People are stupid. Hit their panic buttons, and they'll believe any ignorant, totally unsubstantiated thing you want to tell them.

On this day in 1938, Orson Welles broadcast his now famous radio drama "War of the Worlds." A simple Halloween radio drama cast as a series of news reports of an invasion of Martians set the nation into panic. There were people running amuck, panic in the streets. Cops were brought in. Lawsuits were filed. There were newspapers editorializing for censorship of the airwaves.

On a totally unrelated note, we have American elections next week. Keep in mind that if the Republicans get control of the congress, they will cancel Social Security, and re-direct all the old people's money to Ken Lay.