One does not need to be a rocket scientist to understand some of the most basic truths of human nature. However, prominent astrophysicist and mediocre political commentator Neil deGrasse Tyson attempted to impress his followers with the following tweet:
Almost all armed conflict in the history of the world came about because opposing sides believed different things to be true.
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) February 16, 2017
Congratulations, Dr. Tyson! You have unlocked the most remarkable truth that anyone who possesses at least half a brain cell could discern by reading a book. One can pick up a history book, whether its Thucydides’s “The History of the Peloponnesian War,” Rick Atkinson’s “An Army At Dawn,” or James M. McPherson’s “A Battle Cry For Freedom,” and recognize that almost, if not all, armed conflict started because two adversaries had different views of the truth.
Furthermore, one can look at the ongoing war in Afghanistan and recognize that it was started after President George W. Bush sought to remove the tyrannical Taliban from its seat of power, find the leaders of al-Qaeda, and capture or kill Osama Bin Laden for waging jihad against the United States and ordering terrorists to crash planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Clearly, we are not at war because we happen to agree with those we’re bombing.
However, Neil deGrasse Tyson thinks that some people are incapable of figuring out the most basic truths of mankind and felt compelled to waste approximately 140 characters on Twitter as a reminder.
No, Dr. Tyson. We are not the morons in the situation. That distinction goes to the PhD-holding rocket scientist who stated the obvious.
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