The hysteria was even reported here on FR. I remember those quoting Revelation about the “seas turning red” and those talking about the gas from the well being so toxic that it knocked flying birds out of the air. Of course if you looked at the sources posted from, they were all environmental wackos.
Mass hysteria, is common throughout history.
“Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds” by Mackay, Charles, 1814-1889
Free download here http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/24518
Contents: The Mississippi scheme — The south-sea bubble — The tulipomania — The alchymists — Modern prophecies — Fortune-telling — The magnetisers — Influence of politics and religion on the hair and beard — The crusades — The witch mania — The slow poisoners — Haunted houses — Popular follies of great cities — Popular admiration of great thieves — Duels and ordeals — Relics.
The HTML version has the illustrations like the printed books.
I don’t necessarily think it’s all the peoples fault.
For something like 90 days in a row, just about every news program on the planet started with news about “the worst environmental disaster in the history of mankind”.
The media prey on hysteria and misinformation and exaggeration. They are NOT to be trusted!
“knocked flying birds out of the air”
Something I try to do every fall:)
great book
Thanks for the link.
need to update his list with the Democrat Party
one of the extraordinary mass delusions of all time