The old “porn causes natural disasters” gambit

Indonesian Communication and Information Minister Tifatul Sembiring [pic via matanews.com]

You’d think that with a title like Communication and Information Minister of Indonesia, the man who fills that function would at least be marginally rational, no? Well, judge for yourselves: the man is now blaming the recent string of disasters to hit Indonesia, such as earthquakes and tsunamis, on examples of “people’s immorality” and their “rising decadence” such as the ubiquity of pornographic DVD sales. It’s yet another study in everyone’s favorite logical fallacy (with a fancy Latin name), post hoc ergo propter hoc:

Communication and Information Minister Tifatul Sembiring said that there were many television programmes that destroyed morals.

Therefore, the minister said, natural disasters would continue to occur.

His comments came as he addressed a prayer meeting on Friday in Padang, Sumatra, which was hit by a powerful earthquake in late September.

He also hit out at rising decadence - proven, he said, by the availability of Indonesia-made pornographic DVDs in local markets - and called for tougher laws.

I can’t tell which disturbs me most, here: the fact that this kook (whom I can only presume is religious) is following in fellow cranks’ footsteps by blaming all of his country’s misfortunes on societal “immorality” like television shows and pornography, or the fact that this guy is actually Indonesia’s Communication and Information Minister. This paints a rather sad image about their hiring standards (or lack thereof), I believe.

(via Pharyngula)
Technorati tags: Indonesia · Tifatul Sembiring · earthquakes · tsunamis · natural+disasters · pornography