I think that we usually act and react based on preconceived notions. Programmed so to speak. Things that have shaped our perspectives. Our parents, our friends, our government, our news media, even our pop culture. Even our experiences to some degree but then even those are biased to an extent by the influences mentioned above. I'm curious if anyone else tries to look at life and the world without using the lens you were given.
A simple example would be a white child growing up in the 40's or 50's and even into the early 60's would have had a very bad view of native Americans. The movies of the era portrayed "Indians" as savages who swooped in on horses to kill and scalp innocent white people. History textbooks used in most public schools weren't much more honest.
Later as the tribes became active in seeking rights and recompense for their treatment they were frequently portrayed as agitators, subversives, and anti-American by the people who disseminate information. Eventually a lot of us, maybe most, became aware of the truth or at least gained a more realistic view.
As a child of the late 20th century I always was taught that communists and socialists were evil. Many times they were. They were the bad guys. Does that really make us the good guys?
I see a lot of news about faraway lands and how they threaten us. What we seldom see are the views of "them" and how the world looks through their eyes. We of course are told that all of our government's actions are reasonable and necessary. And of course given the lens we have been provided to see through... it looks like the truth.
This isn't a political issue really. Politics actually has little to do with this. There are people of both main political parties who have doubts. Some are beyond doubts, they are certain. In their view. It is odd how we so seldom hear about things that happen out there beyond our borders other than the bad "them" who threaten us for no apparent reason.
A website with contributions from former government workers including people who worked in the State department and intelligence agencies.
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Bl...ns_WBlumZ.html
I'm not a big fan of Lew Rockwell but he makes some good points.
http://www.lewrockwell.com/barnett/barnett30.1.html