it's finally happened:it's a crime in Italy to fail to predict an Earthquake

[Ibrahim90]

got this from a friend of mine:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2012/10/22/italy-earthquake-scientists-trial.html

seriously, what the fuck....

[AnCap Dave]

Yeah I saw this a couple days ago.

It's like convicting the weatherman of murder for failing to predict a thunderstorm and some schmuck gets struck by lightning.

It's not a surprise though. Faith in governments to do everything pretty much gives them supernatural expectations, and when they fail to meet those expectations, they have to do something to save face.

[evensgrey]

I wonder how the Italian government is going to react to not being able to get scientific advice about anything any more.

[Altimadark]

What is wrong with these humans? I mean, my heart goes out to the families of the victims and all, but... What is wrong with these humans!?

[R.E.H.W.R.]

What is wrong with these humans? I mean, my heart goes out to the families of the victims and all, but... What is wrong with these humans!?

No clue! I don't think we will ever know.

[MrBogosity]

Wow, they actually DID IT??? I reported on this story when it broke, but I didn't think it'd go the distance. The world considers it a joke.

[evensgrey]

Wow, they actually DID IT??? I reported on this story when it broke, but I didn't think it'd go the distance. The world considers it a joke.

Hasn't the Italian government and pretty much everything it does been a joke for about 65 years?

[FSBlueApocalypse]

Hasn't the Italian government and pretty much everything it does been a joke for about 65 years?

More like since Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon

[evensgrey]

More like since Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon

I wouldn't call Mussolini's bunch a joke.  INEPT, yes.  (How bad do you have to be at warfare to get your ass handed to you by a country that's in the middle of getting it's ass handed to it?)  They were deadly serious about their goals.  Their planning and execution were somewhat comical, but overall, just not funny.  Sort of like a Coughlan routine.

[Ibrahim90]

Wow, they actually DID IT??? I reported on this story when it broke, but I didn't think it'd go the distance. The world considers it a joke.

well, I suppose that it isn't a joke, now that the people in question were convicted and sentenced to several years in Jail. And while there will be an appeals court to dispute this, I doubt it will work out.