I think when someone paints a complex situation in black and white (am thinking about the recent Spain elections which were written off as a victory of the terrorists by many members of my government) it's not because they don't actually understand the situation is in fact more complex than that, but because that kind of rhetoric appeals bandawgons more. It's really just about public consensus. I can't believe men who were smart enough to get in a position of such power as the US government is don't realise that 1) terrorists don't exist because they one day woke up angry and 2) countries were pro-peace, not pro Saddam.