Hampshire- Peeve of Gullibility

Some people shouldn't be issued brains. They don't take good care of them. They let all kinds of idiot stuff get in, and before you know it they're in full-scale memetic decay.

These are the people who believe anything they see printed in two "independent" newspaper articles. They're the people who swallow bogus, made-up statistics as if they'd been handed down from Heaven amid the singing of an angelic choir. They're the people who believe any crap that plays on their fear and greed, without even a moment's reflection. They're the people who think that an "expert" is anybody who's been quoted on a subject more than twice.

Now, I don't want to say that these cretins should be lined up and shot. That would be satisfying, but it would also be cruel, and contrary to the Divine Plan. Their proper place is obviously to be exploited.

The problem is that they keep letting themselves be exploited by the wrong people. I mean, it's always amusing to mindfuck somebody, and con artists have to make a living, too, but I draw the line when it starts to make a mess for me. After all, these twits have the vote...

I'd like to get serious for a moment. This really is a big problem. Demagogues are taking advantage of people's gullibility all the time. Think of all the dangerous political and cultural movements that are gaining support right now. It's a sad truth that much of the population lacks the critical thinking skills to realize that they're being manipulated.

We need a way to deal with this problem, and control the spread of dangerous memes among the population. I've started a foundation to research possibilities: The Hampshire Foundation for Memetic Purity. If you're concerned about the spread of dangerous ideas among the populace, please support this effort. Send your donations to

HFMP
c/o J. Bashinski
1703 Fairway Drive
Belmont, CA 94002

The foundation doesn't have its own bank account yet, so please make checks payable to "John R. Bashinski". For a donation of $50 or more, you get a handsome two-color HFMP tee-shirt and a Hampshire button.