‘[W]hat this book is about is why perfectly intelligent people can believe perfectly ridiculous things’.

• David Aaronovitch, 30/1/10, poses a question.

……….

‘There are entire societies where the default position is to believe in conspiracy theories, like in Pakistan or Iran. … But they’re also probably more easily dispelled, especially in places like the U.S. or Britain. Maybe I’m a false optimist, but I think we have a good skeptics’ movements. My book has done quite well in the U.K. I do think there is some appetite amongst the skeptics that we’ve had enough of this shit and it’s time to fight back.’

• David Aaronovitch, 3/2/10, on the rugged civilised resistance to the lies that sucker more, shall we say, childish nations. 

……….

‘If nothing [by way of WMDs in Iraq] is eventually found, I - as a supporter of the war - will never believe another thing that I am told by our government, or that of the US ever again. And, more to the point, neither will anyone else. Those weapons had better be there somewhere.’

• Some credulous fool, 29/4/03.