the phenomena we call cognitive dissonance. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance
Cognitive dissonance is when one is presented with some evidence that can be demonstrated to be true, but it conflicts with some other previously held belief. The theory says that people naturally want to rid their lives of dissonance and so use various mechanisms to achieve consonance.
Statistically, the older one is when challenged by cognitive dissonance, the more likely they will reject the revelations presented by the new truth and cling more tightly to the old, now dis-proven, truth.
But once one recognizes and accepts that some underlying belief, they held, is wrong (statistically more likely to happen to those who are young), they are freed forever from the blinders and restrictions on thought, associated with that belief (they are also more open to readjusting their thinking with the introduction of new evidence, related to many subjects, throughout their lives).
Americans have been raised with an almost religious subscription to the notion that America is a good place, no, the best place on earth, an exceptional place. And so we cover our ears with our hands when someone reveals something ugly, we accuse the accuser of nefarious motivation, we just don't believe negative things about ourselves. Any sense that we have done anything wrong is always tempered with the knowledge that everywhere else is worse.
We are ill-educated, jingoistic, flag-wavers, addicted to shopping and spurious, reality tv shows.
The Iraq war was invisible for many Americans. No draft, no honest reporting, no pictures of dead soldiers, no tearful families, no awareness of depleted-uranium tipped weapons, no shame, no war crimes trials, no memory.
For these, the deal hasn't been broken yet. They still cling to the vision of America that was sold to them in their youth, reinforced throughout their school careers, promoted on the television, and eulogized from the pulpit. These people believe that democracy can be granted to others, when really people have to take it for themselves. For them, dead, maimed, and sick Iraqis are nothing more than words, uttered by malcontents, enemy combatants, who asked for what they got. They view the victims of torture the same way. We would not torture them if they did not ask for it.
Those in control of the basic myths, that control and define our lives, rely on cognitive dissonance to cover their crimes.
Another thing that is not acceptable but seemingly going unchallenged, is the fact that Texas law-enforcement officers are digitally raping women, while preforming "body cavity" searches, looking for drugs, on the public highways in that state. This is a totally unjustifiable, perverse, uncalled for, and abusive tactic for police officers to employ to enforce the law. I can not understand why men are not up in arms over the treatment of these women, why women all over the nation are not demanding an end to the practice, why other law enforcement agencies are not insisting it stop, when it makes them all look so bad, why the court system does not restrict such blatant invasion of privacy.
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