2 ms·

>Seriously though, who doesn't expect that their government will attempt to cast itself in the best light and smear its enemies? There's a lot of people who th

>Seriously though, who doesn't expect that their government will attempt to cast itself in the best light and smear its enemies? There's a lot of people who think of government (either in the general case or their specific government) as an infallible source of all that is good. It's basically a religion to them and they will find a way to hand-wave away this kind of thing no matter how you present it because you can't just tell people that their religion is wrong and expect them to roll over and accept it. Edit: I strive to get bipartisan down-votes. If you think your side is being singled out by my wording please comment and I will try and correct it.

smt88 7y ago
For many of them, it's less likely blind patriotism and more akin to a desire for safety. Your government may do evil things, but if it isn't actively oppressing you, and you have investment in its continuation (land holdings, for example), then you prefer your own evil government over others. Of course, no one wants to believe they selfishly support something evil, so they tell themselves whatever story is necessary. There's also some cognitive confusion in enjoying the benefits of your domestic government, even though its foreign policy is atrocious.