Comments on: Discussed, ::: The "Red Mercury" Hoax ::: http://www.mideastyouth.com/2009/04/16/question-discuss-the-red-mercury-hoax/ Thinking Ahead Sat, 11 Feb 2012 20:46:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Techabia http://www.mideastyouth.com/2009/04/16/question-discuss-the-red-mercury-hoax/#comment-22669 Techabia Fri, 17 Apr 2009 17:52:48 +0000 http://www.mideastyouth.com/?p=3949#comment-22669 Hi Eric, Thanks for the comment. I agree with your point: essentially it is the person who fell for it's mistake. If they spoke English, could they have searched in English and figured out it was all made up? Maybe.. The important issue you raise then is education. Questions like who is responsible for educating the people? However labeling them "dumb-asses" is not a solution and point that should be made in this discussion. OK, so they're in a specific position or mode of thinking, but the solution should be one to restrict them from getting into that position in the first place. Any ideas? Hi Eric,

Thanks for the comment. I agree with your point: essentially it is the person who fell for it’s mistake. If they spoke English, could they have searched in English and figured out it was all made up? Maybe..

The important issue you raise then is education. Questions like who is responsible for educating the people?

However labeling them “dumb-asses” is not a solution and point that should be made in this discussion. OK, so they’re in a specific position or mode of thinking, but the solution should be one to restrict them from getting into that position in the first place. Any ideas?

]]> By: Eric/Canada http://www.mideastyouth.com/2009/04/16/question-discuss-the-red-mercury-hoax/#comment-22668 Eric/Canada Fri, 17 Apr 2009 11:37:44 +0000 http://www.mideastyouth.com/?p=3949#comment-22668 Hm, well, I don't think that blaming the medium for the message is the answer. Con artists have and will continue to ply their trade regardless of environmental factors. In fact, since information is often the only way to fight this kind of stuff, restricting it's flow would be a counterproductive principle. Really, though, the core of any get-rich-quick or (in this case) "get-a-nuclear-weapon-quick" scheme is the greed and gullability of those who bought into it. This is a point I recently brought up at work, where a new, more time wasting set of safety protocols was rolled out. I asked, bluntly, if these would somehow get into the brain of dumbasses and change their basic natures to do stupid things. Was there a hypnotic, subliminal message coded there to compel them to think before they acted? If not, well, no amount of rules, policices or safeguards will keep some people from doing stupid things... Like buying a magic sewing machine... Hm, well, I don’t think that blaming the medium for the message is the answer. Con artists have and will continue to ply their trade regardless of environmental factors. In fact, since information is often the only way to fight this kind of stuff, restricting it’s flow would be a counterproductive principle. Really, though, the core of any get-rich-quick or (in this case) “get-a-nuclear-weapon-quick” scheme is the greed and gullability of those who bought into it.
This is a point I recently brought up at work, where a new, more time wasting set of safety protocols was rolled out. I asked, bluntly, if these would somehow get into the brain of dumbasses and change their basic natures to do stupid things. Was there a hypnotic, subliminal message coded there to compel them to think before they acted? If not, well, no amount of rules, policices or safeguards will keep some people from doing stupid things…
Like buying a magic sewing machine…

]]>