Bill Moyers The Truth about Lies Michael Milburn

Bill Moyers The Truth about Lies Michael Milburn Psychology 335

Questions • What is the public’s reaction to governmental lies? • What do you think is the source of these reactions? • Does this have any relevance for our discussion of Panama/Haiti? The Politics of Denial? • Is what happened during Vietnam (LBJ and his critics) relevant to current politics? Who is Max Clelland?

Groupthink • Irving Janis (Psychology, Yale Univ. ) • A potential problem with cohesive groups • Concurrence-seeking becomes primary goal

Questions • What is the public’s reaction to governmental lies? • What do you think is the source of these reactions? • Does this have any relevance for our discussion of Panama/Haiti? The Politics of Denial? • Is what happened during Vietnam (LBJ and his critics) relevant to current politics? Who is Max Clelland?

Max Clelland • Senator from Georgia • Lost two legs and an arm in Vietnam • Lost Senate race for reelection when Saxby Chambliss questioned his patriotism because • Clelland voted for a successful 1997 amendment to the chemical weapons treaty that removed language barring inspectors from certain countries from being part of United Nations inspection teams in Iraq

• Chambliss accused Clelland on at least one occasion of "breaking his oath to protect and defend the Constitution. " • As if to emphasize his point, Chambliss even ran a TV ad. The ad associated Cleland with Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. • "As America faces terrorists and extremist dictators, " the announcer said as images of bin Laden and Hussein appear on screen, "Max Clelland runs television ads claiming he has the courage to lead. "