On one level, "shit-posting" memes like this are very amusing exercises in sci-fi irony. But taken as a serious call to action, which some misguided or delusional people will predictably do, is also extremely dangerous to any actual participants. The nearest hotel in Rachel, Nevada is already completely booked around the proposed date in question.
Further, this highly popular Facebook event (with 2 million marked as "going" and 1.5 million marked as "interested" thus far) rather clearly communicates the intent to violate federal law (such as 18 U.S.C. § 1382 - trespassing on a military facility).
I have no idea why it is still allowed on Facebook's platform. This isn't likely to end well and social media companies will again be confronted with the role they played in disseminated what amounts to the incitement of imminent lawless action.
It was shaping up to be something poignant, nerveracking and fun. Instead, nothing happened. I'm not exactly upset about people not dying, to say the least, but it certainly could've been more interesting. Instead, the tension was expertly defused by a well-placed fun yet legal party.
ReplyDeleteThe area 51 raid, as I see it, was an irony-coated cry against the indifferent powers that be, with a sprinkling of a death wish. But once the powers that be threw them a bone and symbolically acknowledged their feelings, it would be awfully rude to carry on with illegal action. They got their fun, and rejecting that would mean admitting that fun was not the only driving force.