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Scientists Study Memory Loss Among PoliticiansPosted on Apr 9, 2007An “unprecedented epidemic of memory loss” is afflicting America’s politicians, making it virtually impossible for them to remember key phone conversations, meetings, and memos, a spokesman for the world’s leading brain scientists said today. The spokesman, Dr. Hiroshi Kyosuke of the University of Tokyo, is one of over 400 eminent brain scientists who have gathered in Oslo, Norway, this week for a high-level research conference to probe the recent phenomenon of memory loss that has plagued the nation’s politicians. “The question at hand is this: Why are politicians so good at remembering contributors’ names and phone numbers but so bad at remembering everything else?” Dr. Kyosuke said. “That seems like the sort of thing that a normal human brain would have no difficulty remembering,” Dr. Kyosuke said. “What we are learning at this conference is that when it comes to politicians’ brains, we have so much more to learn.” On Monday, a full day of the conference was devoted to a paper entitled “The Neuroscience of Scooter Libby,” followed by a keynote address given by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. While many attendees considered Mr. Gonzales’ speech a high point of the conference, the attorney general offered a different assessment: “I have no recollection of it.”Elsewhere, President Bush said he would devote the remainder of his term to fighting global warming, adding, “April Fool’s!” Award-winning humorist, television personality and film actor Andy Borowitz is author of “The Republican Playbook.” © 2007 Creators Syndicate Previous item: Praying for the Apocalypse Next item: Swift Boat Appointment Obscures the Real Threat Elsewhere: . CommentsAre you a Truthdig member yet? Login now, or register with Truthdig. Add Your Comment
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By TC, April 12, 2007 at 9:32 am #
Not Dimslow. He has a memory like no one else. Ditto his UDHR campaign platform. Dimslow in ‘08:
Report thishttp://apragmaticpolicy.wordpress.com/2007/04/11/dimslow-08/
By Douglas Chalmers, April 12, 2007 at 7:17 am #
First, there was Margaret Thatcher. She was a cold war warrior (known as “Attilla the hen”) and then she started a war with Argentina over the Falklands which cost thousands of lives. Now she has Alzheimer’s disease which claimed the life of “her dear friend and political soulmate”, the late President Ronald Reagan. He was responsible for the star wars projects and the Iran-Contra scandals.
With the current white-house incumbent, though, one would have to question whether the input of additional stem-cells into his brain as a temporary solution would make any difference. It could just be like the old joke about Reagan - “the president’s brain is missing” - or, this time, did he ever have one???
One thing is alarmingly obvious, though. An early onset of dementia (Alzheimer’s) can lead to aggressive and abnormal behavior as an inflammatory response to the deposition of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles takes place.
Additionally, the resultant disinhibition through the influence of external stimuli such as drugs or alcohol, or as a result of brain damage can lead to unrestrained behavior resulting from a lessening or loss of inhibitions or a disregard of cultural constraints.
As opposed to outright psychopathic criminal insanity, either of the above could still be sufficient to take a country to war or to involve it in a series of incidents or blunders which would culminate in war. America has already been down that path before with Vietnam and Korea. Who is to blame?
Report thisBy RAE, April 11, 2007 at 2:10 am #
I love visiting the world with Andy as tour guide. His humor helps ward off the tears the human chronic human condition evoke.
I was thinking that if I, a poor slob near the bottom of the pecking order, am held responsible for following ALL LAWS, RULES and REGULATIONS whether or not I’ve even heard of them (“Ignorance of the law is no excuse”) then why is it unreasonable to expect that those set in authority over me (eg politicians) be required to be held responsible for their actions while establishing said laws, rules and regulations?
I think “I can’t remember” should not be accepted as an excuse from those who do not possess a legitimate diagnosis of a mental disorder which negatively affects their ability to recall.
Report thisBy Tom Herz, April 10, 2007 at 2:04 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
When and where are the key officials in the Bush administration going to check into the hospital and get top notch medical and psychiatric treatment for this terrible new disease that seems to have struck a select group of officials in DOJ and the White House?
Why have we not heard about any follow up to this worrisome situation (Accounts of Prosecutors’ Dismissals Keep Shifting).
It appears that AG Gonzales, Scooter Libby, and other officials must all be suffering from hazy memory syndrome (HMS?). They all may have been drinking the same water or breathing the same air in those sacrosanct meeting rooms in the White House.
I think even our president must be suffering from this ailment as well. Who else is going to come down with it when certain inconvenient truths confront them?
Report thisBy RobertBennett, April 9, 2007 at 9:23 pm #
As House Minority Leader, Newt Gingrich worked to undermine the re-election bid of then President George Bush. He felt the Republicans would be better off without Bush, even if it meant abandoning the White House to the Democrats for a term to rally support.
I’ve read accounts of this in several places, including, “To the Best of My Ability, The American Presidents” by James M. McPherson.
If true, it means Newt Gingrich (Paranoid Conservative) played a role in getting Bill and Hillary elected.
I would love it if memory loss where the only problem. Regardless of your feelings for Bill and Hillary, this is just plain Nuts.
http://www.JimmyCarterForPresident.com
Yeah, I know; he’s over 80. But, he’s the only one I trust.
Peace,
Bob
“I’m a conservative, but I’m not a nut about it.”
Report this(A quote by the first -and best- President George Bush)
By Ernest Canning, April 9, 2007 at 8:56 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
That’s it! Cheney “forgets” that his past lies about WMD, links to al Qaeda and 9/11 have already been exposed repeatedly, so he simply repeats them. And here, I had thought that he was just following the scriptlaid out by Adolf Hitler in “Mein Kampf:” “Propaganda had to be continuous and unvarying in its message. It should never admit a glimmer of doubt in its own claims, or concede the tiniest element of right in the claims of the other side.”
Report thisBy John F. Butterfield, April 9, 2007 at 8:20 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
That’s why teleprompters were invented.
Report thisBy Terry Sloth, April 9, 2007 at 7:25 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
An unprecedented epidemic of memory loss is afflicting Americas politicians, making it virtually impossible for them to remember key phone conversations, meetings, and memos, a spokesman for the worlds leading brain scientists said today.”
Report thisMemory loss is an excuse used by pathological
liars—of course, its easier to forget when you have secret White House e-mail accounts, depositions with no transcripts, and you’re not reticent about taking the fifth.
By Anna Catherine, April 9, 2007 at 6:20 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
It’s about time! I can’t wait for the results. Do they forget or do they lie, and what’s the difference?
Report thisBy M Henri Day, April 9, 2007 at 4:26 pm #
The problem, as I see it, is not the selective loss of memory which seems to afflict political representatives, but rather that far more consequential loss of memory which afflicts the constituents the former claim to represent. It is this latter which makes the present demonisation of Iran and the US build-up in the Persian Gulf and other provocations against that country politically possible, despite the fact that the same tactics of disinformation and threats, now repudiated and known to be false, were used, mutatis mutandi, in the run-up to the US/UK war of aggression against Iraq….
Henri
Report thisBy Margaret Currey, April 9, 2007 at 3:28 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
Of course forgetfulness is better than telling a lie you can be caught up in a lie, but forgetfulness is very convient, of course the jury did not buy the Libby defense, when is the VP going to be called up surely he knew about Wilson’s wife, of course if you do not mention names you are free, after Wilson’s wife could be the cartoon character remember Mrs. Wilson?
I am sure when Bush/Chaney are Impeached they will also have selective memory.
Madder than a wet hen, Vancouver, Washington
Report thisBy Quy Tran, April 9, 2007 at 2:00 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
“Why are politicians so good at remembering contributors’ names and phone numbers but so bad at remembering eveything else?...” Oh, it’s very easy to answer “because they’re no a complete human beings and sometimes have to borrow brains from others.
This question from Dr. Kyosuke should pose directly to Bush/Cheney and their main slaves like Rove, Gonzales, Rice….and a very long list to follow.
Only dogs never forget their masters even they have been maltreated !
Report thisBy GW=MCHammered, April 9, 2007 at 12:08 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
And I forgot to pay my federal taxes… again! When they ask, I just say, “I have no recollection of any income.” Then I don’t pay. It’s easy. Just as seen on TV! At least when Reagan started this now haggard defense, it’s conceivable he had a medical excuse: early Alzheimers.
Politicos print their government paycheck regardless of revenue then get their backdoor corporate payments too. Too bad *NJ State retirees aren’t considered politicos. ‘Cause sounds like government raided their coffers. But I’m certain no official has any recollection of where the money went.
*Hint to looted NJ State workers (NY and California soon too)... check departing railroad trains and planes. Especially the ones headed toward Ðas Capitol.
Report thisBy Louise, April 9, 2007 at 10:19 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
Wow!
So the problem is actually selective memory loss.
And here I thought they were just stupid!
Fortunately, it seems not to have affected their ability to count money!
Uh ...
well ...
Unless it’s ours.
Report this