Lies, Deceptions, and the American People
Oct. 19th, 2004 09:53 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
chickenSo the BBC World News reporter, Claire Balderson, was just on NPR, interviewing 'typical' Americans in non-coastal Oregon, to find out the voting moods of the Republicans there. Here are some things these people said:
- One woman disagreed with Bush's handling of Iraq. She thinks he should have attacked them on Sep 14, 2001, and should have bombed the shit out of them, because "they declared war on us, we didn't attack them".
To which the incredulous reporter replied, "no, Al Qaeda attacked us".
The idiot Republican responded, "I don't care, they [al qaeda] are FROM there, kill them all."
Where on earth does this insane lie come from? Most of the hijackers were from Saudi Arabia! Many were trained to fight in Afghanistan. Al Qaeda members by and large are not from Iraq. Right??
- Another man claimed that Bush was 'for less government' and that Bush believes the government should stay out of people's lives.
This seems false -- Bush believes in an anti-gay marriage Constitutional amendment, a government *intrusion* into people's lives. Bush believes the government should give lots of tax breaks to big corporations, which is not 'less government' but rather MORE government. Bush supports huge government subsidies of agribusiness. Bush thinks the government should decide that women should never have abortions -- another federal meddling in people's lives.
So why, WHY do so many Republicans believe the lie?
- This same man claimed that rural Oregon folks identify with Bush because he is a 'down-to-earth', regular guy, a farmer and rancher just as they themselves are, a man who "won't think twice about pulling a horse out of the mud".
This is disingenuous at best -- it ignores the wealthy New England roots of Bush Sr., and the privilege and pampering of a sinecure Yale education and exemption from military service. How can any economically-strapped American possibly identify with George W. Bush's cushy, privileged upbringing and support for his wealthy oilmen friends like the Haliburton chaps?
- A farmer selling apples said he thought Bush was doing a terrible job now, but that right after 9/11 he was 'a good leader' and that that was enough to get him to vote for Bush again.
This claims seems to be refuted by the 9/11 commission, or at least put into enormous question. WHATEVER.
- One woman disagreed with Bush's handling of Iraq. She thinks he should have attacked them on Sep 14, 2001, and should have bombed the shit out of them, because "they declared war on us, we didn't attack them".
To which the incredulous reporter replied, "no, Al Qaeda attacked us".
The idiot Republican responded, "I don't care, they [al qaeda] are FROM there, kill them all."
Where on earth does this insane lie come from? Most of the hijackers were from Saudi Arabia! Many were trained to fight in Afghanistan. Al Qaeda members by and large are not from Iraq. Right??
- Another man claimed that Bush was 'for less government' and that Bush believes the government should stay out of people's lives.
This seems false -- Bush believes in an anti-gay marriage Constitutional amendment, a government *intrusion* into people's lives. Bush believes the government should give lots of tax breaks to big corporations, which is not 'less government' but rather MORE government. Bush supports huge government subsidies of agribusiness. Bush thinks the government should decide that women should never have abortions -- another federal meddling in people's lives.
So why, WHY do so many Republicans believe the lie?
- This same man claimed that rural Oregon folks identify with Bush because he is a 'down-to-earth', regular guy, a farmer and rancher just as they themselves are, a man who "won't think twice about pulling a horse out of the mud".
This is disingenuous at best -- it ignores the wealthy New England roots of Bush Sr., and the privilege and pampering of a sinecure Yale education and exemption from military service. How can any economically-strapped American possibly identify with George W. Bush's cushy, privileged upbringing and support for his wealthy oilmen friends like the Haliburton chaps?
- A farmer selling apples said he thought Bush was doing a terrible job now, but that right after 9/11 he was 'a good leader' and that that was enough to get him to vote for Bush again.
This claims seems to be refuted by the 9/11 commission, or at least put into enormous question. WHATEVER.
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(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-19 04:00 pm (UTC)Am also very happy to be at college, where people seem, for the most part, reasonably sane. But still, I registered in Bend so I can counteract the right wing nutjobs as much as I can.
(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-20 07:06 am (UTC)Good for you!
I imagine that your neighbor Washington is a bit more liberal than Oregon? Or not?
(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-20 02:17 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-20 10:00 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-20 02:14 pm (UTC)At a concert this summer, Flans said something like, "We hear there's a couple of guys running for President who are using our names! And we're totally okay with that." It was great.