No Win Situation

Today I had the chance to talk with, or rather listen to, Joe Everyman. It was a most entertaining conversation, but a few things struck me:

1. Joe Everyman was solidly convinced that things have not been this bad since the Great Depression. Joe also took a holiday vacation in the Caribbean on a lark.
2. Joe doesn't think the government is doing enough to protect us from terrorism. Joe is also pissed that we are spending vast sums on the war in Iraq during tough economic times.
3. Joe blamed the U.S. automakers problems on their truck & SUV reliance. Joe drives an American made SUV. A big one.

I liked Joe. I'd enjoy having more conversations with him because there were kernels of wisdom in some of the topics he discussed. But I found these three contradictions very interesting, because they are contradictions that I think are in the belief system of a lot of people, and I find it fascinating. I don't hold him and others in low regard because of this, but I do wonder how these contradictions get rationalized.