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1. 

   Sir Oolius Posted 6:40 am
   07 Mar 2008

   one of my favorite lines from that speach

   Now, all the countries we import from are friendly, stable countries; but some countries we get oil from don't particularly like us.

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2. 

   Pangolin Posted 8:25 am
   07 Mar 2008

   Bush breathes lies like a fish breathes water

   It's the very medium that he swims in and is no more apparent to him than the air around you(PRC residents excepted) is to you. That is precisely why he is the acting figurehead of the GOP. The last public person who had this peculiar talent was Ronald Reagun but he also had Alzheimers so it doesn't count as much.

   I'm an agnostic but my only temptation to religion is the hope that someday people like him are held accountable for their actions by a higher power. If only George W. Bush could feel, in real time, the pain, despair and frustration he has, and will cause, literally billions of people.

   The worst of his lies involve the denial and delay of action on climate change. That has put billions of people at risk.

   Put the Carbon Back

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3. 

   gmobus Posted 4:24 am
   09 Mar 2008

   Bush is not alone

   Look. Everybody believes that what they believe is true. Even if in some objective sense what they believe is false. This observation has been used to explain why young men can sincerely think they love a young woman in the true love sense, when in fact they are really just trying to procreate. A fellow can tell the girl that he loves her (and respects her) with great conviction because he sincerely (at that moment) believes it himself. We lie to ourselves all the time. Our brains are wired this way for the good of the species. It makes telling stories possible.

   So Bush may just be a victim of his own beliefs and we already know he is averse to actually learning anything that might go against any of those beliefs. Therein lies the key, however.

   Unfortunately so it is with most people. I'd venture to say all people most of the time. We all have beliefs about the world and how it works. We believe those beliefs are based on reality and evidence. But the real reality is we are a priori biased when it comes to paying attention to evidence that supports our beliefs and ignoring evidence that doesn't. How do you know the truth?

   For my part I have found myself to be wrong in some cherished beliefs even in matters based on scientific knowledge. These days I question everything.

   George
   http://www.questioneverything.typepad.com/
   

   George Mobus, Associate Professor, Institute of Technology, University of Washington Tacoma, and Professional Student for Life

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4. 

   Colin Wright Posted 5:00 am
   09 Mar 2008

   George: good advice...

   NPR's Radiolab had a good show about lying and self-deception recently. Here is a couple of snippets:

   "She tells us that pathological liars have a surprising advantage over normal people: they are better at making connections between ideas in different parts of their brain."

   "Psychologist Joanna Starek tells us that swimmers who lie to themselves swim faster than those who do not. And we explore the power of self-deception to make us more successful, and happier, people. "

   I'd also recommend the video of the Chomsky/Trivers interchange. Self-deception may be rooted in a biological strategy to intimidate competitors!
   

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5. 

   edarnold41 Posted 5:30 am
   10 Mar 2008

   Man hears what he wants to hear, and disregards...

   ...the rest

   Professor, thank you for interjecting a rare breath of fresh air into the miasma of personal attacks and vindictiveness that passes for political discussion these days. It's not that there is no such thing as an objective reality, but that what we make of the deluge of second-, third-, and fourth-hand information that we receive daily depends largely on what we are primed to believe, based on our world view and past experience.

   However, if you receive any packages addressed from some of the denizens of this newsgroup, I would strongly advise that you contact your friendly local bomb squad. True believers just can't stand being told they may not be in possession of the One Truth.

   Best wishes

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