Can we handle "the truth?"

Lets say the president held a press conference and disclosed classified information with the nation, basically fulfilling the nation's paranoia. Do you think we could handle the truth? If the president said, "Everyone needs to clean up their act!" and began instilling a new way of life, tearing down houses and businesses, immobilizing automobiles, shutting down factories and major corporations. It's a hypothetical question, of course. It might help if you imagine America in crisis, then to have the president come on television and announcing the truth to the nation. The truth about 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, aliens, time, aids, drugs, etc. No one knows the truth exactly, but we all tend to think we're being lied to. So what if the truth was revealed?

Chaos

a lot of people getting pissed off on the internet. but nothing happening in RL.

just kidding i have no idea. most likely chaos like hippiegirl said.

I think we wouldn't stand for it and America would have its first political coup. Americans don't particularly like to hear the truth, but when it's proven, we get angry. But we don't stay mad long,( very short memories, us Americans) so it would have to be swift. Before we forget what we're mad about.

the people prefer fairy tales to cold reality and when slapped in the face with truth they tend to hide behind their own preconceptions.

Belief perseverance phenomenon is what you're describing, DON. I think if the truth were to be revealed, intelligent folk all around the world would band together and move to another galaxy, while the dummies stay behind to continue their patriotic butt-pounding. It's just like you said, "people prefer fairy tales." How did we get here to begin with?

i don't think people would watch it, since Monday night football was on, why would they wanna watch c-span or cnn...