I wrote:
> The fact that the war could only end with that kind of disaster (or > earlier with an unconditional surrender) should have been obvious to every > Japanese leader from the Emperor down to every town mayor. > I would like to explore this dreadful history a little more, because I know a lot about it. I have read books by people on both sides, and spoken with many Japanese people who lived through the war as adults. That is a vanishing generation so I'd like to record a few more thoughts about them. This is relevant to the history of cold fusion. First, there is no doubt that in 1941 intelligent people at all levels of society enthusiastically supported the war. Why? Because they were sure they would win. It never crossed their minds they might lose. (I am talking about 1941. By 1943, people began to wonder if they might lose.) Yes, some people later wrote in magazines, "I was one of the few who knew we would lose right from the start." Most were liars, or kidding themselves. Honest, intelligent people who in later years become professors or captains of industry told me: "I was sure we would win. I knew it would be tough, but I was sure we would win." They believed the propaganda. Even the people who wrote the propaganda believed it! Cude and others have often said: "If there was any chance cold fusion is real, of course smart people would support it. Everyone wants to see zero-cost energy." Then they say, "since smart people do not support this research, that proves there is nothing to it, and no chance it will result in new technology." This is scrambled logic. There was a similar group dynamic in Japan. People said, in effect: "Look, top admirals such as Yamamoto and our invincible soldiers have never lost a war in 6,000 years. We crushed the Russians in 1905. If there were any chance of defeat, our Emperor would not lead us into war. Trust the experts!" Defeat was unthinkable. Cude, Frank Close, the editors at Scientific American and others are not worried that they might be holding back a valuable technology. They are not afraid they will become a laughingstock, or portrayed as evil people in history. I cannot read minds, but I can read what people write. I am confident that thought has *never crossed their minds*, any more than most Japanese people stopped to wonder if they might lose the war. Not once, since 1989, have the hard core skeptics stopped to wonder whether they might be wrong. If they had, they would hedge their bets, as some skeptics have done, saying: "Well, I don't think it will work, but if others want to research it, let them have some funding." If they had any doubts, they would not risk the damage to their reputation or the damage to society that derailing cold fusion has caused. They are as certain it is wrong as I am certain that creationism is wrong. They are sure it is fraud and error, and that allowing any research, at any level, is wicked. It would be a disgrace to science. (I don't go quite that far in my opposition to creationism!). They are serene in their assurance, the way Sam Harris is in this video, "Not Being Indoctrinated Into Christianity:" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxTc_bpW0FA In 1941, most people in Japan felt that questioning the government or even feeling in your heart of hearts any doubt about victory was wicked. Disgraceful! The public supported the Military Police, which rounded up dissidents, imprisoned, tortured and killed them. There were not many dissidents. People thought those damned dissidents got what was coming to them. Many Americans felt that way about anti-war protesters during the Vietnam war and in the run-up to the Iraq invasion. Along the same lines, when Zimmerman and Park announced at the APS that they would root out and fire any federal researcher who tried to do cold fusion research, or even talk about it, they were met with a standing applause by a large crowd of PdD physicists. Those people were convinced this research is pathological, morally wrong, a waste of money, and a disgrace to science. It MUST NOT be allowed. They feel as strongly about this as I feel that it should be allowed. Not one of member of this audience raised a dissenting voice or asked a question such as "Wait a minute . . . what about academic freedom? What if these people are on to something?" It never crossed their minds they might be wrong. It probably still has not crossed their minds. They fully agree with the APS guy who wrote: "While every result and conclusion [cold fusion researchers] publish meets with overwhelming scientific evidence to the contrary, they resolutely pursue their illusion of fusing hydrogen in a mason jar. . . ." That is not hyperbole. They mean it. This is the mindset of the skeptical opposition. This is what they write, and say, at every opportunity. They are not pretending this is their point of view. Cude is not being disingenuous or intellectually dishonest in anything he has written here. He means every word, and he is sincere, just as the Japanese were sincere when they said they would certainly crush America and win the war. Their beliefs seem outlandish to us, from the outside, and from 72 years in the future. Remember the tenets of cultural relativity. To the Japanese in 1941, Americans seemed outlandish. To the skeptics who agree with Cude or Close, we are the ones disconnected from reality. We are illogical and even mentally ill thinking that we can "fuse hydrogen in a mason jar." I do not think it does any good getting angry at such people. It is important that you understand their mindset. You must realize they mean what they say. Take their words at face value. Do not accuse Cude of being deliberately obtuse or of evading the issues. He is not doing that from his point of view. - Jed
