“The sky is falling! The sky is falling!” screamed Chicken Little as the acorn dropped from the tree above and bounced off her head. Not satisfied with the ensuing round of indifference, Chicken Little struck out in search of the King and a grander audience with which to share her story of horror.
Depending on the published version (there are many), the cast of characters, including Ducky Lucky, Turkey Lurky, Foxy Loxy, etc., are affected differently by Chicken Little’s ranting. Sometimes they live happily ever after and sometimes they die horribly. The moral of the story varies: The happy, less tragic versions suggest that one should not believe everything one hears, whereas the darker, more sinister versions depict an unscrupulous and opportunistic fox manipulating hysteria for personal gain.
Year 2012 predictions of disaster are steeped in misinformation. From Mayan calendars, religious prophesies and random revelations, to pseudo-science interpretations of galactic positions, planetary alignments and colliding comets, the 21st century Chicken Littles have an abundant supply of fodder to propagate tales of horror. The forecast of Armageddon on December 21, 2012 at 11:11am is a numerologist’s wet dream, and the computer-like binary overtones (111112212012) keep the techies up at night searching for the holy grail of digital catastrophe. Caught between ranting chickens and predatory foxes, our role as the grander audience is crucial.
In spite of the momentum this movement seems to be accumulating, the forecast can only be as good as the facts upon which it is built. Religious prophesies are founded in revelation, the self-serving ulterior-motivated visions of individuals and organizations. Nostradamus predictions are vague and without merit, the rantings of a 16th century outcast in need of income. Scientific and historic data must be analyzed in the context of reality, not forged or extrapolated to support misguided musings and false conclusions.
As the date approaches and religious organizations continue to promote their varied versions of disaster and redemption, the only danger looming in our future is the self-fulfilling prophesy. Chicken Littles are everywhere and the foxes, in the form of the lunatic fringe, are salivating.
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