Determined Ignorance…
Paul Pillar over at The National Interest brings to light the continued ignorance of the U.S. public when it comes to the Middle East:
In a new poll directed by Shibley Telhami of the University of Maryland, 38 percent of Americans polled said that the United States had “found clear evidence in Iraq that Saddam Hussein was working closely with the al-Qaeda terrorist organization.” In a somewhat differently formulated question, 15 percent said that “Iraq was directly involved in carrying out the September 11th attacks” and another 31 percent—for a total of 46 percent—believed that Iraq was not involved in 9/11 but had given “substantial support” to al-Qaeda. Perhaps in an age when major presidential candidates doubt that natural life on earth has evolved or that human activities affect the climate, we should not be surprised at such officially instigated ignorance.
The Bush administration’s determined effort to convince the public to believe “their” truth has resonated over time even when all facts have been brought to light. As the lingo on Twitter goes, #USFAIL.
