agricultural use in 1972, but its effects still affect wildlife and human populations today.

Sources: https://pittsburghquarterly.com/articles/was-rachel-carson-right/ https://silentspring.org/about-us/our-story/legacy-rachel-carson-0 https://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/nattrans/ntwilderness/essays/carsonb.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Carson#Silent_Spring https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Carson#Promotion_and_reception https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Carson#Grassroots_environmentalism_and_the_EPA https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DDT#Environmental_impact https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DDT# https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DDT#Human_health https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Spring#Research_and_writing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pesticide https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Spring#Promotion_and_reception

“American Experience” (1988-)

PBS

S29E02 “Rachel Carson”

Pesticide Companies Spreading Propaganda to Discredit Carson: https://youtu.be/mFDh9c34XX4?si=aV0QflESzMiXPxAV&t=5493

YouTube: NV atCEPImperial

Effect of DDT on Fly: https://youtu.be/Ipbc-6IvMQI?si=qAwOB8M9lLkQGAeS&t=64

DDT Sprayed Through Whole Town: https://youtu.be/Ipbc-6IvMQI?si=QU-KB1QZk7R_NDf5&t=172

Spokesman for Chemical Industry Speaking Out Against Carson: https://youtu.be/Ipbc-6IvMQI?si=9IjgtPk2cyWcVyTK&t=468

CBS 8 San Diego

DDT Found in Fish Decades After Ban: https://youtu.be/4iRHXwrelFo?si=FmlECtjmVqAuAaCT&t=41

Russ Tice

A government going out of its way to spy on its own people sounds ludicrous. Yet, in 2005, Russ Tice risked his job at the National Security Agency to expose that very behavior. He claimed that the NSA and Defense Intelligence Agency were listening in on some civilians’ conversations. He attempted to take these concerns to Congress, but was swiftly silenced in the form of being forced to undergo a psychological evaluation, where he was diagnosed with paranoia. The whistleblower never backed down, leading to conservative figureheads like Bill O’Reilly calling for his arrest. Though President Bush admitted to allowing some citizens to be spied on in 2006, Tice wouldn’t be believed until 2013, when Edward Snowden revealed the true depth of their mass surveillance.

Sources: https://abcnews.go.com/WNT/Investigation/story?id=1491889 https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/nsa-collects-word-for-word-every-domestic-communication https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russell-tice-sliced-and-diced/ https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2006/01/why-nsa-whistle-blower-russ-tice-may-be-right.html https://www.aclu.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/safefree/disavowed_report.pdf https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-109hhrg28171/html/CHRG-109hhrg28171.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russ_Tice#Whistleblower

“Countdown with Keith Olberman” (2003-11, 2011-12)

MSNBC/Current TV

Tice on How NSA Spied on Citizens: https://youtu.be/QuKz8ixKlzs?si=C6-JOrGw6KkVGs2m&t=225

YouTube: WeAreChange

Tice Saying He Wanted Mainstream Media to Confirm He Wasn’t Crazy: https://youtu.be/gKrmuDoMfno?si=WWSaDH7MQs0w1Fic&t=289

The Guardian

Snowden on Surveillance: https://youtu.be/0hLjuVyIIrs?si=OK85aAiI8ctG8OQc&t=430

Adrian Schoolcraft

The idea of the police working against those they’re meant to help is unfathomable to some. As a member of the NYPD, Adrian Schoolcraft was eager to help the city and its citizens. When he began to offhandedly record conversations, he got footage of the department enforcing arrest quotas, and encouraging officers to charge people with whatever possible. Schoolcraft turned on his own and reported them. He was met with harassment, and was even demoted to desk duty. He refused to remain silent, leading to him being forcibly hospitalized— which he also recorded. After being fired, he published everything. A report made in 2012 found that he’d been right, and in more recent years, more officers have come forward to speak against the quota system.

Sources: https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna39591129 https://www.thisamericanlife.org/414/right-to-remain-silent https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/nypd-tapes-shocking-story-cops-cover-ups-and-courage https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/30/nyregion/officer-who-disclosed-police-misconduct-settles-suit.html https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/new-york/nysdce/1:2010cv06005/366535/436/ https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/09/nyregion/officer-sues-claiming-police-retaliation-for-truth-telling.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrian_Schoolcraft#Recordings https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrian_Schoolcraft#Disclosure https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrian_Schoolcraft#Raid_and_involuntary_commitment https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrian_Schoolcraft#Further_developments https://www.huffpost.com/entry/schoolcraft-in-a-psych-wa_b_619329

YouTube: The Nation

Confirmation That the NYPD Set Arrest Quotas: https://youtu.be/ZVkkhkLSqWE?si=tkLQ2dKMRwLGdtz4&t=68

YouTube: Nycresistance

Schoolcraft on Being Placed in Psych Ward: https://youtu.be/rwAQX0SWlhY?si=W1kqIF-iL-ESCiDE&t=100

One of Schoolcraft’s Recordings: https://youtu.be/rwAQX0SWlhY?si=7QVEJdCcGrnyHLJ7&t=62

YouTube: Richard French Live

Report on Schoolcraft’s Treatment: https://youtu.be/S4msze-x-sU?si=2S1PRNO-W4yfXVn6&t=27

Jean Seberg

In the mid-20th century, Jean Seberg was on track to become the face of the French New Wave film movement. Yet, after a series of financial donations to civil rights groups such as the NAACP in the 1960s, her career was suddenly derailed. False stories regarding the father of her child were spread, causing her reputation to nosedive. She wasn’t safe outside of the public eye either, with her phone calls being tapped and published and her home being broken into. The entire time, she was aware of the stalking and defamation, leading to a psychological breakdown. In 1979, she took her own life and cited her nerves as the main reason. Only then did the FBI confess to its COINTELPRO campaign.

Sources: https://www.neh.gov/humanities/2016/spring/statement/the-secret-lives-jean-seberg https://time.com/archive/6880497/nation-the-fbi-vs-jean-seberg/ https://enewspaper.latimes.com/infinity/article_share.aspx?guid=aac4f2e9-37fb-471d-b43b-ce13abec2bca https://www.nytimes.com/1979/09/15/archives/fbi-admits-planting-a-rumor-to-discredit-jean-seberg-in-1970-former.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Seberg#FBI_COINTELPRO_operation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Seberg#Possible_Hollywood_blacklisting https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Seberg#Aftermath https://www.thetimes.com/world/us-world/article/fbi-drove-black-power-actress-jean-seberg-to-suicide-claims-son-8jz77kqwvl5

“Breathless” (1960)

Seberg as Patricia: https://youtu.be/Qtg6wSMGJOI?si=bscTluxko61_0Vqh

YouTube: Hezakya Newz & Films

Seberg’s Relative on FBI Probe Rumors: https://youtu.be/cYjpjWNcQeg?si=q--ouqe3QSAKiDPn&t=1441

YouTube: CriticalPast

Silent Footage of J. Edgar Hoover Speaking: https://youtu.be/t5sMYCpBkS4?si=Gjy5m_eUN4Bek5Jk&t=35

Harry Markopolos

This should be a lesson to all not to disregard credible warnings. As far back as 1999, financial fraud investigator Harry Markopolos collected evidence implicating financier Bernie Madoff in a massive fraud case. He brought his concerns to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission three separate times, and was ignored. Meanwhile, the cost of Madoff’s Ponzi scheme climbed higher. Markopolos didn’t give up, though he began to fear that Madoff or one of his associates would harm him. His 2005 attempt, a 21-page analysis dating back nearly fifteen years, was still ignored. In 2008, the bubble surrounding Madoff popped. By then, tens of billions of dollars had been defrauded— and Markopolos got the opportunity to admonish the SEC for ignoring him for so long.

Sources: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2010/mar/24/bernard-madoff-whistleblower-harry-markopolos https://pioneerinstitute.org/pioneer-research/better-government/williams-and-markopolos-were-proven-right-mbtarf-was-underreporting-its-unfunded-pension-liabilities-just-as-the-whistleblowers-said-in-their-2015-report/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-man-who-figured-out-madoffs-scheme-27-02-2009/ https://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/markopolos-madoff-s-mob-ties-made-me-fear-for-my-life https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Markopolos#Madoff_investigation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Markopolos#Congressional_testimony https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Markopolos#Other_statements https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madoff_investment_scandal

YouTube: tp1murray

Markopolos Saying He Tried to Warn the SEC: https://youtu.be/aMqy1EXGNlE?si=hb324Rqvoykgxx1y

YouTube: Nancy Pelosi

Markopolos Calling Out the SEC for Ignoring his Claims: https://youtu.be/uw_Tgu0txS0?si=bzFC50Jqf1xyTh9N&t=632

“60 Minutes” (1968-)

CBS

S00E00 “”

Markopolos on Madoff’s Scams: https://youtu.be/3wUJesUik5A?si=fYh2RgZFyWgcquN-&t=624

Christine Collins

In 1928, Christine Collins experienced every parent’s worst nightmare when her son, Walter, went missing. After months, the LAPD claimed they found him in Illinois. She was relieved…until she actually saw him and realized he wasn’t her son at all. Her concerns were brushed aside, and she reluctantly took the imposter home. Weeks later, she brought dental records to prove her case, earning herself a forced commitment to a psychiatric hospital. It wasn’t until the child himself was questioned that they learned he’d been lying in order to get a free trip to Hollywood to meet his favorite movie star, Tom Mix. Collins was freed ten days later. Though she was vindicated, she never saw restitution from the police, and her son was never found.

Sources: https://jhgraham.com/2020/10/12/the-collins-case/ https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-oct-19-ca-changeling19-story.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Walter_Collins#Disappearance https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Walter_Collins#Impostor_and_abusive_internment https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Walter_Collins#Aftermath

“Changeling” (2008)

That Is Not My Son: https://youtu.be/d01lr4KHUjk?si=5v1MfvJtG38T3Gxe

I Am Not Your Mother: https://youtu.be/MgBCnwI_Hq0?si=_mxb_iQimrk4bdzc&t=79

Forced Sedation: https://youtu.be/pOPWdQO9bK4?si=y_xNwhsvAblU4wx6&t=9

Collins Committed to the Psych Ward: https://youtu.be/edX09NFZ3oc?si=yTvI4cSsHo9tYse7&t=63

Martha Mitchell

When Martha Mitchell’s first came to Washington D.C., she made a name for herself as a professional gossip, especially when it came to politics. When the Democratic National Committee headquarters were broken into in 1972, Mitchell suspected her husband and the Nixon re-election committee he was a part of. She tried calling a journalist, but the call was cut. Days later, she was found beaten and imprisoned at the Westchester Country Club. She’d claimed to have been drugged and kidnapped by Nixon’s men, all while they ruined her reputation. When the smoke cleared, she’d lost everything, from her marriage to her connections. In 1975, her story was corroborated by one of the perpetrators of the Watergate burglary, proving that she’d been telling the truth.

Sources: https://time.com/archive/6847962/personalities-martha-was-right/ https://www.history.com/articles/martha-mitchell-watergate-kidnapping https://onwisconsin.uwalumni.com/believing-martha-mitchell/ https://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/aug/04/truly-madly-deeply-delusional https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_Mitchell_effect#Description https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_Mitchell_effect#Origin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_Mitchell#Move_to_Washington_and_the_Watergate_scandal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_Mitchell#June_1972_kidnapping,_aftermath_and_vindication

“Gaslit” (2022)

STARZ

S01E03 “King George”

Mitchell Confronting Man Holding Her Captive: https://youtu.be/ZN1Pf-Swnec?si=8u0IB75YiGrjFSF3&t=14

Mitchell Asking Doctor for Help: https://youtu.be/oVdt1gbarsI?si=FwJqnnv_IgYsYLPV&t=11

S01E07 “Year of the Rat”

Mitchell Being Questioned in Court: https://youtu.be/tjWz2OX8SVU?si=aql9fMiG_UpfO5_Z&t=35

YouTube: Baseball Ruski

Mitchell Saying She Isn’t After Publicity: https://youtu.be/goNFhbzAR5k?si=3WN3OIbbXcdGa9pT

Richard Nixon Presidential Library

Excerpt from the Watergate Tapes: https://youtu.be/ehKRQ0N-dIg?si=IKCDz9ZlOIbbVizA&t=45

CBS News

Nixon’s Resignation Speech: https://youtu.be/3_DrUaJEBtE?si=1B_3K8OH43_jQUi0&t=400

Ignaz Semmelweis

In the 19th century, Ignaz Semmelweis was a champion for women’s health, and lost everything because of it. It all began at Vienna General Hospital, when he saw female patients getting different results depending on what ward they were admitted to, as one was more deadly. After extensive research, he learned that women were being exposed to illnesses due to doctors handling corpses beforehand. He suggested that professionals wash their hands to lower those chances. Despite the fact that his findings saved several lives, his theory was ridiculed, and he was fired. After continuing to defend himself, he was committed. He passed just two weeks later, and his findings would continue to be ignored until Louis Pasteur expanded upon them in his own work.

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignaz_Semmelweis#Conflict_with_established_medical_opinion https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignaz_Semmelweis#Theory_of_cadaverous_poisoning https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignaz_Semmelweis#Hesitant_publication_of_results_and_first_signs_of_trouble https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignaz_Semmelweis#Political_turmoil_and_dismissal_from_the_Vienna_hospital https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignaz_Semmelweis#Response_by_the_medical_community https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignaz_Semmelweis#Breakdown_and_death https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/01/12/375663920/the-doctor-who-championed-hand-washing-and-saved-women-s-lives https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100454253?d=%2F10.1093%2Foi%2Fauthority.20110803100454253&p=emailAoOn7YB1VHys6&print

YouTube: World Health Organization (WHO)

Hand-Washing Tutorial: https://youtu.be/3PmVJQUCm4E?si=wP7opYYgMOSFy_sw&t=19

“That Mothers Might Live” (1938)

Short Film Showing Effects of Semmelweis’ Discovery: https://youtu.be/qoz2hvCOtfA?si=SVio6naelTFCzaoS&t=328

“12 Monkeys” (1995)

Semmelweis’s Theory Mentioned: https://youtu.be/mv0ztidz_I8?si=vRBeFn7gSBlQ3zyt&t=58

Gary Webb

Much like mass surveillance, the idea of government organizations funneling harmful substances into civilian neighborhoods may have once sounded absurd. Gary Webb had built a life and reputation for himself as a journalist. His career and life changed forever when he worked on the “Dark Alliance” series, which posited that the crack epidemic in the 1980s was started by the Nicaraguan Contras, supported by the CIA. His claims were embraced by some and derided by others, with the administration and his publisher falling into the latter camp. Webb took his own life in 2004, though many suspect murder. An internal investigation found the CIA knew about Contras’ involvement and that they’d stopped other agencies from investigating them.

Sources: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gary-Webb https://oig.justice.gov/sites/default/files/archive/special/9712/ch01p1.htm https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB113/storm.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Webb#Dark_Alliance_series https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Webb#Death https://www.huffpost.com/entry/gary-webb-was-right_b_6024530 https://theintercept.com/2014/09/25/managing-nightmare-cia-media-destruction-gary-webb/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIA_involvement_in_Contra_cocaine_trafficking#Dark_Alliance_series https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIA_involvement_in_Contra_cocaine_trafficking#Investigation_after_Dark_Alliance

“Gary Webb: In His Own Words” (2002)

Webb Explaining his Investigation: https://youtu.be/GJkNEtgMulw?si=uwX_CAt2Bkr1iR66&t=57

Webb on the Pushback He Saw from the Media: https://youtu.be/GJkNEtgMulw?si=34uDQtJ44G62oeuo&t=183

YouTube: Reelblack One

CIA Drug Trafficking Allegations Hearing: https://youtu.be/WUNohVdNuYk?si=5vDZB70zeJ3iC7j4&t=59

Ernest Hemingway

Ernest Hemingway is widely considered to be one of the greatest American authors. He was also convinced he was being targeted by the government. He feared that they were tracking his every move, leading to intense paranoia that led to inpatient treatment and several electroconvulsive shock treatments. It was only after he took his life in 1961 that the truth came out. Not only had the FBI been tracking him since he’d patrolled Cuban waters during World War II, they had created a 124-page file about him. Though he was right the whole time, that answer came at the cost of his own life.

Sources: https://vault.fbi.gov/ernest-miller-hemingway https://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/02/opinion/02hotchner.html https://dailyleader.com/2021/12/01/just-because-youre-paranoid/ https://explorethearchive.com/fbi-writers-under-surveillance https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Hemingway#World_War_II https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Hemingway#Idaho_and_suicide

YouTube: CriticalPast

Hemingway in Cuba & Tribute Following Death: https://youtu.be/4ANsk2Ghvcw?si=JMuOZwOeWp6I-wW4&t=16

YouTube: Everett McConnaughey

Hemingway’s Death Report: https://youtu.be/V2GfpP1OOc8?si=CUvWUkvCwYUJKjlL&t=35

YouTube: CriticalPast

Silent Footage of J. Edgar Hoover Speaking: https://youtu.be/t5sMYCpBkS4?si=Gjy5m_eUN4Bek5Jk&t=35

Which of these rightfully-paranoid people do you feel were the most mistreated? Let us know in the comments below!

“Changeling” (2008)

Collins Yelling at Captain Jones: https://youtu.be/d01lr4KHUjk?si=1dT2YuoLiCB5knxl&t=392