Hysterical Captialism

Apparently the Russian Federation sees a value in limiting speech regarding the supposed Mayan Calender prophecy some have interpreted as predicting the end of the world as we know it (and I feel fine). Some people in Russia are taking the prediction of calamity set forth by an abandoned civilization, defunct for over a millenia, very seriously.

The government has advised the 3 main state-run television networks to stop airing content concerning the end-of-the-world predictions.

"You cannot endlessly speak about the end of the world, and I say this as a doctor," said Leonid Ogul, a member of Parliament's environment committee. "Everyone has a different nervous system, and this kind of information affects them differently. Information acts subconsciously. Some people are provoked to laughter, some to heart attacks, and some - to some negative actions."

Dissidents of the regime seized the opportunity to criticize the Russian government for encouraging apocalyptic thinking in the recent decision to imprison several members of the punk band "Pussy Riot" for what amounts to blasphemy. This line, however, derails an otherwise interesting conversation about human nature and the prizes won by those who capitalize on mass behavior.

In Chelyabinsk, an "administrative city" with a population of over 1 million, people are building a huge Mayan-style archway out of ice (or so the story goes). That the archway is being built on Karl Marx Street adds a touch of levity to the situation considering that Marx was an atheist. Still, the odd buying habits and behavior of the population was enough for the government to declare it to be enough.

"End of the world" kits are being sold, with one Russian entrepreneur seeing fairly high volume for a pack that contains several actual survival provisions and a bottle of vodka. 

After watching a doomsday show a few years ago on the conversion of missile silos into underground condos built to survive calamity, I began to drawing up a building design that would feature several Mayan-proof additions to a standard blueprint in order to capitalize on the hysteria. Time was short however, and support for the idea was tepid at best. 

Which begs the question, when is it appropriate to recognize irrationality in an individual or population and, rather than help placate or pacify, seize on the fears for personal gain. Some call this phenomenon profiteering. Others call it leadership. But considering the willingness of large groups of people to participate in extreme collective mass psychosis, is it fair to consider all those who keep a level head during these peculiar times as taking advantage of their fellow man by providing peace-of-mind? Or are those cynics and skeptics, those "non-believers," providing the real lesson in this period of emotional tumult?