Lies, Deceptions, and the American People

[chicken]

So 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.

Comments

[the-automatik.livejournal.com]

People are fucking morons. They just want to believe what they want because the truth is too difficult to bear. Baaa baaaa, sheep.

[chicken-cem.livejournal.com]

Also, they appear to be sheep who are xenophobes. Grrrr.

[wickedprincess3.livejournal.com]

No joke: I come into work on the afternoon of 9/11 (was working at video store at the time) and my 40 yo female boss says
"I think we need to kill them all!"
me: *horrified expression*

Seriously. There is a segment of people think all people from the middle east= the terrorist. Actually not middle east but you know all non-whites = terrorists!

I've decided that if Bush wins (hell even if Kerry wins maybe) that I want to do a project interviewing people in my hometown about their politics, because the entire "people voting against their own best interest because of lies and distortions" phenomenon fascinates me.

[chicken-cem.livejournal.com]

There is a segment of people think all people from the middle east= the terrorist. Actually not middle east but you know all non-whites = terrorists!

Well, that's just racist and ignorant. How can we educate them?

I've decided that if Bush wins (hell even if Kerry wins maybe) that I want to do a project interviewing people in my hometown about their politics, because the entire "people voting against their own best interest because of lies and distortions" phenomenon fascinates me.

It doesn't really fascinate me so much as frighten me.

[saifai.livejournal.com]

RE: the 9-11 thing, I remember telling hubby way back when he decided to go after Iraq while he was at it, "You know, I'll bet you there are gonna be confused Americans out there that start placing blame at Iraq's door."

Bad move Mr. Bush.

The abortion and birth control issues just make it all the worse.

[the-automatik.livejournal.com]

I had a co-worker who actually said, in public, during work hours that the reason a Turkish Airlines plane was highjacked is because "they are all jealous of how great America" is (this was about a year after 9/11).

This same person also said that she knew this was true because in India, they don't have toilet paper and must wipe their asses with their hands. This is not some uneducated person. This was an upper middle class white female over the age of 25 who has a college degree.

Shaun is of Indian/Pakistani heritage but was born in Canada and has no discernible Middle Eastern accent. She knew this. Yet she spewed that drivel any way. I hated her for a long time after that. I got over it because I realize that despite all the breaks life has cut her, she is just an ignorant person and will never change.

But imagining that multiplied a million times is terrifying. I can't forgive everyone who is stupid, not when there is so much information available to people.

[viciouswishes.livejournal.com]

Oh, how I don't miss living east of the Cascades in Oregon. Unfortunately, those reporters weren't talking to fringe right-wingers. No, those people would never interact with the 'liberal media.'

I used to edit letters for my hometown newspaper, and after 9/11, I can't tell you how many times I had to edit out racial slurs for Arab peoples or how many letters said, "Let's kill them all" or "George W. is a great leader" or "Every Friday I protest Planned Parenthood", etc.

[keever.livejournal.com]

That whole "they're jealous of our freedom!" argument is possibly the most significant source of my anti-Bush feelings. It's one of the most simple-minded, ignorant, anti-intellectual things I've ever heard a politician spout, and that's saying a lot.

The problem is that there is no incentive to become less ignorant. In fact, the further you have your head up your ass, the easier (less complicated, less painful) life is, and comfort is the primary drive for a good number of people. That's the biggest obstacle to creating a populace that is truly educated, IMHO. We just don't see that it's worth it.

[lornelover.livejournal.com]

Am ashamed of my people.

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.

[chicken-cem.livejournal.com]

The abortion and birth control issues just make it all the worse.

Right -- there was one man who said that even though he hated Bush's handling of Iraq, he had to vote for him anyway because Bush agreed with his anti-abortion feelings. Notice this was a MAN. Fewer *women*, even Republican ones, feel this way, I hope.

[chicken-cem.livejournal.com]

This same person also said that she knew this was true because in India, they don't have toilet paper and must wipe their asses with their hands. This is not some uneducated person. This was an upper middle class white female over the age of 25 who has a college degree.

What!? No one whipes their asses with their hands! Even cavemen used leaves! How can a person be so ignorant and yet have a college degree? No, wait, I know, maybe they went to a party school and were drunk and not paying attention during most of college (like George W.) ??

Shaun is of Indian/Pakistani heritage but was born in Canada and has no discernible Middle Eastern accent. She knew this. Yet she spewed that drivel any way. I hated her for a long time after that.

That's just awful of her! One of Ellie's co-workers at her old job once said some horrible racist anti-Chinese things to her, even though he knew that Ellie was practically married to a Chinese person (me). She was appalled.

I got over it because I realize that despite all the breaks life has cut her, she is just an ignorant person and will never change.

Also, carrying around hate inside you, ultimately harms you. It is stressful hating people. Of course, they deserve the hate, but they also deserve the stress way more than you do, so I guess we aren't doing ourselves any favors by holding on to these things for too long.

But imagining that multiplied a million times is terrifying. I can't forgive everyone who is stupid, not when there is so much information available to people.

Right -- and the 'sheep' excuse shouldn't work when we supposedly live in a democracy. The problem is that although we have a democracy, it isn't much of one these days, because even though lots of information is available, it isn't being used by most citizens. So we have an uninformed democracy, which leads to non-participatory, uninformed citizens who don't act like real citizens, but instead act like sheep, as if they were living under totalitarian rule. This really irritates me. I mean, if they act like this, they're betraying the very values upon which the country was founded, and might as well still be living under the rule of King George.

[chicken-cem.livejournal.com]

Oh, how I don't miss living east of the Cascades in Oregon. Unfortunately, those reporters weren't talking to fringe right-wingers. No, those people would never interact with the 'liberal media.'

That's scary, since it means that the real fringers are a total lost cause. Also, what with Fox News around, and CNN having become more and more right wing, the liberal can not be described as 'liberal'. Even NPR strives to invite right wing guests on the talk shows, for real balance (unlike the TV networks), although of course some of those invitees decline the invitation.

I used to edit letters for my hometown newspaper, and after 9/11, I can't tell you how many times I had to edit out racial slurs for Arab peoples or how many letters said, "Let's kill them all" or "George W. is a great leader" or "Every Friday I protest Planned Parenthood", etc.

That's sad and horrible. It is a good thing you, instead of someone less informed, were the editor.

After 9/11, we got some hate email in response to our Qu'ran website (which, dude, is a purely academic site and is not religious in nature -- we have the Bible and the Qu'ran online in several translations, which can be compared for academic study).

[chicken-cem.livejournal.com]

That whole "they're jealous of our freedom!" argument is possibly the most significant source of my anti-Bush feelings. It's one of the most simple-minded, ignorant, anti-intellectual things I've ever heard a politician spout, and that's saying a lot.

Right -- they aren't jealous of our freedom, but are angry at our hypocrisy and our callous imperialist tyranny over the world.

[chicken-cem.livejournal.com]

But still, I registered in Bend so I can counteract the right wing nutjobs as much as I can.

Good for you!

I imagine that your neighbor Washington is a bit more liberal than Oregon? Or not?

[the-automatik.livejournal.com]

No, wait, I know, maybe they went to a party school and were drunk and not paying attention during most of college (like George W.) ??

Yep, you nailed it.

It's like David Cross says when lampooning Bush for the whole "the terrorists hate our freedom" line. If all we've done with our freedom is play Electric Scissors commercials during episodes of The Simple Life, then HE hates our freedom, too.

[the-automatik.livejournal.com]

Quite true. Like my friend says, "When did being intelligent become a BAD thing?" The irony is that Bush's "just one of the common people" shtick is so untrue, yet Joe America believes in it and distrusts the intellectuals. Little do they know who they should really distrust.

[keever.livejournal.com]

Exactly. Because all cowboys are legacy admits to Yale, and at some point or another own oil fields and baseball teams. Yep.

[keever.livejournal.com]

No, I don't think it would be possible for me to love your icon more.

[the-automatik.livejournal.com]

Silver spoon, Crawford, Texas jingo jango!!

[lornelover.livejournal.com]

Heehee. Danke. One of the few icons I've made I actually like, even if it's not that great of quality. Gotta love the Johns. Either ones.

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.

[lornelover.livejournal.com]

Um... I think? I think it's roughly the same, but *urban* Washington is definately more liberal than Central Oregon. And since I live in the college bubble anyway, I don't really know enough about the issues in Tacoma to feel like I have any right to vote here anyway.

[medelle.livejournal.com]

What I'd love to know is when the fuck did "liberal" become such a bad word?

Seems to me considering the shit hole this country has become we need a really good solid liberal in office to shake things up!

[viciouswishes.livejournal.com]

I would never describe any of the common tv news organization as liberal.

Unfortunatly, by the time those letters go to me, they'd already been okay'd by the editor. Of course, he didn't catch everything, but he let a lot more intolerance slid than he should've.

is a purely academic site and is not religious in nature

That's horrible.

[chicken-cem.livejournal.com]

Didn't Fallwell et al. make it a bad word in the 1970s and 1980s by trying to claim that liberals were anti-religious, amoral types? Lies, lies, lies.

[medelle.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's pretty much exactly what they did. Bastards.

In fact, I had an incident over the weekend even where someone didn't understand that it is possible to be a liberal Christian.

[chicken-cem.livejournal.com]

In fact, I had an incident over the weekend even where someone didn't understand that it is possible to be a liberal Christian.

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.

[medelle.livejournal.com]

I adore Jimmy Carter. He is a true example of a man who really puts his money where his mouth is so to speak.

If I could be half the man he is, I'd be happy. (and also really confused, but that's a different issue *grin*)