# 28. Historical manipulation ## 28.5. Methodology/Refinements/Sub-species ### 28.5.3. Shoehorning Shoehorning is the process of force-fitting some current affairs into a personal, political, or religious agenda. So-called "psychics" frequently shoehorn events to fit vague statements they made in the past. This is an extremely safe procedure, since they can't be proven wrong, and many people aren't aware of how easy it is to make something look like confirmation of a claim after the fact, especially if you give them wide latitude in making the shoe fit. It is common, for instance, for the famous "prophecies" of Nostradamus to be "shoehorned" with events which match his vague texts rather than his texts actually truly predicting anything at all. Shoehorning is also extremely popular in political manipulation where the manipulator uses events to demonstrate the validity of their political standpoint and justify their position. #### 28.5.3.1. Example After the attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, fundamentalist Christian evangelists Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson shoehorned the events to fit their agenda. They claimed that "liberal civil liberties groups, feminists, homosexuals and abortion rights supporters bear partial responsibility... because their actions have turned God's anger against America." According to Falwell, his God allowed "the enemies of America...to give us probably what we deserve." Robertson agreed. The American Civil Liberties Union has "got to take a lot of blame for this," said Falwell and Robertson. Federal courts bear part of the blame, too, said Falwell, because they've been "throwing God out of the public square". Also "abortionists have got to bear some burden for this because God will not be mocked," said Falwell, with Robertson agreeing. Neither Falwell nor Robertson has any way of proving any of their claims, as they are by their nature unprovable. But such claims can't be disproved, either. Their purpose is simply to call attention to their agenda and to get free publicity in the news media. ***Parent:** [[Historical Manipulation]]*