NEW SCIENTIFIC STUDY PROVES WHAT WE ALWAYS KNEW: RIGHT WINGERS HAVE RIGID, BRITTLE, NARROW MINDS

Democrats didn't put this ad together; progressives did

Today's L.A. Times reports on a study just out in a scientific journal, Nature Neuroscience that shows that "political orientation is related to differences in how the brain processes information." And according to the that study, scientists exploring the neurobiology of politics "have found that liberals tolerate ambiguity and conflict better than conservatives because of how their brains work." Not unlike previous psychological studies, findings show that liberals tend to be more open to new experiences and conservatives tend to be more structured, rigid, fearful of new experiences, and, in the vernacular, "uptight"

The report comes just as the country prepares to hear the newest spin on the Iraq situation from the Bush Regime, which has prepared speeches for it's ambassador to the Green Zone and for the only general it could find to buckle under to the destruction and dishonor of the U.S. military in pursuit of Bush's catastrophic agenda. Bush plans to follow up the dog and pony show with a request for another $50 billion for the occupation of Iraq. Most Americans have heard enough of the constant lies that have flowed effortlessly out of Bush Regime spokespersons to have already discounted what Crocker and BetrayUs plan to read on... 9/11-- now there's a coincidence! And a new poll shows that most Iraqis also assess the "surge" as a dismal failure. But what do they know?

Barely a quarter of Iraqis say their security has improved in the past six months, a negative assessment of the surge in U.S. forces that reflects worsening public attitudes across a range of measures, even as authorities report some progress curtailing violence.

Apart from a few scattered gains, a new national survey by ABC News, the BBC and the Japanese broadcaster NHK finds deepening dissatisfaction with conditions in Iraq, lower ratings for the national government and growing rejection of the U.S. role there.

More Iraqis say security in their local area has gotten worse in the last six months than say it's gotten better, 31 percent to 24 percent, with the rest reporting no change. Far more, six in 10, say security in the country overall has worsened since the surge began, while just one in 10 sees improvement.

More directly assessing the surge itself-- a measure that necessarily includes views of the United States, which are highly negative-- 65 to 70 percent of Iraqis say it's worsened rather than improved security, political stability and the pace of redevelopment alike.

... The big picture remains bleak. Six in 10 Iraqis say their own lives are going badly, and even more, 78 percent, say things are going badly for the country overall - up 13 points from last winter. Expectations have crumbled; just 23 percent see improvement for Iraq in the year ahead, down from 40 percent last winter and 69 percent in November 2005.

More than six in 10 now call the U.S.-led invasion of their country wrong, up from 52 percent last winter. Fifty-seven percent call violence against U.S. forces acceptable, up six points. And despite the uncertainties of what might follow, 47 percent now favor the immediate withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq-- a 12-point rise.

Watching the "battle" between congressional Democrats and congressional Republicans, it is abundantly clear that the minds of the Republicans are all brittle and their outlooks rigid-- or even comatose. But what about the champions of the People, the Democrats? Are they liberal? The liberal in the study cited above? Or just another species of conservative? Dianne Feinstein? Joe Biden?

MoveOn.org represents liberals and progressives. Joe Biden and Dianne Feinstein and Democratic conservatives represent another part of the conservative mindset.




UPDATE: MYTHS AND FALSEHOODS ABOUT PROGRESS IN IRAQ

Media Matters put together a look at the Bush Regime's propaganda effort to convince Americans that Bush's escalation is "working." It isn't.

Of course, there's another point of view on all this: the Joe Lieberman point of view. "The personal attack on Gen. David Petraeus launched today by MoveOn.org is an outrageous and despicable act of slander that every member of the Congress-- Democrat and Republican-- has a solemn responsibility to condemn," said Lieberman. "As a member of the Senate Democratic caucus, I therefore call on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to denounce Moveon.org in no uncertain terms for its vile attack on Gen. Petraeus. General Petraeus deserves no less." Reid should kick him out of the Democratic caucus.