So, why do people believe weird things? "More than any other, the reason people believe weird things," says Shermer, "is because they want to. . . .It feels good. It is comforting. It is consoling." Secondly, weird beliefs offer "immediate gratification." People like weird beliefs because they are simple. Weird beliefs also satisfy the quest for significance: they satisfy our moral needs and our desire that life be meaningful. Finally, he says, people believe weird things because weird things give them hope.
- Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time
It seems curious to me that the President did not say he was sorry when appearing on Arab TV, but decided to do so at a White House press conference with the King of Jordan. The fact the infamous pictures and troubling details are just getting worse suggests he just could not avoid such remarks, but why not apologize when talking directly to the Arab People? In fact, reports noted he murmured under his breath when asked by one Arab reporter what he says when some suggest we are as bad as Saddam's torturers. Such body language is the sort of thing the guy is infamous for. It is also interesting that he did not go on the most popular Arab station, Al-Jazeera, but did go on the US backed Al-Hurra.
President Bush said his focus now is "to make sure it doesn't happen again." He said he also wants to ensure that "there is not a larger problem" in the military prison system in Iraq and elsewhere. [qtd] Too late. See also, Legal Fiction, who has a lot of good commentary, including the wider implications and lessons that should be learnt. As to this bunch's willful blindness in the Iraq Conflict, see here.
The President also supported Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld, who's head is currently being demanded by various politicians, editorials, and so forth, though he reprimanded Rumsfeld for not properly keeping him in the loop. The President's support is far from shocking, especially given the political quagmire the confirmation of the replacement will entail. Likewise, the resignation of a top official (other than perhaps Powell, which would entail other problems) would just be too much of an admittance of wrongdoing. Next, who would replace Rumsfeld anyway? I do think some heads must roll, but the ultimate responsibility is at the top, which will be left to the voters in November.
I was looking through my notes and found some on a book that I read some time back (c. 1998) by Michael Shermer. It seemed to me a good introduction to this entry because even now people strongly feel that we must re-elect the President. I fear if he actually does something right to deal with this mess it will just be used as fuel for their fire -- hey, he made mistakes, moved on, and we have to stay the course! At some point, I just find such support weird. Thus, the book seems quite relevant today. On the other hand, apparently some young children are already being educated correctly. So there is hope.