When I rant about flimflam products, I'm often asked what harm results as long as the product makes someone happy, say by providing hope or a placebo effect. Call me a softy, but I think that hundreds of human beings being blown to bits qualifies as harm.

Despite scientific tests to the contrary, many people still believe in dousing — divining for water, oil, buried treasure, etc. Those who sell divining rods are either deluded (they truly believe their device works) or they are con artists. 

You decide which of those applies to Jim McCormick, of ATSC Ltd. McCormick recently sold the Iraqi government a supply of divining rods that he claimed could detect bombs — for $85,000,000. Since then, hundreds of people have been blown to smithereens as a direct result of believing his device "told" them they were safe. Deluded or con artist, McCormick is a mass murderer. 

I am pleased to say that McCormick was just arrested. I am not pleased to say that, while awaiting trial, he is free on bail.

You might call this an extreme case. Agreed. But if we didn't indulge more "innocent" dousing devices — say, divining for water — the extremes would have no precedent to rely on. And, for the record, I do not agree that divining for anything can properly be dismissed as "innocent." But that's another blog.

 Steve Cuno
 


Comments

towr
02/01/2010 02:35

It's a shame he was only arrested for fraud, and not in addition reckless endangerment or something like that.

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Michael link
02/05/2010 08:37

I'm glad this guy was arrested, but what about the bureaucrats who authorized the purchase? Shouldn't they be held responsible for buying an obvious fraud?

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