In Lebanon, where I am originally from, fortune tellers appear on television every New Year’s Eve. People wait anxiously for them to provide insight into the future. Remarkably, some of their prophecies do come true, but since they share such a large number of predictions, they are bound to get a few right. These shows have become television highlights, and advertisers pay a premium for airtime. It is a lucrative business because exposure on television often leads to private sessions that begin at $500 or more… and with a long waiting list!
The most popular prophecies focus on political events, and one fortune teller in particular seems more accurate than the rest. I don’t understand politics well, but since my father was once a politician, I asked for his opinion. He told me that if I followed politics closely, I too would be able to anticipate certain events. I believe this may be true to some degree, but it does not explain how the same man was able to predict specific, non-political events. I was speechless when I recalled his earlier prophecy about a massive explosion in Beirut. A year later, we witnessed the devastating port explosion.
I have no explanation. Do you?
