You know, it could be genetic...

Having argued with all sorts of people about 911, Iraq, the so-called Clash of Civilizations, etc. for several years, my working theory is that there are many people for which xenophobia and an us vs them mentality is the hardwired-by-nature, default mental setting. Probably this is an inheritance from humanity's tribal origins.

Even if it were definitively proven that 911 was an inside job, that the Clash of Civilizations is a figment, that the Iraq War was a geopolitical, aggressive war of choice - such people would simply keep grumbling to themselves about the middle eastern (or chinese, or russian) boogeyman.

I suspect that a good portion of that 30% of the electorate that comprises Bush's base has the gene, so to speak. Logic has no purchase with a hardwired brain. I think this is what Leo Strauss, the neocons' leading ideologue, meant when he stressed the importance of cultural myth-making - appealing to that knee-jerk, default mentality.
Submitted by Carl Nelson on Sat, 04/07/2007 - 2:28pm.