THE NEW 'DOOM THEORY DU JOUR'

The following is a guest post authored by DemocracyRules

THE 'DOOM THEORY DU JOUR'
Armageddon Tired of These Theories!

Doom theories are not new, and they’re likely to keep on coming. Global Warming is just one of many. The Global Warming issue has two main components. First, there is climate change itself, and the efforts of humans to measure such changes and predict future changes. Second, there are the responses of humans to these findings and the theories accompanying them, including social, political, and economic changes. Both elements of the phenomenon can be studied scientifically.

Global warming can be seen as part of a greater human tendency to fear catastrophes. Armageddon, the ultimate doom theory, seems to represent an archetype, which results from human cognitive processes, and is reborn in new minds over the ages, taking slightly different forms, but always telling essentially the same story. The tendency of humans to believe these theories seems to have little to do with the validity of the theory.

Catastrophes		Predictions		Proposed Solutions		Actual Outcomes
The 'Crisis of Capitalism'		Rampant, rapacious capitalism would destroy society		Socialism: Capitalism to be replaced by a "better system"		Crisis of capitalism did not occur, world riches increased
'The Population Bomb'		Rampant world overpopulation, food supply collapse		Socialism: Population control, forced food & wealth redistribution		Food supply is outgrowing population, world prosperity increasing
‘Silent Spring’		Massive catastrophic environmental contamination		Socialism: Forced limits on economic growth & pollution control		Public awareness & regulation is averting the problem
'The Limits to Growth'		Overpopulation, energy & resource overuse would collapse supplies of food, energy & other resources. Oil supplies to be exhausted by 1992		Socialism: Population control, forced limits on economic growth, forced food and wealth redistribution		Food supply outgrowing population, world prosperity increasing, new resources found
'Return of  the Ice Age'		Rapid global cooling would collapse food supplies		Socialism: Communal housing, forced food & wealth redistribution		Science was badly done, return of the Ice Age did not occur
'The China Syndrome'		Catastrophic nuclear reactor failures, energy supply interruption, radioactive contamination		Socialism: Forced limits on nuclear reactors, economic growth and energy use		Science was badly done, China Syndrome did not occur
'Nuclear Winter'		Nuclear war would cause massive atmospheric dust pollution, rapid global cooling		Socialism: Democracies surrender, no war necessary		Communism collapsed, no war necessary
'Killer Bees '		Catastrophic proliferation of aggressive, toxic bees, massive population death		Socialism: Reorganize society to fight rampant killer bee proliferation		No catastrophic killer bee proliferation, no massive population death
'Acid Rain'		High sulphur air pollutants causing acidification of lakes & forestlands		Socialism: Forced limits on economic growth & pollution		Public awareness & regulation fixing the problem
'Economic Globalization'		Capitalist control of global markets would subjugate and impoverish large populations		Socialism: Forced limits on economic growth, forced food and wealth redistribution		World prosperity increasing, poverty as % of world population declining
'Frankenstein foods'		Genetic food engineering would ruin ecosystems, cause widespread species die-offs		Socialism: Genetic engineering ban, forced food and wealth redistribution		No catastrophic effects, public awareness & regulation ameliorating problem
The  'Ozone Hole'		Air pollutants would cause atmospheric ozone depletion, catastrophic increase in cancer		Socialism: Forced limits on economic growth & pollution		No catastrophic effects, public awareness & regulation ameliorating problem
'Global Warming'		High human use of fossil fuels is causing global warming		Socialism: Forced limits on economic growth, fossil fuel use		Global warming not clearly detected
Asteroid Impacts Earth		A large incoming asteroid will cause 'Nuclear winter', orbit destabilization, massive death		Socialism: Forced emergency preparations for asteroid impacts		Nothing yet
Honey Bee Epidemic		Honey Bees dying in large numbers from mysterious ailment		Socialism: Immediate preparation for global collapse of food supply.  Forced food redistribution		Unknown
Armageddon		Christ returns to Earth, all humans die		Socialism: Earth population becomes atheist, God ceases to exist, Armageddon cancelled		Unknown

Comments

[DemocracyRules]

FROM DemocracyRules
Thank you for your interest in DOOM THEORIES.

There is a bit of humor embedded in the table. However, each piece of humor is designed to contain significant truth in it. For example, my notation that Socialism is the solution for every doom theory has a point to it. Almost all doom theories, if true, would require a large, top-down government structure in order to prevent social chaos, and enhance the chances for collective survival. Most recent doom theories have been advocated by socialist-minded individuals and groups.

The most humorous doom theories cancel each other out. For example, in a recent speech, Bill Clinton seems to have claimed that we face two serious catastrophes: Obesity and World Famine! Enjoy.

More from DemocracyRules, and the Doom Table with hot-links to relevant web sites, is here: http://www.box.net/shared/7dnvimtb5z