So, here's a thought experiment:
You are the leader of the most powerful nation in the world. Your entire leadership is founded under the principle of A, which you know is the only path capable of leading your people to a better future.
A minority of people follow the conflicting principle B, which is extremely self-destructive, and would cause massive damage to your nation, and perhaps even the entire world, if it were ever embraced.
Scientists working for your government have just discovered an unusual asteroid. The craters on the surface of this asteroid form a random pattern, that when observed from the right angle, appears as the sentence "Principle B is correct". The scientists believe this pattern is a random occurrence (if you look closely, the "s" is a bit off), but can't prove it.
There's no evidence anyone else knows about this asteroid yet, but it won't be long before it's spotted by independent observers, who will undoubtedly spread word of it through your country's media.
You have the technology at your disposal to destroy the asteroid before others see it, and enough loyalty among those responsible for such a task to ensure the asteroid's secret would never be revealed, but doing so would cause irreparable damage to your nation's economy.
What do you do?
You are the leader of the most powerful nation in the world. Your entire leadership is founded under the principle of A, which you know is the only path capable of leading your people to a better future.
A minority of people follow the conflicting principle B, which is extremely self-destructive, and would cause massive damage to your nation, and perhaps even the entire world, if it were ever embraced.
Scientists working for your government have just discovered an unusual asteroid. The craters on the surface of this asteroid form a random pattern, that when observed from the right angle, appears as the sentence "Principle B is correct". The scientists believe this pattern is a random occurrence (if you look closely, the "s" is a bit off), but can't prove it.
There's no evidence anyone else knows about this asteroid yet, but it won't be long before it's spotted by independent observers, who will undoubtedly spread word of it through your country's media.
You have the technology at your disposal to destroy the asteroid before others see it, and enough loyalty among those responsible for such a task to ensure the asteroid's secret would never be revealed, but doing so would cause irreparable damage to your nation's economy.
What do you do?
