Many still believe that Saddam Hussein was behind 9/11, and now we have some idea why

Image...
http://www.alternet.org/media/143731/many_still_believe_that_saddam_hussein_was_...

President Obama has had a hard time dislodging misperceptions about his health care proposal — those stubborn beliefs that there are death panels and free care for illegal aliens that don't actually exist in the legislation. Recent research about the way people defend their faith in false information, though, suggests calling out the inaccuracies may not be all that effective in converting the suspicious.

Sociologists at the University of North Carolina and Northwestern University examined an earlier case of deep commitment to the inaccurate: the belief, among many conservatives who voted for George W. Bush in 2004, that Saddam Hussein was at least partly responsible for the attacks on 9/11.

Of 49 people included in the study who believed in such a connection, only one shed the certainty when presented with prevailing evidence that it wasn't true.

The rest came up with an array of justifications for ignoring, discounting or simply disagreeing with contrary evidence — even when it came from President Bush himself.

"I was surprised at the diversity of it, what I kind of charitably call the creativity of it," said Steve Hoffman, one of the study's authors and now a visiting assistant professor at the State University of New York, Buffalo.

The voters weren't dupes of an elaborate misinformation campaign, the researchers concluded; rather, they were actively engaged in reasoning that the belief they already held was true.

This type of "motivated reasoning" — pursuing information that confirms what we already think and discarding the rest — helps explain why viewers gravitate toward partisan cable news and why we tend to see what we want in The Colbert Report. But when it comes to justifying demonstrably false beliefs, the logic stretches even thinner.

By the time the interviews were conducted, just before the 2004 election, the Bush Administration was no longer muddling a link between al-Qaeda and the Iraq war. The researchers chose the topic because, unlike other questions in politics, it had a correct answer.

Subjects were presented during one-on-one interviews with a newspaper clip of this Bush quote: "This administration never said that the 9/11 attacks were orchestrated between Saddam and al-Qaeda."

The Sept. 11 Commission, too, found no such link, the subjects were told.

"Well, I bet they say that the commission didn't have any proof of it," one subject responded, "but I guess we still can have our opinions and feel that way even though they say that."

Reasoned another: "Saddam, I can't judge if he did what he's being accused of, but if Bush thinks he did it, then he did it."

More...
  1. groups:
    News
  2. tags:
    + add
SleepDirt
  • added November 07, 2009

57 comments // Many still believe that Saddam Hussein was behind 9/11, and now we have some idea why

  •  

    All I can say about this is, it's the same dimwhits that think with their captors. They and their brains have been kidnaped by an ideology that won't let them think for themselves. Evidence of the Iraq's having anything to do with 911 is just not there and they still try to justify the murderous tactics of their leaders cause being wrong would pose a perplexing situation that they have never encountered. The same people cannot say sorry or gees I guess I was wrong. When I was stationed in Germany I met an elderly German who still thought Hitler was right in everything he did. So as you can see there will always be people who cannot give up thinking they are right. You can see it in several posters here at current when you give them the evidence it's as if they never read it.

    recommended by nkeg87
    kennymotown
  •  

    We live in a country that's dominated by stupid people. Why are we still spending money on something we already know?!!

    Instead of wasting money, lets use it to educate the folks in America. Imagine if you ask those same 49 people if they know that our congress is run by rich people, they would argue with you instead of listen and learn the truth.

    recommended by nkeg87
    KSirys
  •  

    I bet they all believe in god as well

    Prijedor
  •  

    For this reason is the same for those whom categorize Muslims into the same category as Terrorists/Extremists....They probably do believe in God..

  •  

    Complete BS. Bush never cited Saddam for 9/11. Stephen Hayes documented ties between Saddam and AQ, but that doesn't mean he was behind 9/11.

    samthesixth
  •  

    Well, as we all know, it's best to point the finger at a dead guy. He can't defend his position. It's real easy to do this. I shall demonstrate, "Hey guys, I heard Shakespeare was partly responsible for The Black Death. It doesn't matter that he was born 150 years after it happened. I read it on the internet, and the internet is law." Why would someone who's country that had already been invaded want to take part in an event that's just going to provoke a country into a shitstorm?

    LowShred
  •  

    The only solid links between Saddam and al-Qaeda were found to be older and, frankly, minuscule compared to ours. Their main military supplier for over 2 decades, the US.

    AndrewH13
  •  

    So this is just an elaborate way of saying they are hardheads.

    somogibbs
  •  

    Thats really funny to me on how this asshole ( Bush ) went after this guy & not the the guy who took out World Trade right after we got Slapped in the FACE thoes punks ( BUSH & CHENEY ) went to fuck with someone who had nothing to do with it !
    And you know what ? We Loss More Men & Women In The War Then In 911 & for
    what ah victory ????? Well we got em ! And never got the guy who took out the WORLD TRADE !!!!!! & now they sit home relaxing ! How could they sleep at night ?
    They should be SHOT the both of em for all the lies ( had people thinking this guy did it ) they were way off the mark & we went right along with the lie THATS WHY THE WORLD WILL NOT HELP US BECAUSE OF WHAT WAS DONE !
    And the war is not over ! DAMN BOTH OF YOU !

    Maeveeo
  •  

    I think of it as "people who have chosen an aggression cult mentality " . Or " might makes right " thinking . Barbaric .

    artemis6
  •  

    people who voted for Bush, and can't own up to the monumental mistake they made.

    snarly
  •  
    Image...

    Please review Charlie Sheen's 20 Questions for the President video, where he calls for a new investigation to 9/11.

    rodstradamus
  •  

    "ignorance is bliss"
    how is this study new information?

    veronaaa
  •  

    When someone has already invested a great deal of their mental and emotional energy into a belief system they are reluctant or unable to see over the wall they have eventually constructed. This is why the religious extremest and political extremest do not hear the voice of reason and factual information.

    wayseeker
  •  

    I think we should get the Easter Bunny to clear this all up.

    JonRaymond
  •  

    I'll bet they also believe that the world is melting. I was just lookinng over some of the post cards I collected during my i5 years in the Merchant Marine and believe it or not I have a post card from Thule greenland from the 1950's. There is an Eshimo standing along side of his Home (I think its his home) But there is not a bit of snow or ice. Thule is almost at the top of the world. There isn't too much above it. Now if the people believe that we the people are caausing global warming, just imagine that the inside of this earth is a boiling mass of Molten every mineral and metals and just maybe some of the heat is radiating through the crust of the earth as it is in Yellowstone Park. Yes ther is a large percentage of ignorant and gullible people who wouldn't have any idea of what truth and freedom is and they also have no idea of what a lying bastard, scam artist and conman George W Bush is. They havent read any books or newspapers to discover what the politicians have done to them. They still think we are after Osama Bin Laden and yet we haven't any reason to go for him. We are after bigger booty than Osama. Control of the wealth in Eurasia. That is why we must learn Arabic and Farsi.

    Ragan
  •  

    I know these fucking fools in Oklahoma around me think he was. I constantly find myself reminds them that the Iraq War was MEANINGLESS and we lost over 4,000 American soldier's lives for nothing.

    And you bet your ass I tell them just like that too.

    We lost Afghanistan the day we went to Iraq and we lost our chance of ever catching bin Laden.

    EmperorThan
  •  

    You're still trying to talk sense to the "fucking fools in Oklahoma"? I've given up on them. My neighbors keep electing Jim Inholf into office. What more can I say.

    wayseeker
  •  

    omfg.

    this is not news tho, sadly. end of the story: get money. then maybe you would have some clout to convince unwitting neighbors as to the truth..

    vesher
  •  

    You know those Science Fiction stories about a dystopia in the future where the human population have no freedom of thought and just believe anything the Government tells them? Yeah, that's already happened. Kudos to the last administration

    PureEm
  •  

    These are the bible toting imbeciles who dictate who we can, or can't marry. I am disgusted with the reality of these stupid pious sheep having power and control over my personal life.

    Fuck them!

    FlexSF
  •  

    still looking for the boogie man since kindergarten

    keithponder
  •  

    Bush and Rummy orchestrated the false flag attack on the WTC with guidance from Kissinger etc. It was part of the secret "operation big safari" invasion of the middle east. They needed a catalyst to galvanize the US population. Their plan failed miserably but the american people proved lame-o observers. Everyone can see that building 7's plane defected.

    JollyGoodFelon
  •  

    So how do we create a culture that moves us past this? Anyone can state opinions, the trick is posing the solutions?

    Allorno1
  •  
    Image...

    Can I suggest we back up from the brick & mortar for a minute and take it from the start into the political realm ?

    Check this text & video from Greg Palast about the role bestowed on the CIA & FBI in this tragedy...

    UNCLE SAM'S DILDO
    http://current.com/items/91388809_uncle-sams-dildo.htm

    This a mystery wrapped into an enigma JFK gestalt type of a thing so let's peel this onion one layer at the time shall we ;)

    Most pressing...

    The truth is, we're not in Afghanistan to stop al Qaeda's US attackers, because they weren't "based" there in the first place, and their leaders are not there now.

    So, why are we now re-invading Afghanistan?

    WhiteNoise
1 - 25 of 35

Add your comment

keep browsing
News
most popular

current videos