It’s not surprising when so many of us believe things that aren’t true:
41 percent of Americans polled believe Saddam Hussein was directly involved in the 9/11 attacks—up from 36 percent who thought that in 2004. Correct answer: he was not.
20 percent of Americans polled said the United States found weapons of mass destruction after it invaded Iraq in 2003; 70 percent said no. Correct answer: no stockpiles of chemical or biological weapons were found.
It’s hard to have a sensible national discussion on something like the Iraq War or the War on Terror when such large groups of people don’t even know what the truth is.
I would be equally interesting knowing the percentage of Americans who believe that the Administration said that “Saddam Hussein was directly involved in the 9/11 attacks.” Correct answer: it did not.
And I take issue with the second construction. Whether “the United States found weapons of mass destruction after it invaded Iraq in 2003″ (it did, in much more limited quantities than expected) is a question different from whether “stockpiles of chemical or biological weapons were found.”
Hit “submit comment” too soon. I agree with your premise, however.
I agree with James. But this sort of observation is far from new. Look at all the people who blindly accept the premise of global warming without taking a deeper look into exactly what it is that they think. Or all the people who think gun control will end gun related crimes.
Or even watch an episode of My Super Sweet Sixteen on MTV. Ugh, nothing shows better how stupid some people can be.
My biggest concern though is that many Democrats have suggested that President Bush has suggested that Saddam was directly involved in 9/11. He has never insinuated such a thing (he has suggested that Iraq has had dealings with al Qaeda though, which may be possible).
“My Super Sweet Sixteen,” CR UVa?
I remember when they played music on MTV.
Come on, now. Didn’t you see the footage of Saddam bailing out of the cockpit of the first 757 seconds before it hit the first of the twin towers? It was played over and over again.
And how you could’ve missed all that deatiled Fox News coverage of the Iraqis dastardly sarina nd mustard gas attacks against U.S. troops, I don’t know. Let’s just be thankful that the U.S. army found all those secret underground nuclear labs stockpiled with thousands of nuclear warheads.
I think this poll is more indicative of the shoddy news reporting we’ve been seeing in the past seven years than it is of the general public’s lack of critical thinking skills.
America is in trouble because we have forsaken the principles that were our foundation. We have placed too much power in the hands of government and are too relient upon Government to be what it cannot be.
We must forsake the mentality that promotes careers in Political Science. We need citizen legislators and common people in evry branch of government. People of vigilance who
serve their country and return home to private life. No one should be allowed to serve in an elected office and compensated with Government Retirement Benefits. We need judges with good judgement nand lawyers who are not thieves.
The surgery required to save this republic will be extensive , lengthy and will cut deep. No one will be exempt from its effects. The Republicans and the Democrats have taken partisanship beyond the bounds of reason and now offer
no hope for America. Any new party with the same old ideas is
no better.
Congress should not enact one single law until they have repealed at least one hundred. With every law they now enact, lawlesness increases. We need to end their careers as politicians, replace them with patriotic citizens and send them home. someone tell me, where is an organization with such an agenda? America will die without it!! And soon!!!