Trading On Confusion

The Bush administration has been, at points, clever in its use of words. Naming the PATRIOT Act as they did has paid big dividends, I think, as they attempt to sweep more power into non-legislative parts of the government.

A recent poll conducted by the Center for Survey Research and Analysis at the University of Connecticut found that only 42% of those polled could correctly identify its purpose of increasing surveillance of the general population. Among that group, 57% supported it, but 64% of those who couldn't say what it was about nevertheless supported it! Who wouldn't support a Patriot Act? That's like not spporting an Apple Pie Act or Baseball Act. So, the less the population understands, the better for BushCo.

Bush managed to make an unprovoked attack on Iraq because too many in the population couldn't distinguish Iraq from Al-Qeda. Too often, we as a people "don't sweat the details." Unless we start to demand more precision, we will continue to make ourselves victims of Bush's mushy thinking.