Do any historians out there know of a time when a hoax was exposed like Gore Bull warming was and the people still flocked to it? Every one I can remember the gravy train was permanently derailed once it was exposed. The current scam is only eating up more money almost like people are happy to be fleeced.
Good question. I have no specific historical examples one way or the other, but I know what you mean in general terms. My suspicion is that in the past (say 30+ years ago) more people still had and relied on COMMON SENSE. Decades of deliberately dumbing down and brainwashing students in government schools has virtually eliminated that factor. The majority of younger people (folks under 50 years old) these days are more apt to "cling" to this Gore Bull warming hoax since they were indoctrinated for years with all of that enviro-nazi crap (and have also been taught to believe that Conservatives are "mean people that want to hurt the earth and only care about making money"). I'm not so sure that there isn't a whole lot more than that (adding in the fact the media and mass entertainment sources all enforce the same crap). Some of these people nowadays are clueless and completely unarmed when it comes to using COMMON SENSE and critical thinking skills.
Not a direct answer to your question, but I felt the need to rant a bit!