Are Americans insane?

[Ajnin]

I was reading over a CBS poll from a year ago, and I noticed a small discrepancy between two poll numbers.

Is administration telling the public all it knew before 9/11?
21% Telling the whole truth
65% Think they're hiding something
8% Lying

Should Congress hold hearings on what the White House knew?
36% Yes
62% No

Why the disconnect between the numbers? 73% of Americans thought the administration was hiding or lying about something, but only 36% thought something should be done about it. What's the deal here, are we Americans insane or what?

BTW, this isn't about the Bush Administration, it's about how the American people, at least those polled, can say, "Yes, they're hiding something, but we don't want to know about it."

Got my no. here http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/05/21/opinion/polls/main509702.shtml about 2/3's a the way down the page.

 

[water_ripple]

No, I do not think Americans are insane. This is an effect of apathay that America is plagued by. We know things are going on around us, but we don't care to do anything about them. We are too busy living our lives and making our money. Unfortunately, money is the pursuit for which most Americans strive.

This of course does not apply to those of us who do care, or who try and make a difference in our nation. Many times some of us who believe in God present such instances as a consipracy theory, and are shouted down. We are labled as fanatics. We are accused of mind reading. Then when the truth is revealed, everyone is shocked. They scramble around and play "Let's Place the Blame" on everybody else.

Ever since 9/11 happened people have whispered, "Did the government have any information about this?" Funny that we ask these questions, but remained unconcerned as to persue the truth. Or to hold our elected leaders accountable for ignoring (if they in fact had information) threats. Or were our leaders proud in our nation's military strength simply dismissing the threats of seemingly harmless flies? Surely, the people making the threats were merely insects beneath the feet of the mighty US. And besides, no terrorist acts had been successful in America before right? Wrong. Hijackings, the list goes on. Sadly, when the nation was morning for the lives lost on that tragic day and the days following the politicans got extremely upset. The American people were trying to console one another and help rebuild the lives of those left living. No one was fighting everyone was offering support. People began to trust one another and band together. People on the opposite side of the States flocked to the aide of those who were suffering. This was beautiful.

OH NO! the politicans cried, the people are no longer making money for the government. We need to go to war and right this wrong done to us. We must encourage the people to go and make money to support the war. We will increase our debts and go on a global escapade to squash the factions of terriorism. We'll finally appear to care about Afghanistan and drop food and bombs on top of an already decimated country. These people will love us for it. They will at least have something to eat. The best way for a master to reward his dog is to give him treats. We are the superpower of the world and noone escapes our eye. We are like unto God we are the inforce on justice. Opps, we cannot find BinLaden he hides well. We blame this on the people of the Afgan nation. We blame this on the surrounding nations. Every nation is suspect. They are either with us or against us. The American people are mislead and confused. The government exercises its' authority over all others. The US makes its own decision to over take the contry of Iraq. All in the name of thwarting terrorism.

We turned from our ways. The people were making a real difference. The people were able to put personal issues aside and embrace each other. Sadly, the value of other people wasn't recognized before the tragedy. Then our master turned and said I am jealous you will serve me for the purpose that is coverd as justice. In the end it will be for vengence and personal glory (as a nation). Your people will feel like fools. They will be confused of the truth so they will not be able to condem you.

Is it safe to say that here righteousness is ultimately labeled wrong, and that which is not righteous is labeled as correct? Righteousness being a gathering of the people in unity. Placing their judgements aside to help their fellow man. The unrighteous being the pursuit of vengence, a dispursal of our nation's wrath, and the effort to use money as a method to control the love going on in the nation? Subtle I would say, but remember we have to pay for this war some way or the other.

 

[My Higher Self]

I have a very simple basis for my thoughts...and some people will think differently, but me personally, I realize that there are some things the government will hide, and should hide. So if you asked me, my answers would jive with the survey, yes they are hiding stuff, no, we don't necessarily need to know about it.

I believe in disclosing as much information as possible, but sometimes things need to be kept secret in the interests of national security.

 

[tulc]

Well yes we are insane. Why do ask?
tulc

 

[MichaelFJF]

It has nothing to do with apathy - national security hits it on the head. M

 

[psycmajor]

Well yes we are insane. Why do ask?
tulc

Dude. you took the words right outta my mouth.

For effect:

 

[datan]

so what does Cheney's meeting with the energy fat cats have to do with national security...or the part about the Saudis in the 9/11 report? yeah...I'm quite curious.

 

[My Higher Self]

I'm not saying that this is particular to any incident or any particular info, just my general feelings on the subject.

 

[princess_ballet]

If we reveal what happened with the Saudis, bad things could happen. We don't want to make enemies, and that isn't something that needs to be discussed with the general public.

 

[Ajnin]

Alright, for those of you who are for who said no hearings because of national security, you do realize that congressional hearings can be closed, right?

 

[My Higher Self]

If I am not gonna find out about it, I hardly see what the point is, other then maybe to point out negligence, which in cases like this I think would be hard to really confirm, the United States gets zillions of threats a day I am sure.

 

[papillon]

Americans aren't insane. I can't really say what their reasons are for not wanting to know. It could be any number of things. Many are probably still grieving the loss of loved ones and its just too painful, others are tired of rehashing Sept. 11th and just want to move on, still others maybe really just don't care. I think I'd want to know and I believe there are some legitimate "why?" questions for the government that wouldn't have any affect on national security if they were answered. The very least they could say is "We knew about this threat, we didn't take it seriously enough and we're sorry." I don't think it would be that big of a deal because it doesn't mean there was gross negligence, or that the American government is partially responsible for what happened. It just means that they're human and they make mistakes and probably genuinely didn't have much reason to take this threat seriously. I think them admitting that though would show a high degree of integrity and put out a great deal of anti-Bush sentiment.

 

[water_ripple]

Americans aren't insane. I can't really say what their reasons are for not wanting to know. It could be any number of things. Many are probably still grieving the loss of loved ones and its just too painful, others are tired of rehashing Sept. 11th and just want to move on, still others maybe really just don't care. I think I'd want to know and I believe there are some legitimate "why?" questions for the government that wouldn't have any affect on national security if they were answered. The very least they could say is "We knew about this threat, we didn't take it seriously enough and we're sorry." I don't think it would be that big of a deal because it doesn't mean there was gross negligence, or that the American government is partially responsible for what happened. It just means that they're human and they make mistakes and probably genuinely didn't have much reason to take this threat seriously. I think them admitting that though would show a high degree of integrity and put out a great deal of anti-Bush sentiment.

This would be a wonderful thing to happen! Doubtful though our politicians in the US are so concerned about re-election to hold on to their power that they will stop at nothing to blame someone else for their short commings. It would be relieving, and a lot less embarrasing for the American people if our president could say yes I have faults like everyonelse, but this will probably never happen. I have heard Americans boast about being the superpower of the world. Lots of pride(not saying it's wrong to be a part of a nation). If the prez were to admit anything faulty it would be considered a weakness. I fear this wouldn't happen; the US it too concerned about its' image.

 

[Saint Philip]

Is administration telling the public all it knew before 9/11?
21% Telling the whole truth
65% Think they're hiding something
8% Lying

Should Congress hold hearings on what the White House knew?
36% Yes
62% No

Not insane, just brainwashed.

Ask that 21% for the evidence Bush used to justify the overthrow of the Taliban and they'll be absolutely clueless (although, they might utter a little nonsense). Hint: Bush still has not shared the alleged evidence.

As for the people who think Bush is hiding something but that there should be no investigation, they see ignorance as a form of patriotism. Whenever they're not given the truth or sufficient justication for something, they just blow it off as the need for national security, or some such excuse. Whenever someone actually gives them some evidence, they often object.

For example, Oliver North commented that he received complaints from listeners when he commented about something that was found in one of Saddam's palaces. The listeners insisted North was threatening US security. North, who is usually a friend to such nonsense, was pushed into pointing out that Saddam knew what was in his palaces he wasn't saying anything that Saddam didn't already know.

When Bush attacked Afghanistan without giving us evidence, these people argued that evidence would risk national secuirty. Well, now that the situation in Afghanistan has totally changed, why can we still not see any of thise evidence? For a while, Bush also refused to share the evidence of Saddam's WMDs. When he finally did, to raise support for the attack, how did any of that harm US security? It only harmed Bush's credibility.

A free society cannot exist apart from openness and honesty in government. But, Bush (like Clinton) is destroying our freedom.

I'm sure this will all taste better if we just tell ourselves out free we are and how great Bush is. Count it all progress.

 

[papillon]

This would be a wonderful thing to happen! Doubtful though our politicians in the US are so concerned about re-election to hold on to their power that they will stop at nothing to blame someone else for their short commings. It would be relieving, and a lot less embarrasing for the American people if our president could say yes I have faults like everyonelse, but this will probably never happen. I have heard Americans boast about being the superpower of the world. Lots of pride(not saying it's wrong to be a part of a nation). If the prez were to admit anything faulty it would be considered a weakness. I fear this wouldn't happen; the US it too concerned about its' image.

It's not just the US. If Sept. 11th had happened in Canada I imagine we would have had a very similar response from our government. It's this faulty idea that what voters really want are politicians who never make mistakes. That's not true, what we really want are politicians with integrity, who are honest. Take Clinton for example. The whole uproar about him wasn't so much because he commited adultery, but because he lied about it to the country. If he'd come right out and been truthful about it right away instead of trying to stretch the truth and beat around the bush (no pun intended) who knows how the election would have gone.

 

[OldBadfish]

I have a very simple basis for my thoughts...and some people will think differently, but me personally, I realize that there are some things the government will hide, and should hide. So if you asked me, my answers would jive with the survey, yes they are hiding stuff, no, we don't necessarily need to know about it.

I believe in disclosing as much information as possible, but sometimes things need to be kept secret in the interests of national security.

I agree with this.

However I don't believe that our government is that immoral to allow a planned attack, if the truth were known, it was probably rumored but the government didn't take it seriously, as they are constantly dealing with threats. IF in fact the government may have known or heard something.

And yes Americans are for the most part crazy, I know that me, myself and I are, but thats just us 3, can't speak for the rest of the loonies.

 

[revolutio]

However that poll was asking about the White House witholding information from Congress. It doesn't say those Congressional hearings have to be open to the public if I am not mistaken.

 

[water_ripple]

It's not just the US. If Sept. 11th had happened in Canada I imagine we would have had a very similar response from our government. It's this faulty idea that what voters really want are politicians who never make mistakes. That's not true, what we really want are politicians with integrity, who are honest. Take Clinton for example. The whole uproar about him wasn't so much because he commited adultery, but because he lied about it to the country. If he'd come right out and been truthful about it right away instead of trying to stretch the truth and beat around the bush (no pun intended) who knows how the election would have gone.

It was my intention that politicans should be honest and held accoutable to the law of man since they infact are more bound to the laws they make. The logic: they make the laws so they should be bound fixatively by the burden of example. God made the laws for Christians to follow and He did not desert the responsibility to set examples. We were given Christ the Messiah as an example. I did not intend to say that politicans should be perfect. This is impossible.

In my opinion, Clinton wouldn't have been re-elected even if he had a shot. He completely lost any shred of integrity after this great fiasco. He embarrassed the democratic party and humiliated the US government influences in other countries. His image was left in shreds.

One quick note here: money=power=? (usually corruption)

 

[My Higher Self]

Not insane, just brainwashed.
Ask that 21% for the evidence Bush used to justify the overthrow of the Taliban and they'll be absolutely clueless (although, they might utter a little nonsense). Hint: Bush still has not shared the alleged evidence.

I think 9/11 is enough, but there are numerous other terrorist attacks that justify it for me. The president might have completely different reasons and I might not want/need to know, my reasons are already enough me me.

As for the people who think Bush is hiding something but that there should be no investigation, they see ignorance as a form of patriotism. Whenever they're not given the truth or sufficient justication for something, they just blow it off as the need for national security, or some such excuse. Whenever someone actually gives them some evidence, they often object.

You are assuming that you know things about people that you don't. I don't see my lack of enthusiasm for an investigation as patriotism. I just really don't care. More over, I think it is a moot point right now, its not gonna bring the twin towers back, it is however a waste of man power, money and resources. We obviously know that some changes need to be made in our security practices to prevent events like this is the future.

For example, Oliver North commented that he received complaints from listeners when he commented about something that was found in one of Saddam's palaces. The listeners insisted North was threatening US security. North, who is usually a friend to such nonsense, was pushed into pointing out that Saddam knew what was in his palaces he wasn't saying anything that Saddam didn't already know.

This is a perfect example of why you don't know what you are talking about. North's comment may have seemed like a rather innocent remark, and it very well may have been, but let me explain to you how that could be revealing even though Saddam already knows what's in his own palaces. Since he already knows whats in his palaces, if you remark what you have found, then he also knows what palaces you have captured, hence revealing information to the enemy that you may not want released. See how that works?

When Bush attacked Afghanistan without giving us evidence, these people argued that evidence would risk national secuirty. Well, now that the situation in Afghanistan has totally changed, why can we still not see any of thise evidence? For a while, Bush also refused to share the evidence of Saddam's WMDs. When he finally did, to raise support for the attack, how did any of that harm US security? It only harmed Bush's credibility.

I don't really know the specifics of the "evidence" that was released, but did you consider the possibility that when the evidence was still fresh that there could still be operatives in the area, and that release evidence that would reveal their location could be hazardous to their health?I am not saying that things are or aren't a risk to national security, but sometimes things are, and its the job of people who deal with that information to make that assesment, not us. These people are generally good at what they do, and I expect them to do the best job that they can.

A free society cannot exist apart from openness and honesty in government. But, Bush (like Clinton) is destroying our freedom.

Nor can it exist apart from extending all freedoms to all of its citizens.

I'm sure this will all taste better if we just tell ourselves out free we are and how great Bush is. Count it all progress.

Doesn't really make it any easier for me to swallow......you?!

 

[datan]

well, a lot of people think that Bush confuses national security with political security...he tries to hide facts damaging to his administration under the guise of 'national security'.