Politics of Deception

[gre]

How important is deception (and fear mongering) to our political parties success? These are just observations/opinions.

 

 

Here's what I can come up with for republican voter mentalities:

 

- The US economy is a "Natural System" that will just run its natural course and fix itself without any liberal intervention. ("Wall street is just having a hangover" - G.W Bush)

 

- Global warming is a hoax designed stimulate the "green industry", we're really experiencing global cooling (as seen on Glenn Beck's show)

 

- Reforming the health care system/industry is a bad thing (brought to you by the health care industry/republicans)

 

- The democrats/obama will take my guns away (the NRA)

 

- War is good for the USA, and economy.

 

 

What about the deceived democrat mentality?

Edited November 6, 2009 by gre

[Mr Skeptic]

Could it just be that Democrats pander to a more educated demographic, and so wouldn't be able to get away with such obvious bull? If so, this should be observable in a change in deceptive behavior when a politician switches between Republican to Democrat.

 

Also, ignorance of the politician is a completely separate issue. If the politician honestly believes what he says but happens to be wrong, then it wouldn't be deception.

[swansont]

One of the things that sickens me about politics is that a large part of it, it seems, is based on deception and fear mongering, whether it is overt or a sin of omission. The way to get elected (or garner support for a cause) is to identify a problem and make people afraid of it — if you want change, make them afraid of the status quo, and if you want the status quo, make them afraid of change. Trump up the issue and lie about it, if that's what is necessary.

 

It's especially effective, because we humans are bad at assessing risk, especially for unusual events, so we will overreact to things that make us afraid.

 

Also, ignorance of the politician is a completely separate issue. If the politician honestly believes what he says but happens to be wrong, then it wouldn't be deception.

 

That's just incompetence, if a politician dismisses an issue or proposes a solution, without understanding the problem.

[JohnB]

........The way to get elected (or garner support for a cause) is to identify a problem and make people afraid of it ........It's especially effective, because we humans are bad at assessing risk, especially for unusual events, so we will overreact to things that make us afraid.

Now do you see why I have trouble with some of the AGW brigade?

 

Be that as it may, you're right. Politics is about making people afraid of what the other side will do.

 

Rather than voting for something, people vote against something. It's not the most popular side that wins, just the side that people are least afraid of on election day.

 

Quite sad really.

[swansont]

Now do you see why I have trouble with some of the AGW brigade?

 

It's the same problem that people have with some of those who are skeptical of/deny AGW. But that's a discussion for elsewhere.

[JohnB]

Agreed. On both counts.