Lies Of Mass Destruction: Same Skewed Thinking Behind Saddam-9/11 Link Explains Power Of Health-Care Myths

newsweek.com:

Not being a complete idiot (contrary to the assertion of many readers I've been hearing from), I was not exactly surprised at the e-mails I got in response to my story analyzing why the myths about health-care reform--even the totally loony ones, like death panels--have gained such traction. One retired military officer called me "nothing more than an 'Obama Zombie' that has lost touch with reality," while a housewife sweetly suggested that I sign up for "socialistic medicine" and die, the sooner the better. (My kids get upset when people wish me dead, but hey, they'll survive.) But now I think I understand people who believe the health-care lies--and the Obama-was-born-in-Kenya lie--even better than when I wrote that piece.

Read the whole story: newsweek.com

Comments

[cannante]

the more any one flank of thought demonizes another, the less they can see their own foibles.

the reactionary right is behaving shamefully and sloppily with their thinking.

but those on the global warming side use fallacy as well: inductive logic like the disappearing iceberg, scare tactics, and all around chicken little thinking.

there is plenty of evidence that is scoffed at on both sides of the global warming debate.

if only we were like the dominican, thomas aquinas: before he reached a conclusion, he proved the opposite side of his argument.

[RoofinReality]

After crying wolf enough, people stop listening. EVEN when you have a very discplined, well-reasoned position. AND, my Republican friends are playing a dangerous game of chicken with President Obama and the Dems.

Two examples on my opening statement.
Death panels - not true, not even close to having any validity.
Bank account intrusion - not true, not even close to being valid.

Now, in terms of playing a dangerous game,
the Reps think that either they'll be able to disrupt enough town halls that people will forget that they themselves are struggling with health care bills, or their family members are borrowing money from them to stay afloat because of a catastrophic medical claim
OR
the Reps think that President Obama and/or the liberal wing of the Dem party is going to lay down and take whatever they dish out.

In regards to Obama/the Dems backing down, the Reps better hope that happens and the Dems themselves forgetting that they won huge majorities in the most recent national election. Otherwise, the Dems will ask "Is anyone there who wants to discuss this deal before we go to print?" Jon Kyl has already said that Health INSURANCE Reform will not get a single Republican vote. If that's the case, the Reps will not have a fingerprint on the bill and then can take no blame or credit for the outcome. Presuming that the President half way knows what he's doing, that will mean another punchout for Republican causes.

[StillAmused]

An outstanding illumination of the phenomenon.

The only point the author omitted was this: The seductive attraction of "motivated reasoning" is that it appeals to the lazy and incurious, a booming segment of American society.

"You, too, can have a position on the important questions of our time. No effort required, no uncomfortable realizations. Just a few slogans to memorize. Your new 'opinions' are ready for you, and there's no charge for shipping and handling. Don't feel left out when your friends talk politics. Act now!"

[RoofinReality]

Too funny. Thanks for the laugh. And hope to see more of your blogging in the future.

[TrishaZzz]

Urghs... Brilliant idea... :-( I guess someone is on the phone right now to implement that 'business idea'...

[iala]

This is because most of these nuts' only reading material is chain e-mails. The rest they get from Faux News and associates. If people actually read more and questioned sources of information more, they would not get so misled. Unfortunately many people in this country are inherently lazy and would rather just believe what they are told instead of going and finding the facts themselves.

[research]

good article. This is why the big lie works.

There is also the authoritarian tribalism that let's these poor fools continue to believe conservatives after endless obvious lies.

[DimBulb2]

too bad stoopidity isnt painful

[research]

Oh, Stupidity IS painful, and Deadly.

[reyvn77]

Step 1. Random shill posts an unsabstantiated conspiracy theory about some obscure portion of the bill.

Step 2. People debunk it with facts.

Step 3. Random shill ignores facts and waits ten minutes.

Repeat Cycle.

[DestinationsUnknown]

Remember- the anti intellect mantra by the GOP, Intellect = Elite?

Recall this started with Rove during the campaign, Elite = Intellect

The World warned us not to invade Iraq-GOP ignored the world and invaded Iraq and renamed French Fries!

Australians warned us not to allow Rupert Murdoch to infiltrate our free press standards

England warned us not to allow Rupert Murdoch to infiltrate our free press standards

Sir Richard Branson said something like "if we let him, Murdock will destroy democracy".

We ignored Australia and England- look at the dumb down we got!

WSJ- Dumb it Down President!

72% of Americans want Public Option- Congress divided?

USA not even in top 25 for Education in world ranking

[DimBulb2]

what stuck me as counter intuitive
was that during the election
being educated was portrayed as elitist

[zippywpinhead]

why? there's always been an undercurrent of anti intellectualism in this country

while people love to celebrate someone who can throw or kick a ball better than they can

(and pay them astronomical salaries for the privilege of watching them do so)

those very same people will mock, deride and marginalize someone who is smarter than they are...

[DestinationsUnknown]

Aug 17, 2009 –Monday-
Gene Taylor (D-MS) TOWN HALL, on C Span Healthcare Hub, majority were ‘anti-HC Reform’.

Taylor made it very clear he is not voting for Obama’s Healthcare Bill.

Gene Taylor D-MS Blue Dog- at TOWN HALL stated –
“…the only wind insurance in the state of Mississippi is GOVERNMENT RUN INSURANCE”!

His words- not mine!

After Katrina- all other insurance companies left state. So much for Public Option eliminating the INDUSTRY!

Remember all those claims not paid?

Over $1 billion government dollars were paid to residents in Mississippi; because their insurance companies refused and were allowed not to pay.

Rep. Gene Taylor stated “If another catastrophe with wind damage occurs in their state without insurance (the Federal Government) their state would be wiped out immediately.

Where is Socialism?

Where were the guns?

All anti-HC Reform- many seniors complain about all the fraud reported and nothing done- But- they are all anti HC Reform!

[escribacat]

Great article. When I went to school, they had a different name for "motivated reasoning," it was called the "reduction of cognitive dissonance­." We all engage in this process -- with or without realizing it. But it's amazing how the lies on the right are proliferating nowadays. Seems like there's a new one every week. Born of desperation, I'm guessing. If they can change the president into a "shady foreigner" who wants to eliminate all the old folks, then that might justify their visceral h@tred of him. They can't deal with the real reasons.

[DestinationsUnknown]

Remember- the anti intellect mantra by the GOP: Intellect = Elite?

Recall this started with Rove during the campaign.

Elite = Intellect

The World warned us not to invade Iraq-GOP ignored the world and invaded Iraq, Renamed French Fries!

Australians warned us not to allow Rupert Murdoch to infiltrate our free press standards

England warned us not to allow Rupert Murdoch to infiltrate our free press standards

Sir Richard Branson said something like "if we let him, Murdock will destroy democracy".

We ignored Australia and England- look at the dumb down we got!

WSJ- Dumb it Down President!

72% of Americans want Public Option- Congress divided?

USA not even in top 25 for Education in world ranking

[Chernynkaya]

This was a very good article which answered some of my questions about why people believe blatant and disprovable lies.

But to all you Republicans or other such believers out there, can you please answer this for me: Why do you think you can convince the rest of us of those lies? I mean, I read some of your posts, and you've got to know that on this site most people will disagree with you, so why bother?

[JoeBlough]

This shines a well focused light on the perils of religion.

[Bronxdude]

If death panels were real, Grassley would pull-the-plug on his own mother to make a buck or get reelected.

[Bronxdude]

The new Hippocratic symbol: $$$$$$
The new Hippocratic Oath: screw the patient, make money, eviscerate the country.

[DimBulb2]

this has nothing to do with physicians
tr00l

[DimBulb2]

its all about insur@nce comp@ny pr0fits

[Bronxdude]

It’s time to bring up the heavy artillery: Dean for Secretary of Health and Human Services.

[Bronxdude]

Treasonous republicans grandstand in front of their birther and tea bag constituents about not wanting stimulus money, and then secretly grab the money, while simultaneously deriding the Obama stimulus package. Hypocrites! While only being in office for six months, two-faced republicans complain that President Obama has failed to fix the mess it took Bush and self-serving republicans 8 years to create. Lying republicans and the morally corrupt insurance and drug companies that bankroll them do not want the public option or any type of healthcare reform. Republicans could care less about consumer protection rights or anything that would reduce profits for big business. In stark contrast to the monopolistic charade now being perpetrated by republicans and their corporate whores, the public option would create real competition, control costs, and keep parasitic health insurers like UnitedHealthcare honest. The health insurance industry and their bankrolled republican whores are the ones breaking America, not President Obama, the only one trying to fix the financial chaos left behind by Bush. Generational debt paid for WWII, Vietnam, social security, Medicare and the $900 billion Prescription Drug Bill republicans fast-tracked through Congress, which benefited Big Pharma, not working-class Americans.

[Bronxdude]

The average American refuses to accept that the Republican Nation is at war with the working-class, which is why republicans support the status quo and vehemently oppose healthcare reform, public education, government oversight, minimum wage hikes, worker rights, access to higher education, middleclass tax relief, and, in general, any legislation that would jeopardize the continuation of a credit-dependent, employer exploited, unhealthy, downtrodden, underpaid, debt-laden, undereducated and permanent class of laborers. Similar to exploited sharecroppers, it’s in the best interest of republicans to keep the working-class hopeless, oppressed, unhealthy, misinformed and undereducated. Republicans staunchly supported the Wall Street bailout to protect their own assets, but opposed the automobile industry bailout, which employs thousands of middleclass Americans. The republican aristocracy opposes any kind of governmental oversight that will interfere with their pursuit of exploitive capitalism, which is why they want to abolish the Departments of Agriculture, Transportation, Interior, Education and The Food and Drug Administration. Anything that protects the worker must go. Just like feudal lords, the Republican Nation requires a formidable army to protect their financial interests, which is why they defend unrestrained military spending. The Iraq War will cost $2.6 trillion over 10 years, while health insurance for every American for the same time period would cost $1.2 trillion. Republican fear mongers want to keep America angrily divided by class and race. Universal health insurance would provide hope and elevate the standard of living for working-class Americans, something republicans vehemently oppose.

[JoeBlough]

So, what are you going to do about it?

[VJ2008]

Duh, we are going to make sure health reform is passed, now, with the public option. This will be the first step to fixing many a problems created by what Bronxdude so excellently explained.