Registered: May 2001
Location: Prague, Czech Republic
Does This Make You Laugh or Cry?
quote:
- A third of the American public believes U.S. forces have found weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, according to a recent poll. Twenty-two percent said Iraq actually used chemical or biological weapons.
[...]
Several analysts said they were troubled by the lack of knowledge about the Sept. 11 hijackers, shown in the January survey conducted for Knight Ridder newspapers. Only 17 percent correctly said that none of the hijackers was Iraqi.
First case I've ever heard of an individual being duped by his own lies.
Seriously though, I find this incredibly distressing. The US government can do what they like, say what they like, and a third of the population will still - purely out of ignorance - believe what the government wants them to believe. I know it's easy to say that there's an ignorant fraction of society in every society in the world, but no ignorant fraction has more power over the rest of the world than than the American fraction. If 33% of the American population cannot distinguish bewteen truth and fantasy - thereby legitimising ill-advised military adventures like Gulf War II - it's the rest of the world that suffers.
So what do you think? Should I take it easy and laugh at something like this, or am I justified in weeping over my keyboard like a big girl?
Michael Andrews Feat. Gary Jules - Mad World (Grayed Out Mix)
Jun-18-2003 03:25
occrider
Traveladdict
Registered: Oct 2000
Location: New York
I read this before as well. It is rather depressing. I think that it has a lot to do with the fact that the potential WMD finds had the BREAKING NEWS headlines attached to them whereas you had to turn to page 7B to find the articles that corrected the headlines.
Although it is somewhat heartening to see everybody so trusting of polls accurately reflecting the general population after I've campaigned so hard for them the past several months
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Retro ...
Jun-18-2003 13:56
marcus82
Supreme tranceaddict
Registered: May 2003
Location: Toronto, Canada
weep...weep!!!
...sigh, that's troubling
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You need people like me!!! You need people like me so you can point your fucking fingers, and say 'that's the bad guy!' So, what dat make you? Good? You're not good; you just know how to hide. Howda lie. Me, I don't have that problem.
The analysis of the institute that conducted the study states that many are experiencing "cognitive disonance" or something silly like that. Here's the entire analysis of the study if you're interested:
Originally posted by Sand Leaper
That is probably the scariest shit I've read all week
Same here man. Ignorance is THE PROBLEM WITH AMERICA! I can't believe how stupid Americans can be.
Jun-18-2003 19:16
occrider
Traveladdict
Registered: Oct 2000
Location: New York
quote:
Originally posted by Galapidate
Same here man. Ignorance is THE PROBLEM WITH AMERICA! I can't believe how stupid Americans can be.
Hmmm people in the east or west are generally smart. I blame the bible belt
MisterOpus ... how's life in the mid-west?
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Jun-18-2003 19:34
Psionic
Dark & Dirty
Registered: Apr 2003
Location: Boston, MA
quote:
Originally posted by occrider
Hmmm people in the east or west are generally smart. I blame the bible belt
MisterOpus ... how's life in the mid-west?
Yes, I've noticed that myself. I live in NJ in an upper-middle class suburb and we learn things that towns in the Bible belt would ban or forbid. We are a fairly democratic town as well, so a majority of us see Bush as an asshole.
Last edited by Psionic on Jun-18-2003 at 19:58
Jun-18-2003 19:53
PeacefulWarrior
aDdiCtEd to cHUnKy bEaTs
Registered: Jul 2002
Location: Boulder, Colorado
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sig edited: no political imagery allowed. please reref to the sig guidelines
