Ghosts of Iron Mountain: How a 1960s Hoax Shaped Conspiracy Culture
Thu 09 Oct
|The Conduit
Journalist Phil Tinline uncovers how a political satire became a tool for extremists – and what it reveals about America today.


Time & Location
09 Oct 2025, 18:15 – 19:30 BST
The Conduit, 6 Langley St, London WC2H 9JA, UK
About the event
What happens when a hoax takes on a life of its own? In 1966, a group of satirists fabricated a secret government report claiming that world peace was impossible because the economy depended on war. It was meant to be a joke. Instead, it became one of the most enduring conspiracy theories in modern history.
Phil Tinline, journalist, broadcaster, and expert on political fear, traces how Report from Iron Mountain went from left-wing satire to right-wing gospel, fuelling paranoia from Watergate to Alex Jones. As conspiracy culture dominates headlines and elections, this story is more relevant than ever.
How do myths become facts? Why do fake stories outlast the truth? And what does this tell us about the world we live in? Join us for a gripping conversation, chaired by James Ball, on deception, propaganda, and the strange power of belief.
Phil Tinline is a freelance writer and documentarian. He is…
Tickets
In-person
£16.80
Sale ended