Fool Us Once, Fool Us Twice...Please
Considering the Obvious

This has been a hard piece to write. It may be a hard one to read.

There are a number of questions that need to be asked these days, and I'll try to tackle them in the coming series of articles. Today's question: Why, in the face of the obvious, does Bush enjoy such broad popular support?
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We've read a lot in the semi-mainstream press about how Bush has been fooling us -- about the war, about a lot of things. John Kerry now claims he was led down the garden path regarding the invasion of Iraq, and other voices are starting to be heard, sounding a similar note. We're even seeing the leaky start of what could be an interesting stream of evidence.

But if the public was fooled, how come? This one blames the government, that one the media, another the intelligence community, still others what's preached in the churches. Some just credit (if "credit" is the word) the ebb and flow of received ideas, the ever-changing song of the collective popular mind.

Many are kind enough to fault the presumed good nature of the American people, who in the face of just-don't-know, always give the boss a break, take the Prez at his word. What could be more generous than that, more good-natured?

But no matter what song these commentators sing, it's a variation on the same sad theme -- it's not the people's fault, but someone else's. The devil made them do it.

Hmmm -- does this sound familiar, suspicious?

It's enough to start you thinking. So let's consider for a moment whether the current state of things -- the lies, the belief in lies, the deeds, our support -- is not someone else's fault after all, but falls to the people themselves and not to their "leaders."
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