Says here that people in National Security are accusing the Bush Administration of suffering from ‘cognitive impairment’ because of the way they handled ‘intelligence reports’ leading up to the Iraqi war. Now, I’m no expert on national security ..but I do know a little about cognitive impairment. In my opinion, the ‘cognitive impairment’ that led the Bush administration to believe Iraq was a threat ..is the same process that led the Roosevelt administration to believe Japan was not a threat ..and dismiss events leading up to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. I’m not so sure I would call this an ‘impairment’ however ..it’s more like a ‘cognitive strategy’: a strategy of selectively processing information that’s consistent with existing policies or pre-conceived ideas. We all do it to some extent ..it’s just that I expect our leaders to be less biased than the general population when it comes to interpreting world events. The Bush administration dismissed a whole heap of available evidence that did not support their policy of hostility toward Iraq. In the same fashion, the Roosevelt administration had plenty of intelligence reports indicating that Japan was planning to attack Pearl Harbor. They chose to ignore them because they did not support their policy of diplomacy with Japan.
Roosevelt later defends his blunder by denying that he received any warning about Japanese intentions ..claiming that none of the reports specifically mentioned Hawaii. Bush, on the other hand, makes his case by ‘hedging’ ..using ‘implication and innuendo’ to misrepresent the facts. It’s the same strategy used by attorneys when they want to avoid being charged with perjury once the truth be known. How admirable when politicians stoop to these tactics..! Although Bush implies the possibility of a link between Hussein and September 11 ..he never actually makes one. What he says is: “ ..Saddam Hussein has had connections with Al Qaeda.” Not “ ..Saddam Hussein is connected with September 11.” Even Condoleezza Rice had to go on ABC’s Nightline in their defense saying: “We never claimed that Saddam Hussein ..had either direction or control of 9/11.” Now, I find these statements comforting ..! You can rest assured there’s no evidence of ‘cognitive impairment’ affecting this administration ..just the usual signs of deception ..betrayal ..and greed.
7 comments:
Language is a strange and beautiful thing... mostly, mystifying... because so many people use it wonderfully... and so many use it carelessly... recklessly... irresponsibly. And so many pretend to "not have heard" what was said.
I recently began working with some people who display some very "usual" qualities in their hearing ability... or rather, their inability and/or "unwillingness" to communicate effectively. I find, sadly, a lot of people just don't care to communicate... it takes too much effort to participate in clear, true, and effective ways. One of my co-workers often ignores another when a question is asked... but, this does not make me give up. I continue asking until my question is, at least, acknowledged, as if I count as a human being in this communication thing that we do. I am patient, but I ask again, politely, a few minutes later, just to let her know that I have not brushed her lack of response off, as she seems to have done me, with my question. Yet, another girl never answers the particular question that you ask, instead, responds with some weird thing that has nothing to do with the actual question. I am always forced to ask twice... and I do not bend or flex, I let her know that her response was not what I asked and tell her, "the question "was"..." then, I proceed to ask again.
I despise lazy communication efforts. The first girl, it annoys me because I feel that she is just being arrogant, by choosing to ignore one's effort to communicate. In the second instance, I feel that she takes the opportunity to make a smart-ass remark, rather than actually respond properly to the question. I don't let her get away with that, either. I always demand... by my continued "pushing on" with the question... to be acknowledged and treated with respect. I am not harsh or brash about it, just persistant. Go find someone else to screw around with, I'm not here to play games with someone else's head or show disrespect... by that same token, I require respect, in return for my sincerity.
Of course, it's quite possible that they don't actually understand the question, and that I am not communicating effectively... but, I think not. Most people just do not want to deal with communication, unless they are having the opportunity to display huge/warped egos. Now, I'm willing to also look at the fact that perhaps I do not display the right tone of voice, eye contact or other body language, that lets someone know that I am trying to have a sincere conversation. Upon taking my new job at the canal, I am having to learn to be assertive and to take command, in order to keep the attention of unruly children, and their adult chaperones, who sometimes act as if they, themselves, are attention deficit, to include the actual teachers. I'm told (much to the surprise of my significant other) that I have a very soft voice that doesn't carry well. He finds this hard to believe, lol. I guess I am much more assertive at home, ok? Lol. Anyways, I've worked VERY hard, throughout the years of my entire adult life (and childhood too, really) to communicate effectively... so, because of this life long effort, I am much more aware of other's ability... or disability... in communicating.
Perhaps Roosevelt was like my second friend, he chooses to ignore the obvious, because it doesn't fit into his particular scheme of things. And I've known those who are slick, like Bush, with their use of the human language. And people, who are lazy... who don't want to be forced to think for themselves... don't pay attention to what is actually being said... such passive listener's we can sometimes be.
I have found communication to be such a crapshoot.
You take time to read my posts ..and with such good responses I know you pay attention.
So, now that you’re in a new workplace ..I can only imagine how tuned-in you must be ..and how tuned-out your co-workers are. They are probably responding to something else going on in their life ..pretty soon you’ll learn what that is ..and start from there ..as unfair as that may sound.
..and as trite as I may sound .. :)
It is not trite at all. One of them is going through what I have already traversed, and that is two years into the death of her spouse, with everything changing, much falling apart, and a great effort to hold onto everything that has always been dear to her, even when it just may not be possible. She seems to be barely there, a lot on her shoulders and going to school, too. I should be ashamed? The other... well, I know where she is coming from, too, but give me a break already :s Actually, I am not rude or anything, just perhaps a little annoyed. I think I probably need to not try so hard to communicate, it may not be so important in some instances... sometimes I talk from boredom, or so as not to seem aloof :s I guess I expect others to be the same. Silly me.
My neighbor (Dad's friend) implied he would have been disobeying orders if he radioed what he knew to Pearl Harbor.
In his book Cryptonomicon, Neal Stephenson says that military intelligence didn't want Japan to know they had broken their code.
Brad ~ Sounds like a classic case of blunder-by-strategy. Thanks for the recommended reading ~ lee
Is This GWBush casing plunder-by-strategy demonstrating excessive power-rush knee-JERK?
Beware of industrial military complex. Is being rash symptomatic?
Neil is your kind of storyteller!
was casting GW a plunder-by-strategy move..? definitely (love that re-phrasing). Is headlong rush to disaster symptomatic ..? absolutely!
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