Freaking Myself Out

[gfish]

This is technically analysis, but far too silly to post to midint.

Recently a poll was released which indicated that 1/3 of Americans believe that we have found WMDs in Iraq, and a bit under 1/4 believe that the Iraqis used WMDs during the war. This poll got suspiciously little coverage and I really should have posted about it before.

Today I was pondering these results while doing dishes, and I realized something rather disturbing. To think that WMDs have been found or were used puts you in an fundamentally different reality than the one I live in. There is just no way to reconcile my reality with one were any sane, minimally informed person could believe such things. It would take an active effort to phase-shift into this alternate reality. A reality completely shaped by the desires of suits, shadowy figures who want to use the people in their thrall to increase their own power. In short, 1/3 of America took the blue pill. They woke up in their bed and believed whatever they wanted to believe.

Comments

[doctorpepper.livejournal.com]

I'm a little more optimistic -- I think part of the problem, if the poll wasn't more detailed than the way I saw it reported, is that "weapons of mass destruction" was repeated so many times it just became a buzzphrase -- and it was never very descriptive or useful to begin with. I mean, "mass" destruction as opposed to, what, a broadsword?

[xmurf.livejournal.com]

As opposed to weapons of volume destruction. Really, though, when you think about it, the only weapons that involve destroying mass (well, converting it to energy, which is as close as you can get) would be nukes... :)

[xmurf.livejournal.com]

Yes, but all the mass going in comes out as mass, and all the enery coming out went in as energy, so mass has been conserved...

[gfish.livejournal.com]

I misread your original comment. I suck.

[xmurf.livejournal.com]

Just remember:

Matter cannot be created nor destroyed, nor may it be returned without a receipt.

[doctorpepper.livejournal.com]

Weapons of Mass. destruction! Employed by vicious New Hampshire residents angry over something to do with sales tax.

[randomdreams.livejournal.com]

Well, if YOU stepped on a sales tack you'd be cheesed off, too.

[vixyish.livejournal.com]

No no, weapons just for destroying that state.

Since it's still there, they were clearly not used...