Why is it that so many Americans — both leaders and average citizens — are so out of touch with reality when it comes to war and military-related matters? For example, when I opposed the invasion of Iraq, many readers castigated me in e-mails for supporting “appeasement” of Saddam Hussein, a la Neville Chamberlain’s approach to Adolf Hitler.
This guy makes some good points. Of course, he is preaching to the choir. The crux of the problem is the very question he poses: Why is it that so many Americans are so out of touch with reality when it comes to war and military-related matters? Hell, I will throw in History as a whole for good measure. Reading this article I see several points that most Bush supporters would bold-facedly deny as truth. The majority of Bush supporters still believe Iraq had WMD, that Iraq was connected to Al Qaeda, that Iraq is responsible for 9/11, that we are justified in torturing insurgents, etc etc… I reached my wits end Nov 3. It only pains me to stay on top of current events these days. I suppose I have largely disconnected myself. I wonder if there are more like me out there who, having been so confounded by the general stupidity of my fellow citizens, has tuned out. I suppose I am becoming as disconnected as George W. Bush. Then again, he receives only filtered or spun media and has only filtered or spun interaction with ‘real people’ (a la highlights of the last ‘town hall’ I caught on CSPAN). Perhaps by disconnecting I am only rewarding Carl Rove and the whack-o religious fundamentalists who are currently re-writing our text books and re-designing our society to create a population as ill informed and ignorant as they are.
Aaron Fulkerson 