No, I don't mean to make any grandiose assumptions about people. I am not suggesting that people automatically wag a bony finger at their government regardless of the government's handling of a situation. I don't even contend to know why Haitians seemed to be fairly 'okay' with the Haitian government's response to the quake.

There is just a lot of anger towards a government, especially when that government is strong.

I guess the best bet we have at coping with outside influence is to take this advice: Everyone we know, every institution we've contacted, every friend, every parent, every teacher, has, at some point in time, lied to us. Don't ingest anything without inspection; purchase a servant to inspect your meals for poison. Look both ways, even if the walk sign is brightly shining.