The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #56205   Message #877283
Posted By: Greg F.
29-Jan-03 - 12:41 AM
Thread Name: BS: State of the Union
Subject: RE: BS: State of the Union
Once you've finished with the speech, have a read of Carl Sagan's The Demon-Haunted World NY, Ballantine, 1996 for some background on how charlatans like the Bush Baby get away with spewing this crap.

An excerpt:

Most of these figures are only after your money. That's the good news. But what worries me is that a [charlatan] will come along with bigger fish to fry-attractive, commanding, patriotic, exuding leadership. All of us long for a competent, uncorrupt, charismatic leader. We will leap at the opportunity to support, to believe, to feel good. Most reporters, editors, and producers--swept up with the rest of us--will shy away from real skeptical scrutiny. He won't be selling you prayers or crystals or tears. Perhaps he'll be selling you a war, or a scapegoat... Whatever it is, it will be accompanied by warnings about the dangers of skepticism.

One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we've been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We're no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It's simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we've been taken. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.