Quote:
Originally Posted by Olangotang
The biggest question I ask myself is will we wipe ourselves out
Probably.
Assume that we wipe ourselves out (by nuclear means or otherwise) in any given year with probability 1 in 1,000,000- a grossly optimistic estimate no doubt. Then, the probability of wiping ourselves out in the next 1,000,000 years is roughly (1- 0.999999^1,000,000=) 63%*. And I assume we don't wipe ourselves out inadvertently through raping the planet.
We've existed for about 2.5 million years as hom0-"various" but it's sadly probable that we won't reach 3.5 million years.
So I'm about a third of the way through William Shirer's "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich". I'm enjoying it despite the author's shamelessly homophobic remarks. Just one
question:
After the night of the long knives, Hitler announced publicly, on July 13 1934, that he was responsible for organizing the deaths of over 100 people.
His reasons for doing so were (paraphrased): "argo fargo...these people were a blight on Germany and I take the law into my own hands."
Remarkably, Hindenburg commended him for it (page 225). What the hell?
Why wasn't he arrested on the spot? If, say, John Key or Justin Trudeau killed 100 people and then issued a public confession by television or radio announcement, there would be complete outrage. And they'd be arrested immediately.
I wasn't taught history at school so i'm probably naive but it's inconceivable to me that a politician, or anyone for that matter, could get away with that.