By the process of elimination, I had to vote for 'traditional values collapse'. Paranoid implies that there is no reason for concern.

Actually paranoia is defined as 'delusions of persecution', so technically only the police state and terrorism options are paranoid, assuming they aren't real.

I agree with rich.

http://www.junkscience.com/Greenhouse/

http://www.enterstageright.com/archi...anglaciers.htm

http://www.ethicalcorp.com/content.asp?ContentID=4314

I was trying to get folks to acknowlege that much of what we fear is a function of our own thought processes being nudged one way or another by the media we choose to subject ourselves to, rather than a rational assessment of the threat.

Global Warming- We have not seen any new data to indicate that it is a threat but fatigue has set in, people are tired of pointing out the flaws in the arguments again and again especially when its just possible the global warming crowd may be right. (heh.. the Janus article called Katrina a climate event) Gore is releasing a new film to feed the paranoia, just in time for the Dems to make hay.

Peak Oil- We should eventually use up our oil reserves, unless the geologic processes for petroleum development are different than we assume. Is it a threat? No, it is an opportunity to move to fuels that are cleaner and don't involve releasing carbon that was stored (back to global warming). News magazines love to pimp this one, if we assume no one is working on the problem (opportunity), all kinds of magazine selling scenarios are possible. We should expect to see more government subsidies (ex: dead Marines) to protect oil companies who failed to become energy companies.

Police State- I am susceptable to this one because of my thought processes and what I read. We have two parties dedicated to the idea that individuals shouldn't make their own decisions and are incapable of protecting themselves. Will this nonsense ever really effect me? Probably not significantly, but this up-coming election cycle expect the Democrats to sell themselves as the antidote, if our system is self-correcting they will be successful. If our system really results in a ratchet effect we'll have to have a serious blow-out later.

Terrorism- Being all about fear, is the perfect tool for paranoia development. If we have a terrorist attack we need someone to save us. If we don't have an attack, we've been saved. The Republicans really need an attack right now because the "we've been saved" argument wears out faster.

Traditional Values Collapse- Who's values? Everyone has their own vision of this and is more or less suceptable to manipulation. Republicans find this one easier to manipulate but the Dems do a fair job themselves.

Who will win the next election? The outfit which exploits paranoia most effectively.

"Whose".

:) biotch!

maggie has some sort of disorder. She will not-nay, cannot-allow a mispelling or grammatic error stand. She is actually your sixth grade English teacher come back from hell. And she's pissed!

That's really funny considering the mistakes she makes.:D

Whom that be at?

Water vapor is self regulating - at a certain temperature, the air can only hold so much before it precipitates. The automatic regulation of CO2 is done by plant life, and we're knocking out the rainforests like gangbusters.

Has the news grown quiet on this, already? Where is "bird flu/H5N1" on that list?

Dagnabit! I knew I was missing a big one, but then again it has shrunk from the headlines.

Hmm. Which January? With an orbital period of 248.54 Earth years, each with its January, "embarrassment of riches" hardly scratches the surface.

Such phase change would evolve quite a bit of heat.

I love to hate the Traditional Values Collapse hugh and cry, but I'd like to do a write-in - the old hit "Freemasons rule the world", or, in earlier times, "the Freemasons are poisoning the wells." I know, I know, those paranoid fantasies are old and done. BUT... My grandfather just happens to be of freemason bent, while my grandmother is a jack-boot Mormon. Which makes me, by heritage... a Freemormon :eek: . I could start my own religion, ala Mr. Smith... but secretly... "Stealth Mormons: We're coming for you." (Wait, no. We're already here, and we have been for years. That's the ticket).

Nevermind. Got "paranoid fantasy" and "conspiracy theory" mixed up. We're still coming for you, though.
And conversion is no longer voluntary.

We Freemasons are not poisoning the wells.
We have to drink out of them too.
As per this "ruling the world"...
I've seen some of the ones running the brotherhood.
Don't worry about it.
Some of these guys couldn't find their ass with both hands and a GPS.

BTW: Fasinating fact -
Joseph Smith was a Freemason when he started the Mormon religion.
As was Charles Taze when he started the Jehovah's Witnesses.
My old man is a JW, and "HATES" when I bring up that little tidbit.
Sucks to be him.

Who controls the British Crown?
Who keeps the metric system down?
We do, we do.
Who keeps Atlantis off the maps?
Who keeps the Martians under wraps?
We do, we do.
Who holds back the electric car?
Who makes Steve Guttenberg a star?
We do, we do.
Who robs cave fish of their sight?
Who rigs every Oscar night?
We do, we do