wah!

[electricland]

I hate conspiracy theories. I hate them. I feel very strongly that you should never attribute to conspiracy what can be explained by simple incompetence (and if someone could remind me who said that, I'd be grateful). I always used to get hugely annoyed by the conspiracy episodes of the X-Files, and not just because I could never remember what the hell was going on and someone would have to give me the 2-minute recap of the last 3 seasons.

Which is one reason things like this weird me out. But the other reason is that it all sounds so bloody plausible.

Today's Christian fundamentalist politicians are more politically savvy than Reagan's interior secretary was; you're unlikely to catch them overtly attributing public-policy decisions to private religious views. But their words and actions suggest that many share Watt's beliefs. Like him, many Christian fundamentalists feel that concern for the future of our planet is irrelevant, because it has no future. They believe we are living in the End Time, when the son of God will return, the righteous will enter heaven, and sinners will be condemned to eternal hellfire. They may also believe, along with millions of other Christian fundamentalists, that environmental destruction is not only to be disregarded but actually welcomed -- even hastened -- as a sign of the coming Apocalypse.

Guh. Long piece, but interesting (and creepy).

Comments

[duir-id.livejournal.com]

In this country nothing suprises me anymore....

[senhor.livejournal.com]

What does one wear for "eternal hellfire"? I need to pack sensibly.

[electricland.livejournal.com]

I'm sure you'll be just darling in whatever you choose to wear!

[monkeycommando.livejournal.com]

Robert A. Heinlein, describing the rule for "The Stupid Years" on his future timeline--

--as referenced by Spider Robinson in his "Stupid Years" column for the globe.

[electricland.livejournal.com]

Aah. Thank you.

[calebbullen.livejournal.com]

You know I wonder if that's the same thinking behind our record deficits and debt, who cares? We won't have to pay it back once the apocalypse happens! We can just spend and spend and spend.

*shakes head in horror*

[electricland.livejournal.com]

Must be nice...

[pretentiousgit.livejournal.com]

You know, from a specific and hugely, hugely cynical viewpoint, that's cheering news.

It's likely that the people in the path of eternal hellfire aren't actually the people who believe in this sort of thing. I mean, it's easy to believe the Apocalypse is here, now, and Bush has certainly been encouraging it - North Korea, anyone? And sure, a lunar and solar eclipse are not that hard to miss.

But on the other hand, I doubt the True Believers in power live far enough from Washington to avoid a direct nuclear strike.

They do say the meek will inherit the earth.

[electricland.livejournal.com]

Heh heh. See next post also.

[swestrup]

That's Hanlon's Razor: "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity."

It's variously attributed. Many think that 'Hanlon' is a corruption of 'Heinlein'. More info is in the Wikipedia here.

[electricland.livejournal.com]

Excellent. Thank you!

I've always considered it a corollary of Occam's Razor, so it makes sense.