OF THE
TIMES
"The need for enemies seems to be a common historical factor. Some states have striven to overcome domestic failure and internal contradictions by blaming external enemies. The ploy of finding a scapegoat is as old as mankind itself - when things become too difficult at home, divert attention to adventure abroad. Bring the divided nation together to face an outside enemy, either a real one, or else one invented for the purpose." (p.71)Against The Tide - A Critical Review by Scientists of How Physics and Astronomy Get Done, W. Kundt, 2008:
The common enemy of humanity is Man
"In searching for a common enemy against whom we can unite, we came up with the idea that pollution, the threat of global warming, water shortages, famine and the like, would fit the bill. In their totality and their interactions these phenomena do constitute a common threat which must be confronted by everyone together. But in designating these dangers as the enemy, we fall into the trap, which we have already warned readers about, namely mistaking symptoms for causes. All these dangers are caused by human intervention in natural processes, and it is only through changed attitudes and behaviour that they can be overcome. The real enemy then is humanity itself." (p.75)
The term 'Gold Effect' was coined by Raymond Lyttleton in [1981], after a conversation with [Austrian astrophysicist Thomas Gold] during which Gold had explained how a mere unqualified belief can occasionally be converted into a generally accepted scientific theory - a dogma - through the screening action of refereed literature, of meetings planned by scientific organizing committees, and through the distribution of funds controlled by 'club opinions'.
Comment: What is clear is that this was a case of railroading.