With Republicans it is all about perception

[Winterblues]

They spend all their time trying to figure out what the perception of any given topic should be. It matters not what the actual content is. Take Cheney's latest attack on Obama about making America less safe because he said we no longer Torture. After the pictures came out in 2004 the Administration completely stopped their "harsh interrogation techniques" and yet they still contend they "kept America safe". It isn't about Torture, it is about FEAR. Cheney once made the statement "it is better to be feared than loved" and that thought became our official foreign policy. It isn't that Obama stopped Torture, that had been stopped for over four years, it was that he announced to the world we no longer permit it. Our entire foreign policy had been based upon Fear. We wanted those that oppose America to be in complete FEAR of what America would do to them if caught. Republicans believe and Cheney in particular that FEAR is the very best motivator for foreigners to do what America wants done. That is what is riling up Republicans so much. Not that there might have been Laws broken or abused but that our foreign policy based upon FEAR is changing..It is all about perception, about how the world views America and whether they FEAR us or not...Democrats are far more open to Diplomacy and Negotiation and Republicans to Dictates based upon FEAR..I believe the Torture of Prisoners was more for show than for intelligence obtained. They wanted "our enemies" to be afraid of us and what we would do to them if we caught them taking up arms against us..That is why Senator Inhofe could get away with the statement he was "Outraged at the Outrage" over the torture disclosures. He could not believe Americans would be outraged over something like that. Republicans still think it is all about Democrats getting back at Bush*. They can not grasp that America is better, than the Republican Party is. That America at least a majority of Americans don't believe that our foreign Policy should be based completely upon FEAR..It is about Republican projection. They FEAR and it is so deeply embedded in their psyche that they think it is the ONLY thing anyone will respond to..That is why they used their entire eight years to drive fear into the hearts of Americans..It is all about FEAR.

[Laelth]

1. Well said. Compelling argument. k&r n/t

:dem:

-Laelth

[Echo In Light]

2. With America, it's ALL about perception

Phony democracy. Phony elections. Phony mainstream media. Phony "terror attacks" to bolster public support for phony war$. Prevailing corporate cultural pastimes that promote phony, cosmetic aspirations and "values." The list is endless. Anything that isn't geared along those lines is generally considered 'weird' and out of lockstep uniformity with the majority.

[asphalt.jungle]

3. yeah i found it odd

that they accuse the president of endangering america these past 4 months because he won't torture. using that same logic they endangered america the previous 5 years when they weren't torturing.