Cognitive dissonance is, today, well understood by mental health clinicians. Social psychologist Leon Festinger first defined cognitive dissonance in 1954 when he observed that human beings fight to resolve contradictions between their strong points of view and the reality they can’t escape.
Thanks Hal, for putting a name to the terrible unease I am feeling about Joe Biden and his dealings with his son. It is like being told there is no Santa Clause---I do not want to believe it. Thru thick and thin and all his flaws I could always say and believe that Joe Biden was an honest and decent man. And that that is just what we need right now. Well now what? I will wait for the other shoe to drop and then try to deal with reality---one way or the other, no matter how disappointing! And the question being, where do we go from there? Bobbi Holland
I enjoy reading this commentary. However on this occasion I find myself in doubt of the claim that democrats have a cognitive dissonance about Hunter Biden. While I agree that connections to his father while conducting business to impress, if not endorse the business being conducted there are disagreements also.
I am a democrat that totally disagrees with the families of Presidents or Vice Presidents even senators or congress persons using their kinship to their advantage in business. However there is no law against it. Many presidents have not had children in position to take those advantages and therefore no problems like this.
To close my comments, let me make it clear, that I don’t approve of any of this. I think to end this congress needs to revisit and extend ethics laws up to and including the constitution. Our founders were naive to the problem thinking that anyone holding those lustrous offices wouldn’t think of doing self promotion for financial gain. We have proven over and over that they were wrong. That’s just one thing, by the way, that our founders never contemplated when writing that sacred document. They should have used the word muskets instead of arms. Lol
Emoluments can be disguised. The can and should be used more often. That was one of the first complaints that obviously fell on deaf ears early on. To my knowledge no mention of emoluments violations under Biden.
Thanks Hal, for putting a name to the terrible unease I am feeling about Joe Biden and his dealings with his son. It is like being told there is no Santa Clause---I do not want to believe it. Thru thick and thin and all his flaws I could always say and believe that Joe Biden was an honest and decent man. And that that is just what we need right now. Well now what? I will wait for the other shoe to drop and then try to deal with reality---one way or the other, no matter how disappointing! And the question being, where do we go from there? Bobbi Holland
Bravo! An excellent essay - and I wish it is read by a large number of people on each extreme side of our political spectrum.
I enjoy reading this commentary. However on this occasion I find myself in doubt of the claim that democrats have a cognitive dissonance about Hunter Biden. While I agree that connections to his father while conducting business to impress, if not endorse the business being conducted there are disagreements also.
I am a democrat that totally disagrees with the families of Presidents or Vice Presidents even senators or congress persons using their kinship to their advantage in business. However there is no law against it. Many presidents have not had children in position to take those advantages and therefore no problems like this.
To close my comments, let me make it clear, that I don’t approve of any of this. I think to end this congress needs to revisit and extend ethics laws up to and including the constitution. Our founders were naive to the problem thinking that anyone holding those lustrous offices wouldn’t think of doing self promotion for financial gain. We have proven over and over that they were wrong. That’s just one thing, by the way, that our founders never contemplated when writing that sacred document. They should have used the word muskets instead of arms. Lol
See Article I, Section 9, Clause 8 of the U.S. Constitution (Foreign Emoluments Clause)
Emoluments can be disguised. The can and should be used more often. That was one of the first complaints that obviously fell on deaf ears early on. To my knowledge no mention of emoluments violations under Biden.