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: 2004-10-20 08:42 pm (UTC)In fact, I had an incident over the weekend even where someone didn't understand that it is possible to be a liberal Christian.
(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-20 09:35 pm (UTC)But ... but ... isn't the point of being a Christian to be a liberal, to be invested in liberty (see the root of the root) and justice for all, to follow some guys teaching about giving out loaves and fish and whatever, like Mother Teresa?
I don't know, I'm not religious at all, but when I look at Jimmy Carter and all his Christian 'good works', habitat for humanity and all that, and how he won the Nobel Peace Prize for all his hard work helping other human beings, it makes me feel that more Christians should follow his model.
(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-20 10:19 pm (UTC)If I could be half the man he is, I'd be happy. (and also really confused, but that's a different issue *grin*)