Do you ever wonder why people believe what they believe? Is it because they like the source of the information? Does some information “resonate” with certain people so it has the proverbial “ring of truth” to it?

Last night I was surfing channels and caught a few minutes of “The Drug Years” on VH1. The segment was about Vietnam and the problem with heroin many vets from that era brought home. Several of the commentators stated matter of factually that the CIA was involved in supplying our men in Vietnam with the drug. It was pretty obvious they (the commentators) believed this, or at least wanted me to. But is there even a shred of truth to it?

There are reports in the media that one third of all Americans believe there is a cover-up surrounding the events of 9/11. I’ve run across more than a few blogs whose authors are convinced that the US was directly involved in the carnage. Israel is another favorite culprit. It’s obvious that most of these bloggers are way out of the mainstream. Not all of them though.

CNN (I know, consider the source) reports regularly that fully half of all Americans still believe Saddam Hussein was directly involved in the attacks of 9/11. To the best of my knowledge, no one more credible than nitwit bloggers has ever suggested such a thing. Iraq involved with al Qaeda is one thing, but being involved in the attacks on the US is quite another.

I, for one, don’t know what to believe. As a result, I generally don’t (believe anything). In particular, if my government says it, it is extremely suspect. Here’s a quick list of the shenanigans politicians have perpetrated in my lifetime.

• The Bay of Pigs
• The Tonkin Gulf Incident
• Watergate
• The Iran-Contra Affair
• The Lewinsky Scandal

Ongoing US involvement in Iraq and our failure to finish the job in Afghanistan may one day make the list, but in my mind those have more to do with incompetence than dishonesty.

Are you a believer?