Guest, I would agree that cognitive dissonance affects what most Americans will believe, but I'm not convinced that the government is "using" cognitive dissonance. It's not a technique, it's a phenomenon of the learning mind. Of course public schools will teach us that the American Government is good, and of course, American Governments will do things that are not good. Cognitive dissonance may result. But what steps is the government taking that they would not take if they didn't know about cognitive dissonance? In what sense are they actively employing it against us?