Are Americans more suspicious of their government these days, or has it always been this way?

Question

Have the actions of the Bush administration caused us to be more aware of what is going on and worry more about our future as a democracy or have most people always been very concerned about this? Would there be this concern if not for the war on terror? Will all of this continue no matter who our president is?

Answer 1

Consider how our government has lied to us in the last seventy years:
* Suspicion still abounds that FDR allowed soldiers to die at Pearl Harbor because he knew it would bring America into World War II;
* The military has still not satisfactorily explained what happened in 1947 at Roswell, New Mexico, especially to the satisfaction of those who lived through it;
* Our government lied about U-2 spy planes flying over the U.S.S.R. until Khrushchev shot one down and displayed it for all the world to see;
* The Warren Commission white-washed its version of the JFK assassination, much to the disbelief of millions of American citizens;
* The White House lied about a third-rate burglary in the Watergate Hotel until two young reporters dug at the truth and forced the resignation of a U.S. President;
* The military lied about U.S. battleships being 'attacked' in the Gulf of Tonkin, which led us directly into the Vietnam War;
* The government lied about the effects of Agent Orange on Vietnam veterans;
* The Reagan administration's 'arms-for-hostages' deal later became known as the scandalous Iran Contra affair;
* Claims of 'weapons of mass destruction' led us into an unconstitutional, illegal, unjustifiable, immoral 'war' against another sovereign nation that in no way threatened, provoked or attacked the United States;
* Sexual abuse and torture allegations were denied until an enterprising whistleblower posted photos on the Internet for all the world to see.

Why shouldn't we be suspicious of our government? Is it too much to expect that "we the people" are given the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?? We, the people, after all, own this country...the government does not own us or this country. -RKO- 11/24/07

Answer 2

yes i think it doesn't matter who are president is..the terrorist has said that he will attack no matter what and it will be worse then before but the only thing that is stopping him is the security that bush has been doing and the war.if we have another Democrat they will stop the war and then we are in for a big bam boom..i will think that they will do it again and the scare me but no matter who the president is everybody always buts them down..

Answer 3

Well when you have a Free Government that allows you free speech, it's only inevitable that some people would think there is something wrong with it.

Answer 4

Americans are better informed than we were generation ago. So what you are observing is a healthy skepticism

Answer 5

More concerned.