cognitive dissonance

(cross posted @ subversivesoapbox.com)

Dissonance. The clash of two opposing sounds, which generally results in auditory cacophony. When this idea is applied to matters of the mind, it is loosely defined as two diametrically opposing ideas being processed by the brain, which generally results in cognitive discomfort. For the sanity of the thinker, one of these ideas is summarily dismissed. It is a result of the mind's inability to process two pieces of information that are in direct opposition to one another.

In a simple example, we have been taught from an early age that two plus two equals four. If you are told instead that two plus two actually equals five, your brain will reject it. The brain does not allow for this contradiction [George Orwell demonstrates changing this learned fact through the use of torture, but we'll save that topic for another day].

We have been taught from an early age that the American government is honest, reasonable, and just. From the pledge of allegiance every morning before our math lesson, to the middle school history lessons in which we learned we are granted life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We have been taught that the government is for and by the people.

Cognitive dissonance says we will reject those thoughts that create a clash of ideas in the brain. Despite isolated articles or news stories about a corrupt government, many Americans do not independently inform their perception of the Republic. Most accounts that are in opposition to our ideas of our democracy are swept aside. The mind is a powerful thing, and our brains will even go so far as to build imaginary bridges that explain the factual disconnect.

I was speaking with a friend about the events of September 11. As shereadschomsky alludes to previous blog post, the investigation itself was gossamer thin (see The Commission: The Uncensored History of The 9/11 Investigation by Philip Shenon). Evidence is withheld to this day, and much of the facts reported by the Commission have been proven false.

I was telling my friend about some of the inconsistencies of the events of that day. As an example, most plane crashes of airliners leave a significant amount of debris, none of which was present in the crash in Shanksville, PA (the crash site of United Flight 93). This evidence (or lack thereof) would indicate an alternative explanation than that provided by the government. The physical evidence lends itself to the alternative explanation of the shooting down of the plane. But the account of the renegade passengers and their subsequent takeover of the controls was what the media presented as fact: no real criminal investigation was carried out to arrive at these conclusions. Available data was presented to support these claims.

I'm not arguing for the veracity of these accounts, but offer them as an example of the power of cognitive dissonance. My friend said that she distinctly remembers seeing a plane in the picture of the PA crash site. She has a doctorate, so she has been trained to systematically extrapolate meaning from the available data. She thanked me for enlightening her. Right or wrong, she realized that she had never thought to question whether or not a plane was visible at the crash site. Her mind had always pictured a plane clearly in the field.*

Nearly every single entity of the mainstream media has become a government megaphone, rather than a questioning body that was created to ensure a formidable democracy. The cognitive dissonance that results when we hear anything different from "official accounts" can be overwhelming, because you have been conditioned think the media cheerleaders are actually journalists and, thus, investigators for the truth. It's not "we report, you decide," but "we report, you believe." In order to uncover the truth about our democracy, we must stop dismissing alternative news. We must keep our minds open to more than one message.


*Please let me know if you find a picture of a plane at the crash site. I would like to see it myself.

ignorance is bliss

(cross posted @ subversivesoapbox.com)

For the powers that be, our ignorance is their bliss. It is easier to hoodwink American citizens if they have no idea what is going on, and if they don't know how to engage in democracy. I'm not sure who the "powers that be" are, but I'm pretty certain that we can say that it is a group of politicians, corporate interests, and the media.


Consider a statement that Hillary Clinton made earlier on the campaign trail. She essentially said that citizens should hold her accountable to promises that she is making during her campaign. If they don't see her doing what she has promised, that they are to hold her accountable.

[The crowd cheers.]

Wait a second. Does anyone actually know how to hold a president accountable for promises made on the campaign trail? Does anyone actually know how executive accountability works in this country? For that matter, does anyone actually know how the national budget is created? How a bill is passed? How legislation is vetoed? Overturned?

Not really.

The average American citizen doesn't know much about how the government was created, how it functions, and how to engage in the democratic process. For most people, this ignorance is cultivated early on. Consider this: in the county that I live in, high school students only need 1/2 of a credit in American Government. When I was in high school, I was only required to take one nine-week course in American government. (I was fourteen, and my only memory of that class was writing an essay on "The Missing Piece" by Shel Silverstein.) By my own volition, I took advanced classes in American History, Political Science, and American Government. I'm so glad that I did.

The only way to ensure a democracy as intended by the founding fathers is to make sure that people understand the procedures of the government. When left to the discretion of the individual voter, most citizens will not learn the rights and responsibilities guaranteed by their citizenship. The less we engage in our democracy, the less control we will have over the processes that dictate our lives. We must start educating our children, and ourselves. Knowledge is power, and we must not grow up in institutionalized ignorance. To combat the brainwashing media, the lying politicians, and the powerful corporations, we must give ourselves and future generations the tools necessary to truly hold the government accountable.



"People should not fear their government. The government should fear its people." - V for Vendetta