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January 14, 2006
Abject Stupidity or Religious Fervor…..which is safer?
As difficult as it may be to believe, for the sake of this article, let’s say that the two options are in fact mutually exclusive.
Events two days ago in Mina, Saudi Arabia bring this question to light as yet another tragedy at the annual Hajj. I know. It’s getting to be old news already. Another Hajj, another stampede. Another Hajj, another stampede. But what I don’t get, is why?
The choice of the word itself troubles me. Stampede. Unfortunately accurate. Now call me crazy if you must, but I find it hard to go along with the notion that human beings stampede. Cattle, yes. Wild horses, yes. Antelope, yes. Lemmings, certainly. But people? I would hope not. But apparently I would be wrong.
One common thread in the above list is an inability to perform even basic mathematical problems. In other words, simple application of logic and independent decision making capacity. The opposite of the ‘herd’ instinct. They lack it and as such, are prone to running hither and yon in a state of temporary madness over themselves and anything else in their path. Death ensues. As it does at the Hajj, year after year as the ‘pilgrims’ are caught up in their religious fervor.
Now, for comparison, let’s consider an example of abject stupidity…….
The running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain.
As you can see by the pictures, a small group or herd of bulls is allowed to ‘stampede’ through the streets of Pamplona.
An intelligent person would, simply as a matter of self preservation, avoid the situation. But no. There in the middle of the stampede are human beings. People who are there without the inclusion of religious fervor into the equation, but rather are there for no other explainable reason than abject stupidity.
So which situation is more dangerous? Finding yourself facing down a one thousand pound angry bull with sharp horns and a bad attitude running right at you with nowhere to go but over or through you?
Or wandering around in a bed sheet throwing pebbles at a pillar of stone that is supposed to represent, get this, ‘the devil’?
Now sure, if you slip some acid into my beer, you might find me wrapped in a sheet and tossing stones at a fencepost or a mailbox or even at my own melting reflection in a mirror. But if I had to make a conscious, rational and sober choice, I’d have to go with the bulls any day.
Personally speaking, I think both activities are completely retarded. There is nothing you will ever be able to say to me that will convince me that either activity holds one shread of reason. And yet, year after year these events are repeated. And here are the statistics:
Since 1924, there have been a total of 13 deaths during the running of the bulls. That’s only 13 people, people. I find it amazing that few have been killed.
In the last 20 years alone, there have been 2,902 recorded deaths at the Hajj because of stampedes or other equally stupid actions. (And this number does NOT include things like the recent structural collapse of an entire hotel in Mecca a few days before the stampede) I guess terms like ‘crowd control’ and ‘safety standards’ just aren’t very common in camel country. I think they need some Germans event coordinators to come in and run the show. Germans are good with crowds. It would be like Nuremburg all over again but without the swastikas and all that Nazi stuff. Ok, maybe a few. But since it’s not exactly a pro Israel crowd, I don’t think it would be that big a deal.
In short, it is obvious that it is safer to be neither abjectly stupid nor fervently religious. But if you have to be one or the other, go with stupid. It’s better. If only for the fans. Your not gonna see a lot of that in Mecca.
~ AP
Posted by Anonymous Pundit at January 14, 2006 03:34 PM
Comments
Im sure even with the events being controlled by germans they would find a way to kill themselves, lets look at munich, its just what arabs do a guy yells bomb they run its not like they just get confused atleast i read an article last year and thats what it said happend.
Posted by: Joseph at January 23, 2006 02:46 PM
Hey Joseph,
I'm not a 100% sure where you're going with this but thanks for reading. I read an article about it too. But the article I read said that 'some guy' yelled, "Paris Hilton is standing by the big black cube. She's naked and she wants to make another movie...with the first guy who gets there."
You just can't trust the press I guess....
~ AP
Posted by: Anonymous Pundit at January 24, 2006 07:11 AM