[lbo-talk] Kucinich saw UFO on Shirley MacLaine's porch, was deeply moved

[Gar Lipow]

On 10/25/07, Matt <lbo4 at beyondzero.net> wrote:
> On Wed, Oct 24, 2007 at 06:03:17PM -0400, Charles Brown wrote:
> > As I understand it, acting as if it is impossible for there to be other
> > life in the universe is not the materialist/scientific "position" .
> > Rather acting as if earth has the only life forms in the universe is
> > closer to the old , religious "earth is the center of the universe"
> > idea.
>
> Being skeptical about someone who asserts: some phenomenon they could
> not explain was an encounter with extraterestrials, is not the same
> position as asserting: extraterrestrials do not exist.
>
> This, as a defense for every kook who thinks some weather ballon was a
> flying saucer, is equivalent to the theist who demands the atheist
> "prove there is no god".
>
>
> Matt

I do think we are being a little hard on Kucinich here.  His belief is
UFOs is widely shared. His belief that he has personally seen a UFO is
no nuttier than a belief he shares  with the majority of USAians -
that they have personally had prayers answered by  God at one time.
And the thing is, most humans, including most atheists  have nutty
beliefs somewhere. Nobody can be an expert on everythings. We all get
fooled in some area, either by believing in the conventional wisdom
when we shouldn't, or by doubting the conventional wisdom in favor of
something far nuttier.  A belief in personal encounters with space
aliens is usually a comparatively harmless form of nuttery.