Give Us Liberty

On April 22, the NY Times published 7 opinion pieces under the umbrella title:

The Psychology of the 'Birther' Myth

What does it say about the country that 45 percent of Republicans believe Obama is foreign-born? 

---------------------------------------------

GIVE US LIBERTY WILL PUBLISH EACH OF THESE OPINION PIECES ON SUCCESSIVE DAYS, STARTING SUNDAY, APRIL 24. YOU WILL CLEARLY SEE WHAT WE ARE DEALING WITH ON THE LOONY AND IGNORANT LEFT.  THEIR CONTEMPT FOR THE TRUTH IS BREATHTAKING.

I ENCOURAGE ALL TO TAKE THE TIME TO SEND YOUR COMMENTS TO EACH OF THESE OBOTS AND SET THEM STRAIGHT. WE HAVE RESEARCHED THEIR RESPECTIVE EMAIL ADDRESSES AND THEY ARE POSTED AT THE END OF THEIR OP-ED. 

PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO FIRE OFF AN EMAIL AND GIVE THEM HELL!

WHAT IDIOTS!

No Winning This Argument

James T. LaPlant is a professor of political science and associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences at Valdosta State University in Georgia. 

The “birthers” can be viewed as part of a long tradition in American politics of attacking politicians as “other,” “foreign,” or “not one of us.” At the dawn of our republic, there were fears of the Illuminati and Freemasons. Fear of European influences and cabals were part of the revolutionary fervor in the colonies. In the 1800s, we witnessed an anti-Masonic party and fear of Catholics as part of the concern over foreign and subversive influences.

Belief in silly things can provide people with comfort in a world that appears increasingly difficult to understand.

The 20th century gave us Red scares in the 1920s and 1950s with the particularly ugly right-wing McCarthyism and attacks on politicians, civil servants, members of the military and ordinary citizens as foreign Communist agents.

The false belief that Obama was not born in the U.S. or that he is a Muslim has been tracking upward with economic uncertainty and individuals' worries about the economy. Plenty of conspiracy beliefs go hand in glove with worries and fears about globalization and unexpected/unpredictable economic shocks.
Further anxieties among birthers may relate to the growing diversity of America, which in 2050 will be minority white. For some of those surveyed, maybe a small percentage, questioning his citizenship and religion could be a manifestation of old-fashioned racial hostility.

I learned long ago that you will rarely win an argument with a conspiracy theorist. Conspiracy theorists have a profound distrust of the media and experts of all types. What most of us would consider solid evidence to quickly dismiss these charges would be rejected by birthers as frauds, fakes or manipulated documents.
We often ask why do people believe weird or silly things? It can provide them with comfort and consolation in a world that appears increasingly complex, globalized and difficult to understand.

I would also conclude that basic ignorance is at play. A poll of North Carolina voters in 2009 by Public Policy Polling found that 26 percent did not believe Obama was born in the U.S., and 20 percent were unsure. A question later in the poll asked if Hawaii was part of the United States.: 5 percent of respondents said no and 3 percent were unsure.

An improving economy and less economic anxiety may well drive down the poll numbers of those who question Obama’s citizenship. A genuine national dialogue on race, one of great historic challenges, could also help to dispel the racial undercurrents of this false belief concerning the president’s citizenship.

Email this obot: jlaplant@valdosta.edu