The citizens of society are malleable to the extent that the smallest idea or concept that they deem intriguing is taken to extraordinary heights; this is often times too far. Regardless of evidence, logic, or a planned course of action, society's ignorance allows government to persuade its citizens that they have the right course of action in mind. My question is how does government use its rhetoric to maintain ignorance within society and therefore, how does government determine and maintain society's ignorance towards its government and its actions.

The ignorance society has displayed towards its governments actions, specifically America's government, has allowed government to make questionable decisions while only showcasing the rewards of the operations, rather than their severe consequences. This intrigues me and it interests me of how the government can make such questionable decisions, such as the decision to invade Iraq, with the full backing of American citizens. Also, the government's ability to consistently use the media to distract and even manipulate society is something of interest to me. This question affects my values due to the distinct manipulation and behind the scenes workings of the government that is supposed to protect me. If anything, society is given a false sense of security by its government, proclaiming that all of the decisions are made with the society in mind. Instead of security, I am constantly wondering what our politicians will do next, whether our government is initiating another war overseas that we have no business in or if I am being spied on through my phone or even through the very computer I type this paper on. I cannot hold complete trust in a government that does not trust me and consistently puts me, my family, my friends, and all of our futures into harm's way.

Regarding my personal experience in this subject, the only experience that I do have is witnessing the consequences of our government's actions, usually with the full support of its society behind it. From Iraq to Syria, the conflicts that not only put our nation at risk, but the brave soldiers that fight our battles in a land not their own, American society is too easily susceptible to the rhetoric of the government. Persuaded into supporting the war in Iraq for example, was based on insufficient evidence linking Saddam Hussein, al Qaeda, and 9/11, along with the possibility of WMD's and Saddam's access to chemical weapons, none of which were found. As a bona fide citizen of American society, I believe that I am, to some small extent, qualified to argue why my own specific society bends at the will of its government regardless of the facts and hand. Not only this though, I believe I can also testify as to the extent that the American government uses its rhetoric to not only persuade society towards questionable conflicts, but also how the American government is able to paint itself in a good light, attempting to conceal its questionable decisions and highlight its successes.

In the article "The CIA and the Media" by Carl Bernstein, the major claim is that the American government is using reporters for its own personal gain. The references how the CIA used to train its agents to be journalists and placed into major news organizations. The stake holders would be the government along with the news reporters and media outlets affected by the CIA infiltration. Carl Bernstein is an investigative reporter an author for the Washington Post where he did the majority of his major reporting on the Watergate Scandal. This reporting earned him many awards and also aided the Post in receiving the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service in 1973. Bernstein may have some bias towards the reporters, ridiculing the CIA for their involvement in reporting as well as his own personal views about government involvement.

In the article "Ron Paul Explains It All: Global Unrest Is America's Fault" by Breitbart News, Ron Paul gives a speech concerning how America's issues have culminated into global unrest and instability. Paul resorts to analyzing the different aspects that have resorted to the mess America has made. Ron Paul and his political party, along with his son, former Presidential candidate Rand Paul, are major stakeholders within this speech. Libertarians themselves are stakeholders, as Ron Paul is a liberal himself, reflecting upon liberal beliefs. From economics to foreign affairs, America's policies and values are put into question. Ron Paul is an American politician, author, and physician, who is a former Republican congressman, two-time Republican presidential candidate, and the presidential nominee of the Libertarian Party in the 1988 U.S. presidential election. His obvious liberal views offer a large amount of bias regarding his stances on America's policies. 

In the article "An Ignorant Public Is the Real Kind of Security Our Govt. Is After" by Noam Chomsky, the concept that our security as American citizens is false security due to the ignorance and utter lack of government questioning by American citizens. Edward Snowden is one compelling example displayed. The major stakeholders would be the American government as well as the American people as a whole. The American people benefit from acknowledging that our ignorance is a major problem and needs to be solved. Our values, such as honesty and integrity are put to the test otherwise. Noam Chomsky is an American linguist and philosopher who is sometimes described as "the father of modern linguistics." He is currently the Institute Professor Emeritus at MIT and is the author of over 100 books, primarily on politics and linguistics. His bias stems from his libertarian socialist views and philosophies.

The arguing point to this research question is if our government is actually using its rhetoric to maintain a sense of ignorance within society. Those agreeing with my stance offer specific examples of how government is meddling with our views. Those disagreeing argue that the government shares what is necessary. The different perspectives offer a view points as to the ignorance of society and strengthening my resolve to know how and why. I could revise my research question to focus primarily on the media influence and the control by the government over what were shown and not shown.
