I’ve created a category called “Inadvertent Comic Relief.” It will contain links to sites that are serious, but hilariously and relentlessly stupid. The honor of the first link goes to perennial anti-military-space loon Bruce Gagnon. As an example, here he expresses his frustration that the Obama administration is going to do nothing to prevent those evil Anglospherians from colonizing the moon and terrorizing the moon people:
In Obama’s opening words he talked about the early vision of our “founding fathers”. He intends to remain loyal to the rich white men who dreamed of their own empire — one that would challenge England’s global power. An empire that would push the Native Americans from their land, ravage the Earth for its natural resources, and move overseas to terrorize and colonize people in Hawaii, the Philippines, Guam, Latin America, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, and ultimately the moon in the sky.
End the madness.
[Update a few minutes later]
I’ve also added another of my favorite whacko conspiracy mongers — Elaine Supkis (who also happens to be L-5 Society founder Carolyn Meinel’s sister).
“terrorize and colonize people in Hawaii, the Philippines, Guam, Latin America, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan”
All of whom were so much better off before American intervention, and would have remained so had we stayed out…
Maybe in Hawaii and Guam (I don’t know much about the history of Guam, though the little I know about Hawaiian culture pre-America isn’t particularly salutary), but the other places were on a fast track to crapsville.
How did I miss out on all that natural resource ravaging?
The honor of the first link goes to perennial anti-military-space loon Bruce Gagnon
And he’s turned his comments back on – sadly, with moderation.
Well, without rich white people and a sound military we’d all still be eating rodents and berries, and killing each other with pointed sticks, so I’m all in favor of whatever rich white people — particularly those in the military — want.
I recommend as a first step a little less tolerance. Folks like Mr. Gagnon should be deported to Russia, or Antarctica if the Russians won’t have him, there to forge his own utopia however he pleases.
“Well, without rich white people and a sound military we’d all still be eating rodents and berries”
I’d make it, ‘rich white people following George Washington’s egalitarian example.’
I really think not that many people in the history of mankind in George Washington’s position would be on the cusp of having it all under his total control and then give it all away to this odd idea of government by the people.
He set a mold that fortunately hasn’t been broken. Not many, if any fit it perfectly. His fine example has continued to serve as a benchmark for world leaders even to this day.
His fine example has continued to serve as a benchmark for world leaders even to this day.
He was following a much older example.
Huh. The Wikipedia version of the story makes it sound like Cincinnatus returned to his farm out of necessity. (“Cincinnatus knew that his departure might mean starvation for his family if the crops went unsown in his absence.”) I assume that the Cincinnatus would have acted the same way even if Rome had sprung for the care of his farm, but is there any evidence? And for that matter, the position of dictator doesn’t sound so powerful if your family can starve while you’re in the role. Something is amiss, and I suspect it is Wikipedia.
It also said he was against giving equal rights to plebeians (meaning those not of noble birth). Sounds downright oligarchic and mafioso to me.
Bob,
That is one of the most asinine comments I have read. He put his family at risk, served his country and resigned from power. Not many would do that. He could have tried to improve his financial position, hung on to power, settled any old scores or anything he wanted. They made him dictator for 6 months and he left after 16 days.
I am questioning Wikipedia’s version of the story, not Cincinnatus.
I am questioning Wikipedia’s version of the story…
Well, you wouldn’t be the first…
The good news is that if you know a better version of the story (and have a published reference to back it up), you can improve the wikipedia entry.
Bob, your interpretation of the article is still silly, and it’s also pretty much the standard version.
if you know a better version of the story (and have a published reference to back it up
So Wikipedia is basically one giant high-school term paper? That explains a lot.
Larry, I don’t see that. I think they are telling the story wrong. I don’t know why you don’t agree. If you care enough to post a comment, maybe you can explain it to me: how was his family in danger of starving if he was kept from his farm by being a dictator. Why couldn’t he have used his power as dictator to somehow feed his family?
Carl, you didn’t know? If you rewrite an article to claim something, you have to back it up your claim a published source or the revision gets booted for not being backed by a source. But that’s it. The actual quality of the published source isn’t an issue until someone wants to improve on your version. The amazing thing is how well it usually works.
Bob, I think you are missing a few important points about the way things worked back then:
1) When you went off to war, you were effectively cut off from home – very few letters, and no political influence to feed families.
2) Your enemies did not go off to war, they stayed at home – with all the remaining political influence to starve your family.
3) Wars could last years.
I’m sure he was hoping for a short war – but he definitely was quite a guy to put other’s needs before his own. The fact is, he used the power given him for good – and when finished, he did not use the power given him for selfish reasons, instead he gave it back.
Yes, he could have used the power to feed his family, force others to tend his farm, etc. He didn’t – and that is the whole point.
David, thanks for the thoughtful reply. I certainly agree with you about why Cincinnatus is exemplary, and that this is the point of the story and the reason why he is remembered today. Your explanation does makes sense, but I hope you won’t take offense if I admit that I don’t think that’s what the authors of the wikipedia version (which is copied all over the web) had in mind. It is a legend after all, and legends get retold for effect even when they don’t quite make sense. The version told here http://www.roman-empire.net/republic/earlyrep-index.html
make more sense to me. (It ascribes the part I’m wondering about to “political theatre”. ) In the end, it doesn’t make much difference, as either version keeps the central point of the story intact.
Looking at the story, odds are good, especially given Cincinnatus’s reputation and political connections, that someone (say his relatives, friends, or neighbors) would have taken care of his family, if something bad happened.
Getting back to the title subject, here’s my further nominee:
http://www.enterprisemission.com/
Karl, you have a winner there. Here’s a great one. It’s a classic example of the “boiled frog” approach to crackpottery. The author slowly veers from stable fact to bizarre realms of lunatic conjecture.
For this article, it starts off with an innocent report from ESA on a space probe’s near pass of an asteroid. Ends with alien cities, Egyptian gods, and diamond-shaped escape pods.
> The good news is that if you know a better version of the story (and have a published reference to back it up), you can improve the wikipedia entry.
That’s not how wikipedia works.
There are many cases where Wikipedia doesn’t agree with published references. (Since published references can disagree….)
Moreover, wikipedia is perfectly capable of ignoring published references when doing so suits the preferences of contributors.
To think that the folks who contribute to wikipedia, unlike everyone else, are completely objective, is an amazing example of “suspension of disbelief”.