It seems my previous post here didn't survive the forum meltdown, so here goes something like it again.

As the above had mentioned, Area 51 is just a military installment, possibly a bomb testing site.
Most of the "truths" about Area 51 are hoaxes.
It's just a military base.
That's what they want you to believe.
Actually, there being some conspiracy going on in there, might be what they really want you to believe - and not just there, but more often than not. This isn't to say conspiracies are always false; of course some do turn out to be true.
But, I sort of believe in a slightly different conspiracy theory - a conspiracyception, if you will: these and similar stories are often pushed, and perhaps even purposefully fabricated, to keep the population distracted. I mean, can you imagine how much "worse" it would be if people spent the same time and effort they spend on all conspiracy theories, for something like social and political activism and reforms?